New bow ideas

[Sitkaspruce]

So after selling my Hoyt Vtec a few years ago, I quite shooting bows.

A buddy from work dragged me out shooting last week, I forgot how much fun it was.

So now I am looking for a new bow.

It has to be a min of 7" brace height (I have a hand shake, so need something that is forgiving), has a ATA between 33-35", has to be light (anything over 4.5 lbs is too heavy) and can be tuned and adjusted with out ordering new moduals etc. I also do not want to break the bank for my first step back into it.

And I would be interested in a good used one as well, if someone is selling one.....

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

Cheers

SS

[The Silent Stalker]

Check out the APA bows, made in Canada, no press needed to change strings, lots of little things that make them look. Fast as hell too. You could find something in their lineup that suits your needs.

[lorneparker1]

look around on archery talk, tons of basically brand new bows for 75% or better.

[Jonas111]

Try and find a used Elite bow. Best bows on the market. I've tried a ton of them.

[Shooter]

Elites are great bows. I have my second one now however they aren't the lightest on the market (however the little extra weight I think helps to hold steadier) and they also require different mods for draw length adjustment but I'm sure you aren't growing anymore. :p I just sold my Elite hunter and as great as that bow was it falls short on some of your criteria. Realistically try out some if you can and go from there.

[keoke]

Strother archery is releasing a new bow that would fit your bill. You should check them out. www.strotherarchery.com the new bow is call eternal. 7 3/4" brace height, 32" ata, and rotating modules.

[Sofa King]

Check out the APA bows, made in Canada, no press needed to change strings, lots of little things that make them look. Fast as hell too. You could find something in their lineup that suits your needs.

can't go wrong with APA.
and they are made in biggar, Saskatchewan.
I did a walk through the factory when I was out there.

[Sitkaspruce]

Thanks guys

I am on AT, Bowsite and a few others and although there is great info and even some great deals, most posts like this one turn into a pi$$ match between bow lovers....

I will be looking at the Strother bows this weekend and will see how they shoot.

Cheers

SS

[Ambush]

You pretty much have to start with a dollar figure for the bow and then decide if you want go with accessories that you will never have to up-grade. The "buy nice or buy twice" philosophy will definitely save you money if you are in for the long haul. Quality gear is usually a good investment.

Too many good, mid range bows out there to single out just one. I shoot Mathews because I like them and they've always been absolutely dependable even though I've subjected them to some very harsh conditions.

I'm convinced that a shooter can become comfortable with any bow as long as the draw length and weight are correct. Just avoid extreme speed and you should be good.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

You pretty much have to start with a dollar figure for the bow and then decide if you want go with accessories that you will never have to up-grade. The "buy nice or buy twice" philosophy will definitely save you money if you are in for the long haul. Quality gear is usually a good investment.

Too many good, mid range bows out there to single out just one. I shoot Mathews because I like them and they've always been absolutely dependable even though I've subjected them to some very harsh conditions.

I'm convinced that a shooter can become comfortable with any bow as long as the draw length and weight are correct. Just avoid extreme speed and you should be good.

^^^^^^^ What he said^^^^^^^

I personally am a Big fan of Elites .... they come in at just shy of 4 pounds bare
Strothers are great bows as well ... designed by the same guy that made the original Elites but in a Quad limb design
Hoyts are awesome Bows ... I shot them exclusivly ... but have a reputation for being on the heavy side
Bowtechs were known for being light ... also known for limbs de laminating ... the last few years not so much
Mathews are great bows with a strong following ... I personally cant stand them but have the lightest Aluminum risers out there

You are gonna be hard pressed to find a fully dressed out bow for under 4.5 pounds total weight 6 is more realistic .... I prefer a heavier bow as it holds more steady ... I weighed my hunting bow last week with a Calibrated scale ... it comes in at 7pounds 2 oz fully dressed (sight, stab, rest, loaded quiver, sling, peep, release aid etc....) I thought it was close to 8 so I was pleasently surprised

If you are wanting a draw lenth adjustment with no Mods ..ie: rotating cam... then I would look hard at the Bowtechs and Hoyts ... You can find last years Hoyts online for under 6 hundy .... I personally if buying used would go with Elite simply because of the peice of mind of the only transferable warrantee in the industry .. but you are looking at modules for draw lenth adjustment ...But it depends upon your budget ... used elites are still fetching close to 7 hundy wheras others are around the 5-6 mark.

That said I bought recently 2 Hoyts for friends and am perfectly happy with the purchases and triing to close the deal on another as I type. as i have not had any issues dealing with warrantee issues with the CDN distributor nor Hoyts factory itself.

You may notice that I am not pumping APAs tires up ... I personally dont like them, they dont balance for me(fall forward ... needs alot of backweight), they are gimmicky with the tool center, However I have been known to use the knock wrench on it to index .. most other bows however the string works good for that ... yes you could change the string without a press ... but you can do that with any 2 cam bow and a screwdriver ... APA just gives you a Pin to lose ... still doesnt help of you if you need to change a cable set, therefore still need to press it to tune while twisting/untwisting cables . I tried them when they first hit the market using Bowtechs cams in 04 ... I tried them Last year while many models have changed ... they are pretty much the same ..also too much Buck for the amount of bang you get in my opinion.
Get measured properly however and you will never have a problem. The is an Elite dealer in the Peace area

[keoke]

All of Strothers newer bows are not designed by kevin. They went there separate ways after the first year. Try shooting a bunch of bows with a brand blindfold and choose the one that feels best.

[Kudu]

So after selling my Hoyt Vtec a few years ago, I quite shooting bows.

A buddy from work dragged me out shooting last week, I forgot how much fun it was.

So now I am looking for a new bow.

It has to be a min of 7" brace height (I have a hand shake, so need something that is forgiving), has a ATA between 33-35", has to be light (anything over 4.5 lbs is too heavy) and can be tuned and adjusted with out ordering new moduals etc. I also do not want to break the bank for my first step back into it.

And I would be interested in a good used one as well, if someone is selling one.....

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

Cheers

SS

just go to a shop that carries a large range of bows - shoot some - then shoot some more - the right bow will let you know once you have shot it.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

All of Strothers newer bows are not designed by kevin. They went there separate ways after the first year. Try shooting a bunch of bows with a brand blindfold and choose the one that feels best.
yes the first couple years tho were all his design and ever since all based upon
... just like the Elites

[Sitkaspruce]

^^^^^^^ What he said^^^^^^^

I personally am a Big fan of Elites .... they come in at just shy of 4 pounds bare
Strothers are great bows as well ... designed by the same guy that made the original Elites but in a Quad limb design
Hoyts are awesome Bows ... I shot them exclusivly ... but have a reputation for being on the heavy side
Bowtechs were known for being light ... also known for limbs de laminating ... the last few years not so much
Mathews are great bows with a strong following ... I personally cant stand them but have the lightest Aluminum risers out there

You are gonna be hard pressed to find a fully dressed out bow for under 4.5 pounds total weight 6 is more realistic .... I prefer a heavier bow as it holds more steady ... I weighed my hunting bow last week with a Calibrated scale ... it comes in at 7pounds 2 oz fully dressed (sight, stab, rest, loaded quiver, sling, peep, release aid etc....) I thought it was close to 8 so I was pleasently surprised

If you are wanting a draw lenth adjustment with no Mods ..ie: rotating cam... then I would look hard at the Bowtechs and Hoyts ... You can find last years Hoyts online for under 6 hundy .... I personally if buying used would go with Elite simply because of the peice of mind of the only transferable warrantee in the industry .. but you are looking at modules for draw lenth adjustment ...But it depends upon your budget ... used elites are still fetching close to 7 hundy wheras others are around the 5-6 mark.

That said I bought recently 2 Hoyts for friends and am perfectly happy with the purchases and triing to close the deal on another as I type. as i have not had any issues dealing with warrantee issues with the CDN distributor nor Hoyts factory itself.

You may notice that I am not pumping APAs tires up ... I personally dont like them, they dont balance for me(fall forward ... needs alot of backweight), they are gimmicky with the tool center, However I have been known to use the knock wrench on it to index .. most other bows however the string works good for that ... yes you could change the string without a press ... but you can do that with any 2 cam bow and a screwdriver ... APA just gives you a Pin to lose ... still doesnt help of you if you need to change a cable set, therefore still need to press it to tune while twisting/untwisting cables . I tried them when they first hit the market using Bowtechs cams in 04 ... I tried them Last year while many models have changed ... they are pretty much the same ..also too much Buck for the amount of bang you get in my opinion.
Get measured properly however and you will never have a problem. The is an Elite dealer in the Peace area

Mikey

I was looking at bare bow weight, not outfitted weight. My old Vtec was heavy, around 8.0+ with everything.

I am heading to a couple shops in GP on saturday to try a few different bows. I do have a budget for the bare bow, the additional stuff will be added with a different budget....late BD and/or early xmas.....

And i will be watching for used ones, just need to see what feels right in my hand.

The bow I have been shooting is an Elite GT500??( I believe). It is nice, but it is a buddies target bow and is set up for him, not me.

Has anybody heard or shot a Mission Bow?? There is a dealer in GP.

Thanks for all the info so far.

Cheers

SS

[Superdeuce]

I think I would scoop up the Z28 off the HBC buy/sell :) The Z28 and the GT500 are two of the better models Elite made. From the current lineup, the Answer, or Pure for longer ATA, would fit the bill.
x2 the comment re Elite's warranty best in business and negates concerns of buying used.

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

Lots of nice bows mentioned that may well fit the criteria of the original post indeed... Yet no one has mentioned the Bear Anarchy. Definitely worth a look!

For anyone interested there is a good online proshop called Hunters Friend. I always happen to find some solid info there, good selection and they ship to Canada.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

SS
Missions are made by Mathews ... Great bows ... I just cant stand them .. something about the feel , the balance ... none of their models have ever felt right to me ... that said My Daughter shoots a Mission bow.

The GT is argueably the best bow that Elite has ever created, The Pure is the exact same specs with slightly differant cams. I would be wary of some of the Z28s out there ... when Elite was growing to fast for themselves they farmed out the Z28 riser machining to G5 outdoors, and thus on some models with certain serial Numbers they cannot transfer the warrantee ... still a fine quality product ... but if you bought a Z28 based on the warrantee you may be upset in the unlikey event that you will need it. Based upon that I advise people to stay away from Z28s as I dont recall the SN sequence of the affected bows ... you can phone up Elite and check a number to see if it will be covered.

I personally use a Pure for 3D and Feild, and an Answer for hunting ... I am looking at either a Tour (if I want to keep the Elite theme in my house) for paper or a "ProComp Elite" by Hoyt ... for indoor paper I may find something older like an XLR or if I can find one again a Hoyt Protec or Pro Elite(the Hoyt Elites have the shoot thru risers) with 3000 limbs and spirals (still kicking my own ass for selling that bow)

now .. you mentioned that your old V-tec was heavy ... yes I agree with you ... the hoyts of that era (early -mid 2000s) were pretty heavy (pushing 4.8 pounds IIRC)... I have bought 2 2012 model Hoyts in the last couple months for friends.. Both of them are Vector Turbos actually ... 35" a2a ... ibo at 340 with a 6" brace but with the parallel limb design Brace doesnt factor in as much as it did with the old recurve style. Smoothest "Speed" bow I ever shot and that includes the Elite Pulse ... so thats a Bold statement comming from me. and comes in at 4.0 pounds bare (think about the fact the Carbon matrix is 3.8 pounds .. just under 4oz lighter and the Element is 3.6 pounds).

the first Turbo I was a little sketchy about because the guy I got it for is not a very expirianced archer and was worried about the horniness etc of it .... he has done fine its not like the old Spiral draw cycle on the Super tec or Turbo tecs ... the last one I got, I am not worried about my customer at all ... if he has issues I will educate him by hand, he is more worried about it than I am since he is going from an Entry level bow to a Flagship model in one fell swoop. with the exception of the Elite series and the Carbons ... 2012 model Hoyts are going for about 600-650USD on the used market +shipping older than 2010 you are looking at 450-500

elites are anywhere from 400 for the early models ... like the Cudas GTOs ... a GT500 is about 500 and from the 2011 models newer you are looking at about 650-700

Bowtechs are the same range as the Hoyts ,as are Matthews and PSEs for the most part.

One major brand not metioned here is Martin... Damn fine bows ... Next to PSE is the largest archery company on the planet ... and the Factory is in Walla Walla IIRC. I would have no issues buying any Martin/Rytera bow again. (Martin is the parent company started by Gail Martin... Rytera was/is the R+D side started by Gails boys RYan and TERry ... now is for sure the premium line of the Martin Archery factory.


anything by Elite, Strothers, K&K or any other thing that Kevin Strothers has had his mitts into since leaving Bowtech has a Martin influence as his Wife Kate is a Martin(Gails Granddaughter) herself(biggest reason Kevin was let go from Bowtech actually)

[Sitkaspruce]

I think I would scoop up the Z28 off the HBC buy/sell :) The Z28 and the GT500 are two of the better models Elite made. From the current lineup, the Answer, or Pure for longer ATA, would fit the bill.
x2 the comment re Elite's warranty best in business and negates concerns of buying used.

The bow is too short and the draw weight too much, to get what I need, i would have to replace cams etc, where I would now be getting into new bow prices (not elite, but other bows). I have already talked the the owner, thanks for the heads up though.

Cheers

SS

[Jonas111]

I have a Brand new Elite Answer in my garage. I don't have time to shoot archery these days with my young family so I am not sure I will even set it up. I sold the Elite GT500 and bought the Answer.

I have owned a ton of bows when I was into shooting. I still own a Hoyt Vantage Elite Plus, a Strothers SR71 and the Answer. My buddy on here sets up and sells Elite bows and he very knowledgable. PM me if you want his contact info.

I have to agree with Bowzone. Elite is my favourite hunting bow. The Hoyt is for target archery and I absolutely love it. The SR71 is also an awesome bow and super fast. Short brace height on it but it shoots awesome.

The only bows I haven't got a chance to try are the expensive Hoyt's. the carbon element and the carbon matrix. I have always wanted one but I just can't justify spending twice as much as my elite to shoot a little slower.

Also notice I am not an APA fan. There bows have very old technology and they are heavy. The biggest reason I don't like them is there resale value is super low.

What is your draw Length? I have a post on here about brace height that thoroughly explains it. If your draw length is short like mine then you don't need To be worried about brace height as much.

[Sitkaspruce]

I have a Brand new Elite Answer in my garage. I don't have time to shoot archery these days with my young family so I am not sure I will even set it up. I sold the Elite GT500 and bought the Answer.

I have owned a ton of bows when I was into shooting. I still own a Hoyt Vantage Elite Plus, a Strothers SR71 and the Answer. My buddy on here sets up and sells Elite bows and he very knowledgable. PM me if you want his contact info.

I have to agree with Bowzone. Elite is my favourite hunting bow. The Hoyt is for target archery and I absolutely love it. The SR71 is also an awesome bow and super fast. Short brace height on it but it shoots awesome.

The only bows I haven't got a chance to try are the expensive Hoyt's. the carbon element and the carbon matrix. I have always wanted one but I just can't justify spending twice as much as my elite to shoot a little slower.

Also notice I am not an APA fan. There bows have very old technology and they are heavy. The biggest reason I don't like them is there resale value is super low.

What is your draw Length? I have a post on here about brace height that thoroughly explains it. If your draw length is short like mine then you don't need To be worried about brace height as much.

Thanks Jonas

My DL is 29 or 29.5 (cannot remember LOL).

Will PM you about some other info.

Cheers

SS

[Ike]

^^^^^^^ What he said^^^^^^^

I personally am a Big fan of Elites .... they come in at just shy of 4 pounds bare
Strothers are great bows as well ... designed by the same guy that made the original Elites but in a Quad limb design
Hoyts are awesome Bows ... I shot them exclusivly ... but have a reputation for being on the heavy side
Bowtechs were known for being light ... also known for limbs de laminating ... the last few years not so much
Mathews are great bows with a strong following ... I personally cant stand them but have the lightest Aluminum risers out there

You are gonna be hard pressed to find a fully dressed out bow for under 4.5 pounds total weight 6 is more realistic .... I prefer a heavier bow as it holds more steady ... I weighed my hunting bow last week with a Calibrated scale ... it comes in at 7pounds 2 oz fully dressed (sight, stab, rest, loaded quiver, sling, peep, release aid etc....) I thought it was close to 8 so I was pleasently surprised

If you are wanting a draw lenth adjustment with no Mods ..ie: rotating cam... then I would look hard at the Bowtechs and Hoyts ... You can find last years Hoyts online for under 6 hundy .... I personally if buying used would go with Elite simply because of the peice of mind of the only transferable warrantee in the industry .. but you are looking at modules for draw lenth adjustment ...But it depends upon your budget ... used elites are still fetching close to 7 hundy wheras others are around the 5-6 mark.

That said I bought recently 2 Hoyts for friends and am perfectly happy with the purchases and triing to close the deal on another as I type. as i have not had any issues dealing with warrantee issues with the CDN distributor nor Hoyts factory itself.

You may notice that I am not pumping APAs tires up ... I personally dont like them, they dont balance for me(fall forward ... needs alot of backweight), they are gimmicky with the tool center, However I have been known to use the knock wrench on it to index .. most other bows however the string works good for that ... yes you could change the string without a press ... but you can do that with any 2 cam bow and a screwdriver ... APA just gives you a Pin to lose ... still doesnt help of you if you need to change a cable set, therefore still need to press it to tune while twisting/untwisting cables . I tried them when they first hit the market using Bowtechs cams in 04 ... I tried them Last year while many models have changed ... they are pretty much the same ..also too much Buck for the amount of bang you get in my opinion.
Get measured properly however and you will never have a problem. The is an Elite dealer in the Peace area

Just a point of clarification (bold in BMs post above) - you do not need a press to change cables. change string or twist/tune the cables. The only time you need a press is to take off the limbs.
Cheers

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Just a point of clarification (bold in BMs post above) - you do not need a press to change cables. change string or twist/tune the cables. The only time you need a press is to take off the limbs.
Cheers


Yes .. My Bad ... you can do one cable at a time with the binary cam system they run ... would rather press it properly and do it right personally ... but it will do in a pinch ... like I said tho you can do this with any 2 Cam bow and a screwdriver .. and requires stepping on the string each time if you are alone ... Not a fan of it ... good way to get the string to jump track as well

[StoneChaser]

[QUOTE=Bowzone_Mikey;1381248]Yes .. My Bad ... you can do one cable at a time with the binary cam system they run ... would rather press it properly and do it right personally ... but it will do in a pinch ... like I said tho you can do this with any 2 Cam bow and a screwdriver .. and requires stepping on the string each time if you are alone ... Not a fan of it ... good way to get the string to jump track as well[/]

My buddy runs an APA and loves the pin cam lock feature for installing new strings, tuning, peep adjustment, and tinkering. Don't have to step on the string either as APA has the handle that you step through. Those who have actually used the system seem to quite like it.