Wow it is like I am reading about myself....

I am also 31 yo, just starting out in hunting, handn't shot a bow since high-school, just got my first bow last week, my father-in-law is a Hoyt man...

Anyway, I tried out just about every bow in my price range (same as your) that I could find.Withmy no-experience background I honestly could not tell much difference. I tried the Mission X4, the Reflex
Rampage, the Bear Instinct, the Bear Element and the Diamond Rapture. I went with the Bear Instinct because of the combination of brace height, ATA height, and quietness and most importantly because it felt good when I shot it. The mission was the smoothest on the draw to me followed by the Reflex. I also think the Mission was a little bit quieter. But for my first bow they were also $200 more and I didn't notice enough difference to justify the expense at this time. And that $200 difference got all of my necessary accessories! I also looked at the Bowtech Tomkat but I could not find a dealer in my area that stocked one to try.

My advice is find a dealer near you that stock lots of brands and spend some time shooting each bow. Good luck.