New bow? What to gain?

[Jpsmith1]

I've got the new bow itch. I've been shooting my Powermax for like 7 or 8 years, I think. Pre-covid for sure. I think I got it in 2017. Maybe 18.

Seeing all the cool, new bows coming through every year definitely gives me the itch for a new one but then I look at specs and ask myself "What do I gain?"

Looks like maybe a couple ounces less mass weight if I buy a carbon bow or a couple FPS and I ask if it's worth it. Maybe some things that are less quantifiable like feel and shootability.

1500-2000 is a lot of coin.

Why do you buy a new bow?

 

[sndmn11]

Stupid easy tuning for Bowtech, Elite, Darton, Mathews that opens the door to best flight experimentation. PSE isn't as seamless but still can be done in the field.

Other than that, there isn't many objective gains.

 

[Maxhunter]

I still have older bows that shoot great. The new ones are quieter, smoother drawing, and more forgiving imo. I used to buy a new one every year but now every three years. It’s a lot of money and they depreciate and definitely don’t hold there value like a gun. It’s a hobby that I enjoy. Also remember you can’t take your money with you when leave the living.

 

[Wheels]

Like the others have said, the new bows are so easy to tune and are quiet.
Personally, I would look for a leftover 2024 flagship bow. You can find brand new bows at 30+% off that dealers are trying to get rid of.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Stupid easy tuning for Bowtech, Elite, Darton, Mathews that opens the door to best flight experimentation. PSE isn't as seamless but still can be done in the field.

Other than that, there isn't many objective gains

Yeah, doing more of my own work is something I want to start trying to do. I'm working on a little bench setup for tuning.

The whole limb issue with the newest(?) Mathews bow has me a little twitchy about shifting in that direction.

Maybe Bowtech... i don't think any dealers near me handle any other brands you mentioned.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Also remember you can’t take your money with you when leave the living.

Yeah, but you can only spend it once. With a limited budget for "toys" i need to spend wisely or get a side gig working for the cartel or something.

 

[Beendare]

You gain a tiny bit by upgrading your bow. Your budget seems low if you are talking something like a Hoyt Carbon bow- those are about $2400/w tax for the bow alone. Then you have to factor in there new bows might not take the same rest and sight- now they are specific to the bow with integral mounting. Thats nice but you pay for it.

Then there is the learning curve of a new bow with its idiosyncrasies.

I know a couple of guys that are all in at over $4k...and used bows are worse than selling a used car- the value drops like a rock.....which is good for guys that don't have to have the latest and greatest.

In case you are curious- No, I'm not a new bow salesman.......grin

 

[Jpsmith1]

You gain a tiny bit by upgrading your bow. Your budget seems low if you are talking something like a Hoyt Carbon bow- those are about $2400/w tax for the bow alone. Then you have to factor in there new bows might not take the same rest and sight- now they are specific to the bow with integral mounting. Thats nice but you pay for it.

Then there is the learning curve of a new bow with its idiosyncrasies.

I know a couple of guys that are all in at over $4k...and used bows are worse than selling a used car- the value drops like a rock.....which is good for guys that don't have to have the latest and greatest.

In case you are curious- No, I'm not a new bow salesman.......grin

I still have to find the money in my budget to make the purchase, ya know. By the time I get the money together, the latest and greatest today will be last year's model.

I priced an RX9 yesterday at $2050 online but maybe that's a Google price and not a real price.

Definitely not a "latest and greatest" guy but I am thinking upgrade. The tuning advances might be enough to push me away from my hoyts. I've always felt like I was chasing a good tune and feel like ive gotten short changed by local shops in that department. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Wheels]

I wouldn’t be afraid of the newer Mathews, they had a limb problem last year and have pretty much fixed it. Have to remember they sell a lot of bows and there will be problems with any brand in a percentage of them.

 

[Geewhiz]

I just bought a new bow and after shooting it I wish I would have just saved the coin and kept my previous 10yo bow that there was nothing wrong with. Really didn’t gain much at all. A couple of oz. and 9fps.

 

[Bump79]

If budget is a concern, I'd look at flagship bows leftover new from last year. Sometimes even 2 years old. These bows are just as good as the new model.

One of the things you get with a new bow is the tuning features but even a leftover Bowtech, Elite and others have the tuning tech. A Lift leftover would be fine as well. The other thing you get is the accessory mounting of pic rail, intregate, etc.

I like a leftover Prime bow, like a RVX 34. Prime comes with free strings and cables every two years for LIFE. So if you keep a bow 6 years, you got $450 or so in your pocket that helped pay for itself. If you get one for $750 or so you're in cheap bow range for a flagship after 6 years. Then you can keep it as a backup that gets free strings.

 

[butcherboy]

If I want a new bow it’s simply because I want a new one. Once I decide that then I start looking at different brands and what they have to offer then I start going to bow shops and trying them out. I thought 2024 was the year but changed my mind once I started handling bows. I just didn’t care for the “feel” of them. I really like Hoyt’s aluminum bow this year so far. I’ve shot Matthews, Hoyt, Darton, Elite, &PSE. My bow now is a 2012 Hoyt carbon element. I see no reason to buy a carbon bow anymore.

 

[FoggyScope]

I just bought a new bow for the feel and shootability primarily. I was coming from a cheaper bow to a flagship as well though. But to me the new bow does everything better. Draw feels better and easier, 10fps faster and after shooting it for a while I just shoot better with it for whatever reason. I was able to shoot all the new bows at a local shop and that helped push me over the edge. Cant hurt to try a new one if you can.

 

[ddowning]

New bows are smoother and quieter with less vibration. Some of them hold better. My rx8u hold better with a 7" front bar than my 2010 target bow with a 30" front bar and 12" back bar.

Watch dry fire videos before moving away from hoyt. Most companies have become so speed focused that they are building dragster. The cams are so thin they bend easily comparatively. They will take some abuse, but not like hoyts. If you are keeping the bow awhile, you might accidentally abuse it.

I would personally rather own a press and shim cams than have all the screws that are liabilities if they loosen up and move. Someone was posting about carbon bows. For me, carbon bows are warm to the touch in the cold. That is the ONLY thing I like about them better than aluminum bows, and it is absolutely enough to get me to pay the premium for them.

If you have the money and the desire, a new bow is a new toy. I upgraded from a 2002 Bowtech last fall. I got less vibration, a carbon riser (warm), a bow that holds a tiny bit better, and I now shoot a little heavier arrow a couple fps faster. It's a small gain for several hundred dollars. It's not really worth it unless you arr desiring to spend play money on toys.

 

[Marble]

I went from a Hoyt Axius Ultra to an Alpha X2. Got my second bow because I like a backup, and I had the money sitting there burning a hole in my pocket.

Additionally, my bow arm shoulder has issues from a prior injury, and my bow elbow will be sore when I shoot a lot. I believe it's from vibration. I had the issue fixed with Axius by adding a backbar, but I take that off while hunting. With the Alpha X2. It seems to vibrate half as much as the Axius, even though the Axius was half of what the Defiant was. For me, it's a benefit. My preexisting injury is just unique to me, not everyone.

Plus, a new toy provides motivation for practice. I would have to say that thus fat, it's my favorite bow. The 1/4 draw length adjustments are awesome for me. I've been 29.25/29.75 for several years, depending on the bow and the release. I forget what it is at now, but shooting a variety of DL settings really let's experiments with DL changes easy.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[bz_711]

Last bow I bought was in 2020 because it was about 60% off thru a dealer friend...otherwise last bow was in 2011 also bought half price thru this buddy. He's no longer a dealer so I'll prob keep this bow 10+ years.

To me it's more a question of:
-do you shoot your current bow really well? Why change that
-is current bow still efficient...decent speed for your poundage and arrow setup?

I'd only be enticed to upgrade if I'm gaining substantial speed and noticeable better accuracy. Weight savings means nothing as most guys turn around and just add back more weight as heavy bows shoot better.

But...new stuff is fun...
Good Luck!

 

[KyleR1985]

If you shoot less than 1000 times a year, and hunt whitetail inside of 30 yards, hiking less than half a mile to do so, you gain pretty much nothing with a bow today compared to one 10 or 15 years old.

If you shoot a lot, shoot at distance a lot, and are an active hunter, there can be some incremental gains from 10 years ago.

I purchased my second bow in 2001 new, and my second to last bow new in 2019. I won’t do it again. Too many good deals on 2-5 year old bows. Shoot them for 2-5 years and repeat. Sell at any point for something like what you paid for it. Worst case it costs you less than the bath you’d take buying a new one shooting it 5 years and selling it.

If you can get parts, and you can tune a bow, there’s not a lot a new bow offers the average shooter.


Until they shoot 400fps at 70/30, at the same noise level of todays quiet bows, there’s nothing new.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Watch dry fire videos before moving away from hoyt. Most companies have become so speed focused that they are building dragster. The cams are so thin they bend easily comparatively. They will take some abuse, but not like hoyts. If you are keeping the bow awhile, you might accidentally abuse it.

I would personally rather own a press and shim cams than have all the screws that are liabilities if they loosen up and move. Someone was posting about carbon bows. For me, carbon bows are warm to the touch in the cold. That is the ONLY thing I like about them better than aluminum bows, and it is absolutely enough to get me to pay the premium for ththem.

I did abuse this one a few years back. Long day on the 3D course and I broke the shot without an arrow. I was terrified id have to buy a new bow right before a big event i was doing. Tech at the shop just laughed, reset my rest and told me not to do it again. My dumbass did, BTW. I just reset the rest myself. I tend towards a heavier arrow so a speed bow isn't necessarily what I'm after.

I'm building a "fine tune" station. Basically, let the shop tech do the bulk of the work and work on perfecting my tune at home.

 

[4th_point]

Definitely not a "latest and greatest" guy but I am thinking upgrade. The tuning advances might be enough to push me away from my hoyts. I've always felt like I was chasing a good tune and feel like ive gotten short changed by local shops in that department. Maybe I'm wrong.

Your Powermax is super easy to tune.

You don't need a press to tune the Powermax.

Learn to tune the bow and arrows you got right now!

Then, once you have a good understanding of tuning and what works for you and your needs, use that priceless knowledge to figure out if you really want a new bow.

If nothing else, you'll end up with a backup bow that's dialed to: you.

And you can use that knowledge towards a new bow even if the design is different.

Good luck!

 

[Jpsmith1]

Your Powermax is super easy to tune.

You don't need a press to tune the Powermax.

Learn to tune the bow and arrows you got right now!

Then, once you have a good understanding of tuning and what works for you and your needs, use that priceless knowledge to figure out if you really want a new bow.

If nothing else, you'll end up with a backup bow that's dialed to: you.

And you can use that knowledge towards a new bow even if the design is different.

Good luck!

Educate me, please.

Links, videos, arcane texts written on the tanned skins of lesser men?

I've got an articulated vise and a cable press and a plan to use a dry erase board to record +1/-1 twist here or there so I can always get back to a baseline