RE: matthews vs hoyt
first off, greg the moderator is exactly right; you really need to shoot the bows and find out which one "fits" you best... there is not a "better" bow between the two and for that matter there is no such thing as the "best" bow. that's the beauty of bowhunting: rarley are things every perfect, and if they are it's for only a few seconds!!!
now that being said; there are some major differences between the two bows you have chosen. the Hoyt is faster and there forless forgiving. the mathews is slower and there for more forgiving. I think the best thing for you to do is spend a day at a quality archery shop and not listen to guys telling you what bow to buy, but to form your own opinion and find the bow that fits you best... all bows on the market these days are great bows... some just market more than others and people being people buy into that marketing skeem... some of the best bows out there such as archery research, high country, darton, & PSE all make bows of equal or greater quality than hoyt or mathews; it's simply that marketing works!! I saybroden your horizons and check out a bunch of different bows out there... you woun't regret it.
good luck buddy!
PS. just as many guys talk crap about single cam bows as cam-N-half!!!