hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

hey guys i am in a real bind.my girl just told me on the phone that we are going to get a new bow this weekend(for my birthday:D).Right now i am shooting a black night 2.I have decided that the bow wll be either the switchback or the allegiance.Which bow do you recomend and why?pros or cons to each one.I have been reading that the switchback has problems with left tears and this worries me a bit.My friend shot the allegiance last weekend about 10 times and he is selling his ar-34.Is this bow THAT sweet???????any help would be greatly appreciated.thanks in advance.

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

newman, they are both great bows and both great manufacturers. I shot as many bows as I could to get a feel for what I liked and then made my decision on what was the most comfortable. You are the only one who can truly determine which is the best fit for you. There are not many pros and cons between these two because they are so similiar.
-Price is similiar
-Noise is similiar although some say the SB may be a tad quieter
- Vibration is similiar
- Speed the advantage goes to the Allegiance by 10 or 15 FPS, not significant for hunting, for 3D maybe
- 1 cam versus the binary - the jury is still out on this one. I don't like the long string on the one-cams and I think Bowtech has something with the new binary cam and this is one reason I went with the Allegiance. Many people like the feel of the binary cam, some prefer the feel of a one-cam and its all personal preference.
- Grip - the bowtech has a thin grip while the SB has a more rounded and contoured grip. I personally can't stand the grip on the Mathews.
- Other things like axle-to-axle, brace height are almost identical.
- availability - the advantage may go to Mathews here, I am hearing at least a 6 week wait for an Allegiance but that may depend on if you can find you DL in stock somewhere.

Let us know what you think when you have tried them.

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

I am also in the same predicament, I shot the Allegiance last week just out of curiousity, not even interested in getting a new bow,, Well I loved it and my AR-34 was gone two days later, but now everyone says the Switchback is awesome too, and i have always shot Mathews before me AR. So I found a shop with a Switchback in my dl and weight so tomorrrow Im gonna go shoot the Switchback, and the Allegiance again, I have to OK to bring one or the other home, Im still leaning toward the Allegiance, it just felt better than anything Ive ever held, and it shot great, But I guess Ill see tomorrow, wish me luck.:)

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

I have shot both bows, and I was very impressed with both

Noise. The Allegiance has a very slight advantage over the Switchback here, probablly small enough that most won't even notice it.

Speed. The Allegiance definetly wins here. My sisters boyfriend just ordered a Switchback and the guys at the shop said that they havn't got a Switchback to shoot near it's IBO speed. The best they could do with a SB set at IBO regs was 309 f.p.s, which is 9 f.p.s. slower than rated!

Shock. The Switchback has an advantage here (bare bow vs. bare bow). The Switchback has pretty much no vibration with a very slight kick to the side when shot. The Allegiance has a little more vibration, but it doesn't kick to the side. With a good stabilizer, both bows will be virtually dead in the hand!

Draw cycle. This is where the Allegiance shinned. I heard the Switchback had a incredibly smooth draw cycle, but I just didn't feel it. The Switchback has a fairly smooth draw cycle, but in my honest opinion, it is nowhere near some of the bows known for incredibly smooth draw cycles. The Allegiance has a different draw cycle that takes a little while to get use to, but it is also the absolute smoothest draw cycle on a bow. There are no bumps or peaks at all, it simply loads to peak draw weight quickly, the ENTIRELY smoothly let's down into the let-off! The Switchback seemed to be slightly above average for single cam bows!

Fit and feel.... For me, the Allegiance destroyed the Switchback in this category. I still can't get use to the grip on the Mathews. The Allegiance's grip is different than the 04 BowTechs, but it keeps the same wonderful shape. This is all relative to your personal preferance!

Prices are about even.

Either way, you can't loose. They are both great. But for my money, I will take the Allegiance. It seems to be a much more rounded bow. The Switchback has a few great points (quality, looks, and lack of vibration), where as everything else is just slightly better than average. The Allegiance is well above average in every aspect, but the bow isn't as shockingly shock free as the SB!

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

I think all have given you a decent comparison...it is definitely something you should decide for yourself through hands on experience. It would be best to shoot them side by side, however I realize sometimes that is not possible.

I felt both bows were stabile in my hand even though I consider both of them to be on the short side when it comes to axle to axle measurements.

Sound can be a subjective issue but I felt the Switchback was just a tad quieter even though the one I shot had a quiver on it. Both get a high rating from me in this department.

Hand shock, vibration, buzz, are also somewhat subjective, but in my hand I thought the Switchback was a smidge better in this department than the Allegiance.

I didn't get to chrono the Switchback or the Allegiance but I would not have a problem with the consensus that the Allegiance was faster.

Both bows were suppose to have a 29" draw. On the ones I shot I thought the Switchback might be a little long but again, I don't think that is a make or break issue being that each bow can have minor differences even though they are the same model made by the same manufacturer.

For me, I didn't think the draw on either bow was better than the other, I could get used to both. Same with the grips. I have shot Mathews before and shot it well. As far as the BowTech being slimmer than the Mathews, it doesn't compare with my 03 Ultratec in the slim department. I can adjust to either without major issues.

Unless someone can show me differently I do like the binary system better than the one cam with the long string at this point, but really, I would put a Winner's Choice string on either and that would probably make the whole string issue a moot point.

No one has confirmed or denied the bearing/bushing issue in the Switchback for me, so I don't know what to think of that. I like the fact that the Allegiance has sealed bearings top and bottom.

I would find it hard to believe you could go wrong with either bow. I wouldn't pretend to tell you which one you should buy. I could be happy with either I am sure. I like the all around qualities of the Allegiance. If someone would offer me both but only allowed me to keep one, I would pick the Allegiance if for no other reason than to give BowTech a fair shake in the ownership department. The first three years they were in business they didn't make anything that I liked (I shot the very first bows they ever brought to the ATA show, it was called the AMO show back then) so even though I have owned a number of different bows I have never owned a BowTech. It is probably time I took one for a spin over the course of a season or two.

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

Both are nice bows. Even the "M" one.

You'd be cazy not to get the Allegiance if you have the choice though IMO.
That has been the most well put together bow I've shot. Quality all the way and the new cam system is a marvel.

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

I went today and put about 100 arrows through the Switchback, and it was very nice, but it didnt seem to stack up to the Allegiance,, But I almost still got the Switchback because it was 70 bucks cheaper. But I went ahead and got the Allegiance, but just didnt get to get any extra goodies yet, maybe next week.

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

Had never heard of the Switchback when I went in to shoot/buy an Allegiance. My bowshop had just set up the SB along w/the Allegiance. Shot 'em both for a couple of hours or more. They were both awesome, but I thought the SB was smoother and quieter. Maybe its a few fps slower, but at 25 yards from a treestand, 300 fps is plenty. The SB made the trip home with me.
Good luck.

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

I own a Switchback and don't think you would go wrong with it!!! There is definately something to the phrase "Catch us if you can"!!!

RE: hard decision!!!!!!! switchback os allegiance
 

If you have a bow now and you decide on the Allegiance, by all means, DO NOT SELL your current bow until the Bowtech gets here. It is taking an extraordinary amount of time for them to get a bow into your hands. Trust me, I'm suffering through every single day I await my Allegiance.;)