I have received this magazine for approximately 4 years now and I can't remember a time when they gave anything but 4 1/2 stars on any bow!

Looks to me like they do not want to upset their advertisers by giving them a poor score.

I wonder what else they editorialize in favor of their advertisers instead of the common unbiased good of their readership.

Has anyone else recognized this?

Yep - it's all about the $$$ from advertising.

I AGREE WHAT A JOKE![X(][:'(]

I have noticed the same thing. Can anybody recommend a good bow hunting magazine? I know they all have their share of BS but I like to have a couple of magazines at the old huntn' shack.

I enjoy Petersens..barring the bow reviews..

Most entertaining mag is Traditional Bowhunter. But I got tired of the anti-compound propaganda BS spewing from from TJ Conrads mouth every month , so I cancelled my sub. Man has issues.

Bowhunting World is good. Haven't cared for Bowhunter since the mid-90s.

Bowhunt America is OK, as is Bow & arrow Hunting.

But I stopped all my subs...same $hit every month, regurgitated every year, year after year. I'll pick up bowhunting world or bowhunt america @ the shop on occasion.

I understand Eastmans Bowhunting Journal is pretty good though centered on Western game.

Most of the bows they test are in the middle to upper end range? At that level is there really a such thing as a bad bow? I tried 3 of the top bows when I was looking to buy and truth be known there isn't a hill of beans difference in the things that they rate as important. IMO it all comes down to personal preference.

It seems to me that for reviews, often time a magazine will just print (often word for word) what ever the bow company's marketing department sends over. To me that isn't a review, but more of a collection of ads and press releases.

But I also understand they don't want to "bite the hand that feeds them" either.

I always read the bow/bow equipment reviews but never give it much thought. Its more of their opinion of its for the negative side. If its on the positive side though, its better but i'd rather find out for myself because I think good or bad of an certain item(s)

Take JeffB's comments and past them here.

About the only thing I enjoy about the Petersen's reviews is gaining knowledge that the bow exists and what its specs are.

I think Mike said it best. When comparing mid to high range quality bows, there is not much difference except in the archer's personal preference. Matthews, Bowtech, Hoyt, Martin, PSE, Parker, and others all make some quality bows.............................they each make some bows that are less than top quality too!