Upgrade from Switchback???
Equipment
So I am contemplating. I bought the first switchback my local store had many years ago. Is it time to upgrade? Are newer bows that much better? This is a hunting bow. My wife is shooting a newer Mathews and loves it.
I am not a gear junky, I do not want a pile of bows etc. just curious if you all think new bows have came that far since 2006 or so when I bought my Switchback...
Had shoulder surgery a year ago Nov and could not pull my 60 lb. switchback this Aug. Crossbow was not for me so I went with the 50 lb. triax. I am shooting same speeds even my sight calibration was really close. Not saying the older bow wont work but I don't mind the newer technology either.
I had 2 Switchbacks, I sold them and wish I hadn't! I have not shot the newer Matthews, but I think the Switchback was one of the best bows Mathews ever made. I would keep it. Buy the other bow andthe SB could be a backup, or you may discover you still love the thing.
And in all honesty, I don't really think the newer bows I have (Hoyts). and the others I have shot are that much better.
I just went through this process. I have been shooting a bowtech Old Glory since 2005. Great bow. I upgraded the sight, stabilizer and rest on it last year, you know, as a way to upgrade an old bow.
If there was one thing I could change on my old bow it would be the draw cycle. Don't get me wrong, it was nice. But when I am sitting in a tree for hours and it is really cold, my muscles would struggle to draw the bow. Not impossible, but required extra movement.
So I bit the bullet and purchased a Bowtech Realm X. Wow. Yes, the draw cycle is that much nicer at the same draw weight. More importantly, I could drop draw weight as well and not give up any speed. Yes, the bow is also quieter and has less vibration as well, but it is the draw cycle that was a game changer for me.
Do I shoot better? Probably not. Any bow made within the last 20 years probably is capable of shooting way better then I ever could. I am happy with the purchase and probably will not have to make another one for another fifteen years or so. Pete
I’ve grew up hunting with stickbiws and compounds both. In roughly 1993, I switched exclusively to compounds. I bought new bows routinely up through 2010. My latest bow at that time was a mission eliminator II. Granted it wasn’t a Matthews but it was their model identical to the Matthews flagship bow. Identical bows, different name and grip material.
That bow shot better then the 2008 PSE flagship bow. I don’t remember the name. That par shot better then the 2006 flagship bow browning made. Don’t remember the names, just remember paying $700-$800 for them.
Anyways, in 20I7 , I went exclusively back to trad bows until last year. When I bought a mission ballistic 2.0.
The difference in that bow versus the other tip of the line bows from a decade before was austounding to me. It points so well. Aims so much better, is much quieter, and shoots just as hard.
The real difference in newer bows versus older is balance. These new compounds balance so well in comparison to the older models. So, to me, there is very much difference between a bow a decade old versus a new one in shootability.
That was long winded. And, the difference might not seem that drastic to you. But, for a guy that stepped away from compounds for a bit, it was a huge noticed improvement.
Switchback was a great bow but the new technology is awesome too. Go on a classified section of an online forum and buy a bow that is one or two years old for a fraction of the price. In the last two years I bought a Hoyt Nitrum and a Hoyt Carbon Defiant for $900. Yes $900 for both of them. They are both like new. Archery Talk has a great classified section and plenty of newer bows to choose from. You won't be sorry if you start shooting a newer bow
I have the Switchback XT, Monster Chill, and the Triax. I love them all for what they are. I still shoot my SB and it will always be one of my favorites, but i have increased my distance and speed with the newer technology. There is an advantage with the newer bows if you want to shoot longer, but they are all good bows. I love the short a2a on thr Triax, and it will be going to Mexico here in a few weeks with me. Try any of the newer bows and none will feel like your SB, but some may surprise you. It took me a few days to like the Triax, but once i got it tuned it is an amazing bow. My suggestion is if you dont want to buy a new one, dont shoot one! They are addicting and i didnt really need 3 bows, but just had to have another ;)
Switchback is still the best bow Mathews has ever made, but yes it is time to upgrade. I would look at going a different direction though. You will be disapointed with where Mathews has ended up. Look at the new Bowtech Realm series before you buy. Best product made right now.
I'm a trad shooter since 2000 but occasionally still shoot compounds .
Imo the newest compounds are noticeably superior to the Switchback in every way. Fwiw, which ain't much. :)
I'll give the advice that usually is given on these types of threads. Go to a shop and shoot a bunch of bows next to your SB and then decide. Most all companies make a great bow now. I think you will like some of the newer offerings. But I agree that you should keep the SB as a backup.
Man all the love switch back gets every time it is mention in this forum makes me think I missed out by not owning one .
The new bows are a big step up from the Switchback.
I had a switchback. Yes it was a great bow at the time. Yes you’re going to be amazed by the new bows. Go shoot one and see for yourself! And enjoy a real grip!
The new tech is definitely an improvement over the SB but is it enough to justify the price tag? A new bow will be faster, lighter, and have a much better back wall than the SB. The trade off will be a harsher draw cycle. Shock and vibration will be comparable between the models. I shot a SB for many years before shooting several other brands over the past few. Only you can say if the gain is worth it to you. The SB is a fantastic bow and still holds it's own.
I owned a Switchback. In fact, it was the first of many Matthews I owned. It was a super bow, but with the advancements in bow technology, I would not travel backwards.
Take advantage,embrace and enjoy the advancement of today’s bows and equipment.
Bows are like golf drivers....there really isn`t a whole lot that changes year to year and it does exactly the same thing last years driver/bow does.
If anything do as Scotty suggested....buy "used". I do the same thing. Nothing loses it`s value quicker than a new bow. You can`t GIVE old bows away.
Brotsky, I think the Switchback is right in line as far as actual bow weight with most of the current offerings out there. On the other hand, the SB will be lighter than any current Mathews offering.
Was the DXT the next model after the SB?
Ron, I believe it was the Drenalin and the DXT was the following year. Mathews had a run there where they took the current years model and rebranded it with "XT" the following year by adding a couple more harmonic hockey pucks and calling it their new bow.
Thanks Justin. I'm not a gear head but will say my DXT is my best bow ever, and I started shooting in the early 70's.
Year to year there’s not much difference but cumulatively there is a big difference over 10-15+ years.
That being said a 50yr old recurve can kill a deer just as effectively as any modern bow so..
I returned to the world of compounds in 2006 with a 60 lb Switchback XT. It was and is a fine bow, and is currently my backup. But right now, my Obsession Evolution is about 40 fps faster at the same draw weight and arrow weight, is much more accurate in my hand, and is as easy or easier for me to draw. The new stuff is pretty darn good. But so was the old stuff.
I went from a sbxt to a triax this past season. Sb is and was a great bow. The new bows are on a different level. My triax is quieter has less hand shock and allows me to shoot a heavier arrow at a higher speed more accurately then my sbxt could. I added 20 yards to my effective range which I attribute some to the bow and some to changing sights and adding a side bar.
You can put the focus grip on a switchback and have a lot less hand torque.
Check the realms, best bows ever produced IMO
If you are looking for a very good bow I bought a Elite 35 several years ago do to rotators surgeries but only have over 100+ shots through it, been a stick bow hunter and still am, just cannot get comfortable with the change of form. The Elite is 50# and has all the bells with it anyone interested give me a pm and I'll send pics and more info, just sitting in the case not being used. I used to live not far from Sparta, Wi. where Matthews are made, a good friend got one of their first longbow made when he was doing some interior office work for them, he turn down the SB at that time.
Thanks for all the replies. Guess I better save some money and spend some time at the bow shops this spring...
All things being equal - draw length, brace height, draw cycle, draw weight - today's even mid-range price point bows from all the major manufactures will be 20 to 30 feet per second faster and have a better grip than the beloved Switchback! Look at a 2017 or 2018 model year bows. Should be able to get a great shooter with a little hunting use wear on it for half the price of a 2019 model year bow!
Upgrade, it's time. Mathews Traverse, I just bought one and no comparison to any of the older Mathews. Shawn
Here's my 2 cents: I don't think the Switchback (XT) is the best bow Mathews ever made, I think the Z7 is - which is why I shoot that bow. However, I think the SB XT is the smoothest bow Mathews has made, and maybe the smoothest bow ever, with the Z7 a close second for smoothest draw and shooting.
So, take the smoothness of the SB XT, and the speed and new technology of the newer bows and you have the Mathews Z7.
And, like me, keep your Switchback (I'll never get rid of mine) and use it as your back-up bow. Problem solved. Good luck!!
Keep your Switchback. Nothing new in compound bow technology worth jumping the fence. You have an excellent tool. On the other hand if you must then go to a shop or two and shoot different brands, newer models, and of course the latest. For example Bear BR33 is a fine compound,with little to no cam lean, zero vibration, well balanced without a stabilizer, easy to pull, forgiving, great grip, and around $450 on eBay today.
When they pry my SBXT, from my cold dead fingers.
:^}
