HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - Ok, I took your advice and shot six bows.
Old 05-19-2004, 03:46 PM
  #1  
tealboy
Typical Buck
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 508
Default Ok, I took your advice and shot six bows.

I hope this does not start any brand battles b/c all I am doing is sharing my opinion based on your recommendations and my personal experience after finally getting to the pro shop for a few shots. I have never shot a modern bow so everything was an improvement over my current setup and my findings were interesting. I really wasn't sure I was experienced enough to form a strong conclusion as to which bow i liked best, but I was.

The pro shop i visited carries Kodiak, Bowtech and Mathews. Though you said the Outback was a must shoot, I had little interest in it b/c the price point of $700 was higher than I wanted go. To some extent, I talked my self into the bowtech, with a preference toward the MM and secondary consideration toward the Extreme. The liberty was closer in price to the Outback, so I wasn't too interested in it either.

The proshop encouraged me to shoot the Outback first (i think he was hoping i would love it and he wouldn't need to setup the others). It shot very nicely. I closed my eyes and focused on smoothness, shock, noise, etc. I was very pleasantly surprised. The MM was next, and the one I expected to buy. I was surprised by the increase in kick, noise and shock. A nice bow, but not nearly as nice to shoot as the Outback. I then shot the Kodiak 36 (it was on sale for $450). Two shots and I didn't like it. Pro then rigged the Liberty, believing it was perhaps more comparable to the Outback, both in price and performance. I found it to be nearly as smooth and quiet with an easier draw, but the Outback still felt superior. I was alternating shots and kept going back to the Mathews as the preferred bow, but the Liberty certainly closed the gap in my book.

I also shot the Parker EZ Pull at Bass Pro the night before. It was smooth and quiet, but since I was not shooting it back to back with the others, it's hard for me to compare directly to the Outback. Since it is $500 vs. $700, I would favor the Parker if it was close to the feel of the Outback, but I'm not sure that it is.

Bottom line is, I had few pre-conceived notions about any brand other than some say you pay too much in marketing cost for Mathews, which was partly why they were low on my list. I expected to get similar or better performance from the Bowtech at a lower price. Based on my personal preferences, the Outback was absolutely my favorite. Before I make my final decision, I still want to consider one or two of the other manufacturers mentioned in my "must shoot" post just to cover all the major players.
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