What do you look for in a bow??
11-03-2010, 11:23 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tuscaloosa, Al
Posts: 313
What do you look for in a bow??
I used to have a Mathews drenalin. I sold it this year and bought my axe 7 to try out a pse and a speed bow. After shooting it for a while now, I miss my drenalin. It was the smoothest drawing quietest bow that I ever shot and I could shoot so good with it. It just felt like it was meant for me. With that being said what I want out of a bow is something that is smooth quiet and ultimately feels like it was made for me. So, when you are looking for a bow to buy, what is about the bow that you look for?? Do u want it to be fast, or silky smooth and quiet, or do you like a longer or shorter ata bow or anything else?? Just curious to see what others like.
11-04-2010, 04:13 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Northern Indiana
Posts: 579
Last week I bought a new Z7. I shot a new Hoyt, a PSE and I shot the Monster. I have shot Mathews Solocams for nearly 10 years now and I simply don't like the feel of the others. What I want is a smooth draw cycle with out a lot of creep. I hated the Black Max from a few years ago and I didn't care for the Monster and one of the new PSE speed bows (sorry, I don't remember which one) because I felt like it was trying to yank it's self out of my hand at full draw! I also want a nice slim grip and it has to be quiet. Really the last one isn't too tough to find because all of the major bow manufacturers have that down pat, and if not there is a blue million noice and vibration dampning products out there. The other thing that's important is warranty. I don't trade bows very often (I'm on a 6 or 7 year cycle) so I want to make sure that if anything happens to it the company has the integrity to stand behind their product. No one is perfect and when you manufacture products, sometimes $hit happens. And I don't mind as long as a company is willing to make it right.
As far as ATA and brace height...This Z7 is BY FAR the shortest thing I have ever shot. I have always has the belief that the short ATA bows aren't as accuate as the longer ones on the 3-D course and I don't have the money to have 2 bows so that's important to me. That damn Z7 is only 30" ATA but the reviews and awards it's won this year are 2nd to NONE, so when I needed to buy a bow last week I had to try it. Much to my surprise the limbs are so parallel that the riser is as long as many 36" bows and that platform is extremely stable in your hand. I have been shooting it at 40 yards consistantly and I am amazed at how accurate it is. I also like at least a 7" brace height and that's mainly due to the comfort at full draw and lack of string creep.
Of course speed is important, but with any of the new bows from the major manufacturers you're gonna get over 310-315, so that really wasn't a stat that I looked at much. My Z7 is set at 69 pounds and that thing really flings an arrow!!!
I guess how I'll end my little tirade by saying what's the most important thing to me is I want a bow that I love shooting so much that I can hardly wait to pick it up and shoot again. I felt that way with my LX and so far it has bothered me to go 3 or 4 days with out shooting my Z7! That kind of "passion" or "love" for a product will result in me being a much better archer and hunter because of experience and familiarity. As much as I shoot I know that when I draw on that trophy of a life time and let that arrow fly, that arrow will go right through the lungs of that big boy and he will be on the wall next fall!
Sounds to me like you felt that way about your Drenalin my friend, I say go get her buddy!
Good luck with your decision!
As far as ATA and brace height...This Z7 is BY FAR the shortest thing I have ever shot. I have always has the belief that the short ATA bows aren't as accuate as the longer ones on the 3-D course and I don't have the money to have 2 bows so that's important to me. That damn Z7 is only 30" ATA but the reviews and awards it's won this year are 2nd to NONE, so when I needed to buy a bow last week I had to try it. Much to my surprise the limbs are so parallel that the riser is as long as many 36" bows and that platform is extremely stable in your hand. I have been shooting it at 40 yards consistantly and I am amazed at how accurate it is. I also like at least a 7" brace height and that's mainly due to the comfort at full draw and lack of string creep.
Of course speed is important, but with any of the new bows from the major manufacturers you're gonna get over 310-315, so that really wasn't a stat that I looked at much. My Z7 is set at 69 pounds and that thing really flings an arrow!!!
I guess how I'll end my little tirade by saying what's the most important thing to me is I want a bow that I love shooting so much that I can hardly wait to pick it up and shoot again. I felt that way with my LX and so far it has bothered me to go 3 or 4 days with out shooting my Z7! That kind of "passion" or "love" for a product will result in me being a much better archer and hunter because of experience and familiarity. As much as I shoot I know that when I draw on that trophy of a life time and let that arrow fly, that arrow will go right through the lungs of that big boy and he will be on the wall next fall!
Sounds to me like you felt that way about your Drenalin my friend, I say go get her buddy!
Good luck with your decision!
11-04-2010, 06:35 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MO
Posts: 643
Smooth draw is the most important thing for me.
Which is why I still shoot a Drenalin. The only thing I would change on the Drenalin would be the grip. Otherwise, it's really everything I could ask for in a bow. Every year I check out the new bows but none of them have give me reason to switch....yet. Maybe the 2011 bows will have something to offer.
I'm really interested in the G5 Prime bows. The parallel cams are interesting in how they are suppose to eliminate cam lean. I shoot standard Striker broadheads and got a pack of Magnum blades to give them a try. I shot them and they were all over the place. The standard heads are hitting right where they are suppose to but the magnums were everywhere. Checked for cam lean and sure enough...idler wheel was leaning. That's why I'm intrigued by the G5 Prime bow. If you watch their video it makes sense. I'm going to shoot one when they come out and may end up with one for next year.
Or, I could just get the cam lean taken care of on a bow that I like and save a $1000. Wonder which option my wife would choose for me.
Which is why I still shoot a Drenalin. The only thing I would change on the Drenalin would be the grip. Otherwise, it's really everything I could ask for in a bow. Every year I check out the new bows but none of them have give me reason to switch....yet. Maybe the 2011 bows will have something to offer.
I'm really interested in the G5 Prime bows. The parallel cams are interesting in how they are suppose to eliminate cam lean. I shoot standard Striker broadheads and got a pack of Magnum blades to give them a try. I shot them and they were all over the place. The standard heads are hitting right where they are suppose to but the magnums were everywhere. Checked for cam lean and sure enough...idler wheel was leaning. That's why I'm intrigued by the G5 Prime bow. If you watch their video it makes sense. I'm going to shoot one when they come out and may end up with one for next year.
Or, I could just get the cam lean taken care of on a bow that I like and save a $1000. Wonder which option my wife would choose for me.
Last edited by Doubled 150; 11-04-2010 at 06:38 AM.
11-04-2010, 07:12 AM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Anymore, it tunability, and realiability. I owned bowtech for the past 8 years, and had it with reliability. Then recently with the sentinal, had it will tunability. Small window cutout, always having issues with large vanes. Stupid berger hole is so low near the grip, have issues with rest placement and have to do most with nock adjusments.
I got my hoyt alphamax and had it tuned with 30min. This is the way it should be. I have had simular luck tuning mathews too.
I got my hoyt alphamax and had it tuned with 30min. This is the way it should be. I have had simular luck tuning mathews too.
11-05-2010, 09:17 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tuscaloosa, Al
Posts: 313
Yea I liked it alot. I'm not sure where it is cause I sold it online. But Mathews does have the new ez7 in there lineup which looks like it has the same cam and the same specs as the drenalin. So I will be shooting one of them. also will be shooting the new breeds, the destroyer, and the new 2011bowtechs when they come out to see if I can find another bow that I felt the same about as my drenalin.
11-05-2010, 09:31 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Finger Lakes, NY
Posts: 1,613
Since everyone shoots a little different and has different preferences, I think the best thing to do is spend plenty of time and shoot everything you can get your hands on. When you pick up the right bow for you, you will know it.
