# Buying a new bow Friday, but which one?



## Swamp Root (May 12, 2009)

Aight guys and gals, I sold my Diamond Liberty last night, so I am going to look at new bows on Friday (tommorrow, 8/21/09). I am not by any means a bow guru, and I'm having trouble deciding which bow I want. I am almost certain I want a Bowtech ( either an 82nd Airborn, or the new Airaid), but I have heard great things about the new Mathews also. My old Diamond was made by Bowtech, and I'm the kind of guy that, once I buy a product that performs flawlessly, I stick that particular brand for life...which is why I am leaning towards Bowtech. I have not shot any of the bows above, but I have held the 82nd Airborn, and noticed that it is a huge bow (36in. axel to axel i think?). I'm looking for speed (around 320 fps or >), but the bow must be well balanced with decent let-off. It will be a hunting bow only, so I definately don't want a competition style bow. I know its ultimately going to be up to me once I shoot them all, but I just want your personal opinions on this years model bows.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Kayo-K (Jul 14, 2009)

I am a Bowtech guy as well...I personally shoot the 82nd Airborne. It has been flawless for me as well, great balance, quiet, fast, and a joy to shoot. If you get the chance, shoot a few models and see what feels best to you. 

An early congrats to you on your new bow!!!!


----------



## Swamp Root (May 12, 2009)

Kayo-K said:


> I am a Bowtech guy as well...I personally shoot the 82nd Airborne. It has been flawless for me as well, great balance, quiet, fast, and a joy to shoot. If you get the chance, shoot a few models and see what feels best to you.
> 
> An early congrats to you on your new bow!!!!


Thanks for the input Kayo, yeah I am really leaning toward the 82nd, one reason being is that you can custom order it in Max-4 camo... not too practical for the woods, but it will look bada$$!


----------



## reelthreat (Jul 11, 2006)

I am partial to Hoyt because of the way it sits in my hand... I don't like the flat bowtech/diamond grip but to each his own. 


I have decided all upper end bows are great bows. Shoot them all at the bow shop and go with what you like. I doubt you will be dissapointed with any one.


----------



## Clint Leopold (Mar 7, 2006)

I think you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't shoot the Hoyt AM32 before making your decision. I bought one this year and absolutly love it. Any of your top end bows are good products and it really comes down to which one fits you best. Here is a pic of my setup.


----------



## Blake Tyler (Mar 21, 2009)

Hey check out Texasbowhunter.com (if you don't already know about it) they offer a lot of information and you can ask just about anything and everything bow hunting and get many opinions..


----------



## Swamp Root (May 12, 2009)

Blake Tyler said:


> Hey check out Texasbowhunter.com (if you don't already know about it) they offer a lot of information and you can ask just about anything and everything bow hunting and get many opinions..


Yeah a buddy of mine actually (within the last 5 minutes) sent me an email of a huge hog trap they had shown on there... killed like 20 pigs at once. I'm going to check the website out... thanks


----------



## Blake Tyler (Mar 21, 2009)

Not a problem, I just got a bow last friday and it's getting addicting... especially with the ease of shooting in the back yard.


----------



## Screeminreel (Jun 2, 2004)

I just got a new one a couple weeks back. I went through shooting a BUNCH of the top end bows as well as some of the lesser or secondary company bows as well. I can say this, shoot as many as you can first, they are all good. Some will be better some will be loud, some will be smooth, some will be fast. 

Pick the one that has the most of what your looking for and don't just look for speed. Anything pushing 250+ will take anything your looking for, and generally do it quietly. 

I settled on the Admiral, it is quiet, totally user adjustable with out having to have your own press. You can change out strings and cables with out pressing it as well as draw lengths in 1/2" increments simply by taking out three screws on each cam and moving the mod. The thing is easily drawn through the whole rated poundage from 60 - 70#, and will move my 470gr arrows out at 270+fps. 

They are short A-A with 31 1/8", well balanced and dead in your hand at the shot. I do not even have a stabilizer on mine, and it shoots close enough that the same spot target out to 40yds is a non option. 

I wish you all the best, but again before simply jumping on one you might find issues with later on.


----------



## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

Be sure and shoot a Diamond Iceman. It's around 31.5 ATA and IBO is 318. I was pretty impressed. It's all I can do to keep from buying one.


----------



## Leemo (Nov 16, 2006)

I started with a Parker, love it.
I just purchased a Mathews Legacy, love it.
I bought a re/curve, Pearson Jet to practice with, love it.

I have several rifles in the closet, hate em'.


----------



## TopWaterPlugger (Dec 14, 2004)

Well I seldom post any replies but I have to add my two cents in on this. I used a Bowtech Tribute for the last 3 years.. Its a great bow, quiet, accurate, fast.... one thing, it was very hard to pull back, so I kept it to around 65#... I recently bought a Mathews DXT and found out that you don't have to strain to pull back 70#... this bow pulls back so easy, its like pulling a child's bow... I didn't know that other bows pulled back so well... If you are looking for the top of the line bow, in my humble, honest oppinion, I believe mathews is the way to go. I now have added a Monster with the DXT... where once I was a bowtech guy, I am now a Mathews guy... love em!


----------



## fishit (Jul 12, 2007)

like said before, the iceman is very nice. i also liked the basspro kryptik, which is made by diamond + really fast for a 1 cam, and pse bowmadness also a fast 1 cam.


----------



## Swamp Root (May 12, 2009)

Well I tell you what guys, I spent 6 hours shooting all the top end bows Friday, which included: Mathews Monster, Mathews Reason, Bowtech Airraid, Bowtech 82nd Airborne, + many more... and the winner is... AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT.... MATHEWS MONSTER! Seriously, if you haven't shot it, you need to!! I was very skeptical, as were all they other guys in the shop, but we started shooting it at 70# unrigged. It was extremely quiet, balanced very nicely, and EXTREMELY FAST! We shot most of the bows unrigged, out of the package, knowing that each bow would shoot differently, we asked to shoot an 82nd Airborne, and a Monster, totally rigged out! The Monster shot 340fps totally rigged, compared to the 82nd which shot only 320fps totally rigged... that was at 70lbs. A buddy of mine bought a Mathews Monster with 29 in. draw, set at 70lbs, and was shooting 340fps... and thats not maxed out... his plan is to build up some arm strenght in a couple weeks by shooting the bow everyday, then crank the bow up to 75 or 80lbs, which will give him anywhere from 5-15 more fps! The one I shot was set at 76lbs. and was smoking at 352fps! I am NOT a Mathews guy, but they have really made a revolutionary product here! The Monster is a great shooting bow with a large valley, super quiet, and is the fastest production bow on the market! I think I'm going get one tomorrow!:dance:

Yeah I know speed isn't everything, but when you have a bow that will shoot up to 35 yards with ONE pin, thats impressive! Hopefully we won't have anyproblems with cracked limbs or things of that nature!


----------



## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

Congrats. You did what you should have done...shot several before you made your decision.

Good luck this year!!


----------



## mardigrastopsntails (May 20, 2008)

Get a Hoyt. Cant argue with 78 years in the business of making bows. The new alpha max is SWWEEEETTTTTT


----------



## jjtroutkiller (Jan 28, 2005)

Swamp Root said:


> AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT.... MATHEWS MONSTER! Seriously, if you haven't shot it, you need to!!


Same here, I just picked up my Monster this morning. I have been shooting a Mathews Q2 that was getting 285 fps and the bow has taken several animals with no complaints but I was ready for something new.

I got a Monster that is set at 30" draw and 60 lbs, this bow is still shooting 320 fps with the Easton Flatline arrows.

It is a little harsher of a draw than you may be used to with the Q2 or DXT but the speed and how quiet the bow is was worth the purchase.

People claim the Monster is not a hunting bow, well it was just what I was looking for in a hunting bow, fast and quiet.


----------



## reelthreat (Jul 11, 2006)

What do the Monsters cost unrigged?


----------



## jjtroutkiller (Jan 28, 2005)

reelthreat said:


> What do the Monsters cost unrigged?


 Plain bow I was beleive around 799, of course it was about twice that out the door.


----------



## Swamp Root (May 12, 2009)

jjtroutkiller said:


> Plain bow I was beleive around 799, of course it was about twice that out the door.


Yeah, I sold all my accessories with my last bow with the expectation of buying all new, top of the line stuff for my new bow... now I wish I would have kept a few things, cause my Monster rigged the way I want it (sights, rest, limb savers, ect...) with a hard case, is going to cost around $1500... waaaay more than I was looking to spend!


----------



## Texas Trophy Hunter (Aug 19, 2005)

I recently spent about 2 hours each day for 2 days shooting bows. I ended up buying a Browning Mirage. It surprised the tar out of me. I thought for sure I was going to end up with a PSE because that is what I had before and am used to. Kept shooting them without looking at what they were and kept coming back to the Browning. Super smooth and quiet. And plenty fast for East TX hard woods where shots are never going to be beyond 30-40 yrds.


----------



## LBS (Sep 2, 2004)

> I just purchased a Mathews Legacy, love it.


My last bow was a legacy...bought it last minute two weeks before season, shot it everyday for hours, killed two does opening weekend, perfect shots both times, one at 20, the second at 32, neither ever heard it coming. I had great confidence with every shot after a few days of shooting. Mathews bows are just so smooth and easy to shoot, I might be biased, but I'll be a Mathews guy until another can break me. You will be happy with a Mathews, congrats on the new one.


----------

