Best hunting bow, no price limit
Equipment
What bow would you pick if price was not a limit to hunt with? What about the Hoyt Carbon Matrix plus?
The most important things, all being about equal are: speed, durability and accuracy.
By accuracy I mean a forgiving bow (long brace heights etc).
I do not want the latest rave, I want a solid bow I can hunt with for 20 years and not feel I need to upgrade.
This is strictly for hunting, and lots of backpacking.
How about going the other direction with this? Lets see how what is the least we can spend on a bow and kill a deer. How about getting a used bow at a yard sale? Even better make it a traditional bow. It's about getting close and seeing their eye lashes. Don't get me wrong I spend lots of hunting stuff but sometimes the most fun we have is with the item that costs the least. Like a kid getting a new toy and playing with the box.
Invasion is the best bow I've shot this year.
The best hunting bow....My best hunting bow to date would have been my last bow. It was a High Country Excaliber,I bought when it was new and shot it alot. I would shoot 3d every Sunday. I would hunt every season ,every day off, I have harvested alot of animals with that bow. It became a part of me. That is how you get a good hunting bow. If you are getting a new one all the time... every year, then you never get used to shooting it,it never becomes a part of you.So I am not sure that the brand, amount spent, or the accessories matter as much as if you can shoot that bow like its a part of you. And yes I bought a new one last year, Bowtech Destroyer 350, I plan on making it my next best hunting bow and have already harvested a half dozen animals. But it has a long way to go to catch up to the last one. Just my opinion.
My best hunting bow is a 1967 Kodiak hunter. In fact, I liked it so much, I bought another. Currently, working on finishing up a BBO. should be a really sweet shooter.
Friend, there is no "best". What works for you, may not for another.
Bowtech Extreme VFT...$225 on eBay 6 years ago... has yet to be replaced in the elk woods and i've bought nearly everything made since!
I shot all of the new bows last summer, Hoyt, Z7, Destroyer,and decided I liked my Bear original "Truth" better than any of them. Saved myself a grand.The perfect bow is in the eye of the "bowholder".
Roger hit the nail on the head there is no single best bow . The best bow is the one that works the best for you . All archery company's build good solid bows these days , just like anything mass produced every now and then someone will have a problem . Bottom line is you need to find what is best for you . Good luck .
I just picked up my newest hunting bow from my bowyer today. Pronghorn foam core, 58" three piece T/D. Super smooth, quick, quiet, light, and hits right where your looking. $900, but will last a lifetime. I have 17 other Pronghorn longbows and recurves, and never had a single problem with any of them. I have been shooting these bows for 14 years now, and none have needed to go to the "shop". Take the traditional challenge.
I rarely get a new bow, I have been bowhunting 25 years and hunted with 4 bows.
Compound choice is the G5 Prime or the Quest Primal. You get all of the things you listed above with dependability out of a bow you can comfortably shoot all day. In turn, confidence in the woods for the one shot that really counts. Cannot say enough good things about these bows. Give them a fair look.
Traditional bows...make my own 3 piece t/d hybrid bows and really enjoy the satisfaction of that whole process.
Hope you find what works for you.
"When the Lord is your guide, you never hunt alone." Charles
There is no such thing. There is a list of best bows a mile long. Equipment today is so good it all boils down to personal preference. I would venture to guess that nearly every manufacturer probably has a model that will suit each and every one of us.
Mathews Conquest 3 is wha I have and after trying others that is what I am staying with. I shoot fingers so my options are fewer.
Tracy that stick bow is a piece of art!
Don, you know the drill, shoot em all. For me it would be the Carbon Matrix. Light, durable, fast enough, forgiving.
"How about going the other direction with this? Lets see how what is the least we can spend on a bow and kill a deer. How about getting a used bow at a yard sale? Even better make it a traditional bow. It's about getting close and seeing their eye lashes. Don't get me wrong I spend lots of hunting stuff but sometimes the most fun we have is with the item that costs the least. Like a kid getting a new toy and playing with the box."
WTH does this have to do with the original post? Why not start your own thread?
In response to the actual question: As others have stated, the best bow for you may not be the best bow for me. I find that I have to add weight to new bows so they feel more stable when I'm at full draw. For that reason I haven't shot the carbon bows yet.
Impossible to answer. Your shooting style and preferences in a bow will never be the exact same as someone elses so "One man's trash is another man's treasure", so to speak.
That been said, here's what works for me. Morrison Archery 3 piece takedown with carbon/foam limbs and Macassar Ebony riser. Bullet proof dependability and as accurate as I can train myself to be with it. Will likely outlast me. Upgrade? Materials, yes. Design, not much in over 1000 years. Just a bent piece of 'stick & string'. Effective? You bet! Will I buy another bow again in my lifetime? Without a doubt! I am hopelessly addicted.. Good luck in your quest. Steve
For me the best is my Hoyt element.
Ginger???
or Mary Ann????
I say, why have to chose just one.....
Tracy, Another beauty from Herb!!!
Don since you mention speed as one of the top priorities on your list, that narrows it down pretty good. Few if any of the bows mentioned above will qualify, if you require the best current speed performance.
For me the criteria were about the same as your's. In consideration of that, I shot all the brand/model options which qualified. I ended up with an AlphaBurner. As relates to your three requirements of Speed, Durability, and Accuracy.....it's speed performance is in the "99th percentile" of current bows, durability is a long-proven attribute from this manufacturer, and the bow is as accurate as my shooting skill can make it.
As with all speed-burning bows, you sacrifice in a few comfort areas....a shorter valley, shorter brace-height, broader draw-force curve, and a little less let-off %. Getting max speed performance does not come for free.
Sounds like you simply need to find a shop with all the major brands, shoot all their blazer models, and then make your pick.
Like S.C.Mercer said it comes down to individual tastes. I have shot a lot of bows trying to find "the bow" for me. It keeps coming back to the Blacktail recurve. Fits in the hand beautifully and shoots where I look. Rock solid! Plus they don't look too bad either.
Carbon Matrix
ps, your Dad getting ready for his Elk hunt? I hope he has a good time.
probably one of the ones by mathews or hoyt that will be unveiled in a couple months,for me now its the originalz7
Z7 sweetest bow i've ever owned. 35 years of bowhunting. Just make sure you get the draw length perfect!! Enjoy!!
It would not be the Carbon bow for me. If it was cheaper I would not want it. Too light and I worry about durabiity in the field.
My CRX 32 is a great bow, but again too short and too light. And it is hard to break over. Z7 Magnum has great draw but the bow does not sit well in my hand.
If I bought another right now, it would be PSE Dream Season. Really like those smooth draws and being able to adjust DL at home.
Based on your goals of speed and brace height, I picked the MATHEWS MONSTER 7 for myself. I bought it new this year even though it is not a new 2011 model. I shot and researched all the sweet new bows out there - by Hoyt, PSE, G5, Bowtech and of course other 2011 Mathews.
The draw cycle is smoother than most folks think, and has what your looking for- Have fun finding what you like and believe in
Elite Gt 500. Smooth drawing. I am pulling 80 pounds and it feels like a 70 pound bow. The carbon bows are neat but I like a heavy bow. Not worth the price yet for me.
CARIBOW / MADE BY ABE PENNER / SMOOTH SHOOTING AND HIGHLY MANUVERABLE WHETHER ON THE GROUND OR IN A TREE / COST UPWARDS FROM $750.00
I submit the Eaglewing Talon 11 takedown.
Get a Bear, Hoyt, Mathews, PSE, and a bowtech. Pick them up, drawback, shoot each one, then pick the one that feels best for you. Crank it down, and top it out, then you will have speed. Anyone of the brands above, well theres your durability. Lastly accuracy,..depends how you're shooting that day.
Simple answer: The one that you can shoot the best! Try em all out. Only you can decide which bow is best for you.
hmmmmmm......I'd probably scrounge up the parts make another one of these... ;-) .
No Price limit... Thats easy... MINE!!!.. Send me the Money & I'll send you the BOW...:)
