Hello all, I'm a rifle shooter looking to turn into a bowhunter. I'd like your advice on which bow I should get. Brand new Mathews FX for $420 or a used SQ2 (very good shape w/sight and rest) for $450. The dealer also sells Parker and Champion Bows, I'd like to stick with Mathews ( I AM from Wisconsin). Thanks much, Robert

I would sugest shooting both and decide that way. One thing to keep in mind you would get the life time warrenty on the fx. I've got a lx and wouldn't trade it for anything out there on the market now. Good luck.

before you buy shoot both bows and buy the one that preforms the best
Parker also carries a lifetime warranty and has one of the best customer service departments in the industry.
I do not shoot a Mathews nor Parker but I have shot both and IMO parker is the better of the two.

like I said JMO and opinions vary.

JM02

I personally would go with the new bow. Since you are new to the sport, the nuances between the two models likely will make little practical difference as long as you buy a bow that fits and receive some good initial shooting instruction & advice.

In addition, you will be getting the knowledge and experience of the Pro-shop to help you out both not only at the sale but in the future(assuming you are buying the used model elsewhere), and any warranty problems you may have with the bow will be covered.

Where in WI.?

I'd also lean towards new. As Jeff said above, the service, instruction, and warranty come with the bow.

Based on the 3" difference in the ATA, it would be normal for the FX to be the better choice for a newbie. Your Dealer should have told you this.

Question: Are Dealers really 'qualified' to sell a product???

Just recently I had two cases where other Dealers lost some major business to me. I had one customer, who was a newbie, buy a new Merlin Max-3000 from me and trade in a brand new speed bow that had been bought from another Dealer. The guy only wanted to shoot indoor spots and possibly some FITA rounds. He was sold a high reflex speed bow that was 2" too long because the Dealer made more money on it and had it in stock. Shame on Dealers who look at the short-term gain rather than the long-term gain. This customer has since bought all his other needs from me.

Another newbie customer was so upset with lack of service from another Dealer that he came in and bought all his needs from me, because I was willing to set his bow up properly and spend some time showing him how to shoot. The Dealer who was abrupt with him lost over $1200 in additional sales as well as a long-term customer. BTW, this guy was sold a bow that was 3" too long for him. We since have corrected that problem as well.

If the Dealer in your area is not a professional, maybe the manufacturers should know this. It can't be a good situation for you or the manufacturer. If the manufacturer gets enough complaints, maybe something will be done.

I would lean toward the SQ2 over the FX. It is slightly more advanced, as it is a newer model than the fx which has been around for about 10 years without many improvements. The SQ2 already has a rest and sight, maybe not exactly what you want, but you can change them out after a couple of months if you want different ones. The SQ2 will probably have slightly higher trade-in/resale value than the fx in a couple of years even though the SQ2 is already a couple years old.
However,with all of this in mind, you have to shoot them both and then decide, you won't go wrong with the used bow though.

In your case i would get the FX--longer a to a and warranty.jmho.

What does longer a to a have to do with it? That isn't a reason to buy a bow. I bought my SQ2 specifically because it has a short a to a, as has many other shooters of the same or different brands.
My SQ2 shoots more acurately than did my previous 37" bow, and it works much better out of a tight treestand, or a ground blind.

A longer axle to axle length bow is generally considered more forgiving for the average shooter. Since this gentleman is a beginning shooter he is going to need all the forgiveness that a bow can deliver. Considering his two choices the FX design should be more forgiving for him to shoot.