New bows that can beat my antique?

Shockwave · 02-25-2004, 12:53 PM

(Just posted this on the Bowhunting forum. Any insights here?)

Hi there, newcomer here. I've been getting an itch for a new bow. I've been shooting a Proline Point Blank "New Wave" for the last 12 years. It has been a good bow but it's ready for retirement.

My question is : is there a reasonably priced bow out there that can beat 235fps at 62lbs, 28.5" draw with a 490gr arrow?? My current hunting setup is a 28.5" XX75 2413 with a 125gr broadhead. I'd like to not go over $500 or so for the bare bow, if that's possible.

I've been eyeing the new Hoyt's and have shot the UltraMag ($440) and the XTec ($690). I shot my arrows over the chrony with the UltraMag this week and they were doing 231fps with nothing but a peep and a nock set on the string (while I didn't try this with the XTec, I doubt it will be more than a few fps better). I was a little disappointed to say the least, seeing as how my 12yr old bow does that with 2 sets of cat whiskers, 2 nock sets, a kisser button and a peep!! Do I really have to spend $700+ to beat this performance? I'm looking for an intermediate length bow (34" to 36" or so) with a 7"+/- brace height. No preference as far as cams, split vs one-piece limbs, etc. I know speed isn't everything but feel that 12yrs worth of improvements should gain me something!

Thanks for your help!! ... Shockwave

MATTHEWS · 02-25-2004, 01:17 PM

I just want to say that I owned a proline point blank new wave, and It was an awesome bow. I shot heavy aluminums out of it and it shot 272-275fps with no problem. I sold that bow and really regret selling it. I wish I would of just kept it. It was a good flat bow.

Straightarrow · 02-25-2004, 01:35 PM

12 years of improvements will get you something, like a quieter bow, one with less vibration and one that most likely will have less hand shock, and you can certainly buy more speed, though I'm not sure you need to. Newer bows tend to have different draw cycles with harder walls and much shorter valleys. I'm not sure if you'll find that more desirable, but most hunters like the hard walls. To me, performance is a lot more then speed.

Shockwave · 02-25-2004, 02:17 PM

I won't get rid of this bow ... it'll be a backup since it won't be worth squat to anyone else. I guess I need to figure out how much I'm willing to pay for : quieter, less vibration, less shock, solid wall, etc. My old Proline definitely will be easily beat in ALL of those categories!! That's one of the reasons I'm shooting such a heavy arrow and have so much junk on my string! But, it has shot thru every deer it has hit and it does shoot pretty good.

Thanks for the insights ... Shockwave

walks with a gimp · 02-25-2004, 11:51 PM

I shot my Proline New wave Speed Stick for about 10 years and it did very well for me. I then went to Darton, Mathews, Hoyt and then BowTech and found that there is much to be gained in the form of adjustability, let off and speed. Accuracy has improved for me due to finding the right draw length and let off and the confidence that a soft shooting bow instills in my form. Don't sell yourself short and stop at $500.00 if you find something that jumps out of the crowd and feels "just right"

nubo · 02-26-2004, 06:45 AM

I agree with walks with a gimp! there are a lot of real good bow's out there in your price range that have all these new improvement's ,also with the new stabilizers and anti vibration accessories out there today you can just about eliminate any vibration and noises you notice. If you like the feel of a certain bow and it's a few buck's more than your budget, buy it anyway's ,you won't be sorry. Good luck and happy bowhunting.

nubo

Shockwave · 02-26-2004, 06:54 AM

Thanks for the help, everyone. I will be shooting some more bows. I do like the feel of the Hoyt's but really do not want to take a step backward as far as speed goes. I have enough trajectory to deal with now without spending $$$ to make it worse!

I plan on checking out (that I've seen at my Proshop) : PSE Scorion, Buckmaster's G2XL, a couple of Bowtechs (although he doesn't have any of the faster ones in stock right now), and maybe some different Hoyt's (XTec, Razortec, etc). We'll see ... hopefully something will really stand out and make this process easy on me.

Thanks again ... Shockwave

Sport/MN · 02-26-2004, 07:30 AM

Ok.. so the ultra mag was only 4 feet per second slower... Thats really not taking a step to far back on speed. And as stated it will be quite a bit quiter I would be willing to bet. And it will have a less vibration as well. So if you were too worried about the speed you could step down to a slightly lighter arrow without getting anymore vibration or noise that you had before and you will pump up the speed....

You could also try some speed knocks or buttons on that ultra mag as well and gain that 4 FPS right away?