As much as I love Mathews, the salesman was being a bit biased to say the least. Don't take the Bear bow sample as an accurate account of their quality. Bear bows are just fine. I started out with them and was successful.

Stick to your guns and shop within your budget. Bottom line, you find a bow that you feel comfortable shooting and then practice heavily. Don't forget to buy a target or find a local range to practice, practice and then practice some more. You might want to look up Mathews dealers in the DC area (one in Mt. Airy for starters) and ask if they sell used. Many hunters shop for novelty and trade in old bows for the newest model. Perhaps you can score a good used one. Go to Mathews website and check the retailer search section. Many of these dealers sell several top brands, not just Mathews. I would personally be skeptical of Dicks and Basspro's customer service has not been desirable for me. Another place to check out is Macrotech Accessories near Baltimore. They have a lot of different bows there, a great range, and good customer service.

You want to shoot it at the shop prior to purchasing. Good luck!