OT: Bow shopping

[AlSwearengen]

I am looking to buy my first bow and need some guidance. I was thinking of trying to find a Matthews Triax at a discounted rate because the new Vertix just came out. I’ve seen some new ones on eBay for about $300 off. Or, do I want a Vertix?

How much does it generally cost to have a pro shop fit and tune a bow that is brought in?

In the bow world, when is the best time to buy in order to hopefully save some money? I’m not in a big hurry, but would like to be able to hunt next year.

I’ve also heard and read good things about the bowtech realm. How does it compare to the Vertix? I’ll take any advice or suggestions.

 

[catvet]

The four major bow companies are Mathews, Hoyt, PSE and Bowtech. Not saying they are the best but they dominate sales. Mathews makes a fine bow as does Bowtech. This is a good time to pick up a bow over the next couple of months as the season is in full gear and they want to sell the 2019s. I started bow hunting 12 years ago and my first thoughts were to purchase a Mathews since they are the most publicized. And I wound up with a Bowtech. The best advice I can give is go to the shops and test the bows you want to look at. It's the reason I bought a different brand than I had originally thought because it fit me better. Some have harsh draws and others not. Some are top heavy. That's why you shoot several. The last thing I will say is that you want a comfortable bow to shoot. Dont be so macho and get the 70 or 80 pound draw just because it shot an arrow 10 feet per second faster. My last purchase was a 60 pound bow that shoots arrows 290 feet per second. The deer is just as dead at 290 fps as it is at 335 fps. Bottom line is shoot several and once you purchase, practice practice practice.

 

[Roentgen]

Go with the Triax. Not sure that they really get discounted much. I would highly recommend going to a reputable bow shop for your first bow so you can get fitted properly. New models typically come out in January. Get ready to spend some $$. By the time you add all the accessories and arrows the price will almost double from the price of the bow.

 

[Tbankerdog]

Pops bought me a Martin Jaguar for my HS graduation present in 2004 and I had it for 10 years. Was a great upgrade from my beginners rig, but finally sold it and got and Elite Hunter
(It helps to have friends that HAVE to have the new stuff every year and sell their’s at half the price). Had the Elite for a year and really liked it, but shot a friend’s Bowtech (same friend who was going to get the new one in 6 months) and had to have it. I absolutely cannot get away from it. It’s awesome, and can’t see myself getting anything else.

 

[catvet]

As far as costs, to get a pro shop bow, set up with rests, quivers, sites, etc plus arrows will be in the 1300-1600 range for the top of the line bow. Bass Pro will sell a good solid bow set up for usually 300 to 500 cheaper.

 

[Tbankerdog]

Agree with Cavet, bigger,better,faster is cool, but will never replace what you can shoot comfortably and accurately. My dad also got the 04 Martin Jaguar when he got mine, and still shoots it. After years of wear and tear, all he can pull back is 52 pounds, and lays waste. As he says “skill and cunning overcome all fear and superstition”..... still takes my money while shooting in the backyard during summertime..... Elders

 

[Poundtowndog]

Shoot a bunch of different bows. Don’tet price sway you. Don’t even look at the price tag.
I shoot a bowtech and it has a harsh draw cycle, but i shoot it well and it’s light and compact so I deal with it ( I do a lot of stalk hunting). If i were hunting primarily out of a stand out ground blind it would not be ideal.

 

[qball.sixpack]

Well, borrowing from another thread sort of...if Slade Fancher is still at Sportscenter, go there and talk to him. Great hunter, great guy, great bow tech. Personally, I shot Mathews for a long time but shoot Elite now. As others say, lots of great bows so try a few out! Correct Draw length is dead critical!!! And, buy a bow u can draw with confidence, don’t worry about speed and weight (or vice versa) so much as you do accuracy!

 

[LandsurveyorDawg]

Is there a reason you don't want a crossbow? I have both and love the crossbow. Are you going to be hunting in a state that doesn't allow crossbows?
I still have my PSE from 20 years ago. It still shoots great and I don't want to spend the $$$ to upgrade.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

As far as costs, to get a pro shop bow, set up with rests, quivers, sites, etc plus arrows will be in the 1300-1600 range for the top of the line bow. Bass Pro will sell a good solid bow set up for usually 300 to 500 cheaper.

I never knew a bow could cost that much money. To each their own and I'm not going to knock anybody for pursuing their passion for hunting, but if I had that much extra cash burning a hole in my pocket it'd be going towards a firearm of some kind. Again, just me.

 

[aTotal360]

If you buy a fully rigged out bow, a good pro shop will help you set it up for free.

 

[Dawgbite]

The sad part about it, that $1500 bow will be worth $300 next week. There is very little market for used archery equipment compared to guns. The first thing you need is to know your draw length, that is your starting point. To really find that out you need someone who can fit you and not someone who is just working at a store for the summer. Fine tuning your draw length even a 1/4-1/2 inch can make the difference between being an average shot and a really good shot. Being new you are not going to be able to tell the difference between a $300 bow and a $1200. Shooting a bow accurately is about consistency and repetition. If a bow doesn’t “fit” you then you can’t consistently repeat the shots. Buy a cheaper bow rom a good bow shop, practice and learn. Then with that knowledge you can find the $1200 bow used in a year or two for $300. Someone can give you a new Bowtech but if it doesn’t fit you then it’s worthless.

 

[civildawg88]

I have a barely used PSE brute force if you’re interested. Tried bow hunting and it just wasn’t my cup of tea

 

[AlSwearengen]

Well, borrowing from another thread sort of...if Slade Fancher is still at Sportscenter, go there and talk to him. Great hunter, great guy, great bow tech. Personally, I shot Mathews for a long time but shoot Elite now. As others say, lots of great bows so try a few out! Correct Draw length is dead critical!!! And, buy a bow u can draw with confidence, don’t worry about speed and weight (or vice versa) so much as you do accuracy!

I have read some good comments about the Elite Ritual. Why have you changed from Matthews?

 

[MaxwellSmart]

If you're into speed, I have a pre sandtrap Bowtech Black Knight II. Has a hard case and extras. Very lightly used if you're interested.

 

[qball.sixpack]

The Impulse 34 fit me the best. Plus the back wall is rock solid—you can hold this thing at full draw forever. Great combination of speed and kinetic energy in my set up. I’ll say this though, I’d never hesitate to go back to Mathews. Both great bows (among others too) so go to a reputable fitter/shop and try some different brands out. Pm me if you’d like to know more.

 

[RedStickDawg]

If you want to save some $$$, go to some local bow shops and ask when they turn in their demo bows (usually happens in the summer time). You can get a fully equipped bow for about 30-40% off of what you would pay brand new. These guys don’t shoot them enough for it to matter. Then, have the shop tweak it to fit your draw length. I got a $1600 Hoyt for around $1000....guy never even shot it...I got lucky.

 

[Bowie & Co. Real Estate]

I was in your shoes about 4 years ago. Ended up with a Matthews Switchback with everything I needed for $350. Took it to a shop in Pearl to be tuned and I've been using it since.

 

[1984dog]

My first suggestion is to find out your draw length. Then narrow down your make and model of bow and go to ebay. You will be surprised at the prices you can find this time of year with many people needing some XMAS money. Archery season is over for most states which means the seller has little use for the bow until next year.

Do not settle on just a good deal with the wrong draw length because it may cost you $100 to $200 to get a bow modified to your draw length. Also, all the accessories can add up (stabilizer, sights, peep site, release, arrows, quiver, case and etc) so you can get some really good deals this time of year.

Good luck.