Source for legit bow reviews and tech discussion?

[Nalgene]

I am looking to get a new bow after being out of the bow game for about 9 years. Money is not a factor I just want the best bow I can get. All of the sights and discussions I read are written by people who have a financial interest or have some kind of personal identity tied to the brand of bow they own. Recently Aron Snyder said on Gritty Bowman podcast that he had a Bowtech that he was impressed with, but trying to research the tech of the different bows just leads to propaganda put out by the bow companies. Is there somewhere out there that can tell me the real performance difference between the brands, not so much the actual brands but the tech that is in their bows? I am getting really frustrated. Example the new Matthews No Cam has a great video that speaks about all this new revolutionary tech but really says nothing about the tech, then on a forum I read that it is 80's tech and there are Youtube videos where guys shoot the bow next to another bow and say it is better or worse but not go into any tech detail as to why. where can I go to get a real deal review of bows?

 

[MT_Wyatt]

The Mathews forum is pretty tough.....there's a few guys on there that are extremely tech savy when it comes to archery and testing new bows.....but it's super slow, I've only.found it useful when I have specific questions.

They are all pretty damn good or people wouldn't be shooting them. I'd shoot the lot, and pick what feels right. Another big selling point to me is warranty/service and the shop I'm buying from. Last thing I'd consider is how easy it is to tune, that I think you could gleam from the manf. forums.

Probably not worth much, but that's what I would do. The Internet 3rd party reviews aren't bad, they just aren't you shooting it which really makes the difference.

 

[LostArra]

Considering I believe about 10% of what I read on the internet when I bought my first compound at 63 yrs of age, I just went to a good pro shop and shot about 10 different bows ranging in price from $250 to $2000. I don't think anything written or reviewed online compares to how a bow works for YOU.

 

[Brendan]

Agree with LostArra.

Reviews don't really mean that much to be honest. Every new bow out there is going to work fine as long as it fits you (Draw Length) and it is a poundage that you can draw comfortably.

Beyond that, people prefer so many different things. One person might pull real hard into the back wall so having a longer valley might not be necessary. Someone else might love a forgiving bow, big valley with high letoff, while someone else is a speed freak...

Best thing you can do is go somewhere that will fit you correctly - draw length and draw weight, and will let you try multiple bows so you see what feels best to you, and then will get the bow you choose set up for you so you can shoot it with proper form.

 

[BackcountryMT]

Like a few others have stated, The best way to find out if a bow will work for you is shooting it for yourself. For the most part, everyone is building a great bow these days with an offering that will fit anyone. I tell all of my customers that they could literally make a list of 3-4 things they want out of a bow and I can probably grab 6 that will accomplish that.

But since your asking.. Here's my breakdown of most of todays bow companies and my experiences with them. Sorry to anyone I'm about to piss off.

Mathews- "Catch us if you can" Well, it happened. Their two cam bows are atrocious. Awful draw cycle, no valley and terrible let off. I literally can't stand the way they shoot. The solo cams are still decent but with recent technological advances in two cam draw cycles I see no need to shoot a solo anymore.

Hoyt- I used to really like Hoyt, lately though I've moved further and further away. The draw cycle is not the greatest with noticeable humps in the valley, more notably so on the Turbos. Ordering aftermarket strings for any of the newer (2013+) bows is a crapshoot. Every string has to be custom made to every bow. The lengths are always wrong.

Bowtech- Still one of the best innovators in my opinion. The new power disc technology is cool though I think the CPX cams still draw far better. Very solid bows. Not a huge fan of their grips.

Elite- Hands down the best hunting bows on the market. The draw cycle simply cant be beat. Generous valleys, huge let off and decent speeds to back that all up. Best warranty in the business. Not a huge fan of the Winners Choice strings they use.

Prime- Very similar to the Elite while they do not have as smooth as a draw cycle. Back wall on the Primes is just unreal due to the two track cam. Some of the best factory strings out there.

Bear- They have come a long, long ways. Very nice shooting bows, shit strings. Draw cycle is not quite as smooth as some, but better than others. The new BR33 should be a smooth shooter. Their camo dipping is more fragile than a 16 y/o girls self image.

 

[MattB]

It is hard to buy a bad bow these days, and the factors that differentiate one model or brand from another are fairly subjective (draw cycle, grip/shot feel - and unfortunately, speed ratings). These are not things you can really gauge from a review, because there are bows out there that some guys love and other guys hate - and you can't tell which you will be from someone else's article or video. You will want to shoot as many different bows as you can and figure out which one feels the best for you.

I have shot Hoyt for a long time due primarily to the fact that I have never had a durability issue with the model (which I cannot say for the Bowtechs or Dartons I have owned).

And while the no cam may not be 80's technology, the system delivers 80's speed. ;-) Some guys absolutely love the draw feel and how the bow shoots, but there is no free lunch.

 

[jmez]

There isn't any company that has any ground breaking technology that the other companies don't have. Most all of the "new" technology is simple marketing hype and nothing more. Pretty much all of the bowmakers are putting out good products. You will really need to go shoot the bows and see what you like.

Every cam system has a different feel to it. If you shoot several brands you will find one that fits you. Availability will be a limiting factor. Go to the bigger shops around your area and shoot as many different models as you can. Don't buy a bow that you have not shot based on any sort of review. If a brand you are interested in isn't available to shoot then I'd recommend driving somewhere to shoot one or simply take it off the list.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

The draw cycle on the Elites is pretty amazing...I just hung up my Hoyt CE in favor of the E32. I can hold that sucker at full draw forever.

 

[GotDraw?]

I shoot a Bowtech Experience-- love the draw cycle, it has a solid wall and it'll stack arrows like no tomorrow.

That said, I will strongly consider an Elite next time around. My Experience has zero valley, so when you're at full draw you cannot relax off the wall to hold it with the least possible amount of effort or you risk it jumping forward. Therefore, you cannot hold it at full draw as long as bow with a valley. The valley will allow you to relax and hold at 99% full draw for a longer period of time before you pull back to the wall to shoot.

I agree with the earlier comment to go to a pro shop and start shooting demo bows.

hope this helps.

JL

 

[doverpack12]

Agree with everything backcountryMT said but I would flip flop Prime and Elite. I prefer the 2015 PCXL cam draw cycle on the prime compared to the Elite Energys.

 

[BackcountryMT]

Agree with everything backcountryMT said but I would flip flop Prime and Elite. I prefer the 2015 PCXL cam draw cycle on the prime compared to the Elite Energys.

Those PCXL's are buttery smooth!

In my opinion Elite and Prime are two of the most comparable bows out there.

 

[kodiakfly]

Why so worried about the "tech?" That can be a relative thing. Hoyt leads the riser tech with the carbon thing, but Bowtech is pretty slick with the adjustable draw cycle thing...point is it's all subjective. Heck, you could even say Oneida is pretty tech-savvy with all the geometry in their bows.

As has been said, go with what feels good and fits and offers you pro shop support. I'm a Hoyt guy. Have been for over 20 years. Their tech is good, but basically, I shoot their bows well and they've treated me well. But a lot of great bows out there today.

 

[rodney482]

I switched to Athens in 08, been very happy with them

 

[Aussie-bowman]

BackcountryMT, it is about time someone said it how it is. I shot heaps of bows before I settled on my Elite. I haven't shot a Prime, because there are no dealers within 6 hours drive of my home. I shot mathews No Cam and to be honest, its not that smooth and believe if I loaded a decent arrow in it (500gr) I'm pretty sure I could run faster than the arrow is coming out. I want to shoot a prime rival as well as the xpedition bows.

 

[BackcountryMT]

And, Elite just dropped a bombshell with their new bow.

Impulse 34
34" ATA
6" BH
340 FPS

I just ordered one in KUIU Vias

 

[jmez]

Guessing the draw cycle on that one ins't going to be Elite smooth.

 

[danarnold]

Really like my 65# Strother Wrath, smooth and quiet....thinking about a Xcentric 7 or a no cam at the moment

 

[BackcountryMT]

Guessing the draw cycle on that one ins't going to be Elite smooth.

My rep told me it's still unreal. It's only 5 FPS faster

 

[BackcountryMT]

Really like my 65# Strother Wrath, smooth and quiet....thinking about a Xcentric 7 or a no cam at the moment

And Xcentric 7 will put that SlowCam to shame

 

[danarnold]

There's nobody that sells the Xcentric 7 locally, Kinda hard to buy something without shooting at first but I'm really close