I was in the same postion as you and I found a used parker hunter on e-bay an 03 model for 300 and that was set up and ready to hunt. Parker makes great bows mine was awesome, but then i let a friend shoot it and he liked it more than me so I ended up with a 03 Bowtech Patriot Dually and probably will have it for a long time(or be divorced and broke) buying last years model is a good way to stretch your dollars and get into a bow you may not be able to afford otherwise.

You have apparently got off to an excellent start, since you went to a pro shop where you could shoot the bows, and be sure that they fit you and you could have your form checked, etc. That will do more to get you shooting with consistent accuracy than anything else. I have owned probably 3-4 times as many bows as there was any real reason to own, and from shooting them all, I have come to some conclusions which I probably wouldn't bother to tell you, except that many other people with lots of shooting experience, and a certain measure of objectivity seem to say about the same thing. The most important thing about shooting accurately is the archer, shooting form, and how consistently the shots are repeated. Bow fit is much more important than bow brand, although certain bow brands seem to have their less than objective cheer leaders, who continue to express the idea that the name on the bow is the only important thing.

Either of the bows you mentioned should perform well for you if they fit you well, are tuned well, and are shooting good quality arrows. You could probably hunt for many years and not be at any disadvantage from shooting them.

Yes, the top of the line bows from Bowtech, Hoyt, and Mathews are somewhat better made, have more precise and extensive machining of the risers, cams, limb pockets, etc. They may have a bit better balance, less recoil, etc. Most newer bows are plenty quiet enough for any hunting purpose, so that is not that much of an issue. If you like a bow, it fits you, and you shoot it well, then just enjoy it and don't look back. If you think you need something else a while later, then you have to decide if another bow would really let you do something that the Golden Eagle or the Browning would not let you do. I still have a bow that most guys on these forums would consider ancient. It is nearly as fast, just as quiet, and just as accurate as any of the newer bows that I have gotten to experiment with since I bought it. It even out-shot two bows from a very famous manufacturer that really, really likes to blow its horn.

...funny...not true.. but funny...

Frank - they are out there - like herds of Sheep roaming the land..........

MAAAAAA..............MAAAAAA...........MAAAAAATHEW S....................


And they really believe there bow outshoots all others

I shoot a Golden Eagle Splitfire as well as my new BowTech the Golden Eagle is a very easy to shoot bow very forgiving brace smooth and also smooth draw if you buy a Golden Eagle your buying a good quality bow.
But I would also give Champion a look they are very nice bow's without the high end price tag I checked out the 2004 line last week and was very impressed with them all. www.Championbow.com.

nubo

I agree with muzzyman Reflex bows are hard to beat

i shoot a hoyt razor tech and love it but it wasnt cheap. Champion has some very good bows at some very good prices. i heard the prices went up a little but are still better then hoyts, matthews, bow tech or any of the other big name companys.

Remember this..............because a manufacturer may add a few bells and whistles, that in itself does not mean its a better shooting bow or will hold up better. I am gonna po a few people, but a few bow manufacturers use "concepts" or "said-to-be innovations" and in a few cases the only true function is for looks only! Adding to the equation is the fact that a few processes that look "swell" only add to the price, while not doing much for the shooter. I am not saying all mind you, but a few.

Because a bow has a high price and looks nice.......that does not necessarily make it a top line bow..........only makes it high priced bow. For my money: Martin, Darton, Bowtech, Hoyt, PSE and for the price.....Reflex are good ones. I left out one that starts with an M, just personal opinion.

This is very true co-mag I agree but if your choice is one of these top of the line bow's your gonna pay.But again I'll put my choice with the Champion the price is definetly cheaper that the other's and the quality goes with them.

nubo

So many brands, wish I had access to them all. I am sure Champion makes a good bow along with others not mentioned.