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Recommendations for a new bow for elk?

Magnum Sherpa

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Missoula, MT
I'm going to retire my Matthews LX after 12 seasons, and I'm looking for recommendations for a new bow to be used primarily for backcountry elk hunting. I know a lot comes down to personal preference, but I was interested in what you guys have had good or bad experiences with? I'm budgeting about $1000 for the bare bow, and was considering Bowtech and Hoyt, but am open to other brands as well. I will probably stay away from Matthews. Mine was ok, but I found it heavy and not super smooth compared to other bows in that price range. Does anyone have any experience with the carbon bows made by Hoyt? I realize they are more than $1000, but the ones I have handled seemed nice. Thanks!
 
I upgraded from a Mathews Q2 a couple of years ago. I went into the shop intending to buy a Hoyt. I shot every bow in there including the carbon bows.

I ended up buying a Bowtech. The reality is that you're going to have to go shoot a bunch and see what you like. I went twice, a couple of weeks apart, and spent about two hours at the shop each time.

Good luck on your purchase.
 
If you choose either of those you'll be very very very happy with the choice. I personally shoot a Bowtech RPM 360 and have taken two elk with it. It's fast and has a nice feel at the shot. Try em and make your decision. Shoot them both a lot and side by side if you can.
 
I'd recommend you shoot a couple Elite bows and Prime.Elite make real nice smooth bows,and I like them a lot.Prime also makes some great bows,my son took over my spare bow which is a Prime.He can shoot that bow better then most people I've ever shot with.I like Elites because they don't feel jumpy in your hand.Some bows are right on the edge of firing when held at full draw.Elites are not that way and I think much easier to hold at full draw which is nice if you have to wait on that last step or two by the animal
I would recommend buying a year old bow off archerytalk once you find the bow you like.You can find some great deals on that site as everyone wants the latest/greatest bows.You can easily find a fully set up Hoyt on there for under 1k;if that's the brand you choose.But they have all name brands up for sale.I've got expensive bows off there for almost half price and only 2 years old
 
If you had Matthews and liked it, I suggest you stick with them. :) I also suggest if you are doing back country get a short bow for more compactness. I personally shoot a PSE and and have never had any issues with them.
 
I use a Hoyt. When I will get a new bow I will go shoot several and decide on how they 'feel'. This has ben said above and in every discussion on getting a new bow. I believe how a bow shoots for you is what is important.
 
Magnum Sherpa,
Although I could not begin to give any input regarding a new bow.... your post takes me back.
I bought my Mathews Z-Light used from a friend in 1998 for about $200.
What I can offer is that when I sold my Hoyt Enticer Carbonite (parallel limbs) after switching to Mathews , I never looked back.
Going from 2 cams on a Hoyt to a Single cam Mathews took out any need for timing...etc.
These Mathews are as light as you would want to be and I would not opt for an axle to axle distance of less than 32 with 34" being perfect for tree stands / packing and forgiving shooting.
Steer clear of any brace height less that 6.75" with 7-7.5" being easier to shoot accurately.
Try them all, however I will say that Hoyt always made good on any warranty issues with limbs delaminating, which happened in those days.
Good luck............10Dogs
 
Dont think you could go wrong with any really....you will be dropping a grand for brand new, that should do.
 
I shot a Z7 for years and never thought I would stray from Mathews...until I shot my buddy's Elite. WOW!! So, I traded by bow and some cash and a few other things towards his boat and bought his Elite Answer back from him and never looked back. It's not one of the new top of the line models that guys buy every year when the new ones come out and they trade in last years models...but it was a great price and it's a great shooting bow. Check out archerytalk classifieds in the near future when the bow brands start selling the new year model bows and guys start dumping off their 'old' bows. But, I would go to a bow shop and shoot as many bows as possible and see what fits you and what you really like first. If you can buy something used for a good price, it doesn't cost that much to get it set up for you if you need cams or something like that. And don't forget we are all fanboys of our bow brands, so we are going to say they are the best..lol Shoot straight, dude!! :D
 
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I shot a Z7 for years and never thought I would stray from Mathews...until I shot my buddy's Elite. WOW!! So, I traded by bow and some cash and a few other things towards his boat and bought his Elite Answer back from him and never looked back. It's not one of the new top of the line models that guys buy every year when the new ones come out and they trade in last years models...but it was a great price and it's a great shooting bow. Check out archerytalk classifieds in the near future when the bow brands start selling the new year model bows and guys start dumping off their 'old' bows. But, I would go to a bow shop and shoot as many bows as possible and see what fits you and what you really like first. If you can buy something used for a good price, it doesn't cost that much to get it set up for you if you need cams or something like that. And don't forget we are all fanboys of our bow brands, so we are going to say they are the best..lol Shoot straight, dude!! :D

You came to the darkside! I have told several people that if you don't want to buy an Elite, don't shoot one. I also have the Answer. It is a great bow. I bought a year old model (new) after the Energys were released for $450. My Hoyt has been sitting on the shelf since.
 
You came to the darkside! I have told several people that if you don't want to buy an Elite, don't shoot one. I also have the Answer. It is a great bow. I bought a year old model (new) after the Energys were released for $450. My Hoyt has been sitting on the shelf since.

Yes, I came to the darkside... :D Mine has 80# limbs on it and I'm shooting it at around 76# right now, as long as I have a shot in my shoulder..lol I see ortho again in March for the results of my last contrast dye MRI, so hopefully it's not bad news. But, I can't even put into words the difference between my Z7 and the Elite other than 'holy $hit' with 3 college degrees and a bunch of military schools :cool:
 
Thanks everyone for the recommendations and personal experiences. Definitely a few choices that I probably would not have considered without your input. Now I just have to put in some time at the archery shop shooting a bunch.
 
Keep an open mind while shooting different bows. There seem to be a lot of different opinions and predispositions on brands. If it feels good in your hand and you shoot it well it should be at the top of your list, regardless of brand.
 
Keep an open mind while shooting different bows. There seem to be a lot of different opinions and predispositions on brands. If it feels good in your hand and you shoot it well it should be at the top of your list, regardless of brand.

^^^ This. Shoot as many different bows as possible and go with what feels and shoots the best for you.
 
I went into the local archery shop a few years ago with no preference towards what brand of bow I wanted to buy. I shot all of the latest models and the one that felt the best was an Elite Answer. I'd try to shoot the others but I always couldn't wait to put those down and shoot the Elite again. That bow made the decision for me. It was more than I could afford at the time so I did another season with my old bow and then bought a used one at a much discounted price 6 months later. I still have that bow and I still love it. No plans to "upgrade" anytime soon.

Go shoot a bunch of different makes and models, I bet the decision will be easier than you think. I don't think there is a best brand, but there will be a brand that feels best to you.
 
You might be good to find the bow you like and try to find a used one for way cheaper and then spend the few bucks to get it set up to your specs. But, on the other hand, a new bow will come with a warranty. People will start dumping their old bows off on archery talk when they go to buy the latest and greatest bows after the ATA show and the new models come out.
 
You might be good to find the bow you like and try to find a used one for way cheaper and then spend the few bucks to get it set up to your specs. But, on the other hand, a new bow will come with a warranty. People will start dumping their old bows off on archery talk when they go to buy the latest and greatest bows after the ATA show and the new models come out.

Good advice here. This is a decision that I would largely make based upon the quality of your local shop. The shop I purchased through has a warranty second to none, to the extent that if your bow is in the shop during hunting season they'll provide you with a bow to use. That swayed me to use them versus saving a couple hundred bucks by buying one off of Archery Talk.
 
I shot Mathews, Bowtechs, and PSEs for years..
Then I shot a Prime.. I loved it.. Great bows imo
 
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