New Bow

[19dscoutsout]

Ok I know this is a firearms forum but I thought I would try my luck. Anyways, I just went bowhunting for the first time this year. I have a Hoyt Prohawk but I am not thrilled with it and I am looking to upgrade. Has anyone used the Bowtech assassin? I have done some research on it but was wondering what people think. Also can you give me any other suggestions for bows within the $700 range? I am looking for a full kit but I would settle for a bare bow if the price is right.

[jerkin]

My next bow will be an Elite. I shot an Elite Answer last year and it was absolutely the nicest bow I've ever shot. Check them out if you have a dealer near you. The only thing you're going to find as a kit are cheap bows. If you don't have the money right now swap your stuff over from your current bow to get you through til next year when you can buy the sights, rest, etc that you want.

Ask around and find a reputable dealer in your area and make your purchases there. You might pay a little more up front but the extra costs are more than worth it. Having a bow properly set up is more important that which bow you buy and some kid at Gander Mountain isn't going to do it right.

[allananthony84]

I have a Hoyt carbon element but my buddy has a bowtech assassin and loves it . If I was going to buy a bow for $700 I would look into the Hoyt charger or a Matthews z7 . Check out archerytalk.com lots of in sight there .

[BoneCrusher]

Ask around and find a reputable dealer in your area and make your purchases there. You might pay a little more up front but the extra costs are more than worth it. Having a bow properly set up is more important that which bow you buy and some kid at Gander Mountain isn't going to do it right.

I could not agree more! Also a bow shop may let you shoot bows you are interested in or are in your price range. I have a Bowtech Experience and it is unbelievable. Most accurate, forgiving bow I have ever shot. There are tons of great options in your price range. Let us know how it goes.

[Yoder]

Check out archerytalk.com Awesome website. Classified section is bad ass. Tree stands, bows, arrows, sights just about anything. It's like this site but for archery.

[Karys]

I could not agree more! Also a bow shop may let you shoot bows you are interested in or are in your price range. I have a Bowtech Experience and it is unbelievable. Most accurate, forgiving bow I have ever shot. There are tons of great options in your price range. Let us know how it goes.

^^^^This^^^^

My bow is a Matthews S2. I was dead set on a Bowtech the day I bought it but I went to a reputable archery shop and shot four or five different brands in my price range. By shooting them all side by side I was better able to find the right bow for me.

[rovert97]

I love my Bear Attack. Bought from a guy here as a used bow. $350 and couldn't be happier. Shop around. Most guys out there buy new bows every year and will part with their "old" bows for a great deal.

[FO 1/501]

I'm looking too. For a new bow.
My old Darton SL50 is showing wear at the cams.
The owner at the Owls Nest in NJ. let me shoot his Hoyt Charger. First X for me with a release. Quiet & fast for this bow. I did manage to hit the nocks on 2 of the arrows.
I went there looking at Parker bows? Single cam set up.
Still looking & mostly keeping a open mind. Quiet bow. 50 to 60#.
I shot a lot of deer with my Jennings Model T at 52# 1918 gamegetters Bear broadheads. That was a quiet set up.

I do read the archery talk forums.

Thanks for this thread on bows.

[jerkin]

I don't usually recommend used bows to people that are just getting into archery unless you have a shop that carries that brand and will set it up for you even though you didn't buy it there. Most will for a fee, especially in the off season when they're slow but you need to make sure first. A lot of newer bows still require buying a new module to change the draw length and they can be a pita to get sometimes and you need a press to do it, not to mention that just because you shoot a particular length with one bow doesn't mean you will shoot the same with another. My Mathews is a perfect example, I almost always need a 29.5" draw, with the Mathews I needed the module for 30", don't know why.

That is another reason I stated previously to buy from a reputable shop. Once they know you and you've spent some money in there they are usually much more willing to help you out with things like that than they would be with someone they've never seen before. Most of the shops have indoor leagues during the winter also, if you like to shoot that is something to look into. Nothing helped my shooting more than shooting leagues every week for a few months. You can track your progress via your score and see how much better you are getting from week to week. It's also a good way to get to know other shooters and the guys in the shop. You get to see what everyone else is shooting, maybe try a few different bows and fine tune yours while your at it.

Lots of issues come up when shooting a bow, your string stretches over time and throws your timing off a little, you try new arrows and they shoot nock high, you want a new drop away rest but have no idea how to time it, you need a new string, etc. Having a shop where you can just walk in and they will take you behind the counter and fix these issues is priceless. My guy doesn't even usually charge me, I buy all my stuff from him and he'll put it on, get me tuned in shooting through paper then send me upstairs to the range to see how it works.

These guys pick up on things you would never think of because that's what they do all day. I got my boy into shooting when he was 6 years old, my shop has lessons for the kids over the winter and even has a couple dozen bows they rent if you don't have one. My boy didn't seem to be getting much better after a week or two and the shop owner asked me if I ever checked his eye dominance. I said no, he's a righty so that's what I had him shooting. Turns out he's left eye dominant, we switched him over to a left handed bow and could see the improvement immediately. He'd still be shooting righty if they hadn't caught it, lol.

[toadyoforangeville]

Pssst... come to the dark side

By that I mean the longbow/recurve crowd. There's no compoud bow that can come close to my Toelke classic whip longbow for quiet all you hear is feathers hiss and the arrow thump the target.

Plus there is plenty of new custom bows for $700 and under used ones go a good bit less.

But be warned as they are addicting to shoot and buy... must be the archer's form of mosinitis