My primary bow (2012 Hoyt Carbon element) has been in the shop now for 5 weeks for new string and cables (they originally ordered the wrong cables, thus the wait). Anyway, I've been going stir crazy waiting for it to be ready so I have been playing around with my trad bow. I still have my old compound, a 2006 Reflex Buckskin so on a whim, I broke it out. I had lent it to a friend last year so I wasn't sure what condition it was in when I picked it up...within an hour I had it dialed in again and suitable as a backup bow in case something ever happens to my primary bow. Does anyone else keep a backup bow in case of emergency? One other thing I noticed, it's amazing how far technology has come in a short time! My Reflex sounds like a shotgun going off in comparison to my Hoyt. Also, I never really appreciated how dead in my hands the Hoyt is, the hand shock on the Reflex is awful.
I sold my old PSE when I broke my shoulder some years ago. After crossbow hunting for 5 years and rehabbing my shoulder I finally bought another compound this year. And you hit it dead on with how far technology has come. My PSE was like holding onto a lit firecracker! So my plan is to keep my xbow for backup this year. If my shoulder holds up through the cold this winter I will sell or trade for a used backup bow for next year.
I used to but eventually I end up giving it away to a friend or someone that has a interest in bow hunting. Never a bad idea if you have the resources. Wow 5 weeks for strings? I got custom strings from Vapor trail in 2 days.
I use to but I sold it. I learned to fix anything on my bow except a major break of a limb or such. Just couldn't justify having 2.
Yea I kept my old bow as a backup. plus when I tore a shoulder and couldn't shoot right handed for a year I bought a left handed bow and hunted left handed for that season and still have that bow and practice occasionally to keep that option. makes for a pretty full closet but saves wringing of hands if the primary bow has a problem.
The last two back up bows I had I ended up either giving it away or selling my main bow so the backup got promoted into service lol.
I was originally going to make my backup bow into a bowfishing rig, then I lent it to my friend to help get him hooked on archery/bowhunting. Now that I have it back, I still think I'll set it up for bowfishing in the summer but come fall, I'll get it set up to act as my backup in case of a catastrophic failure.
One reason for keeping my backup bow was as an option if my primary got dinged up. were I to take a hunt out west, to Alaska etc, I'd likely carry backup as well. its only 4 extra pounds which seems cheap insurance to be able to continue to hunt if something unforeseen happens to my main bow.
I wouldnt call it my "backup bow" I just went to a better bow last season, so I guess it would be!! Its a PSE Stinger 3g, nice bow, killed my first ever deer with a bow with it!! I`ll have it forever!!
Yep, I keep a spare one... A couple years ago while I was doing the final adjustments with my broadheads I found cracks in the limbs... two days before opening day for moose. And no bow available in the area on such a short notice. Ordered a new one hat came in a week later, and hunted with the old one, I figured it would survive a few more shots (all I needed was one more shot ...). I've replace the limbs under warranty and kept it as a spare ever since...
