kelincp

First and foremost let me say that I put a great deal of value in these posts here and derive a solid dose of enjoyment. For the most part you are all great contributors to a great forum. That being said, What is going on here? It seems that most everyone uses Mathews, Bowtech, and Hoyt. I see those company logos all over the posts. Are these the only makers of "high end" bows around? I have no intentions of insulting anyone and I will be the first to admit that all 3 make great bows, but there are others out there that do a dang fine job too. This too me sounds like so much "easy" brand following instead of truly searching for the best bow. I am looking for a new long term bow, as such I am willing to spend as much as needed to get the bow for me. I have tried researching here, but no one seems to have anything but Mathews, Bowtech, and Hoyt. Where the heck is Champion, Pearson, Parker, Martin and numerous others? Are they gone? Are the owners of these great bows humbled? Does their Champion or Parker simple not measure up? Am I a lesser man for not holding one of the "big" three?

slobbyrobby33

Kelincp

You are absolutely right. All of these other maunufactures make some outstanding bows. I know the main reson I did not choose one of theother manufacture's bows is because here in the K.C area there are not many dealers of these other bows.

We have a few Martin dealers in town but they are not pushed very hard. All but 1 dealer in town sells at least 1 if not all of the big three. I only know of one dealer in town that exsclusively sells Martin. I know this year Martin is trying to compete with the big three and from the post I have on different message boards they are doing a fine job.

As far as Parker goes, the dealer I baught my Bow Tech from has them but when I was shooting bows he did not have the top of the Line and the parker I shot (not sure which bow it was), I just did not care for it. But I would be willing to try them again when a time comes that I am looking for a bow. This dealer is the only Parker dealer in the area that I know besides Cabeleas and I don't like having them set my stuff up (this is a whole other story).

Last fall when I was trying to find information on bows, I called Kodiak and requested closest dealer information. I was asked for my e-mail address and was told that the information would be e-mailed to me. I never recieved the e-mail. That did for me on there bows.

As far as champion, CCS, or any of the other companies out there, there just aren't any dealers that I know of in this area. I would deffinatly like to see more dealers of these other bow companies to give the big 3 a run for there money.

For me it is not what the companie say the bow will do but how it feels to me.

Hitch

I tend to agree with you. I also own a Hoyt (Protec), which is a fine bow and has served me well the last three years. My son shoots my "passed down" Alpine Sierra Magnum that still shoots better than the shooter and has been a quality piece of equipment for fourteen years. My personal choice off the rack is a CSS Encore. It is extremely high quality, no frills and as consistently accurate as they get. I purchased these bows because they fit me right and they are easy to service. The lack of a local dealer did not hinder my purchase of the Encore because of the great customer service from CSS, and because I have the skills to work on it myself if the need arises. The trend in archery seems to be high dollar bows with lots of new "techno gadgets" that make this years' model better than last years' model. Many new bow purchases are made by people new to the sport with minimal knowlege of bow mechanics, thus advertising plays a big part in the choice. The companies with the biggest ad budgets tend to sell the most product. The more they sell the more they earn, and the trend continues. The best advice I can give regarding buying a bow is to get your hands on as many as possible and shoot them. Go to some archery shoots and ask lots of questions. Many shooters are proud of their bows and will let you take a few shots with it (I would). The proof is in the pudding! I personally buy a bow with the intent of three years of use before replacement. They need to be simple, efficient, durable, accurate and realistically priced. I shoot indoors, outdoors and bowhunt all over North America with the same bow so it needs to do all three, but do best in the woods. You are doing the right thing by taking your time. I got lucky and shot a CSS at a 3-D shoot and found it fit me perfectly, plus I didn't have to re-finance the house to own it. Good luck finding the right one!

ewolf

I wouldn't call junk with lots of advertising a good bow.

I totally agree with your post. Most of the people on here buy a bow then will not look at any other bows. I myself have shot a Martin, a very good bow, numerous hoyts, 2 reflex, 2 Mathews, two 600 buck mistakes, Continental,PSE, and have a Bowtech in waiting. I will never buy a Mathews again( Until they get away from sucko cams), and all the others make fine bows. Hoyt has been good to me so right now that is what I shot. If they can place in the top 3 with a protec on the indoor tour, then that bow is good enough for me.

voz

I own a Diamond Hornet and I love it.....I usually don't see much on these posts about Diamond bows.....but since I like mine, it doesn't bother me. I think you should read all you can about the products you are looking for....then put all that data in the back of your mind and go out and see what you like...opinions are like belly buttons...everyone has one. You won't really know if you like the bow you get, until you take it to the range, woods, 3D course, ect... My last bow was an older bow and there were several things about it I didn't like...in fact those things are the things that caused me to look for a new bow. Some folks on this site can tell you there's a $600 Bowtech that you would love..and yet there might be a $350 PSE that'll work just fine for you. (not saying that PSE is better than Bowtech) I think the best leasons are self learned......but the reading will help you make a good first purchase...good luck..getting new equipment is always exciting!!!

TREESTAND SNYPER 1

I have owned several PSE's a Hoyt and a Mathews. The Mathews has made the final cut come bow season 3 years in a row now even though I have bought a new bow each of those years. No bow I've shot compares to my Q2. All the bows other than my Q2 have been sold. I would love to shoot a Bowtech but they don't have a dealer near my area, and dealer support is very important to me. I have 3 dealers near my house and they sell Mathews, Hoyt, Reflex, PSE, AR, Browning, Martin, Parker, Champion. I have shot models from the majority of these companies every year and they all make fine bows that I wouldn't mind owning. However anybody buying a "big 3" model bow is getting a great bow of the highest quality backed by a great warranty and they would probably love the bow.

zak123

I shoot a PSE with a kit. I got it new for $300. I just shot 4-1" groups

Sharpshot_71

My dad has a Hoyt, and he loves it and i shoot it and it is nice. My brother has a High Country and he loves it too. I dont shoot my brothers bow because i shoot left and he shoots right but it is just as fast as the Hoyt i think. I am planning on getting an LX when i can save up the money. I just think that the big three get the most publicity and all the magazines pick their bows on top. maybe for good reason i dont know.

Snoogsdad

I have shot a PSE for several years now and am real satisfied with it. The bow doesn't make any bad shots, but I sure do.

5 shot

I have a Hoyt, PSE, golden eagle, and a Darton right now. The Darton and the CPS system is by far my favorite bow of all time. I have the Rampage and love it. I am total sold on the benifits and recomend anyone at least tryone before buying anything else. They may not be for you, but you need to at least try one.