Well brown visited me today and dropped off a long awaited box from my friends in Eugene Oregon. I’ve been waiting for this one in anticipation for a few weeks now. While I tend to get at least one new bow every year, the last few years I’ve elected to order target bows. This is my first new hunting specific bow in a while. Many of you know that I can get a bit picky about what I hunt with, when I find one I really like I tend to buy a matching pair of them and then hang onto them for a few years. I haven’t upgraded my hunting bow since 2010 when I got a Destroyer 340 because I liked that platform so much. Before that my favorite was the 2007 Allegiance with smooth mods, and before that it was the 2004 Patriot. While I've had a LOT of hunting bows between these specific favorites, those were the old standby hunting bows I just couldn't get rid of. With all that said, much like I did that day in 2010 when I first got my hands on the Destroyer 340........I’m pretty sure today I just got my hands on my new favorite hunting platform. So…….first things first. When I first pulled it out of the box, I got nock points and a loop tied on it level with the berger holes. Then I got a rest on it and eyeballed for center shot and set the nock height to completely level using a Medicine Stone and levels. On my hunting bows I like simple, and I’ve been hunting with a biscuit for years because of that……..so that’s what went on it. I suppose I might try something else before season for the first time in years, but for now that is what I happened to have in the shop. Just like every BowTech I’ve ever setup it ended up at about 7/8” centershot. Next I shot about 15 arrows through it to settle the strings, and then pressed it to add my peep sight and change the draw length. I did not check the draw length before adjusting mods and should have……hindsight is 20/20. I have a 30”-30.5” draw length depending on if I’m setting up a hunting or target bow. I decided to set this one up at 30” to help me stay stable at odd angles, etc since this is purely a hunting bow. I set the DL module and stop peg at #3 per the manual, and then threw the bow on the draw board. I was fairly impressed with the accuracy of the draw length on the bow, it had a true draw (throat of grip to string) of exactly 28-3/8”. When you add 1-3/4” to come up with how AMO draw length is measured, it’s 30 1/8”. Pretty darn close to real world draw lengths which is EXTREMELY rare these days in the world of exaggerated advertised bow speeds and specs. Also of note, the timing of the cams were absolutely dead nuts on the draw board right out of the box, pretty unusual of any new bow. According to my Pelouze digital scale on the draw board, the bow hit a high point of 62.8lbs (BC said 63.2) during the draw cycle. At full draw it held 13.2lbs, almost exacly 80% letoff. I will also try and get some arrows through a chrono at some point, that's the only thing I don't have at my home shop right now but I’m shooting a 435gr VAP. I'm very anxious to see what type of speed she is putting out. I shot a couple arrows through paper after this first eyeball and draw board tune, and all produced bullet holes without further tuning. I then creep tuned it at 10 yards and the initial cam tune held up without any cable twisting, etc. I’ll have to get outside and stretch the distances out a bit to finalize the creep tune on it and see if I can get broadheads and field points hitting the same spot, but overall this was one of the easiest/fastest setups and initial tunes I’ve done in a few years. Overall perception………..I really like it. I guarantee it will replace my Destroyer 340 as my new favorite hunting bow. It’s everything the Destroyer 340 did well, plus it’s quieter and a bit more dead in the hand. It’s balanced extremely well, has a firm back wall, and overall fit and finish is what you would expect from BowTech......simply top notch. I hope to put a couple thousand arrows through this one in the next few weeks. Once I get a chance to spend more time with her at longer distances and stretch her legs out a bit outside, I’ll post another update with my thoughts.
Nice looking bow! Just last week I finished up outfitting and tuning mine. Same experience with simple and quick setup right out of the box. I used a Limb Driver Pro V, Armortech .010 5 pin, tight spot quiver, and an axion stabalizer to complete the package. I haven't had a new bow in YEARS so I went all-out on this one.
Nice review I really like mine as well nicest shooting bow I have ever owned Did it paper tune nock level as mine has a wicked high slightly left tear.I am not even going to totally sight in until I figure out if I need to move loop.Thanks
It is indeed nock level. I do tie a longer bottom nock point though so that it pulls the release inline with the nock on the loop. If your nock high and left, I'd get the bow on a draw board as a first step and make sure the cams are timed. I'd then recheck cam timing by creep tuning the bow. Unlevel nock travel could easily cause that. Also I'd check to see the cams aren't leaning and causing lateral nock travel. Check them at static with a arrow on the side of the cam, and eyeball them at full draw. Add yoke twists accordingly to clean things up. Once you have verified that all this is 100% setup correct, if you still have problems I'd verify that there isnt' any fletching contact, and then I'd start thinking about if the spine was correct or not. Hopefully this helps and gets you on the right track to a good tune on your bow!
Thanks I am coming over from Elite so I have a draw board but my press won't work with this bow (that stinks) Thanks for the suggestions I will get on all that tomorrow.If you would could you check out the arrow specs 63# 28" draw Gold Tip 5575 28" 100g tip 360g weight(I think) Thanks again
I'm with you on never getting rid of my Allegiance, I wouldn't take 1000$ for it, too many memories and it still puts some newer ones to shame I have the InsanityCPX, have you shot one of them? I was wondering how they compared. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my Insanity. I had the Destroyer 350 and I think the Insanity puts it to shame in several areas. Just was wondering how the two (Experience/Insanity) compared.
Great write up, Matt ... Bowtech is definitely in the running when the time comes for me to upgrade..I love my Guardian as much as my Mathews now ...
Mine tuned much easier and more consistant with kinetic 300's! The Experience is considered an "extra hard" cam and requires 1 series stiffer spine. I started with 7595 at 29.5" 70lbs and they would tune OK but I didn't like how much lean I had to put in my cams to get the tear correct and it was still a struggle to bring the broadheads in. The 300's put the everything back almost exactly to center shot specs out of the box with only a slight cam lean.
I bought one yesterday and agree with most everybody else. Its one bad son of a you know what. I had an '07 Allegiance that I really liked and would have kept at least another year if I hadnt shot the Experience.
i shot the experience, insanity, and insanity cpxl last week at the shop. Experience in my opinion drew alot smoother and was more dead in the hand (though barely noticeable). probably due to the three new dampeners on the riser. bowtech is really making fantastic bows these days cant go wrong with any newer model.
