Hunting for Bows

[XII Outdoors]

(this is my first post on the site-love Ice shanty so I had to get on this site too)

I am looking to purchase a new bow this year.  I have sold my old and was thinking about getting the new Mathews Drenalin
I shot it once and liked it, does anyone have any opinions on current bows-Mathews, Hoyt, etc

[adkRoy]

I have  jaguar bow by martin. It is a very nice, light weight bow. I got it 3 years ago and have taken 2 deer with it.

[archbishop]

we have had this discussion afew times on this board
most all bows are equal anymore, regardless of the mathews comercials, but they are definitly a top brand bow, it all boils down to what feels comfortable in your hand, persoanlly, i like the feel i get with a hoyt, its the bow i feel confident with, i know guys who have mathews because they are the "best" i also have friends that shoo pse. one of the best shots i know with a bow shoots a pse, point blank, if it doesnt feel right, who cares what it says on the side, get something that'll kill a deer, trust me, they dont care if the arrow came from a mathews or an old long bow.

good luck!

[DeerReaver]

...it all boils down to what feels comfortable in your hand, persoanlly...if it doesnt feel right, who cares what it says on the side, get something that'll kill a deer, trust me, they dont care if the arrow came from a mathews or an old long bow.

Archbishop is absolutely correct...your best option for selecting the "right" bow is by visiting multiple archery shops to "sample" each brand of bow.  Remember to try out comparable equipment (top vs top, mid vs mid, low vs low) to evaluate which brand best fits your needs.  Also remember to use as much of the same accessories as possible (arrows, rest, sights, etc.) so you're evaluating just the bow.

Speak with knowledge personnel on-site that can advise you of a quality product for you actual needs (big/small game, shot range, hunting location/methods).  A well placed, vital kill shot can occur with a minimum of 45lbs...so in short, base your decision on your personal comfort.

I own both a PSE (ThunderFlight) and Matthews (Legacy) and neither have let me down afield.  Each have killed many a deer, so I would have no problems recommending either brand.   

[the wizard]

 Here is something to consider, most bows are good and will work fine if they are comfortable to you.
     So in that note, think of how much you want to spend.
  I have a new [ last year ] Bowtech allegiance , drop away rest , total package 1200.00 +$ I like it its light, very fast and for the most part quiet.      I also am a Martin fan, have owned two , still have one.
  The Martin I have now is a Phantom , it's a few years old , has a whisker bisket rest [ which I like a lot] ,is fast [ not as fast,but fast] , much quieter than any of the bows I've tried or owned, very light wt., and only cost 500.00 and change set up .
      There are a lot of good choices out there so don't think you have to get the big namers like so many other people do [ me for instance].

[XII Outdoors]

I appreciate all of your advice
I went ahead and bought the Mathews Drenalin
I put a copper john sight on it (micro tuning)
I am very pleased with it since it got it.  We will see if now how my season
goes.  Good luck to all as the season rapidly nears

[polarbear]

I see you alredy bought your bow but I'd thought I'd share this anyway.  I completely agree with archbishop on the comfort thing.  Almost any modern bow out there is absolutely adeqeate.  But one you feel comfortable with.  That being said, different bows do have certain attributes which will make them more desirable for certain shooters.  Some like small and light, some are obsessed with speed, some want forgiveness, etc.  Check out the bow database on huntersfriend.com and you compare the specs on just about every bow out there and they also sell some pretty good packages.  Just to throw it out there, I currently shoot a 2004 Bowtech Blackhawk which I absolutley love.  In the past I have shot Matthews, Clearwater, PSE and Hoyt and while I have preferred one of them over the others, which I preferred has changed a few times.  Get what you like and don't look back.

http://www.huntersfriend.com/2007-Bow-Reviews/bow-specifications-charts-main.htm