Choosing a new bow

[ButchA]

Hey there... You may remember my post a few pages back where my old '96 PSE Edge bow sort of "blew up" on me at full draw. Long story short, it's toast and will never be the same again. I donated its remains to the bow shop in the event they ever need an old PSE riser or the round wheel dual cam, vector wheels.

Anyway, I was looking at these bows over the weekend and made a little spreadsheet sort of thing so I cancompare each one. {hopefully huntingnet.com will allow me to cut/paste this in here}....

Bow Brand.............IBO Speed....ATA...Brace Hgt....Bow Wgt...Price...Includes
Parker Hunter Mag.......302fps.........37".......7"............. 3.6lbs......$339.....Bow only
Reflex Grizzly..............305fps.........38".......7.25 ".........4lbs.........$399.....Package
Bear Realtree TRX32....305fps.........32"........6.5"..........3 .9lbs......$399.....Package
Martin Tracer LT Mag...300fps.........32.5".....7".............3.6l bs......$279.....Package

Anyway, out of these 4 models I have looked at, held at full draw, and really checked over... The two models that felt really nice were:

Parker Hunter Mag and the Reflex Grizzly. I didn't care too much for the Bear TRX 32 thing in RealTree. It felt way too tiny and strange to me. Same with the Martin bow. The Martin bow was (I think) a 2004 leftover and was cheap priced. It was comfortable but again, it was way too tiny.

Are there any other models like Bowtech, Mathews, that are really worth checking out? I have a lot of time to make my decision to find a new bow.

Here's my stats if needed:
Left handed, left eye dominant.
30" draw and stand 6' tall and 210 lbs.
Can easily handle a 60-70 pound bow.
Prefer longer ATA bows instead of the micro 31-32" types.

Bow experience: 4 years. First and only bow was an old (eBay special) '96 PSE Edge lefty bow at maybe 230 fps on a good day.I can bust nocks and rip fletchings at 20 yards. My max range is 40 yards though.

What is a good, common, nothin' fancy, type of bow to look at besides the ones on that spreadsheet?

Thank for the help!

Butch A.

[Kanga]

Butch.

Have a good look at the Diamond range they are of the usual top quality we have come to expect from Bowtech but a little cheaper

As far as the Bowtech line my picks would be the Allegiance, Old Glory and Tribute

The best advice anyone can give you is go shoot as many bows as you can make a short list and shoot them again one is bound to jump up and hey I am the bow for you

[D.Parsons]

I know the matthew's switchback LD is 33 inches long but I would try to shoot one before making a decision.The bows you have listed all have short brace heights!you have a 30 inch draw same as me.I like somthing that is forgiving!I need all the help I can get.The LD has a 9 inch brace height this is one of the most forgivingcompound bows made.But it is a little higher priced than the bows you have on the list.

[mobow]

We aren't talking about me here, but if we were, Parker would be scratched off the list. My pro shop USED to sell them, and because of what he calls "Quality issues" no longer does. He has told me some horror stories about cracked limbs.....

My son has a Reflex Grizzly and is it ever impressive!! Another would be the Hoyt Protec.

[ButchA]

Thanks... I like the Reflex Grizzly. It felt really nice and was impressive. The Parker was nice, but very slim. Ultra slim in appearance... Example: Take a yard stick and hold it up like you would a bow. THAT is about the width of the limbs/riser configuration of a Parker.

I know with a 30" draw, I need something with a good size brace height. A 6" or so brace height with my draw length would be a disaster waiting to happen. [&:]

I plan on checking out everything that I can to find thebow that is the one that will go home with me!

What is also going to be a little cheaper in the long run, is the accessories that I stripped off the deceased PSE Edge bow. I salvaged the TM Hunter rest, the Tru-Glo sights, the S-Coil stablizer, and the wrist strap. Hopefully some of those can go on a new bow.

[BF1947]

It sounds like you're willing do some homework before buying. KUDO's. It also sounds like you've already found out that short A2A bows aren't for you. So whatever you do, I'd try to narrow your criteria and look at bows with about 36 A2A or better. Brace height of 7-8" sounds like a winner also.

Try looking at the Martin RazorX SE. It's about 37" long and brace height of almost 9". Not a barn burner, but sure forgiving as all get-out.
The MArtin P3 Magnum is close with 35 1/2" and 7 1/4" brace. With the Nitrous cam this should be a shooter. Actually I have an Elite P3/NitrousX on order and am chomping at the bit right now.

Diamond (by BowTech) has a couple nice bows also. I believe the Victory or Triumph would fit in your criteria. Very high quality at mid-level prices.

You certainly sound like you're leaning toward the Grizzly, and there's nothing wrong with that. Some of the biggest differences between mid-line Hoyt's and Reflex are in the riser. Many of the same components are used such as cams and string, etc. One thing I would advise is that you keep an eye on string creep and when you finally replace the rigging get decent aftermarket ones such as Vapor Trail, Prostrings, or others.

You know, I just had a thought when writing about the Diamond line. It's a damned shame when we talk about $500 being mid-priced, ain't it. I guess I 've been shooting a while, but I remember when a top Target bow costs me $275.00. Like 1977.

[Straightarrow]

I plan on checking out everything that I can to find the bow that is the one that will go home with me!

That's how you should do it, but then nothing we say here can make much difference. Opinions vary too much and you can get as many people telling you to go with one bow as another. Don't worry, it difficult to buy a poor bow today. Even the lower priced ones are well designed. They just save costs by using cheaper materials.

I'd recommend looking for the brace height and ATA that suits you. Find a grip that is repeatable (notice I did not say comfortable). I'd also recommend buying it from the best bow shop in your area. A good bow shop can make quite a difference after the sale.

[Paul L Mohr]

I'd get the grizzly no questions asked.

Paul

[ButchA]

Thanks... Here's another update (just got back from messing around in the bow shop during lunchtime).

These are my opinions on the bows I tried out....

Reflex Grizzly: Very nice bow. Smooth draw, smooth feel. Nice balance and lightweight for the size of it. Can come as a package or bow only.

Fred Bear TRX32: Okay bow, but not my style. Abrupt draw to it. With an 80% letoff on such a tiny ATA bow, it was like cocking a rifle instead of smoothly drawing a bow. Sorry...no thanks.

Parker Hunter Mag: Nice bow. Smooth draw, but very slim and not as balanced as the Reflex. Didn't care for the rubber grip on it as it felt very different from the other bows. Comes as a complete packagewith lighted sights, Drop Zone rest, etc...

Browning Rage One: Nice bow. Nice grip and feel. Reminds me of my old PSE bow, but way more modern and more lightweight. Not as smooth of a draw as Reflex, but still a nice bow. Cheap price too.

Martin Tracer LT (2004...used): Like the Fred Bear TRX32, but smoother drawing. Nice grip and feel, but again was too tiny for my style. It was also so lightweight, I question the construction of it. No thanks...

Hoyt ProTec: OMG... I died and went to heaven when I checked this one out. Granted it was a righty bow and I'm a lefty, but you know I just HAD TO try it out. I was able to hold it lefty and then drew it back. Even like that, it was the most smoothest drawing, most balanced, most beautiful bow I have ever picked up. It was like a Reflex, but kicked up a notch with way more class and elegance. In a nutshell: If a bow could be like a woman, the Hoyt ProTec would be a Victoria's Secret model!

Now, I just have to check out Bowtech's and Mathew's bows to see how they feel and draw. As it stands right now, I have to find a genuine lefty version Hoyt ProTec. Even though the price made me go , I don't care.... A Hoyt bow is THAT nice of a bow!

Butch A.

[MO_Bowhnter]

Those hoyts are definately sweet shooters. Are you looking to buy new no matter what? I would check out the classifieds for a one year old bow. I just picked up an 05 bowtech iberty for $425 in very nice condition. What I'm saying is you can pick up a quality high end bow for the price of a new bow. But I hear that grizzly is a nice shooting bow so it looks like your decision might be a tough one.