I shot the Mathews Monster today. It was 27" at 70# (not set for me, im 29"). It was outfitted with limbsaver split limbsavers, a string supressor, sting loop, 4" doinker stabilizer, and I don't think it had any extra string silencers. The arrow weighed 428 grains. The chronograph measured exactly 300 fps. IMO.....Draw was very smooth. It locked back with absolutely no creep. Grip is great (AlphaMax's grip was amazing!!). First shot impression, quiet (probably due to the installed noise killers). I was expecting a bomb to go off in my hands, instead, a smooth, quiet release. This really caught me off guard!! I was pretty much sold after that first shot. Furthermore, it has extreme efficiency. The arrow is GONE faster than you can imagine. There is no lag in the cam's rotation. It pulls instantly and just keeps on pulling all the way through the entire power stroke. Zero hand shock. Another awsome suprise, was that the 70 lb pull only felt like 55 or 60 lbs. Overall, this is THE most impressive machine that I have ever fired. I am probably going to order the 80 lb. version within the next couple of months (as soon as the bank account lets me!). Only drawback--PRICETAG!!! Even if you are bias to another bow company, try to put that aside and enjoy!
Sounds like you found your next bow I grabbed one at a outdoors show last week but didn't draw it or shoot it......my first impression was it looks and feels like a nice bow.......I was surprised how long A-A it was........I thought it was a shorter bow for some reason. I would recommend drawing one at your proper length before going with the 80 lb model. Good Luck and post some pics when you get her.
Really? You had one in your hands, and it didn't explode? huh. Must be defective or something. I keep hearing stories over on "that other place" of people holding these in stores, and they keep blowing up?!? Thats weird. lol
ahh....bias oppinions rear thier ugly heads!! Good point--try it at your own draw first. I was leaning towards 80 lbs in the first place, this experience just made me lean farther. In response to the Bowtech favoritism.....I REALLY want to shoot the air-raid when it comes out. It looks like a great bow. However, the Monster sure sets the bar very high.....maybe too high!
Are you gonna wait for the XLR8 model or just gonna get the Monster if the Air Raid doesn't impress you? Glad you enjoy shooting it! That is a positive note for a bow spec'd as the Monster is.
Bols, I was so suprised with how well that it shot that I am now very curious to see how much "worse" the XLR8 really is. I can't buy a bow till the summer because of finances, so I have plenty of time to shoot them all (Except for the APA-cant find a dealer by me-dang!). However, the numbers for the XLR8 dont impress me. By that I mean, I don't want to sacrifice anymore valuable BH for a minimal gain. But, who knows until you get the bow in your hand and shoot it.
Nothing against Mathews at all. Great bows I found there was considerable vibration compared to the admiral when I shot them side by side at the deer classic. Now neither had a stabilizer on it and the Monster just wasn't as good as sliced bread. The admiral was by far quieter and shock free but obviously not as fast. I'll take comfort over speed anyday. The one area Mathews is far superior over Bowtech is the clothing. lol I wish Bowtech had t-shirts and hats that are as stylish as Mathews. I mean Bowtech sells a skull cap on the site. Someone needs to really hire a clothing designer so I can wear the logo proudly.
I am a little disappointed in Mathews because they didn't include a string supressor on the Monster. Also, they should include the split limbsavers as well. Both of these should come standard on a bow like this, especially for the price!
:hijack: Anyone have any pull over this? My wife would probably be exstatic to create some nifty little pieces for the company... She is always looking for something to design. Think they would even consider something if she sent it to them?
I shot it along with the reezen today. The monster was pretty dern heavy and it was ALL on the top it seemed, very top heavy. BUT, it drew VERY smooth, and shot VERY smooth, and was pretty darn quiet as well. I was SHOCKED....and the speed was ridiculous. The Reezen seemed extremely similar, except a little slower. In fact, I favored the Monster draw cycle MORE than the Reezen. I didn't like it as much as the Alphamax because of the top heaviness and the weigh it handled to me...that bow is huge, and I am wanting to go smaller with the next rig....but all in all, I was mucho impressed.
The problem as I see it is all the 1 1/2 cam and 2 cam bow are very hard to get back in tune over the single cam bows. I know the other 1 1/2 cam bows you really need a pro shot to get them back in tune. The guys that like to work on their own bow the single cam bow is the way to go. They are very easy to get back in tune. I would like to know if the Monster has this same tuning problems.
I believe the 2 cam tuning problems are a thing of the past. The guys at my local shop feel that single cams will almost disappear in the near future.
Single cams will not disappear in the near future, hell it was just the other year that Mathews had an add that said 2 cams are history. Now look at em. :d
I don't know if I agree with the single cam disappearance (look at what Mathews did with the Reezen), but I do believe two cams, hybrid cams, cam & 1/2 timing is not nearly as hard as some people put stock into. I learned how to tune my Trykon in as little as a few days by reading through some great info on forums, as well as getting a few tuning DVD's along the way. It wasn't that difficult after you get past the "fear-factor" of working on your own equipment. While it make seem like a daunting task when you first look at it, bow tuning isn't difficult when you practice and know from the very beginning what you are trying to achieve. I hate to slam those who find tuning difficult, because we were all in that situation at one time. What I would rather do is encourage them to try it out, even if it means to practice on a shop owners press, etc, before you sink the money you need to tune a bow at your own house. I'm no tuning guru, but trust me, I was more than satisfied with my abilities when I shot a "tuned" bow for the very first time.
Dang, I shot the Monster today at a 3D was kind of unimpressed. The bow was fast and fairly quiet but to me, it felt like was holding onto a miniature jackhammer... much much more hand shock that I was anticipating. The draw cycle was fairly similar to an 82nd, which doesn't bother me at all, solid wall as well. Maybe if you dressed it with a super nice stabilizer it would help... i dunno
Dubbya, did the Monster you shot have a string supressor, limb savers and such?? Just wondering because the one I shot had those installed and I felt NO shock at all.
It did have a string suppressor and string leeches, but no limb savers... the stabilizer was the mini S-coil... That may make all the difference in the world.
Maybe. They really seem to work wonders on even "tame" bows. Plus, it has split limbs. Like I said before, it's a real shame that Mathews/McPhearson/Whatever doesn't have these "extras" installed at the factory, especially because of the bows price tag! Furthermore, these small things make the bow shoot SO much nicer, it's a damn shame!
I got the opportunity to shoot the monster this afternoon. Was totaly impressed. It had a S-coil (small one) and the string suppressor. No peep or sight. Had the new mathews drop away (which I like very much I think). The draw was exactly what I expected after reading some of the reviews with the drop off into the valley. I didnt think it was bad at all. The one I shot was a 28" 60 lbs. For one I kinda liked the weight of the bow. I would probably add a bit heavier stabilizer as the bow does seem to be just a tick top heavy like many have said. I thought the shot was great, I didnt feel any hand shock and the dang thing was quiet. It also had the harmonic stabilizer in the riser. One thing is for sure its a plenty fast. But at the same time I thought it held very well. I dunno if I were to get enough cash I might buy one later on int the year or maybe wait for 2010. I would definately give a thumbs up on the bow though, much better than I anticipated.
