whats everyones favorite bows

[fatman]

I have to say I am with Raquettedacker.  I have only owned 2 bows my entire archery career.  The first one was a bear Kodiak I bought as a hole kit from Kmart over 20yrs ago.  I can't tell you how many deer I harvested with that one.  The second is a Jennings Speedmaster.  I have had this bow for about 10yrs.  This also has been a great bow and has also served me well.  Looking forward to putting it to use for many more seasons to come.

[The Smokestick Kid]

The one I'm shooting right now. It's a 2 year old Gander Mountain Guide Series TecHunter. It's made by Diamond (Bowtech) and I love it. It's fast and quiet, and most importantly of all, I shoot it well. I'm comfortable with it. The grip, the backwall, the let off...I can't complain. No need to get another new bow, although my boss has two Mathews Z7's that he's trying to sell me....and he's taking payments... So, maybe next year. 

-Zach

[rocky]

I have had several bows over the years.  Started out with a golden eagle that i got my first kill with and i was hooked to bow hunting ever since.  Also had a martin, a reflex, and now i shoot a mathews reezen.  All i can tell you from my experience with bows is that you get what you pay for.  Never before could i shoot past 35 yards and group arrows in a 3 inch circle.  Since i bought the mathews i have zero problems grouping arrows out to 60 yards in a 3 inch circle.   

[huntny30]

Had 2 Golden Eagles, the second one was a GREAT shooting bow...the first one probably was too but there was a lot of operator error...I bought a Bowtech Patriot in 2002 and it has grown on me...I continue to get better and better with it...I am very open minded when it comes time to step up to the next one...never heard anything bad about Mathews...but I better start saving my change...

[bogmanjr]

Now that upstatehunter got me straightend out on paper tuning I like my Highcountry archery 4 runner pretty well. I would upgrade to something more modern but keeping 6 of us outfitted is getting costly LOL.

[Issiah]

I started with a Bear in the 80's, then bought a hoyt about 10 years ago, that hoyt has done me very well,, I fear upgrading because I know that bow so well and it shoots so well for me. The new bows out on the market, are so small, and have a lot of bells and whistles that I am unfamiliar with...  So to answer the question I bought a Hoyt and it grew on me and I am very comfortable with it, but that is the only bow besides the old Bear that I have ever shot...

[hoythunter]

hoyt magnatec here my son shoots an old mcPherson

[Hollywood]

I've been using my Mathews Outback model for about 5-6 years now, I don't think I could find a bow I'd like better. Last year I didn't have time to practice like I wanted to, a week before the season I set up the target and hit all 5 spots at 20 yards after not shooting for nearly a year. I moved it back to 40 and hit the middle spot. Decided to shoot at the middle spot with the second arrow so I wouldn't lose an arrow and "robinhooded" the first arrow.... Thats it....let's go!

[pyle]

Hoyt hands down

[ICE4ME]

kind of off topic but i have to get this off my chest. i purchased a Martin Saber in the spring and shot it a few times but it seemed to have a wierd sound after release like a string twanging. really can't explain it. well i shoot with a couple of buddies and i had them listen to it and they said that it was pretty bad. after getting my butt busted for a weekend i took the bow to Gander mt in kingston and had the tech. shot it about a half dozen times and he heard the same thing i did. the bow is adjustable 55-70 lb pull so he tried cranking it down thinking that would solve the problem. didn't work. he went threw the bow a few times and couldn't find what was making the noise. he thought it might be the string against the cams. well he said he was going to get in touch with Martin and see what they said. he got back to me a few days later and said that over the phone they couldn't tell so i had to send it in. $45 dollars later i sent it to them. well i get a call today at 2:00 pm and the lady on the phone says they can't find anything wrong with it and they are going to send it back but they need my credit card so they can charge the shipping to it. another $45-$50. i ask to talk to the tech and when he gets on the phone he says he and 6 others shot the bow and there wasn't any noise. don't now how that's possible unless UPS fixed it in shipping. so i said to him that i didn't understand and that numerous other people heard it. he said it was because it was set to low at 55 pounds. i told him i was shooting it at 60 pounds confirmed by the bow tech and he said the bow wasn't ment to shot that low. i explained that i bought the bow because it was adjustable and i could work up to 65 or maybe 70 eventually. he replied that it's ment to shoot at 70. i told hiim  the tech cranked it down and still heard it. so i gave him my card # and asked what he thought i should do and he said to just use it. well i said thanks for lookiing at it and i wasn't sure what i'ld do, maybe buy a different bow. he goes " well you get what you pay for" and i said i paid $500 dollars for it and thought that i would get a good bow. well i was pissed by this point so i said thanks and let him go.

well sorry for the rant but i'm not rich and i thought that by buying a $500 bow i'ld have one for atleast 3-5 years. i had a bear whitetail II for about 10 years and it was nice and quiet. just really wizzed me off that because i didn't buy a top of the line $1000 bow that basicly he didn't care. like i said sorry for the rant but i'll never buy anything that says made by Martin. i will make sure the guys i hunt with and everyone that shoots with me never do either. should have just saved for a mathews. lesson well learned. Don't get me wrong the bow shoots real nice but didn't expect a blow off from a top Bow company. that's why i bought a Martin.

[upstatehunter]

Question for you ICE, did the tech at Gander or anyone else, yourself, friend, take all the accessories off the bow? Sight, quiver mount, cable guard,
Different rest like a side kick or something non moving. Have seen a bow where the guy had crushed the carbon cable guard with the set screw.
Thing was like a tuning fork....If the noise is a Tuuunngg sound, Ive heard that from Martin bows. To be honest, out in front of them like your
target will be it is very quiet. The low frequency almost hum sound can't be heard as much as the high frequency snap of a lot of new bows
on the market. I will also say that a 55-70 lb bow is designed to shoot the best, and perform the best at 70 lbs. They all are. Now I will say
they should have shipped it back to you at no charge. I think the guy would have gotten an earfull on that point.
Did you buy it from a shop or a box store?(Gander) They should make good on the bow if you are still unhappy.
Hope you get it resolved. Martin does make good equipment, and this is the first time I've heard of a problem with their service.

[iceplank]

I started with a Bear in the 80's, then bought a hoyt about 10 years ago, that hoyt has done me very well,, I fear upgrading because I know that bow so well and it shoots so well for me. The new bows out on the market, are so small, and have a lot of bells and whistles that I am unfamiliar with...  So to answer the question I bought a Hoyt and it grew on me and I am very comfortable with it, but that is the only bow besides the old Bear that I have ever shot...

sounds like you and I have had the exact same experiences with the same brand of bows. my hoyt isnt a high tech $1200 bow but i am dead on with it and so comforatble, and it kills deer. all set for now

[ICE4ME]

WELL Awell after my little rant the other day i just couldn't let it go so i called up the customer relations manager for martin and left my name and # and asked to have him give me a call. soo yesterday i was coming out of the woods from hanging a stand and he got back to me. we went over the situation and he appoligized for the rude treatment and said the bow had been sent back already so he really couldn't do anything more for me at the moment. so we got to talking and he said he was originally from the schenectady area and that if i got the bow back and still was not fully happy with it that he had a dealer in the area that could take a look at it (Brown's Archery or Flying Arrow II). he said that he really wanted to make this right by me and that he would have the shop put new limbs and cams on the bow and see if that helps. Gentlemen was very understanding of my concerns and took the time to explain a few things. he put my mind at rest that something will be done to fix the problem if it continues. also come to find out that there was a problem with my d loop and that it might have been causing the line to slap the cams unevenly and that may have been causing the problem the entire time. the tech never even mentioned that to me. well needless to say i am much more satisfied. i guess the tech may have just been having a bad day and i got his helping of the crap sandwich but it just goes to show ya that a short conversation could have prevented the hole problem. i should have the bow back by monday so hopefully i can be ready by the start of the season.

by the way thanks for all your input

[upstatehunter]

Good deal!!!! I thought Martin would come through for you. They have always been an upstanding company. Sometimes it's good to keep a cool head and not accept
an answer that is unacceptable to you. Glad you'll be enjoying your new bow soon.

[joe snag]

my favorite now is a Mathews---oh ya------------------