I was soo stoked about the release of these 2 bows all day it was a long day at work. I was actually more excited to shoot the HTX than the Halon and I was extremely dissapointed by it. The HTR was a nicer shooting bow. It was more quiet, dead in the hand and stable at full draw. Then I picked up the Halon (6 inch BH) my first thought it's heavy.... As I started into the draw cycle and came back to full draw I could feel the smile on my face growing, it has a very similar draw to the chill r but is even more smooth. It doesn't stack and drops into the super soild back wall effortlessly and has a very generous valley! My only complaint is weight but when you feel how dead in the hand it is and how quiet it is you'll get over it, I did! I also like camo bows but I do not like mathews new camo pattern at all and it's not offered in traditional lost camo, so I'll be going black or stone but once again Matt McPherson has found a way to make reach into my wallet and throw money at him!!!
I'm planning on shooting the Halon 5 & Halon 6. Ill probably end up going with the Halon 5. I love my HTR, and my Monster MR7
I'm getting the 7, I'm way ok with losing a few fps for more forgiveness and accuracy, to each there own though!
I shot it today as well and like yourself, very first thought was man this thing is heavy! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Both the Halon and the HTX look like great bows. I love the 30" ATA. As a lefty, however, I seldom, if ever, get to try a bow before I purchase it. Dealers here just do not stock left-handed bows. So, I rely on the reviews of other bowhunters. In the last few days guys on the Mathews forum have stated that the Halon has a bit of a stiff draw and the HTX has a very silky draw. Nevertheless, I'm currently hunting with a Heli-m and a Z2, both of which are great shooters for me. So......as much as I would love to purchase another bow (probably the HTX), I don't think my wallet can handle it.
I feel your pain about the lefty thing. I'm on my 4th bow this year and think I've found a winner, finally.
How much you think I could sell my HTR 50/60 next spring for? Or what would be a reasonable asking price. Bare bow only. How much do you think I should expect for a trade in to one of the new models?
I would expect you would take a pretty good hit by trading it in but I don't know how bad. As for getting an idea on how much to sell it for go on ebay and see what others are asking.
Just checked ebay and to my surprise most are asking 700-1000 still and getting lots of bids. Next spring when I sell i'll prolly put 750 on it and take the first 700.
I need to find a shop that has a Halon. I want to shoot it. I commented on the weight when it was released but my RPM360 was heavy and I still insist it was on of the best shooting bows I have owned to date in over 30 years of archery.
How much of a difference is short brace height like the 5 or 6 these days. I don't know and have never shot a bow with a 5" brace before. Does it give you more wrist slap. Some articles I read that back in the day it was more of a concern but not so much anymore. is that true? Is a shorter brace height harder to draw in stand versus a longer brace height? I was thinking the Halon 6 would be right up my alley but if someone can convice me the 5 is good then maybe i'll check that out. Just not really sure what the downfalls are
I think the HTR is one of the few bows that has held its value. The best I've been able to sell a bow on ebay this year (bow was 4 months old) was 70% value of new, bare bow.
I have been a Hoyt guy for most of my life except for a three year period that I shot a High Country. I am currently shooting a Vector 32 and I absolutely love that bow. I must say though that this year (based on only looks as I have not shot one) the Halon has made me at least think about going to try them out. That's saying a lot for me.
The owner of the bow shop I go to has a Halon all set up for him. His draw is 28" and he says his speed is faster than advertised.
I shot the Halon 6 & the Hoyt Defiant 30 yesterday. The Mathews had just about everything on the Hoyt beat...better draw cycle, better grip, super quiet and dead. The only thing I am going to have a hard time getting over is that the Halon is super top heavy...the 4.5# bare bow weight didn't bother me but it feels like its all in the top half of the riser. Didn't effect hold at full draw, but just odd that it was that noticeable. I was really hoping for an HTR riser but with Chill cams on it...this is close, but I would have to put a back bar stabilizer on it I think to counter balance that top weight.
