Would you have an nearly identical set up as a backup?

[180ls1]

In this situation, yes.

What I do is just keep my old bow as backup when upgrading.

 

[Geewhiz]

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* if you happen to have an extra couple grand laying around I agree. To me this falls in the same camp as "don't pack your fears".

 

[aachey]

I toyed with this idea for a few years after i got my Vertix. Finally restrung my old DXT last year. I shoot it well enough to kill sub 40 yards, but its more of a last resort thing as they feel too different to shoot them interchangeably. I had the thought, i always take a backup rifle when i travel on hunts, why not a bow?

 

[roosiebull]

I’d add a rangefinder to the list that should be backed up. At least I can’t judge distance very well without one.

When I was younger (original bushnell yardage pro I think) I left my rangefinder on the bumper of my pickup when we were shooting and drove off, went back looking but couldn’t find it.

Next morning my brother and I watched 3 bulls sparring around all morning in a meadow, the 2 bigger bulls (nice 5 and average 5 yr old 6 type bull) pushed each other into the back and I was able to keep 2 trees between me and them and made a quick stalk, only moving when they were locked up

Got over there clean and in the short groomed looking grass in this meadow, I was unsure of yardage, guessed 30 and bounced my fletchings off his brisket.. he mule kicked and I thought I heart shot him, my brother did too.

We wait a bit, and I stepped it out and got 41yds and doubt crept in… I start looking for my arrow and find it clean as could be… crap!

That was a long time ago, but I remember that hunt well, still a cool encounter, but that rangefinder I lost the day before would have made a better story.

Usually not a thing on the coast, most of my elk have been top pin, but a rangefinder is still a very valuable tool, and never want to be without one, because the day you don’t have it, you might need it

 

[aMurderOfCrows]

Yes. I like having a backup. My Traverse was my main bow, now the Lift 33 is but I have them both set up the same.

 

[Johnpaulameen365]

Can’t hurt to have a similar backup, minimal adjustment should your current bow fail and you will be comfortable.

 

[sndmn11]

I want to know how many guys have had a bow fail on them in the woods to the point that their hunt would be over if they didn't have a backup?

I ran my bow over with my truck in 2020 after an elk hunt. I had come back a little after dusk and set it down behind my truck to open my topper, and then got distracted. Backed out right over a limb pocket.

I bought a new bow the next day, sent Spot Hogg my sight and they replaced what was broken, borrowed a sight, the rest was fine, and I missed some time broadhead tuning and sighting in. I've only shot one bow as well as the one I ran over, and even though the replacement was the same bow, it was among the worst shooting I have had.

 

[fatlander]

I want to know how many guys have had a bow fail on them in the woods to the point that their hunt would be over if they didn't have a backup?

For me that has never happened, but maybe I just don't hunt hard enough. I did cut halfway through a string once with a broadhead one year but still killed a bull with it.

I had a limb split on an elk hunt. Didn’t have a back up at the truck and home was 2500 miles away.

Went to the only open shop within 250 miles, bought the only bow in the place that fit me. Killed a bull the next day.


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[Skerhunter]

I don’t take a back up bow with me on hunts, but I have spare parts, arrows, and range finder. My thought is if my bow is damaged so bad I can’t fix it/tune it ASAP it is going to mess up my hunt anyways (borrow or buy another one that will waste a day or two). Personally I have not had any issues over the years where I needed a back up.

I think being prepared reduces the risk of a failure quite a bit. Now that it has warmed up I am shooting my bow weekly. By mid summer I will replace anything that shows wear (quiver if arrow fitting loosely, strings/cables, rest, release, etc). Prior to the hunt I double check everything.

I think the most important thing is not to do dumb stuff with your bow. I baby mine and make it a priority to make sure I’m not doing something to risk damaging it. I have seen bows dry fired numerous times, derailed from screwing around, damaged due to improper storage during transport, dropped from tree stand, and ran over (don’t sit in in the ground or leaned against a vehicle ever).

Bows can blow up do to poor design features, but I would expect that to happen when I’m shooting daily before season and not the one or two arrows I shoot during my hunt.

 

[rideold]

Yep, primary and back up bow go with me. The back up is an older bow set up similar but not exactly the same. I run a 2 pin slider on my primary and a fixed pin (4) on my secondary. The rests are the same manufacturer but different models. Basically the same though. I have had one hunt before I had a backup where I found my modules were missing screws/bolts. I was able to limp it along. I had one hunt where my primary bow broke 2 weeks before the hunt so the backup was needed. Those are the only two times but I still like having a second bow. I try to shoot both of them on a regular basis.

 

[Blockcaver]

Have had a Prime Rival for 9 yrs. Bought on closeout. Liked it so well I bought a second used one 7 years ago that is identical except the camo pattern. Set them up with the identical sight and rest. Use a couple of Tightspot quivers and keep one loaded with broadheads and the other with field points. Really like having two identical that use the same free every two years string sets. I hunt with either one. Not looking for a new bow, the old Primes shoot just fine for me, no stabilizer required.

In the past: I’ve had a riser failure on an old Jennings wood riser compound the day before my first out of state whitetail hunt and no backup. Sliced a bowstring down to 3 strands while elk hunting….again no backup. I fell on my bow carried in my hand crossing a rock slide while Stone sheep hunting. Backup bow at the truck two very long days away.

So +50 yrs of back country bowhunting and 3 times bow failures spoiled some hunting time. I like having two identical bows. Do my own work and having another there to look at makes restringing very easy. All dimensions are identical too.

 

[Loco4dux]

Not a big archery guy but I have a backup that is a different brand older bow that shoots the same arrows with the same exact sight all I have to do is snap the quiver and stabilizer on and go. Pretty nice to have.

 

[butcherboy]

I’ve never had a back up bow in over 30 years. I probably should but I always end up selling the old one to help pay for the new. I’ve never traveled very far for any hunts except once to Quebec and my back up was a rifle which I ended up using anyways. I would definitely have one if I was traveling far but not an identical one. It would probably just be my old bow with same arrows and sight.

 

[rclouse79]

I could see wanting an identical backup bow if you were doing a two week hunt of a lifetime far from any bow shops. Since I usually hunt on the weekends a few hours from home, I don’t even have a backup bow. I would be bummed if I lost a day or two due to a bow failure, but the odds seem pretty low. After typing that, my bow will surely blow up the morning of opening day.

 

[Maverick1]

Have had two bows for the past 15 years. Primary and secondary. Setup is identical. Better to have it and not need it then vice versa.

 

[5MilesBack]

I have 4 backup bows that are all different. But I can grab any of the four at any time and I'm good to go. Three of them are almost 20 years old, and the other is just over 10 years old.

I have a buddy that called me from elk camp a few years ago in early Sept. He said his string broke and it was going to be a few days before the shop had a new string set. So he drove down and tried one of my bows. All I had to do was move the peep a little and adjust the sight and his BH's were hitting the bullseye in short order. Kind of funny that we are both left handed and both have a 32.5" draw.

 

[Decker]

I have a back up of exact same bow. I’ve never had a failure where I needed to use my back up but I do have it. All accessories are exactly the same. The only difference is the arrows. I could run the same arrows on both but i decided one bow was gonna be dedicated to big hunting and one for turkey and deer. Once sept is over I put one bow away and grab the other. If something ever happen I always have one I can grab and go.

 

[roosiebull]

I ran my bow over with my truck in 2020 after an elk hunt. I had come back a little after dusk and set it down behind my truck to open my topper, and then got distracted. Backed out right over a limb pocket.

I bought a new bow the next day, sent Spot Hogg my sight and they replaced what was broken, borrowed a sight, the rest was fine, and I missed some time broadhead tuning and sighting in. I've only shot one bow as well as the one I ran over, and even though the replacement was the same bow, it was among the worst shooting I have had.

I ran over my bow probably in the 2012 timeframe, but my tire centered the bow. It was a rytera alien x, i ruined everything on my bow, but besides one splinter on the edge of the limb, the bow was ok. Went to the valley the next day and bought accessories and got it dialed back in that day

I had already killed a bull and was mostly going with friends to help them, but I did have a blacktail tag, so I wanted a functional bow. Long story leading up to me running my bow over, but let’s just say there was a very sketchy dude being a weirdo by my pickup when we got back, no clue where he came from or what he was doing, but I had a friend with me and it was pretty tense for a minute

The bow ended up being fine, my father in law still hunts with it and had killed all of his deer and elk with it… it’s a zombie bow, I bought it new in 09’ and it has lived a very hard life. Still has the missing splinter on the upper limb, somehow the riser didn’t bend or break, it’s been dry fired at least twice since I gave it away, and it’s still killing stuff

I think what saved me is my pickup at the time was a 91 Toyota pickup standard cab 22re, not much to those, probably weigh the same as a hatchback civic .

I loved those pickups, put some E rated 31/10.50 tires and it would go anywhere, and back then you could find them with 100k for 4K or a little less