Been bow hunting for a few years now. Really got hooked this year tho. Got an old Hoyt viper bow. Killed a few deer with it but really wanna upgrade. When I go to a bow dealer I'm overwhelmed. Hoyt, Matthews Bowtech ,Bear. And every brand has 1000 models. Looking for advice. Got measured at 30 in draw length. Help!! What do I need to buy?
Shoot every bow that comes to interest. Shoot all the brands. one will stand out of the pack you just have to shoot them.
They are all fast. They all have let off. Comfort and size should be the key. I wanted the smallest bow when I bought. Ended up creed xs. I love it.
I shot a Martin Lynx for 20 + years then had to buy a new bow. Being a southpaw limited choices with Martin so I bought a Bear Attitude. Love it! It just felt good when I picked it up and for the coin was a good deal. Find one you like and can afford then Google for issues.
your right there are alot of bow to choose from. my advice would be how much do you want to spend? you can elminate some bows if they are above your price range. then i would decide what size bow your looking for. what axle to axle size do you want. a shorter ata can benefit you in a treestand but the string angle might be to much and not fit you right. if your draw length is 30in i probably wouldnt go under a 32 ata. i have a 30in draw length and i like a longer ata bow so my bow is 34in ata. that will help narrow it down more. i would then think about brace height next. remember with brace height the lower the number the longer the arrow stays on the string which gives it more time to be influenced by bad form. if you have good form and want a few extra fps look at a 6in brace height. with your draw length you should get plenty of speed from any bow so maybe a 7in brace height will work. it will be a little slower but will be much more forgiving with any shooting flaws you have. if you can answer some of these questions it will help narrow things down after that you really just have to shoot them and see what feels best. i shot bowtech for yrs and this yr i bought a new hoyt because i just loved the draw cycle and the smoothness of the bow. take your time shoot some bows. from my experience you will know when you find the right bow it will just feel right.
take your time... spend some time shooting each brand... then go from there... make sure you get what you feel comfortable with and not what others think or tell you... there are some real haters out there... but all of the brands are great now... you will find one that just feels "right" and you will have your answer.
Do as much research as you can online. Write down the models that interest you and take a day at your local bow shop. Shoot everything you can and see what fits you best. Lots of companies have a lot of good bows. Take into consideration comfort in your hand, draw cycle, vibration, weight and just see what feels comfortable. You might find a bow comfortable that doesn't hit the top of the price chart. Bowtech, Mathews, Hoyt, Elite, PSE and Bear are just a few of the companies making quality bows that don't always carry the $1000 price tag. Here's a Field and Stream review of the top 12 bows of 2016. Probably a good place to start. The 12 Best Compound Bows of 2016 | Field & Stream
Go to the local archery shop, shoot some bows. I shot a few bows and picked the one I liked. Went home, did some research on draw length, draw weight, and bow weight and brands. Ended up getting a browning bow that I shot before and liked when I was younger. Now I'd been hunting about 9 years and have a Mission Ballistic by matthews. It's all about the one you like to shoot and works best for you, price and other characteristics in your preferred range. I personally like matthews, but haven't really tried anything else. Don't have the money currently to get a newer model, but eventually probably will. Try out many different bows and see what you like, then get it and tune it.
If you know your length, next get your draw weight & 3-6 correctly spined arrows, then march over to the dealer with a price you're willing to pay & shoot every kind of bow they have in your price range. Don't concern yourself with bulls-eyes when testing bows...watch for tight groups & what feels most comfortable. They'll try to sell you the newest most expensive model, & maybe you shoot that best, but you may find a gem that has a name you don't recognize yet. I shot many deer with my old Champion (company that bought out Bear & mistakenly changed names). If you can get nice groups testing a bow, you can fine tune at home & eat like a king. Get one you enjoy shooting & you'll shoot more!
I switched from a Hoyt carbon element I loved it it was a light bow but it was violent to shoot I switched to a elite synergy it's a smooth draw mine is 65 pound bow but pulls like 55 60 it's smooth has a little over a 7 inch brace hieght is almost 34 inches axle to axle I can draw the bow back and while at full draw can look around and the bow don't rip your arm down like most try shooting a couple elite bows and you'll see the difference in the back wall smooth draw and let off Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Pitzer nailed it. Set your price range first. Sent from my XT1254 using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
