Besides being left handed I wanted to get a bow that I'm able to change the DL and DW myself. I'm assuming it would also be cheaper not needing to buy new cams and/or limbs too right? Been keeping an eye out on here and AT for anything used. My worry is buying something without getting to try it out and see how it feels.
If anyone has a used left handed bow they don't use let me know if you'd be interested in selling it.
My DL is 31" DW 48lbs. with a 50% left-off although I think I can easily go up to about 55lbs. I've been giving my shoulder a rest I'd like to get to the range sometime this week to up my DW and see how it feels.
Looking to spend around $200-$250. I thought I would start this thread while I'm still searching to see if anyone has any additional info/suggestions before I find one.
I appreciate everyone's help so far, Chris
That being said I like a compound that has a long brace height that is 65 % let off and a solo cam that is fairly quiet. No big speed cam for me anymore. I just shoot a solo cam bow better and I think they are more forgiving and smoother to draw. I shoot a PSE Stinger 3G I think it's shooting 290 fps at 60# draw with my arrow setup. That's good enough for me. You can buy a brand new one for $300 Hope that helps some.
Mike
The Bear Outbreak and Attitude are 2 other ones that caught my eye. If I have to buy new it would be between those 4.
I like the split limb look of the Brute X and like the Attitude also.
The PSE Vision seems nice too....to many bows to pick!! lol
Any opinions on a Mathews Reezen 6.5?
Generally speaking, the thinner the width of the grip, the less grip there is to interface with the hand, the less chance for torque(twisting of the riser). When I shot compounds and was a staff shooter for Hoyt, each year I got a new bow in the mail from them and would immediately remove the wood side plates or over grip then wrap the bare metal handle in racquetball tape. Look for a bow with a good grip. All this talk of cam and limb designs is really moot because the bow itself will outshoot any archer and that goes for *ALL* of them. There aren't any bad ones on the market today.
In your price range you should be able to aquire good quality in a used bow. Fortunately for you, compounds do not hold their value. This season's top of the line $1000 Hoyt or Bowtech will be worth one third that in a couple years. The last piece of advice I have is to stick with lower draw weights, especially at your long draw length; 50#-60# limbs will consistently kill anything on this continent.
It's also good to know that with my setup 50-60lbs will take care of whatever I hunt, thanks again.
I don't shoot compounds nowadays, but if I did, I would NEVER buy a new one. I'd do as I do with vehicles... let the 'gotta-have-it' guys take the showroom price hit... I'll pay half price for basically the same thing a few months later...... and use it for 20 years :^)
The important part is taking the right shot (close and nearly broadside) and putting the arrow in the right place.
The last thing I want to do is rush into a purchase so I figure writing about what I find and talking about it keeps me from pulling the trigger to quick lol. Also saw a PSE Firestorm Lite? For $300. Still looking for preowned first though.
-Chris
Make your hand look like a gun. Then make your index finger & thumb look like the letter "C." Place the bow in your "C" grip and draw. As soon as you start to draw the bow is locked in your grip with no torque at all. See the pictures below.
I went to B&A today and my shoulder felt MUCH better. Had some trouble with my sight though, from trying to get it to fit into a soft case I must have altered the sight. No big deal though b/c I wanted to make the top pin my 20yd pin instead of 10yd.
Hoping to get back by this weekend and make sure I'm on point still and then try my broadheads and see which fly just like my fp's.
They have a PSE Brute X and a Bowtech Assassin there I would like to try out also. Still really liking that Stinger 3G.
What is the major difference between a single cam and binary cam is it? Or dual cam?
Thanks, Chris
Very fast, very harsh draw, but very fast. Plus, with only a 6.5" brace height, its not the most forgiving bow either, but its very fast. Did I happen to mention that its very fast?
If you were a right handed shooter, I'd make you a good offer on the Reezen. I also have an MQ-1 with a couple of sets of limbs (60# and 70#) that I'm looking to get rid of.
Dave- so the Reezen is a little fast huh? lol. Yea it seems everyone is right handed, hard to find a lefty now a days. I appreciate the offer though man, if only I were right eye dominant.
1. Simplicity. No wheels; no cams; no sites; no kisser buttons; no release; no nuts; no bolts; no screws; no sighting in; no metal; no stupid unnecessary gadgets that can go wronged ruin your hunt.
2. No need for range finders
3. Less weight to carry.
4. Most impottantly, Shooting instinctive is easier than having to rely on technology.
I agree with your #1 and #3, but #2...if a person can't judge distance accurately, it doesn't really matter what they're shooting. And as far as #4 goes, as long as you're talking ONLY shooting, I'd agree that instinctive is far easier and far more enjoyable. But not necessarily more accurate without the practice.
But overall, I'd agree. I believe a person's first experience with archery should be with traditional equipment.
On a two cam bow each bussed(yoked) end of the cable loads the opposing limb. With a one cam bow, and that cam being on the bottom, it loads both limbs. Hybrid cams are pretty aptly named because they possess qualities of both the aforementioned designs. That said, I view them a bit more like a one cam design than a two cam'er, being that they only have one true cam. The other 'cam' looks like a "cam", but really functions as a glorified idler. The advertised "benefit" is that they also have more level nock travel than traditional idlers(on true one cam bows) because it's idler/"1/2 cam" is the same geometry as the opposing cam/"working cam". The early marketing on "Cam and a Half"(Hoyt's update to the Darton CPS system) stated that the cam did not need to be synched to the 'real' cam. This was incorrect information and when I was in the shop we pointed that out to Hoyt, which they sorta recanted on later.
The one cam bow was in use long before Mathews adopted and successfully marketed it.......McPherson actually originated it, but much like the "7MM Express" did in the gun industry, it died quickly. That said, it resurrected a few decades later as the "280 Remington" and enjoyed a quick following because it was remarketed correctly, despite the fact it didn't do anything better than anything else, or the former........Spooky good analogy, isn't it? :) Point being that archery knows how to do business.
Back to my "shop days"......The one cam became an instant hit because the original marketing stated that since the one cam didn't require being timed or synched to the other cam(because it was obviously non existent in this case), that it could never come out of tune. WOW!!!.....What a lie that turned out to be. If a string creeps(permanent elongation) it alters the bow's geometry, which in turn obviously changes it's relationship with the limbs(and the archer), not to mention draw length and weight. That's problematic for sure.
The real 'problem', however, with cam designs turned out not to be cams at all. Nope, the culprit was string and cable materials. The original "Fastflight" material by Brownell and used industry wide, was notorious for creeping. Every time a string or cable elongates you lose the bow's tune, so, so much for single cams fixing compound archery's problem. Once that epiphany was realized and accepted, the brain trust went back to work and designed virtually zero creep and limited stretch string materials.
All that any of this means really is that there isn't actually a need for multiple cam configurations to even exist, so I wouldn't sweat the hype if I were you.......LOL, I just realized that my words are from a guy accused of "trolling for compounders" recently. Ironic, isn't it? :)
One question I do have is what type of cam/bow is easiest to work on? I like to do all my own work and eventually once I learn enough I'd like to be able to do my own bow work. Restring it, tune it, new cables whatever would be needed I'd like to do. Is one type easier to work with then another? Also do you guys recommend using hand presses?
Thanks, Chris
Let me tell you how to build a watch. LOL
@ Jeff- that's awesome that your able to build bows like that. Would be very interested in learning someday. I am sure the knowledge, talent and skill you have is out of this world. Do you have any pictures of what your bows look like?
Pictures? Ha, I have hundreds :^)
Don't think that you need to pick just one or the other, compound, recurve, or longbow... you can shoot em all if ya want.
Jeff's our resident Bowyer and at one time we had several of them participating here regularly enough, but some things happened and those fellas don't stop by much now. That's a bad thing. We also had a few archery historians who used to show up regularly to shed some wisdom and that doesn't hardly happen either these days.......not a good thing.
My advice is that you do what comes naturally, keep a open mind, and enjoy the ride no matter where it takes you. If you happen to adopt archery as a lifestyle then I promise that it will have a positive and extraordinary effect on your life.......
But shooting a recurve or longbow can offer so many benefits. The bows themselves are as accurate as any compound so it's up to the shooter to do the work. If you practice and have good form you will be capable of hunting any animal you want.
The bows themselves are a joy to carry in the field. Lightweight, powerful and beautiful. There is a special feeling in drawing the bow, releasing an arrow and watching it hit the mark, whether a target, animal or clump of grass. I believe you'll find that, in general, recurve shooters just love to shoot their bows. It is almost addicting.
You can find excellent vintage bows on auction sites or Craig's List for under $100. Get some inexpensive matched arrows and you sill be set. There is no need to get a "name" bow. In the 60's 70's and 80's there were many excellent bows that folks care little about today. Some of them can be bought for $50-75 and are excellent bows. My favorite hunting bows are all from the 60's and 70's and they will hold their own with any custom recurve made today.
Like others said, don't limit yourself.
Before you buy a used recurve, just check that the limbs aren't twisted and there is no delamination between the layers of glass and wood.
Watch those yard and garage sales man, they'll be popping up like crazy this time of year.
PSE Stinger 3g Left hand 50-70lb dw single cam for $370
PSE X-force Drive LT Left hand 50-70lb dw hybrid cams (which from others reviews is like a single cam but better?) for $450
Both are new, haven't been able to find anything used which sucks but those prices are the RTS package prices. They come with a sight, arrow rest and quiver. These are also 2013 bows, the singer is no longer made in 2014.
What should I do buy one new? Also if so which one do you suggest? I can put the Drive on layaway to pay off which is helpful. Is the Drive worth an extra $100? I know buying used is better but can't seem to find a left handed bow like these, should I just keep waiting?
Appreciate any help on this.
Here's the classified link: Hope Phil don't mind~(8o)
http://www.huntingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=110&page=1
Even if you get a compound and use it to hunt with exclusively, you can still get a cheap recurve to play around with. They allow folks to have more 'uninhibited' fun. From bowfishing, to stump shooting, to arial targets, to roving or trick shooting... there's a little more freedom available with them than there is with most compound bows. I've picked up perfectly good recurves and longbows at yard sales for less than 50 bucks.
Amen, Jeff! ;-) I got a lefty Bear Tigercat recurve from Dan Zerbe for $20 many years ago. He's not a lefty but saw it at a garage sale and figured he could find a good home for it.(especially at that price) He found out I was looking for a stickbow and let me try it at The Campout and then sold(practically gave) it to me. Been shooting it ever since. Love to target and 3D shoot with it, stump shoot and looking forward to doing some bowfishing this year. I still pick up the compound to kill stuff, but come Spring and Summer I pick up the recurve for some FUN! :)
I also checked craigslist and waiting for a guy to get back to me.
Anyone have any experience with a 2008 PSE X Force 7?? Found one used for $350, bare bow.
My thought was if the 2013 Drive is brand new for $425 would it be worth the little extra for the lifetime warranty? Don't forget also I'm left handed with a 31" DL so I could handle 30" but not much smaller.
I can't explain it but for some reason I am drawn to the PSE's...I'm going to try a Brute X at the bow shop tomorrow to see how they feel.
Anyone have any experience with a PSE Drive?