I have hunted with crossbows all my life, but now I am older and can actualy afford my own bow and I want to get a compound. What is the best brand, or in your eyes the best value. I work with a guy who is an avid bow hunter and he and I are going to start hunting in a few weeks when season opens I would like to get one soon since it has been a while since I have shot one.

Thanks

 

practice practice practice..................been an avid bowhunter for many years, and am currently planning my two week vaca end of oct/first week of nov right now.

all makes and models of todays compounds you cant go wrong with. its a different industry than it was even 7 or 8 years ago.

most of todays compounds follow the same principal, smooth draw, light, and most shoot over 285fps, at 60-65lbs draw.

i am partial to hoyt. hoyt also manufactures reflex which is what you can buy from cabellas,bass pro etc........

hoyt only sells to dealers and you buy from dealers. i bought in 03 hoyt mt sport in 03. never had an issue and have the cam and a half system, which is one of the best on the market, pattented by hoyt.

i shoot a hoyt set up at 60 lbs.

muzzy drop away rest
hha adjustable 1 pin from 20-70 yards
easton axis 400 gpi
rage hybrid expandables 100 grain 2 inch cutting diamater.

i can pull back 90lbs, like nothing, but prefer to shoot lower weight, being able to hold the bow back for 5 minutes if i want to.

hoyt
reflex
diamond
bowtech
fred bear
parker

anyone of these bows will do the job just fine

 

also i noticed your from orlando, i live in clearwater, i havent done any hunting in florida since ive lived here, i have been going back up to mass every fall for hunting.

are you going around pan handle/ocala area or out of state??

 

Ocala and I am planning on going back to Ohio over thanksgiving.

 

well when i bought my last bow i went in saying i am going to buy the bow that "feels" the best to me...after shooting about 7 bows it was not even a contest...Mathews Q2 XL...that bow is a few years old now and they have made some improvments since then but that bow was the best shooting one out of all of them. in fact about a half hour after the final tune on the bow i shot my first " robin hood" at 30 yards...

 

Yea, I resently started shooting bow with my son lots of fun, I have a PSE thunderflite compound bow set at 60lbs, Did i say that i bought it from a guy off craigslist, only $60.00 bucks . I took it to the PSE pro shop and had them tune it up for me. Shoots real fine.

 

OK then, where would yall suggest going to buy a bow? Around here all I have is Gander Mountatin and Bass Pro as far as large stores go.

 

go to a place that has a range, so you can shoot the bow before you buy it. even if you have to go to a couple places to shoot all the bows you are interested in

 

i was just at bass pro over the weekend in orlando buying my broadheads. they have a complete tune/set up shop and range inside the store.


you can test whatever bow you want, they will set it up with all the goodies. buy yourself a block, to take places with you so you can shoot whenever you want.

once you start to shoot you will get addicted, i tune my own bow now, i only use a local dealer for restringing thats it. i do the rest of the work.

i would love to hunt some soybean fields up in ohio right before dusk, man that would be great.

ive seen some pics of some bruisers in ohio

 

I hunt only with a matthews bow http://mathewsinc.com/mathews-bows-Classic-44-ViewProduct-1351-287.asp#specs My classic is nine years old this year. It has had two rests,three strings, and five wrist straps since I've owned it. I have loved matthews since the day I first picked one up and haven't looked back.

The issue is cost. How far into this are you wanting to go? I have a solid aluminum case that sits in the corner of the closet and holds every part of my bow and gear...........there's over 2k(spent over time) in that case. I know others with more than that but I stopped spending on the bow and started on the guns.

If ya want a cost effective and well built bow I'd go with a high country. They shoot nice and have good technology built into them and are priced appealing.

I've shot alot of different brands but always go back to my bow, it just fits me good.

I like- matthews, high country, hoyt, and fred bear

I DON'T like- pse, browning, martin, or parker

Nothing above applies for me when it comes to recurve/longbow (traditional, not primitive archery).

Where ya'll are at I'd be bowfishing

 

been thinking about it, but im still coming to grips that i would have to buy rattle snake hip huggers.........i dont do well around snakes, i love to get down into the thick of things, but that applies to northern territories....call me a ***** whatever,

snakes,gators,pigs....oh my

 

Yeah, I'm not a snake person either but, I was thinking from the flat of a boat or dock. That keeps ya away from the forked tongues!

 

I recomend Matthews too. The switch back is the only Matthews that I've shot though. Check out the Matthews Mission. it's spose to be in the $300 price range (just the bow) and I've heard all kinds of good stuff about it. Looking into getting one for myself.
-matt

 

lol, ya i guess from a flats boat or a dock, would be more appealing than walking a shorline....what was i thinkin!!!

i was out in my buddys canoe bass fishing the other day, we saw a 5 or 6ft gator swimming like 30 yards from us, being in a canoe, i had a surface eye view of the gator, wasnt a great feeling i had.

 

I have a Reflex Timberwolf (2003) it shoots great 306 fps, all my friends like it, and wish they bought it. My friend has a PSE, and my other shoots a older Hoyt.Mattews is good but a nice one will cost alot.