Mathews Switchback. Keep it or upgrade?

[cowboydan]

Ok yall so ive got an old mathews switchback xt. I almost traded it in this past season and upgraded but after some thought...I really love this bow ! I bought it 13 years ago when i was still in high school and at the time it was the top of the line . But now im gearing up for some backpack hunts and it is a bit on the heavy side. Is it worth it to upgrade or should i spend $ elsewhere?

 

[Ucsdryder]

I imagine the trade in value is pretty low. I would go shoot the new bows and see if you like them better. I would assume they’re going to be night and day difference. I had a switchback and my prime black 3 is 10x the bow. The grip, speed, stability are all 10x better. If you do upgrade I’d keep the switchback as a backup bow.

 

[tuffcrk14]

I have a Mathews Halon 6 and it is heavy when comparing it to most bows. I do appreciate how steady it is at full draw and how much quieter it is compared to my old Fred Bear Code that I got as my first investment into bow hunting 10+ years ago. That $500 bow killed a lot of animals and I never tuned it once. A lot more than those $1k bows can say IMO. I’ll probably take my Mathews and get it tuned for next year because I didn’t like how my fixed blades were shooting out of it past 30 yards. Find one that fits you, your budget, and your intended purpose. Good luck!


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[txhunter581]

If it ain’t broke....

and I will also say this: Took my switchback in to have new cable and string put on it. It was there 2 days and he said 3 people were interested in buying it if I ever want to sell.

 

[cowboydan]

If it ain’t broke....

and I will also say this: Took my switchback in to have new cable and string put on it. It was there 2 days and he said 3 people were interested in buying it if I ever want to sell.

That's exactly what happened to me this year getting a new string put on! He said if I wanted to sell it he knew a guy . He also said a lot of people think its the best built bow ever

 

[mwebs]

I continue to have this debate yearly with my z7, have similar stories from when it gets restrung.. I really like some of the new Matthew’s though and I shoot them every time I go to the shop..

 

[Ihunt4food]

Like stated above, if it ain't broke....

 

[bpctcb]

I had 2 SBXT’s and still like them. But they have been surpassed in performance. Whether or not that’s important is up to you.

I chose to upgrade to a bow with 35” ata, 335 ibo speed and 7” brace height (Chill X). The increased accuracy & speed justify a small increase in weight for me. I spend a lot of time & money to hunt out west every year and the performance is worth it to me.

BP


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[Goatie]

Switchback xt is an awesome bow. Don’t fall into the gimmicks and marketing. All my buddies keep buying new $1k bows and get pissed when they compare my 12-ish year old drenalin’s quietness and overall weight.

bows haven’t changed enough in the last 15 years. If you want a new one, get one, but know your bow is probably just as capable.

 

[Stalker69]

Switch back was and still is one of the best bows mathews made. ( I like it better then the current mathews models) If you feel the need to part with a bunch of money, Or just feel the need for a new bow, buy a new one. But that bow will kill anything just as well as a “ new” one. If you want or feel the need for a new one, open yourself to other manufactures bows, there are some really good ones.

 

[jeffpg]

I have 3 of them, all set up exactly the same except for the sights, which are specific to certain types of hunting.

I have probably taken a hundred animals from Africa to Texas & beyond with them. They work, and are easier on my bad shoulder than anything I have tried.

I got a itch after drawing a elk tag awhile back and dropped $1600 on a new Botech Prodigy. It’s a awesome bow and outperforms the Switchback XT but I never even shoot it.

Smooth, Forgiving and Quiet do it for me.

 

[Indian Summer]

Keep it. I once spoke with Art Anderson, design tech at Mathews and he said keep it.... it’s probably the best bow we ever put out. After that it was all about marketing. I have a regular Switchback and I can tell you it’s not for sale.

 

[Elkhntr08]

Looked at and shot several new bows this fall, most in the $900-$1200 range. Didn’t find anything that shot any better than my 6 year old E35.
Took it in and had new VaperTrail threads put on and it’s still a shooter and saved more than enough to pay for a elk tag somewhere next year.

 

[T.Rep]

I was in the same boat as you last year. Had a Switchback XT for 10+ years. Shot great and still does. Had the itch for a new bow and got the Vertix. I kept the Switchback for a backup. I still love to get it out and shoot it. They are both great bows in their own respective ways. Basically what I’m saying is if you just have to have the latest & greatest then get a new one but dont get rid of the Switchback! Ha!

 

[kentuckybowman]

if you love the bow and shoot it well i would not upgrade. i have sold a couple of older mathews bows and regretted it. my new bows dont kill any better than my older bows.

 

[md126]

Absolutely keep it. You could always make it your back up bow if you get a new one

 

[Catahoula]

I have a Halon 32 that is noticeably heavier than my Chill R. Bows are set up very similar as far as components go. As mentioned, go shoot some different Mathews bows or other and just keep the old as a back up. >>——->

 

[chasewild]

Looked at and shot several new bows this fall, most in the $900-$1200 range. Didn’t find anything that shot any better than my 6 year old E35.
Took it in and had new VaperTrail threads put on and it’s still a shooter and saved more than enough to pay for a elk tag somewhere next year.

Same. Bought a mathews traverse, hated it, sold it, went back to my E35 AND bought another E35 for good measure (all for the price of the mathews).

 

[rambo2345]

Generally, whatever animal you are hunting, it all comes down to one shot per season. Doesnt matter what you have in your hand, only that you can put the arrow where it needs to go.

 

[AaronMColeman]

I've been kicking around the idea of a used switchback lately. What do you think a fair price is if it’s in good condition?

Just curious, why do some guys get a new bow every year or every few years? Shouldn’t they last decades? I’m just curious becuse most guys don’t get a new rifle every year.