I'll admit it, I'm a gearhead. There's nothing wrong with my Martin Phantom Fuzion, but I've decided to get a new bow in light of some new hunts coming up.

Here's what I need.

I'm looking for a bow that will see 70% treestand use and 30% spot and stalk. I'm not sure if I should be limiting myself to short axle bows or not. Currently I'm drawn to the Mathews SQ2, Hoyt HavocTec and Bowtech Patriot DC.

I have a 27" draw. I'm currently shooting 475 grain arrows at 222 fps and getting 52 ft-lbs of KE. I'm currently pulling 65 lbs. and don't want to go higher without good reason. I would like to increase KE and speed if possible. Of course, I also want a forgiving bow - that's why I have included the SQ2 with it's 8" brace height.

This bow will be primarly for whitetails, but will also be used on elk, black bear and antelope.

I will buy whatever bow feels and shoots best from a local pro shop, but I want some more recommendations/insight/advice/etc. so that I can begin to narrow my scope.

Price isn't a huge deal. I want to stay well under $800.00 - and from what I'm looking at should be very easy to do.

Please feel free to ask more questions if you need to. I just want to make sure I'm not overlooking any bows and make sure that I'm not just purchasing a treestand bow - I need one that can do it all.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Mike

Edited by - Merit on 12/31/2002 19:47:17

i just got a new martin phantom magnum and love it! im shooting a 450 grain arrow but only pulling 48 pounds, i havnt gotten it chronographed yet but my dad and i are estimating it to be around 225-230. i dont know much about bows but i think thats pretty good for only pulling 48 pounds... i plan on cranking up the draw weight once i get really comfortable w/ the bow.. ive only had it set up for about 3 days know and im going to have to practice quite a bit.im not sure about mathews or hoyt.. but i do know that my dad has a hoyt... i think its a carbonite extreme( or something to that extent) and he really likes it. he has had it for a couple of years so i think he is looking to upgrade in a season or two.

I also have a Martin Phantum mag and like it a lot took my first with it this year a 5 point that went 125 dressed and shot it at about 35 yds and prnitrated almost 10in. and it only went around 100 yds. I was very pleased with that<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Once you decide on a bow, I would humbly suggest that you choose a setup that maximizes down range momentum rather than initial arrow speed - i.e., shoot a heavier arrow than the conventional - something like 9 grains per pound of draw weight or more.

You will gain initial KE due to better bow efficiency. You will lose less KE due to less drag.

You will have more momentum at impact due to the above and due to greater initial momentum.

You will have an easier setup to tune and you will be able to shoot fixed, cut to the point broadheads due to the lower arrow velocity.

beprepn

Obviously there are way too many variables involved with your &quot;personal&quot; set-up for anyone to give you an exact answer on which bow to purchase. I was just in the market for a new bow about a year ago. Here are my suggestions.

If your looking to increase your speed significantly at 65lbs, you may want to look into the Bowtech line. Very fast, good shooting bows. However, in my experience with them, I just did not like the way they felt and shot. Not the smoothiest ride available, but still an excellent bow.

If your looking for a forgiving, smooth shooting bow, check out Mathews. You want be able to touch the speed of the bowtech, but you should be able to tell a significant difference in vibration and noise of the shot. You really could not go wrong with either choice in my opinion.

Of course, with the top end models of Bowtech and Mathews(Patriot and Legacy) you may quickly go over your spending limit after adding accessories if any. However, the &quot;lower&quot; end models available in my opinion are just as good. Hope this helps.

Hunt the thickets