What has been your progression in bows and bow hunting?
 

Thought it would be interesting to hear how everyone has progressed through the years in their bow hunting.

I began many many moons ago with a Person Javelina (recurve). Killed everything from birds to deer with it . I then bought a 1978 Herters recurve which I still hunt with from time to time. I moved on to a Martin Mamba then to my first compound, which was a Black Bear. From the Black Bear, I went with a Person Bush Master then to a Hoyt excel. From the Hoyt Excel , I built me a Hoyt clone (powertec riser that I put redline limbs and a high output cam and idle wheel on). I tired of the compounds and went back to trad bows. Started by making a warph bow out of the black bear riser and recurve limbs I built. Hunted with that bow for a while and started making my own bows I designed. I built all kind of trad bows. Glass lam bows to organic self and lam bows. And for the past 6 years have hunted with nothing but my all organic bows. I do keep the compound around for a go to bow. Had to use it two years ago when I broke my middle finger on my draw hand. It’s nice to have a bow you can pick up at anytime and be driving nails with.

I got my first bow when I was 11 or 12 years old. It was a Bear but I'm not sure of the model. I killed one animal with it, a groundhog. I got a PSE Thunderflight next when I was 14 or 15 and killed my first deer with it. At 19 or 20, I got an Oregon (not sure of the model) and killed a couple deer with it. I traded it for an Oregon Black Knight; which I didn't have very long. Then I got a PSE Buckmaster. I used it for 9 years and put the hurt on quite a few whitetails. Briefly had a Bear Instinct and traded it for my current bow, a Mathews Drenalin, which I've had for three years and have killed a several deer with it. I'm going to pick up a Quest Primal in a couple months for next year. It's a sweet shooter.

Started Bowhunting with a cheap browning I got from Sports Authority when i was about 13, only thing i ever shot with that bow was some squirrels and targets. Then i got a Browning Spectrum (still have it, my bowfishing bow now) about 2 years later, i only used that bow for about 3 months before I started helping out at a local Archery Shop, then I was able to get A High Country Rage. I remember it well, still have it too. That bow was the fastest bow out there at the time, I shot my first deer with that bow, and i shot a bunch more with as well. Shot a few nice bucks too. I was about 17 years old then. Shortly there after i Switched to a Mathews MQ32 for something quieter and smoother, shot a few deer with and enjoyed the bow, but i was missing some of that speed i had. I got a Switchback XT by Mathews when i was about 23yrs old and as of Last year i switched to A Mathews/Mcphearson Monster. I guess you could say i progressed with the bows. I love that monster, combo of speed, and quiet, great hunting bow. However i am starting to have this itch to shoot a recurve for fun, maybe do some early season hunts with it, but i got to buy one first.

Started off with a Bear model and then replaced it with a XI Impact. Used that for a while and then a friend at work said he hurt his shoulder and was going to switch to a crossbow. He wanted to dump his compound bow. This was back in the mid 90's. He said he had a Mathews bow and it was a good bow. I took his word for it and bought the whole kit and kaboodle. He included some arrows and other stuff.

That bow fit me like a glove! It shot nice and smooth too. I forget the model name. I started downing any deer that came close. I was dangerous and accurate with that bow!

Used it for about ten years and thought it was time to upgrade to what I have now. Mathews Drenalin. It shoots nice, but unfortunately the dealer sold it to me with too long of a draw and I have spent way too much time trying to compensate for the extra length. I finally fixed it a few weeks ago. I'll see how this goes now and if it doesn't feel like the old Mathews then I might have to say buh bye to the ol' Drenalin.

WELL I started off with a 45# recurve in79 when iwas 12 just mainly practiced for a year
in 80 i bought a bear demin 45# compound missed some deer with it used for a year
then moved on to a proline tornado killed my first deer with it in 82 killed several deer
with it. When I went to college in 86 I bought a proline force2 killed my first buck with it
in 89 a six point. In 95 I bought proline new waive then in 2004 I moved on to a parker
phenix and earlier this 2010 I moved up to a mathews z7.

Started way back with a Pearson Recurve - 45#, then moved to a Pearson Rogue - shot a small 8pt with it in '87 (I was 13 and invincible!!) Then moved to a High Country Excalibur, got a few does and some bone ( a 6pt, 3 8 pts, and a very nice 9). Got a Diamond Rock a few years ago (got my best 10 pt with it) and then went off the deep end. A Bowtech 101 and and an 82nd, and the wife surprised me with a Hoyt Carbon Matrix Plus this year.

Still, I go back to the Rock or the 101. They just fit!

Progression
 

Back in 86 i killed my first deer with a Browning Deluxe Nomad. Then I killed a couple with a High Country Sniper. High Country and Oneida bows were popular then.... I switched to an Oneida Light Force Magnum and killed several deer, still shooting fingers. A pair of REflex Prowlers were next I killed several more before making some bad shots/misses and decided I would try again to switch to a release. A T-handle was first and i killed a couple deer before finding a mechanical release type that I liked. I settled on the Tru-Fire / Power Strap(Team Real-Tree).
I decided to start searching for something new when the short bows became popular, once I tried the Bear Instinct i haven't found anything i like better. It and Bear's lineup that year fit every preference I had. Split Limbs, infinitely adjustable draw length, no draw stop pegs. Only gripe is the factory doesn't drill and tap a rear stabilizer mounting hole.

My Dad has the original Mcphearson that he has had forever and never shoots. It's like brand new...I made him dig it out the other day..the fletchings were dry rotted off the arrows he had with it but the bow is as it was the day he bought it. I showed him a pic of the new Mcphearson Monster and he was amazed... he wanted to sell his bow and buy a new bow...ha ha I told him his bow wasn't worth a nickel and no one would want it and told him bows have changed.... alot.

Started out with a Bear Magnum recurve sometime in the early 80s. Then bought a Bear Whitetail Hunter, my first compound, from some department store that was going out of buisness. Shot that for a while until I got hooked up with a great archery shop in Muncie, IN. They got me hooked up with a Hoyt Pro Hunter. I'll tell you, that move from the Bear compound to the Hoyt was like going from a Corvair to a Caddilac. I shot that Pro Hunter for several years, then got a Hoyt Provantage. The radically deflex riser made it one of the most accurate bows I have ever shot. Also owned a Hoyt Pro Hunter Carbon Plus during that time. I owned 3 or 4 more Hoyts after that, don't remember the models, until 1998 when we had a house-fire and my bow was destroyed. Bought a Hoyt Oasis from Anderson Archery in Mich. and kept it until last year when I shot a Bowtech for the first time. I was hooked and purchased a Bowtech Captain, which is my current bow. Thanks for helping me take a trip down memory lane.

Blessings.....Pastorjim

I bought a 45 lb. Darton take down recurve when I was 16 in the mid to late 70's and shortly thereafter I bought a Bear Polar LTD. Next Came a Browning Explorer II in the early 80's (we lovingly refereed to it as the "Exploder II due to breaking 4 sets of limbs). Next came an American Archery cheetah (I killed my 1st deer with this one), Then a Martin Cougar Mag. I built a 65 lb. Bingham take-down recurve kit bow that stacked like crazy (I used this to take my 1st recurve deer). From there I picked up a shiny new PSE Mach Flight 4 with the overdraw (the thing was a boat anchor) I really liked the bow and kept it for many years (too many years) and many hunts. I then moved to a Mathews Icon which I am in love with and still shooting. I'm considering something new, but at 50 yrs old now I think common sense may be finally kicking in and I just don't see the sense in it (yet). Recently an old friend/neighbor passed away, but before he did, he gave me a Bear Polar II and an old 45 lb. Browning recurve of which the model I do not know, but he told me he bought it while stationed in Korea during the war. It was given to me complete with a homemade quiver that he had made from canvas from discarded stretchers tossed behind the medical tent and sewed by hand. It was stuffed with various broadhead tipped arrows including a few Browning Serpentine's. I hunted with his bow that year in his honor and took a dandy 6 pt.