So I just moved to Portland Oregon all the way from Western Montana and I am taking up archery so that I can progress into hunting again. I have been reading as much as possible about equipment, but I know that there are several of you out there that are experts in this field so why not go straight to the sources. If I were to choose archery equipment what would you suggest? For the New product I am looking at the Strothers SR-71, the Matthews z7, the Bowtech Destroyer 350, and the Hoyt Maxxis 31. You can also give me a list of bows from years past that would make a great start up bow. Thanks and I also have several archery lanes and 3-D shoots in the area that I am getting out to as well so that I can test them out myself and talk to other archery enthusiasts. Take care
Ok here we go...I have some very good advice for you. First of all I would not put a ton of money into the sport untill you know for sure it is for you. I would look at a used bow or far less expensive model then those you have listed. Second, don't get sucked into this BRAND NAME B.S.. The only way to properly choose a bow is to shoot all types and have someone help you with sizing and the specifics that knows what they are talking about! There are to many so called PRO SHOPS that have no idea of what is what now days. The bow that fits you and feels right should be top on your list. I know guys that bought top of the line stuff and couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Archery is more of a mental sport then anything else. I would also stick with equipment names that have a history and reputation in the archery world. Make sure your draw length is correct...TOO LONG IS BAD, TOO SHORT IS BAD. Finally don't get addicted to this speed garbage. A fast miss is still a miss. Hope this helps out a little and trust me anyone that knows anything about archery will agree with just about everything I have said. Take care and good luck ONE LAST NOTE...a draw length a little on the short side doesn't hurt. and let-off has to do with how much weight you are holding back. The higher the let-off the less weight you are holding. Keep in mind that bows with hight let-off might be easier to hold back for awhile, but lower let-off bows are more forgiving.
Just like what Ghillie1cav said you have to shoot the bows to get a feel. When i got my new bow i went in thinking i was going to buy a Mathews but i shot a whole bunch of different bows and ended up leaving with the Hoyt Maxxis 31 its a great bow all the bows you listed are great but when i shot them they didn't feel right in my had i never even considered a Hoyt because i was so set on the name brand of Mathews but when i shot it i like it a lot better than any Mathews that i shot. So shot a bunch of bows and base your choice on which one feels right. the 65%-75% let off means the percentage less you have to hold when your in full draw the higher the percent let off the easier it is to hold the bow at full draw
Do you know anyone that has experience in archery to at least recommend a reputable shop? Try and get at least 2-3 good kudos about one shop if you can from people you know. That way, you hopefully won't make the same mistakes they did in shop selection.
Like the others said you really need to try them out and see what feels right to you. Also if your looking at the maxxis try out the alpha max too. I tried both the maxxis and alpha max and ended up choosing the alpha max. I thought it was smoother drawing and over just felt better. In the end choose what feels right to you.
Thanks for all the advice everyone. I checked out some shops and I tried a couple of different bows. I can honestly say that it is good advice for beginners to not get caught up in the top models and just get the feet wet. I tried the Martin TR-1 yesterday which is a single cam, and I found it easier for me at this time to draw back. Any time that I had dual cam it was not as smooth and I fatigued much earlier. I know that it is still early in the search mode, so I am going to keep at it and try other bows and compare. That way I can find the smoothest easiest bestus correctus bow for me. One of the places I stopped was in Vancouver Washington, which is a mere rock skip across the river from Hillsboro. The archery shop was called "Archery World." I was there for probably a good two and a half to three hours getting a feel for not only the equipment I will soon be using, but more importantly the service and personable quality that they showed. It seemed that they were quite genuine in their approach, and I also put in for a raffle for one of their fundraisers for the year which was going on at the time. I really got a good feel from them. What are your impressions of Archery World in Vancouver Wa for those of you that have been there and have used their services?
