I have my Diamond Carbon Cure with the R.A.K. package. I still need to buy arrows and a release at best before I can start shooting. But I'm also trying to decide if I should try to upgrade the RAK stuff right out of the gate? Or use them for a year or so, get used to shooting, then upgrade from there? I can see the benefit to both approaches. If I stick with what came with the bow, I can get used to shooting, decide what I like and what I wish was different and have a better idea of what I want for sure. If I upgrade right away, then I'm practicing with quality components and can know that I have equipment I can depend on in the field. I hate to find out I don't like something down the road though, and end up buying a sight or rest 2 or 3 different times. As for a release, I'm looking at either the Scott Shark or the Tru Fire Hardcore Max. I don't want to spend more than 100 on a release. It seems like the reviews for both are very positive overall. And how do you select arrows? It looks like for every spine, weight and straightness rating, there's 30 different options. What makes one better than the other?
Good to see you getting into the sport. I dont know what your money situation is like so its hard to answer properly but will give my insight. A quality release trumps most accessories on your bow so I would start with that. There are many great releases under $100, saying that I will say me personally I think the better quality will come from either a Scott or TruBall. The Shark is a good release for the money so I would suggest that of the 2 you mentioned. In the RAK package the first thing I would get rid of is the arrow rest off the bat. I would look into a full containment drop away. EX: QAD, RipCord, Trophy Taker, NAP Apache....that list is in no particular order but from my experience QAD is top notch but it all is personal preference and how much you feel like spending. The rest of the stuff you can get by with until you get a feel for the bow. The sight is OK but there are much better options out. The bigger thing IMO when it comes to sight selection is pin size, the smaller the diameter of the pin the more accurate, but the smaller you go the less light the pin will gather in low light situations. The Stabilizer will have to be up to you, the 5" Octane that came with it will probably be sufficient enough but only you will be able to tell what you need once you start shooting the bow. As far as the arrows, it can be confusing but do you know what draw length and draw weight you will be shooting the bow at?
Thanks. I was budgeting about a hundred for a release do that works. The only real advantage of the tru fire i could find was that the hook was easier to get on a d loop than the caliper style. But i like the trigger feel of the Scott and believe it's still somewhat adjustable. I was looking at the QAD hdx so may pursue that. Draw length ids 27" and starting at 60 lbs but hoping to go up a few over the summer. Thanks for the suggestions
Personally I feel the rest that package comes with is one of the better, more bullet-proof rests you can buy besides a WB. I love my Octane Hostage, no fletching wear and no moving parts. Is it "the best"? No, but it is very effective and one less thing to worry about while in the stand.
I don't expect the best and can't afford it anyway. I do expect good and reliable. I like that the hostage doesn't have any moving parts,as that means it can't fail. By I've read several reports of the brushes wearing quickly and causing accuracy issues. Thats the only part that concerns me.
I've got 500-800 shots thru mine with visible no brush wear. Once you tune it, there aren't any accuracy issues at all, granted I'm shooting out to 30-35 yds, not 50+. Replacement brush sets cost $10.
I personally would switch out rests as well. I shoot the TT Smackdown Pro and love it.. I also have a Tru-Fire Hardcore Max and love that as well, tons of adjustment to get exactly what you want out of it.
If you are on the internet frequently or have a smartphone you could look on camofire for a decent rest. I got a trophy ridge revolution on there for pretty cheap and it works very well. With camofire you may have to wait a few weeks for it to be in "stock" but they are usually around 50% off. Also I use the tru-fire release you mentioned and I really enjoy using it. It can adjust quite a bit also with just a set of allen wrenches.
Either of the release you mention will be fine. Use what you have for now, form you own opinions about what you like and don't like....from there then you can use that info to decide what and if you need to upgrade. Most of what you get on here is I have XYZ rest and its the best........Honestly that doesn't help you.
Highly recommend you use your setup as it is for a while before changing anything. As you get experience with it you'll have a better idea of what might be improved on. I did that with a Diamond ROCK and its accessory package in 2007 and never regretted it. Stalked and killed a nice 140# boar at 30 yards with it while it was still stock. As for arrows, the basic carbon arrow from Bass Pro work like a champ without breaking the bank plus they'll cut them to length in the store. Again, as you get experience with arrows you can decide if paying more brings a benefit. As for a release, I use the 60 dollar Scott which works fine for me. good luck.
