Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

New bow?

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
Ok all I want to buy a new bow, I currently have a hoyt powerhawk, nice bow but Im over it.

What are top brands I should research? Where can I shoot them?

I still like Hoyt, Mathews, Bowtech, PSE, are bows I have shot, and heard great things about them.

I have also heard Strothers?
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,061
223
Ohio
Ok all I want to buy a new bow, I currently have a hoyt powerhawk, nice bow but Im over it.

What are top brands I should research? Where can I shoot them?

I still like Hoyt, Mathews, Bowtech, PSE, are bows I have shot, and heard great things about them.

I have also heard Strothers?

You looking for a brand new bow, or just newer to you... like lightly used or something?

If I were buying a new bow I'd look at Hoyt, Strother, Elite, PSE, and I'd probably try to find an Obsession dealer as well. Hoyt or Strother would be my top two right off the bat, with Elite coming in a close third. PSE and Obsession would be wild cards. I really like Elite as a company... one of the best warranty policies in the business... and I like the ease-of-tuning with their binary cam system. However, since picking up my Strother Infinity and spending countless hours talking with Milo, I've really grown to love the hybrid cam systems (cam and 1/2). The tuning may not be quite as easy as a binary cam system, but it gives you much more versatility IMO. That being said, the new Strother bows (2012, 2013) have the Badger cam system, which is a binary system. I like the looks of the new Hoyt Spyder, but I also wouldn't rule out picking up a used Alphaburner or Vector Turbo. I've become a big fan of speed... the hybrid cam systems allow you to keep the speed while still retaining vibration-free shooting and a fairly smooth draw.

I'm not a huge fan of the newer Mathews bows... for a couple reasons. One, I wasn't overly-impressed by the Z7 when it came out... and two, for the past two years since the Z7 release, Mathews has done very little in the innovation department. It's stale technology, IMO. And that waffle iron riser is pretty fuggly.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
Im thinking i like the vector series from hoyt the best. great bow finish, easy to tune and balances nicely. maybe a turbo for me or i may go with a new stevens bow(very new out) if i hit the lottery one day
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
I am looking to buy a brand new bow. I wanna spend the money on something I really love.

I was thinking about the higher end Hoyt. Are those easy to tune?
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
I am looking to buy a brand new bow. I wanna spend the money on something I really love.

I was thinking about the higher end Hoyt. Are those easy to tune?

define easymischeif.gif they are for me but everyone's mileage may vary
 

Mao

Member
1,695
109
Coshocton, OH
The specs on the Strother Wrath are hard to beat. IBO of 330 with an 8 in. brace height. Not to mention a very smooth draw a feel to the bow. If you are looking for a lightly used one you can pick one up on Archerytalk for under $500.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
The specs on the Strother Wrath are hard to beat. IBO of 330 with an 8 in. brace height. Not to mention a very smooth draw a feel to the bow. If you are looking for a lightly used one you can pick one up on Archerytalk for under $500.

Shh, lets not talk about this bow! I have been eyeballing it for a while! The itch to buy one HAD been going away, but then you cause it to flare up again! LOL

Honestly though, I really like my Elite Z28, and I don't see me getting rid of it any time soon.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,061
223
Ohio
Shh, lets not talk about this bow! I have been eyeballing it for a while! The itch to buy one HAD been going away, but then you cause it to flare up again! LOL

Honestly though, I really like my Elite Z28, and I don't see me getting rid of it any time soon.

If you want this statement to remain true, I suggest you don't put your hands on a Strother.
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
What about a PSE OMEN, seems like a pretty sweet bow.

Why the Hoyt spyder serious over the hoyt element or matrix?

Which Strothers would you all recommend.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
If you want this statement to remain true, I suggest you don't put your hands on a Strother.

I shot Milos. It was a fine bow, but not fine enough to make me spend the dough on a new one. Now, if I can pick up a used one in the future, maybe I will, but I'm still not gonna sell my Z. That bow is sweet, bottom line!
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
What about a PSE OMEN, seems like a pretty sweet bow.

Why the Hoyt spyder serious over the hoyt element or matrix?

Which Strothers would you all recommend.

The PSE Omen has a harsh draw even for a speed bow. I shoot an Alphaburner that is IBO'ing through three different chronos at 351 and the draw on it is SO much smoother. Even so if you breakdown and get lazy it wants to take off on you just a lil bit but not bad for a speed bow.

I am looking to buy a new one as well. I would start with what ATA/BH you are looking at and then narrow from there. Here are some of my thoughts...

Hoyt - Hard to beat them. They don't inflate numbers and are not trying to set the speed world on fire. They produce consistent, easy to shoot, tuneable bows that always exceed specs. I may very well end up with a Spyder Turbo. Good CS/Warranty

Mathews - Nothing intrigues me with them. All of there bows are 32" ATA and below and I see no purpose in me having such a short bow. They are a well built bow and if you like'em short they have plenty of options.

PSE - Great specs and something for just about everyone. Another hybrid cam company and they have great performance numbers and reach them. Once at anchor they all will pull pretty hard on you if you loose form. The Vendetta DC is intriguing but life is TOO short TOO shoot ugly bows and PSE's ain't got no alibi, they ugly. lol Reported good CS.

Bowtech - IMHO one of the best cam designs on the market. Completely tuneable (binary with yokes). I cannot speak to the draw/shootability because I have not shot their new bows but a couple times and it was an 80# Insanity. It wasn't bad but it was ready to go. I would like to shoot a CPXL at 70 as it has perfect specs for what I am looking for. Known CS/QC issues such as the limbs flaking. Heard they do get taken care of though.

Elite - People love them. Not my cup of tea but I can see where a strictly hunting application they could be ideal. One of the best warranties in the business that is good for the lifetime of the bow. The grip on the Elite is a love/hate thing.

Strother - Really like these bows. The Moxie is intriguing for me. Rock solid bows with good numbers. I have heard of mixed reviews on CS but I know they cover the bow for the first dry fire.

G5 Prime - Was able to shoot these recently and was I impressed. Felt like a mixture of a Hoyt and an Elite. I am looking into the G5 Impact right now. Great warranty for the original buyer with free strings and a tune every 2 years.

Obsession/Stevens - Really like the specs/idea of these bows but I will not buy one for a few years. Been down that road with a new company and won't go there again. Warranty does you know good when the company goes under. Not only that but seems ole KS has been involved in both. I'll pass until I see that he settles there for a couple years or they keep doing well after he's left. Great designer, horrible in business.

Athen/New Breed/Maitland - All the same bows with different measurements. Some guys in Athens are D-Bags so I would never buy one. I would like to shoot the New Breed Eclipse.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,061
223
Ohio
^ - Haven't been thinking about this much lately :smiley_chinrub::smiley_blameshift:

Lol.

That was actually some great advice/opinion-giving, Beener. Everything you typed pretty much describes my thoughts to a T. I too like the cam system of the Bowtechs, and the Insanity is a nice shooter, but damn they scare me a bit. It seems I read way too many threads online about limb flaking and other quality issues. I don't spend good money for something to fall apart like that. Fugg that.

And the Elite grip... Yep, you nailed that one too. Honestly, when I bought my Z28 I thought that I liked the grip... But the more I shot it, the more I realized how much I didn't like it, especially after shooting a few more models. Not only was it a bit uncomfortable for me, but I also had a hell of a time eliminating grip-related torque with that bow. That being said, once I figured it out, I could shoot that bow lights-out! I had 3 or 4 robinhoods with that bow alone.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
My advice is simply to shoot as many as you can get your hands on before buying one. Buying a new bow should be an en devour that lasts 2-3-4 months or more. For me, I would never consider a bow that wasn't made by Mathews, Elite, Strothers, or Hoyt. The last bow I would ever buy is a PSE. I'm a Mathews guy and if you like shootability, then that's where they shine. However bows from Elite, Strothers, Obsession and Hoyt blend the best of specs and shootability, essentially making most of Mathews new bows "obsolete". Despite my love of my Switchback XT, I'll be hunting with a Strothers Infinity in the near future as it will give me the best of specs and shootability that I am looking for.

Good luck on this quest and DO NOT settle. Buy based on feel, not our opinions or anyone else's. The bow needs to feel good to you. There should be a comfort that comes from holding it and shooting it. I don't care if it is a Jennings or Winchester, if it feels good to you, buy it. Just shoot as many different bows as you can, from as many different companies and buy what strikes your fancy.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
And the Elite grip... Yep, you nailed that one too. Honestly, when I bought my Z28 I thought that I liked the grip... But the more I shot it, the more I realized how much I didn't like it, especially after shooting a few more models. Not only was it a bit uncomfortable for me, but I also had a hell of a time eliminating grip-related torque with that bow. That being said, once I figured it out, I could shoot that bow lights-out! I had 3 or 4 robinhoods with that bow alone.

Here's my fix for the Strothers when I get it...

http://www.torqueless.com/product_p/strfg.htm
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
Idk I have shot my buddies Mathews, and I always felt like I could hold the bow steady forever, and never jumped on me.

My hoyt at times will jump foreward on me at times.

I know the FIN has a lot of hoyt/Mathews that I can shoot, where can I shoot a strothers?
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,061
223
Ohio
Here's my fix for the Strothers when I get it...

http://www.torqueless.com/product_p/strfg.htm

You probably won't need that grip with a Strother, bro. The Strother grip is damn near perfect, IMO.

Idk I have shot my buddies Mathews, and I always felt like I could hold the bow steady forever, and never jumped on me.

My hoyt at times will jump foreward on me at times.

I know the FIN has a lot of hoyt/Mathews that I can shoot, where can I shoot a strothers?

As you know, picking a bow is all about feel man. We can sit here and type up all of our opinions until we're blue in the face, but what really matters is YOU picking up the bows and shooting them. If it doesn't feel right to YOU, you're not going to like it.

See if this link works... It's a link to the dealer locator on the Strother website.
http://strotherarchery.com/index.php?option=com_webmapplus&view=webmapplus&category=0&Itemid=160