Okay everyone, as most of you know, I am planning on getting a new bow in the next couple months. I shot the BowTech Stalker and loved it. I had pretty much made up my mind on it. I thought that it was the perfect bow. Today though, I went to another bow shop and decided to try out one of the new Browning Mirage SX and I liked it a little more than the BowTech Stalker. It has a bigger price tag at 675 dollars but this is going to be my bow and I will be able to afford the Browning. Is it worth it to spend the extra money on a bow that only shoots a little bit nicer than the Stalker? I have a Browning Mirage right now but it is about 5 or 6 years old and I am ready for a new one. The Browning Mirage SX shoots at 302 f.p.s. and it has a let off of 65-75%. It has a brace height of 6-7/8", axle to axle of 33", and weighs 3.9lbs. It has a machined aluminum forged riser. 15" Countour XP limbs. Cyber-Cam SX which allows a full 3" of adjument in 1/2" increments and the let-off from 65% to 75% without a bow press. 8150 and 450 plus cables. It has pivoting machined aluminum limb pockets. Carbon/Aluminum cable guard rod, and it has ImpacStop vibration dampening system. I really love Browning bows and their customer service. But, I really love saving money too. What would you guys do????

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
"Hunting is not a sport, it is a passion, it is a WAY OF LIFE"

I would say if that is the bow that shoots the best for you, then go for it. Especially if you only buy a new bow every 5 years. You don't want to regret having a bow because you decided to save a few bucks because eventually you'll get frustrated with it and buy a new one anyways. Good luck.

I have heard few bad things about either bow, so you have a winner no matter what.

Buy the bow that feels and shoots the best to you. It will be your bow, so piddle on whatever everyone else thinks about it. Listen to experienced opinions and advice, but make your own decision. No matter what, you will feel some buyer's remorse but it will pass. Look in Webster's Dictionary under cognitive dissonance.

Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.

The Mouse

p.s.: I really like the Browning...<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

BM , IMO you are comparing apples to oranges. I have heard good things about the Stalker but it is also the lower end bow that Bowtech has in the line-up. If you are gonna spend 675.00 then you should try the Patriot,Extreme solo,or any of Bowtechs other top of the line bows. I don't think you will be disappointed. When it comes to dropping that kind of cash there is no harm in trying several different models. I shoot the Extreme solo and man it is one sweet bow(IMO). The choice is ultimately yours but remember...Quick to Buy, Quick to Cry. Good luck and keep us informed.

---Doogster&gt;&gt;&gt;

Edited by - Doogster on 02/22/2002 16:20:16

[Deleted by Admins]

BuckMagnet,
Doogster is right...if you're gonna jump up into a whole new tax bracket here, you might as well shoot all the bows that you can in that same price range.....Heck you've pretty much just opened yourself up to any bow on the market......so get &quot;Picky&quot; now!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

BowTech's &quot;Flagship&quot; bow is the Patriot and its about $30 cheaper at most shops than what you say that Browning sells for.....and IMO is just WAY more bow than the Browning is. The Browning is a nice bow don't get me wrong, but I think if you really compare, you'll see that from head-to-toe the Top end BowTechs are better in every area.......from performance, to fit-and-finish,to quality of components.
You definitely aren't comparing apples to apples (which is tough to do with any bow).....but the &quot;Stalker&quot; fills a price range niche quite well, and is one of the top bows you are gonna see for that $$$......but it doesn't have the extra detail and technology that the more expensive bows are gonna have.
Shoot a bunch if you can.....especially the Patriot if you want to compare the Mirage to a BowTech of the same price.
I think you'll really like what you see......
IF you're gonna spend that type of $$$ make sure you do it right.......I'm not trying to steer you away from the Browning necessarily......if that's the one you like then terrific!! Just don't make a snap decision on a $600+ bow without trying Anything and everything you can get your hands on.
You don't want to bring that bow home only to shoot a diferent bow a week later......and realize you made a mistake.

As always I agree with Matt, It took me 3 months of research, and several days of shooting to decide which bow was for me. I have never spent this much time and energy picking out a bow, and I have never been so satisfied with my choice. Take your time, shoot and handle as many bows as you can, and do a &quot;search&quot; on this board about any bow you are considering, read all the threads on it, and anything else you can. Take your time and do it right. Perfect example, Matt loves bowtechs, I liked them, but none of their bows had All the features I wanted, Darton did. It doesn't mean Darton is better, it just means that for me it was, for Matt bowtech was the better choice. Sit down with pen and paper and write down what is important to you in a bow. Then underline the things you must have on your bow, and go from thier.

TAKE YOUR KIDS HUNTING AND YOU WON'T BE HUNTING FOR YOUR KIDS

Buck Magnet,

How much did you say that shop had the Mirage SX for? Are you sure it is just the SX and not their newer model? I forget the name of their newer model but it is 36 inches from axle to axle as opposed to the 33 inch length of the Mirage SX.

Last year the Mirage SX sold for about $499. I can't believe they upped the price by over $150. That just doesn't make sense.

Now, if you want a bow just like the Mirage SX but you don't want to pay an arm and a leg then take a look at the Mirage 33. Same specs as the SX but without the pivoting limb pockets and without the Sorbothane in the limb pockets. Everything else is the same and the Mirage 33 sells for $350 at the shops in my area. That is cheaper than the Stalker if I remember correctly.

Just some food for thought.

I have to agree with what everyone else has already said,If you're willing to put that kind od money into a new bow you should shoot some of Bowtech other bow's. I just ordered a Mighty Mite, It's about the same weight as the Browning you described, has a longer brace height and man it screams. Browning certainly does make a good bow as do many others,don't sell youself short,if you're going to spend those hard earned bucks spend them right the first time.