Hello, I have been bow hunting with my mathews MQ32 for years, and am very happy with it. As you all know it is an older bow and I'm worried about how much longer it will last. So with that I have been looking for a new bow. I do not keep up with all the tech stuff and reviews so when I started looking at Mathews, Bowtec, hyot ect I was overwhelmed. I shoot year around just for fun, no tournaments just looking for the best hunting bow for the money. The prices have gone up alot since I've bought a bow so I want to make sure I get a good bow. I am planning on going to bow shop and shooting a bunch but just wanted a good feel for what all the great knowledge out here has to say first. I also know that everyone has there favorite, but hopefully I can at least narrow my brands down to 2-3 before I go shoot some. One more note, this bow I am going to buy will hopefully last me another 10+ years as did my MQ32! Thanks Paul
Paul, Needs some details first. One whats your budget like and two what is your setup. Essentially the bow you choose is best left up to you. Shoot as many as you can and you will know which bow is right for you. I have heard horror stories about all manufactures customer service from folks so its hard to know the good and bad without first hand knowledge. I have had good experience with Mathews but a lot of that is really up to your dealer too.
I am 30" draw, looking for 60-70 #, budget around 1000 - 1200 ish give or take with a all new set up. I would like to keep my MQ32 as a back up bow so I plan on keeping that intact and not striping. Thanks Paul
Good luck with your new bow, whatever it ends up being. I just bought a new one myself, and there are ALOT of bows out there to choose from. I looked on line and in shops for a while. I shot several different brands, and several different models of each. After being out of archery for so long, I can tell you that technology has really changed things. Bows are shorter, lighter, and faster. Even with my short (27.5) draw length, I can finally get some speed. Shoot as many as you can and buy which ever one you like the best. Lots of decisions!
My top 3 would be Mathews, Bowtech, and Elite. In no particular order. All in all There is really good advise on different brands here. It will all come down to what is comfortable to you and fits you. Good luck finding a new one. It can be a time consuming and frustrating venture. Have fun.
Whichever bow fits you and whichever bow YOU like best. It doesnt matter what we like, shoot em all and make an opinion!
Guess your just going to have to go down to local shops and shoot bows all day ( what a bummer) Good news is your budget buys a hell of a lot of bow, heck $400 buys a lot of bow now. And they all make a good one.
I have shot (and owned) Bowtech, Mathews, Prime (by G5), and Hoyt. I currently shoot Hoyt because it felt the best to me. Notice how I said me. It's purely a personal choice, and it's good that you want to shoot as many as you can before you decide. Definitely do not get in a hurry. Unfortunately for me, I am a lefty, so I am limited to what I can shoot before I buy. Often, I have to buy and hope I like it. Shoot as many as you can and narrow it down from there. Also, try shooting on a stressful day or maybe after you've exercised a little to get a real feel for what it might be like when everything is not "peachy king". It also sounds like you are in a price range to get almost any bow you wish. As I mentioned, I currently shoot Hoyt. I recently shot a new Mathews No Cam, and currently have one on order. I know there are some out there that say this and that about this new bow of theirs, but in reality, it performs just like many of the others out there. I watched a YouTube yesterday and a guy compared the No Cam to an Elite 32 he has - same setup. The Elite shot a whopping 4 fps faster. Big deal! Don't get wrapped up in speed, KE, and other nonsense. Buy what feels most comfortable and can allow you to place an arrow where it needs to. At the end of the day, that's all that matters. Just something fun: Bow #1 shoots at 280 fps Bow #2 shoots at 250 fps Now, assuming the arrow can maintain that speed at 30 yds (which we all know it can't) the delta of the same arrow fired from each bow is a difference of .04 sec. In reality, the arrow from these two bows that shoot those speeds "at the muzzle" will decelerate proportionately, and at most bowshot distances it won't really matter. The arrow will get there quick enough.
Mission has great priced bows and are made by Matthew. Just something to look at, I was stuck on PSE until I shot a Mission. But like most have said it's really all in what you like.
