When is it time to upgrade?

[Kurto_15]

Wondering what your guys opinion is on when is it time to upgrade your bow. I used to be a buy a new bow every year or two guy but stopped that several years ago. I currently have a Mathews Halon 6 that I bought new in 2016. I shoot the bow well and really do like it, but with having a few bigger back country hunts planned the next couple years am wondering when it’s time to upgrade to something newer. I change out the strings every few years and check everything over frequently, but with the bow getting older there always that what if something breaks that worries me, not that it couldn’t happen with a newer bow. Just looking for your guys opinions

 

[schur7559]

If you have the Halon and you shoot it well I wouldnt even think about upgrading. IMO, there haven’t been any technological advances over the last 10 years to warrant an upgrade. I used to the do the same as you and get a new bow every couple of years but after I got the Traverse I haven’t “upgraded” since. I shoot it well and like the specs for my longer draw length and forgiveness.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Performance-wise you're not going to gain much by upgrading. Most of the improvements in bow technology since the Halon have just been marginally useful bells and whistles (e.g., Mathews' Bridgelock, SAS, and Integrate features, Bowtech and Elite's press-less cam tuning features). But if you have an itch and the means to scratch it, go test drive some newer models and see what you think. You won't get much resale/trade value out of your Halon and might consider keeping it as a backup if you do end up getting something new.

 

[RC_]

If your confidence in your shooting is faltering at all or you’re questioning your equipment’s reliability or durability I would lean towards upgrading something (bow and/or even just accessories).

In my opinion this game is mostly mental so doing whatever you need to do to have 100% confidence in your equipment and shooting is worth it.

(That said there’s value in being super familiar with your equipment and a 2016 bow will kill an animal just as dead as a new one.)

 

[WYCFM1]

How much money do you have?


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[WYCFM1]

If I had enough money…I would clone myself and my clone would make sure there was a brand new bow waiting for me everytime a certain brand releases a new bow tuned exactly how I want it

 

[Zac]

Sometimes I upgrade out of boredom. I just want something different to play with. Not always an upgrade, because sometimes I buy an older model instead of newer. Most the times I’ve had a really good shooting rig and got rid of it I have regretted it.

 

[5MilesBack]

Sometimes you're better off not knowing what you don't know. I still have my 2006 Bowtech Old Glory. It still shoots very well, and speed-wise it's still very close to even new bows at my draw length. But back in 2014 I made the mistake of shooting a new PSE Freak SP. The dead hold, the feel, the different quieter sound, yokes for tuning.....those were nice. I didn't know what I was missing, until I did. Then I had to have that. If I had never tried that bow, I could easily still be killing with my Old Glory and being perfectly happy with that.

 

[Bump79]

I shot my 2016 Prime Rize the other day... I swear it shot better and is quieter than my 2022 Prime Inline

 

[doc holiday13]

Best bet would be to ignore all the new bows for another 3 season.
if your bow is still pulling at advertised peak weight, the cams aren't damaged, there's no reason to upgrade unless you want to have a backup or an off season target bow.
In my situation, I'd love to have a 55# version of my hunting setup

 

[NXTZ]

Is the halon your only bow? If so I could definitely see the value in getting another bow, new or used and having the halon as a back up. I’ve had a couple bows break on me (less than a year old) so I’m a big proponent of having at least 2, set up tuned and ready to go.

 

[Brock A]

I just bought a new bow for the first time since 2012. I have had a Bowtech Experience all these years and it has been great. I shot it well and just kept replacing the strings ever other year

 

[PathFinder]

A very small percentage of hunting success results from a newer bow, if any at all.
If your current bow is getting tired, buying a newer but used model and keeping the old one as a backup is a good way forward.

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[Kularrow]

I’ve often wondered when the bow market will go away from a yearly release if ever? If you compare bows to rifles, most don’t upgrade rifles yearly or in some circumstances ever. The Remington 760 is 60 years old and still wildly popular here in Pennsylvania. I think there’s something more intimate in setting up a bow and figuring out tuning and numbering arrows etc. so I can see how the novelty of doing that yearly is appealing but from a financial aspect the bows and accessories are starting to creep into the high performance rifle realms per cost. A fully loaded lift with a ultra view sight could probably run you $3300 with all the bridgelock accessories.

 

[Shō[t]gun]

What are you looking to gain from "upgrading"?

 

[Kurto_15]

A very small percentage of hunting success results from a newer bow, if any at all.
If your current bow is getting tired, buying a newer but used model and keeping the old one as a backup is a good way forward.

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Yeah I’m not looking to upgrade because I think it will make me more successful, but for like you said is my old bow getting tired. There are a lot of moving components on a bow that wear and I’m more curious of that part it worrying about having a failure while in the back country and now place near to fix it, but like I said in the original post there is probably just as good of a chance with a newer bow. I am however leaning towards getting a last years model used to upgrade but also save.

 

[feanor]

I have a halon and keep it as a backup. I agree with the advice above- a new one is going to have marginal benefits. But, having a new bow and the old as a backup for some nice hunts coming up will give you some peace of mind. It does for me.

 

[Kurto_15]

What are you looking to gain from "upgrading"?

I’ve looked at the specs of newer bows and realize I’m not going to gain much performance or maybe even comfort wise from a newer model and that’s not what I’m looking to gain. I enjoy shooting my bow and shoot thousands of arrows through it every year. There are a lot of moving parts that are wearable. Not to mention some accessories like a drop away rest that I’ve rebuild with new springs a few times and should probably just be replaced at this point but am thinking if I’m upgrading that maybe get a newer model and upgrade everything. Like I said with a few bigger back country hunts coming up over the next few years I’m just wondering if some things are getting tired on it and may not be able to tell now, but susceptible to fail when I’m out in the backcountry. With that all said I know things are probably just as likely to go wrong with a newer model

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I’ve looked at the specs of newer bows and realize I’m not going to gain much performance or maybe even comfort wise from a newer model and that’s not what I’m looking to gain. I enjoy shooting my bow and shoot thousands of arrows through it every year. There are a lot of moving parts that are wearable. Not to mention some accessories like a drop away rest that I’ve rebuild with new springs a few times and should probably just be replaced at this point but am thinking if I’m upgrading that maybe get a newer model and upgrade everything. Like I said with a few bigger back country hunts coming up over the next few years I’m just wondering if some things are getting tired on it and may not be able to tell now, but susceptible to fail when I’m out in the backcountry. With that all said I know things are probably just as likely to go wrong with a newer model

Limbs and cam bearings are the most likely failure points. One or the other will eventually wear out. Bearings can go bad suddenly, but with limbs it's usually gradual starting with small splintering. If you inspect your bow frequently, you would likely notice the splinters and quit shooting the bow before a catastrophic limb failure. Oftentimes small splinters can be trimmed, sanded smooth, and glued over to keep you going for a while longer. Keeping an extra set of bearings on hand wouldn't be unreasonable IMO, but I would draw the line at a spare set of limbs. Based on your apparent level of concern, I would recommend looking for a new primary bow to put your mind at ease.

 

[Rich M]

I bought a $60 Crosspoint bow at Walmart (was on sale) in 2018. Shot a deer with it.

Got a bow tag this year and will dust it off, check the zero and make sure can hit an apple at 25 yards, go hunt. That's it pretty much.

Upgrade your bow when you want to. I only have one cause i need it to hunt the few archery tags I get.