smurphy

first off great forum. I haven't bow hunted in years. the bow I have is 19+years old and I want to start bow hunting and do some 3D shoots. a buddy of mine had me come over and shoot with him he has a Mathews switchback xt,which is a nice bow. I don't want to spend that much on a bow. I have been looking at a bowtech tomkat and a bear element or instinct. so any help on what bows are worth going to the pro shop to shoot will be a big help. or any suggestions on a good bow will help. thanks smurphy<><

BowHuntND

I would suggest just going and shooting some of the mid range bows if you don't want to spend all the cash on a top end. One company I might suggest you look at as well is Reflex. They have some very nice bows, and they are very affordable. Just a suggestion.

Hope this helps. Also Reflex redid some of their line this year, my be worth the look.

tbyrd

I suggest going to your local dealer and shooting some of the bows, to get a feel for what you like. Most bow shops have agood selection ofused bows they have taken in on trades when someone wanted to upgrade to a new bow, which would make a good bow forsomeone starting out. Something important to rememberis to get a bow that fits you. Cheaper is not always better.

As for the bow it's self, The BowTechTomkat you mentionedis a good bow, with good performance.Also a lot of the older model BowTechs, Matthews,Hoyts, and evenReflex's, are beginning toshow up on the market, so keep your eyes open.Another suggestion I have for you is if you decide to purchase a new bow, I strongly suggestshooting the new BowTech Guardian, once you shoot it you will know what I mean.

BowHuntND

That is a good call on the used bows! that is how I bought mine, it had been shot maybe 10 times and I got a smoking deal on it just because it was still used.

there are some people that trade bows in every year, I would check all the shops and you might just get real lucky and find a super deal.

mobow

Ross is a hard one to overlook. They really caused quite a buzz last year w/ their inaugural season. They've only improved this year w/ the addition of the Cardiac. Prices are very reasonable as well.

Hoyt is just .......well......the fashizle. That Vectrix is amazing.

Bowtech's are screamers, no doubt. I've never shot one, so I can't speak very intelligently on them.

Mathews....well......I'm gonna get some rocks thrown at me for this, but I just don't feel they are as good as all the hype. They make a good bow, no question.....But not a GREAT bow. JMO......

Along the lines as Hoyt, the Reflex line deserves a good look as well. The new for '07 Ridgeliner is quite impressive. Boasting speeds around 310, they are quiet, fairly smooth although it's a pretty aggressive cam, and pretty stable at the shot. There is some recoil, but it's just not bad at all.

The sister bow to the Bowtech would be Diamond. In fact, several in the Diamond line are hand me down Bowtech's....But again, I have no first hand knowledge of them either.

The sky is the limit here. First, set your price limit and STICK W/ IT. Second, head to several shops and shoot every bow in that price limit. If they won't let you shoot them, walk out the door and find another one. When you shoot the right one.....you'll just know.

melsheeba

smurphy
I am a female shooter and I am on my 3 bow. Started out with a darton, then on to a martin and now I have a diamond raptor. The raptor is smooth pulling and I can't believe on the tight groupings I get. It goes from 40-60lbs and cost about 350 plain without everything. You may want to check them out since they are owned by Bowtech. But it all comes down to what feels comfortable to you, but once you find out what bow you want you may want to check out bowsite.com they have a lot of used bows for sale

MOmightymite

I too would suggest Diamonds. I have a 04' Bowtech mightymite, which is now the Diamond Triumph. My dad picked up a triumph last year before the start of the season and i shot it, and it felt identicle to my bow, and it was $100 cheaper than mine. So, take a look at Diamonds or like others have said try to find a slightly used bow. My friend has been shooting bows he bought off ebay for years, and he has never had a problem with them. Good luck and let us know what you get.

Washington Hunter

As you can see from all the names being thrown out at you, there are plenty of excellent mid-range pirced bows on the market currently.

Bowtech has Diamond.
Hoyt has Reflex.
Mathews now has Mission.

My suggestion, as it always is, is to visit your local pro shop and shoot as many models as you can in your price range. Trust me when I say that at least one bow you shoot will just feel... right. It'll grab you and you won't want to put it down to pull your wallet out.

Shoot some of last years top shelf bows too. You'll find excellent deals on fully set up bows over on ArcheryTalk.com

Among these I would strongly suggest Ross and Bowtech. But again, shoot as many as you can before making any deicsion.

nodog

Just saw the prices of the new Dartons. I take back the slight recommendation.[:@]

PreacherTony

That is perfect advice right there ....