Vanish shops for a new Bow
- Thread starter Anonymous
- Start date
Vanish I appreciate your description of the different bow. It tells me how we are probably all different. You must be in tune to the most subtle of differences. I prefer the narrow grips, and rarely notice some of the issues you describe, when I shoot other bows. Things like hand shock have to be pretty severe to be a problem for me. They all seem pretty quiet now. The accuracy (pattern) I get from different bows changes some, but it takes me a while to figure out how much.
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
FUN!!
i\'m similar. i LOVED the hoyt Defiant 34. man that thing just merged into my body and mind. zero idea how it tunes, but it shot shop field tip arrows very good for me.
(i\'m and Elite junky), and the Impulse 34 felt weird to me. the draw (70lb) was fairly difficult to draw back for me. it was smooth and not jerky at all, and typical brick back wall. what suprised me was how close the valley was to the wall, i couldnt relax that well. it wanted to fall into the valley and rip the string from my fingers. i suspect the draw stops were not set up at the max. but not my bow to mess with.
mathews..after my Z7 experience, it would take a miracle to make me go back to that company. or i find i need a bow to shoot an arrow around a corner.
happy bow shopping buddy.. if i were looking for a used bow, i would find an Elite Energy bow. transferable warranty, and that great draw you described in your elite column. and with the impulse coming out, you should see the flood of old Energy bows in the used market.
i\'m similar. i LOVED the hoyt Defiant 34. man that thing just merged into my body and mind. zero idea how it tunes, but it shot shop field tip arrows very good for me.
(i\'m and Elite junky), and the Impulse 34 felt weird to me. the draw (70lb) was fairly difficult to draw back for me. it was smooth and not jerky at all, and typical brick back wall. what suprised me was how close the valley was to the wall, i couldnt relax that well. it wanted to fall into the valley and rip the string from my fingers. i suspect the draw stops were not set up at the max. but not my bow to mess with.
mathews..after my Z7 experience, it would take a miracle to make me go back to that company. or i find i need a bow to shoot an arrow around a corner.
happy bow shopping buddy.. if i were looking for a used bow, i would find an Elite Energy bow. transferable warranty, and that great draw you described in your elite column. and with the impulse coming out, you should see the flood of old Energy bows in the used market.
Ryan, I just bought a new bow last year after shooting everything. My favs were Hoyt Nitrum 34 (bought it), Bowtech Experience (shoot this for sure as it hasn\'t changed in a few years and you can get one at or under $500; a really nice bow), Obsession Addiction, and Mathews Chill X (by far the nicest grip, fast and quiet). If you\'re on a budget you can\'t go wrong with any of these. Good luck!
I approach bow purchases different than most. I buy sight unseen or unshot normally. I buy what I think I will like. This is mostly due to the fact that I am a lefty but also due to the fact that I have a pretty good idea as to what bows I will be interested in by specs alone. It is also normally a learning process with each and every bow I get as to what it takes to make it shoot well for me.
That being said....I am mostly interested in a bow\'s grip, cam system, valley and the overall feel at full draw. I am least interested in draw cycle. I\'ll expand a little on each.
Grip
To me....this is what makes or breaks a bow. One must be able to have a repeatable grip. I am convinced this is what normally separates those who get great arrow flight with fixed blade broadheads and those who don\'t. A repeatable grip, that your bow actually likes is the key. Being able to recreate the same grip every time on a bow and being able to \"learn\" a grip that is conducive to good arrow flight on this particular bow is where it\'s at.
Cam system
I like cam systems where I can yoke tune. If the bow can\'t be yoke tuned, I am not interested. Hybrids, Binaries with 2 yokes (Bowtech\'s system), true dual cams and single cams are the only choices for me. 2 tracks binaries and systems like Dartons or Mathews AVS are a no to me. It is not to say that these systems don\'t shoot great it is simply that I don\'t want my bow to tune anywhere but straight down the pipe. Many times you are going to have a binary that will tune to the outside or inside. I don\'t like that as I am too anal to look at a rest that doesn\'t line up with the power path of the bow. I also will add that I want my bow to have cable stops and not draw stops. I need to have just a little bit of give at full draw. Solid wall but not rock solid, hard as a rock that so many Elite fans like.
Valley
I probably like less valley than many of you. I shoot with a thumb release and hold hard into the wall. A bow that comes to full draw and just sits there, like Elites, feel like crap for me. I need the bow to actually pull back against me a bit to help fire the shot.
I am not picking on Elite as they make great bows....they just don\'t work for me.
Feel at full draw
The is a personal thing that I can\'t really put my finger on. If it just seems to feel good, aim good and hold good at full draw it is a keeper for me. Many times this isn\'t necessarily the bow model itself that makes it feel good or bad...many times it is how you have it set up. I believe a lot of this feel comes from the location of the loop on the bowstring. Assuming you have your arrow at 90 degrees from the string, your arrow might be passing low, through the center or through the top of the berger button hole. This is something I am just learning and playing with. If you have your arrow setup running through the center of the berger hole and it doesn\'t feel good...move everything up or down a tick and retune. Many times you will find something that feels better.
Draw cycle
This is the least of my concerns. As long as the valley is acceptable I can handle the draw cycle. What feels like crap the first time you draw it won\'t continue to feel like crap. Humps and harsh spots become mostly unnoticeable over time because you develop muscle memory as you learn a new bow. If a bow fits all the other criteria I don\'t worry about draw cycle.
That being said....I am mostly interested in a bow\'s grip, cam system, valley and the overall feel at full draw. I am least interested in draw cycle. I\'ll expand a little on each.
Grip
To me....this is what makes or breaks a bow. One must be able to have a repeatable grip. I am convinced this is what normally separates those who get great arrow flight with fixed blade broadheads and those who don\'t. A repeatable grip, that your bow actually likes is the key. Being able to recreate the same grip every time on a bow and being able to \"learn\" a grip that is conducive to good arrow flight on this particular bow is where it\'s at.
Cam system
I like cam systems where I can yoke tune. If the bow can\'t be yoke tuned, I am not interested. Hybrids, Binaries with 2 yokes (Bowtech\'s system), true dual cams and single cams are the only choices for me. 2 tracks binaries and systems like Dartons or Mathews AVS are a no to me. It is not to say that these systems don\'t shoot great it is simply that I don\'t want my bow to tune anywhere but straight down the pipe. Many times you are going to have a binary that will tune to the outside or inside. I don\'t like that as I am too anal to look at a rest that doesn\'t line up with the power path of the bow. I also will add that I want my bow to have cable stops and not draw stops. I need to have just a little bit of give at full draw. Solid wall but not rock solid, hard as a rock that so many Elite fans like.
Valley
I probably like less valley than many of you. I shoot with a thumb release and hold hard into the wall. A bow that comes to full draw and just sits there, like Elites, feel like crap for me. I need the bow to actually pull back against me a bit to help fire the shot.
I am not picking on Elite as they make great bows....they just don\'t work for me.
Feel at full draw
The is a personal thing that I can\'t really put my finger on. If it just seems to feel good, aim good and hold good at full draw it is a keeper for me. Many times this isn\'t necessarily the bow model itself that makes it feel good or bad...many times it is how you have it set up. I believe a lot of this feel comes from the location of the loop on the bowstring. Assuming you have your arrow at 90 degrees from the string, your arrow might be passing low, through the center or through the top of the berger button hole. This is something I am just learning and playing with. If you have your arrow setup running through the center of the berger hole and it doesn\'t feel good...move everything up or down a tick and retune. Many times you will find something that feels better.
Draw cycle
This is the least of my concerns. As long as the valley is acceptable I can handle the draw cycle. What feels like crap the first time you draw it won\'t continue to feel like crap. Humps and harsh spots become mostly unnoticeable over time because you develop muscle memory as you learn a new bow. If a bow fits all the other criteria I don\'t worry about draw cycle.
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
super cool write up BowFREAK.
i\'m an Elite guy..i get it..it\'s not for everyone. (sidetrack..i tested the new Elites and they felt kinda jumpy)
i do agree with the yoke tuning..i helped mess with a Hoyt and it was cool to set the arrow perfectly down the middle, lined up to a gnat\'s ass to the stabilizer and move the yoke to get the paper hole without touching the rest. it was awesome. i\'m lucky, my Elite tuned at the \"center spot\", but i know some that didnt. i guess the factory shimmed mine correctly.
grip. agree. i came from a fat Mathews grip and adjusting to the new fad of \"thin is in\" was a challenge. but my Elite grip is the biggest advantage on that bow..especially when a shooting coach asked me, \"what is up with your crazy grip?\". he fixed me, and i just feels right. the new bows, like Mathews with that flat back section on the grip..dunno. feels weird and you cannot adjust grip at full draw..you end up with where you started it..at least i did.
cams..i\'m jealous. i blew out my shoulders. doing something STUPID!. i have a set of offset pruning loppers. on the box it said, cut a maximum 3/4\" branch. sure...that 1.5\" branch hanging waaaaayyy out there? i can do it! i felt the shoulders go. changed my life, and not for the better. so now i need cams with training wheels. i cant handle a jumpy cam. that hard pulling cam, arguably aims a bow better. and if the elk doesnt cooperate, i need to be able to let that same bow down gently. or i will have sore shoulders for weeks. honestly, my Mathews Z7 was too jumpy. i had full time sore shoulders because i shot so much. i got the Elite and the pain kinda went away.
and i hired a gardener
but your writeup is how i used to do it. i used to even have \"does the bow look good?\" on the list. haha..
i\'m an Elite guy..i get it..it\'s not for everyone. (sidetrack..i tested the new Elites and they felt kinda jumpy)
i do agree with the yoke tuning..i helped mess with a Hoyt and it was cool to set the arrow perfectly down the middle, lined up to a gnat\'s ass to the stabilizer and move the yoke to get the paper hole without touching the rest. it was awesome. i\'m lucky, my Elite tuned at the \"center spot\", but i know some that didnt. i guess the factory shimmed mine correctly.
grip. agree. i came from a fat Mathews grip and adjusting to the new fad of \"thin is in\" was a challenge. but my Elite grip is the biggest advantage on that bow..especially when a shooting coach asked me, \"what is up with your crazy grip?\". he fixed me, and i just feels right. the new bows, like Mathews with that flat back section on the grip..dunno. feels weird and you cannot adjust grip at full draw..you end up with where you started it..at least i did.
cams..i\'m jealous. i blew out my shoulders. doing something STUPID!. i have a set of offset pruning loppers. on the box it said, cut a maximum 3/4\" branch. sure...that 1.5\" branch hanging waaaaayyy out there? i can do it! i felt the shoulders go. changed my life, and not for the better. so now i need cams with training wheels. i cant handle a jumpy cam. that hard pulling cam, arguably aims a bow better. and if the elk doesnt cooperate, i need to be able to let that same bow down gently. or i will have sore shoulders for weeks. honestly, my Mathews Z7 was too jumpy. i had full time sore shoulders because i shot so much. i got the Elite and the pain kinda went away.
and i hired a gardener
but your writeup is how i used to do it. i used to even have \"does the bow look good?\" on the list. haha..
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
Amazing how we all feel bows differently.
I think I confuse or interchange \"smooth\" and \"easy to draw\".
Sent via Jedi mind trick.
I think I confuse or interchange \"smooth\" and \"easy to draw\".
Sent via Jedi mind trick.
I agree. Honestly....one thing that I feel we all forget to look at is how easy a bow is to let off. Like I said....you build muscle memory to where even a harsh draw cycle seems normal after a while. We don\'t let off enough to build up muscle memory so many times letting off a bow is horrible. The older I get the harder it is to let off.\"elky McElkerson\" said:
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
Ryan,
Just throwing this out, but I am probably going to be unloading my z7 extreme here at the end of the season.
I hunt with a righty bow right now, but I am left eye dominant.
I\'d like to make the switch at the end of the season, so I will be letting this one go.....
You have my phone number.... text me if it\'s something you\'d wanna talk about.
Just throwing this out, but I am probably going to be unloading my z7 extreme here at the end of the season.
I hunt with a righty bow right now, but I am left eye dominant.
I\'d like to make the switch at the end of the season, so I will be letting this one go.....
You have my phone number.... text me if it\'s something you\'d wanna talk about.
iccyman001
New member
- Apr 30, 2014
- 5,489
\"Bowfreak\" said:
Yes sir, I am going to lefty!
I have been worried about the switch, but I feel like it\'s the best move.
I imagine that my grouping will be better and hunting will be somewhat easier.
Instead of training myself to make sure I open the right eye, I\'ll be able to have the motions happen naturally.
How was the transition on your weaker arm? Was it fairly easy to build up?
