Being happy with what you have
 

I need answers!Why does everyone feel the need to buy the newest bows only to gain a couple f.p.s. or a little bit smoother draw and end up paying hundreds of dollars for a minimal upgrade?You can't honestly tell me that bows are improving soooo greatly as the new owners all seem to claim---"this is the sweetest bow i've ever shot"---maybe true,but how much better is it REALLY?I think it's almost like a brainwashing effect!Someone please enlighten me.:eek:

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Do it while you can, if you can. You only live once.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

jsasker,

I have a 94' Hoyt Superstar, 98' PSE Mach 8, and 99' Bowman Accu-Riser 1 that rank with most any 04' or 05' bow made today.
I would not trade my 02' Super Nova or 03' Bowman Accu-Riser II bows for any manufacturers 2005 bows !
There's no magic to the new 2005 bows and none have the craftsmanship of my 02' Super Nova or 03' Bowman bows.
Just because it's the newest bow doesn't make it better. ;)


Sag.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

This post is like swatting a hornets nest with a broom!;)

From where I sit it looks like those that upgrade annually have the funds available to do so and enjoy doing it.

I am on my 2nd new bow trying to find the perfect replacement for my 1996 bow (which i still have and shoot).
The 1996 bow set the bar so high it took two purchases to find one that feels better to me.

Once I get this bow performing to my satisfaction I plan on keeping it a while as I could better use the green elsewhere (more deer hunts, better lease).
BUT if I cannot get it tuned to my liking it will be replaced with another $650+ bow. I've got my eye on two of them, so it had better perform!

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I have found I tend to like my Q2XL better than anything else on the market...it still perfroms perfectly. Why change if you really don't gain anything?

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Some spend money on bills. Others woman. Others kids. Others hunting gear. Hey it's their money.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Because thats what some people like and thats what they want to do with their money.

I have bought and sold around plus or minus 20 bows in the last year to a year and a half. I sell them all on online classifieds like AT's or the new one here on HNI.

Why? because I enjoy it and spend my free time outside of hunting season playing with archery equipment.

And I can tell you the new Allegiance is "the sweetest bow i've ever shot";)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

It's all in what your comfortable with. I picked up a bow I shot 5 years ago and after shooting it, I wondered how I was ever able to hit anything with. I have an Outback and plan on shooting it several years. I don't see anything out there that could change my mind right now. If your bow suits you then enjoy it but don't go shot out and shoot any of the new bows. If you do, leave your check book and credit card at home[:o]. Don

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I like to buy and sale when I think there is need. There were some pretty cool inovations hitting the market the last couple of years. However, this year I don't see anything worth spending the extra cash for. I am a Hoyt man, and they really didn't come out with anything special this year IMO.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Yes , there are a few who just collect bows and such. But I agree there are way too many people who proclaim to have the "sweetest shooting bow they've ever owned" one year and end up with a new "sweetest shooting bow they've ever owned" the following year. For the majority of them I'd say they weren't really happy with their current bow or they wouldn't have replaced it.
Technology doesn't change enough from year to year (and hasn't in the last 10 or so years) to think that this years model will improve my shooting scores.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

jsasker, You will find the the most consistant shooters will stick with what works. A few years ago the emphisis was on draw weight, now it's speed. With the evolution of carbon arrows the weight dropped and now speed is the big selling point. If your wondering why many shooters change its for one of three reasons. Noise, constant repairs and replacment of parts and the last, the shooter can no longer pull the big weights they were once able to draw. Most whitetail deer are harvested at less than 40 yards. An arrow traveling at 240 fps. and one moving at 312 fps. will impact the target with less than a eye blink between impacts. The speed bows are primirily for competiton in 3-D shoots where a miss calculation of distance may cause a miss or low score. Watch your favorite hunting video a take close look at the cams the hunter is using when in the stand. Now look closely at the one being displayed when the pictures are being taken. Seldom the same bow. Wonder why?;)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

You guys should not be so fast to assume ones motives as to their preference in spending their money on different bows.

I would be willing to bet the few guys here on this forum that buy and sell a lot of bows and post reviews of their findings are pretty good shooters as well as bow technicians whether they are paid professional techs or hobbyists.

I will have my 3-D / hunting bow and that will not change after it is set up and ready to rock. But I will pick up bows through out the year to test and try out for my own personal knowledge.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I think Mathews, Bowtech and Hoyt bows have had a LOT to offer in the last 2 years. The cam 1.5 from Hoyt(a redesign of another companies system) but great marketing. Bowtech has went from an unkown to the #2 player, IMO, in the last 2 years. Mathews with the HP cam and the roller guard. I had the LX which was a great bow, but I had issues with the brace height . Got the Outback and it suits MY type of shooting. Works great in a tree stand(LX was a little long for me), 7.5 inch brace height about perfect for coveralls and a lot of clothes. The HP cam at 80% feels good compared to the older cams and a 70 lb. bow feels like 60 lbs. so for ME, there have been some good advances in a very short time. I don't see anything that will make me go out and spend 600.00+ on a new bow this year, but I'll keep my eyes open just in case;). Don

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I have an disease called tinkeritis. I think some one here can vouch for it as well. Its simply not that I have to have the new bow each year, or the latest greatest accesories. It just makes the time go by until hunting season the next year.

There is an occasion or two where I'll find a product that does make a difference in my hunting or shooting. More often than not, its just to tinker with.

Besides, if we tinkerers didn't do this, how would we find out about products that actually work well?

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I think the thing that gets to me the most is the claims made that this new bow is so much better than last years best bow when the truth is that if any improvements were actually made they are hardly detectable.It's just a bunch of hype imho.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Without trying all the new bows out how can you come to this conclusion? The others and I are speaking from our experience of first hand knowledge because we have shot and in many cases owned the said bows.

I agree many times it is hype. But sometimes it isn't.[8D]

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Picking up 100 fps is worth it to me!

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I think that somes it up for alot of folks...myself included though that pocketbook has gotten much smaller since my son stepped into my life. Personally, I just enjoy trying the new models every year. Each one has a new feel and new shooting characteristics. They may not necessarily be better but they are different.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Those of us who dont change bows like underwear also try out new bows every year , we just dont buy them.;) Anyone who is just buying a new bow to tinker with and then later sell it is taking a killing , resale on bows absolutely sucks , but it's your money!:)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

The problem I have is that for me to try something I have to order it b/c I'm left handed. I have tried many bows from many manufacturers and while they have all "fit the bill" for killing deer I'm always interested in trying something new. Also, I have a specific set of criteria that I would like satisfied and have yet to find a bow that will do this. Once I do, I most likely won't buy a new bow for a while, but I'll enjoy trying everything out until I find it.:D

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Being satisfied with what you have is one of the tough things to do in this free market, advertising driven society, isn't it. I've gotten by with buying used cars, and some of them are nicer than others for various reasons. I used to be obsessed with guns, especially bolt action rifles. I was studying to be a gunsmith, but kinda lost interest. In PA, I only ended up carrying the gun for maybe 4 days tops hunting deer, and had a great gun already, but they can be intriguing. And NO, I didn't get a Lexus or Mercedes for Christmas!;)

Archery stuff is really about the only "toys" I still play with. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I've tried way too many bows in the last few years to make any logical sense. I have found one that I am very happy with though, and probably will not be buying anything new for a while. It's true, this years "gotta have", "sweetest shooter ever" is next years "obsolete equipment" to some, and the bow companies wouldn't be able to keep going if it wasn't. I can relate to anyone who is curious and wants to find out how a particular bow will feel and shoot. It is very difficult to do that in a pro shop with a dozen shots or so. Still, I do see your point. The times I've shot worst was when I've had too many bows, and can't seem to get really comfortable with one. I have that one now, and something else has to be pretty darned good to make me think about changing.

One more thing, many guys who post about various equipment on different forums are Pro Staffers. They are supposed to make these products look "too good to pass up." A lot of what you read is from people like that. The rest of the high praise is from people who are genuinely impressed with the new stuff that is out there. As others have said, it's their money to spend as they see fit.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I don't think I could be happy with one bow. I need one for hunting,plus a back-up and one for 3-d and target at least. Like Bowfanatic said the resale on used bows are a bargin. Buying a left-over or a one year old bow is how I work it. My hunting bow is a Darton Mav I bought 4 months old w/a custom string for $300. How could I have not bought it? I like to tinker so much that once I get a bow set-up and shooting in the sweet spot I need another one to play with. If need be I'll sell one to get one. I tinker almost to a fault. Thats how I started buying used bow.

I was at my club one day shooting and tinkering. We started playing some shooting games and I was hitting a match cover with three arrows out at forty yards. My head keep telling me I could tweak this bow just a little more so I went home put it on the press and tweaked it a little. The next day I was lucky to hit that match cover at 20 yds. It took me another week to get that bow to shoot like I had it. Thats when I learnt my lesson. I knew I couldn't stop tinkering so I just started on a nother bow. And thus is why I have more bows then I need. My son loves it. He gets my hand me downs every year. I don;t recommend doing it. It's so addicting. Jerry

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Tinkertitis:D:D:DNow that was funny!!! Guess after 22 yrs. of marriage I can
tell my wife and kids what I have. Yes, I like to tinker alot with my bows as well.
It's fun!! Something to do in the off season to make me a better bowhunter. Keeping
confidence in my equipment is important to me. If I think, after doing research on
a bow, that it will help me when bowhunting I usually buy it. But my only problem
right now is that I am still researching.:D

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Jerry and dsheally: Yep, you described my problem too. This year though, I think I'll put my tinkering into arrows, where it might actually do me some good!;) Just bought a dial indicator, and will be attempting to make a spine tester and straightness checker with it.:)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I found that it took me awhile to find a bow that met my preferences and shooting style. Then a new generation of quieter bows with less vibration came out. I decided it was worth spending money on them and then a new cam style came out and I had to find out for myself if I'd prefer it.

Although all bows are inherently accurate, they are not all built for the same purpose. It can take a person years of experimenting to find out what they truely prefer. Sure, you could shoot the same bow for 30 years and only upgrade when a problem can't be repaired, and still kill every deer you shoot at, and win every league you shoot in, but you might miss out on a more enjoyable shooting experience.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I don't agree with that...especially if you stick with the big three...and ofcourse depending on the condition of the bow and the amount of time between initial purchase and resale. I have bought and sold several bows where I actually made a profit on them. Granted, they were high end bows and demand was at an all time high for those particular models but it is definitely possible not to take a significant loss when buying and reselling a new bow.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Its all about spending money. Like someone else said, money is going to be spent on a varied amount of items, some guys just choose that to be bows. I personally don't spend a whole ton of money in any particular area/hobby. I have way too many interests and not that much money, I have to "spread the wealth" so to speak.

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

From what I've seen around here and on ebay , even with "the big three" the average drop in price on a resale is no less than $50. Most folks will just buy brand new unless they think their getting a great deal. I will admit the big three hold much better value on resale even on a bow thats a few years old.
If I could get my hands on a 05 Bowtech for $100 cheaper than I'd pay around here I'd be having tinkeritis also!:D

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

You can, Doug, you just have to wait 'till LATE in '05! LOL

I agree that it doesn't really make too much sense to get a relatively new Mathews, Hoyt, or Bowtech used, as the price is pretty close to new, and you don't get the warranty. Plus, in the case of the Mathews (and the Equalizer Bowtechs), you can't really be sure the bow fits you until you get it. I supposedly bought a 30" draw Q2 XL that turned out to be a 31" draw. I would have needed a different cam, and a new string/cable set to get 30. No longer a bargain, lesson learned!;)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I think that is a fair estimate. But consider this, I can and do buy bows then shoot them quite regularly for a few months. Between 500 and 1000 shots would be a fair estimate. I then put them on Ebay and sell them for about $50-$75 less than I originally paid for them. Personally, I do not think $50-$75 is too much to spend to shoot a top end bow for two to three months....especially with the hopes that it will be "the one". ;) But then again, that is just me. From a practical standpoint, I think JoePA does much better by buying perfectly good used bows a year or so after they debut for about half cost....;).

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Frank:

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. And, nobody waits with eager anticipation for a bow report on a 2 year old bow.[8D] You get a lot of fun out of your 50-75$.:D

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

$50-$75 will buy enough red oak boards for me to make about 7-8 bows. :D

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I just went into the woods and cut a few staves and spent two years drying them. Not much cost, as long as my time is worth nothing - which it is when I'm having fun. ;)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Arthur, I agree with that. If I could shoot trad like you can, it would be more fun for me too.

Straightarrow: I do have a little Hickory tree that was almost in the way of one of my treestand sites. I think I'll see if I can still make a self bow this year. AND..

My time seems to be worth the least when I working on the Honeydo list.[&:]

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Wha... Have you signed a contract or something that keeps you from shooting stickbows? ;)

If you could shoot trad like I can.... It's likely you could shoot better than my worn out, decrepit old self if you gave yourself half a chance. :)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Whats a red oak board?

I thought that it wasn't a good idea to shoot wood arrows out of a modern compound.


;)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

I suffer from tinkeritis as well. It is a terrible disease! :) I bought a Liberty a year ago and I can't help myself from wanting to get a new Allegiance even though I am totally please with my current set up. It definately is a sickness. :D

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Who said it's a good idea to shoot a modern compound?

If you guys think 'tinkeritis' is bad, just try making selfbows. You talk about a sickness! You're never satisfied. You just KNOW the next one you make will be better than the one you just finished. You can't look at a tree without seeing bows. You can't pass the hardwood board rack at the lumberyard without checking out the grain lines on a couple dozen boards or so, just to see if one will make a bow. Then you play around with limb thickness, widths, different profiles, bow lengths, reflexing, deflexing, recurving the tips, stiff handles, working handles....

One good thing - with all the wood shavings from whittling on bows, you never have to buy mulch for the flower beds.;)

RE: Being happy with what you have
 

Ive wondered that myself. Unless a limb breaks I'll be shooting my PSE split limb until Im old and grey.