# what bow to buy for next season?



## misupercooner (Nov 14, 2009)

i am buying a new bow this year after using the same bow for 7 years what is the best bow for the money i liked the truth bow and am heavily considering the bear carnage any suggestions from the pros would be gladly accepted


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## hartofthethumb (Apr 11, 2008)

There are a ton of great bows out there! About every manufacturer is making excellent stuff. Best thing you can do is shoot every bow you can that is in the price range you are looking to spend and pick what feels best.


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## CowboyUp (Jun 11, 2009)

the most important thing is that it feels good to you


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## Matt Brummette (Nov 10, 2005)

Agree with the others. Take a day go to your favorite shop and shoot everything you can. I just bought the carnage and love it. But we might have different tastes. But if you liked the truth line the carnage is definitely a step up.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## stormsearch (Mar 2, 2005)

I went to 4 different dealers and shot 9 different bows before I made a deposit. There are alot of good bows out there and shouldn't take much homework to come home with a winner.


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## misupercooner (Nov 14, 2009)

thanks for the response i do plan on shooting a few but i am trying to narrow my choices down way to many options but hey thats a good thing


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## mmowen01 (Oct 24, 2010)

Nothing can beat going to the shops and trying them out. If you can try and shoot each bow with the poundage that you will be shooting at. This will make it easier to compare each bows draw cycle. You will find that every bow does not draw the same when set to the same draw weight. Another thing to pay attention to is the end of the cycle. Some bows have very small valleys and will want take off with the slightest relaxation of your hand. Also a result of the top of the line bows getting more and more advance there is a trickle down effect to the mid price range bows.


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## hartofthethumb (Apr 11, 2008)

misupercooner said:


> thanks for the response i do plan on shooting a few but i am trying to narrow my choices down way to many options but hey thats a good thing


I atill atand by the "shoot all you can"..

But since you are looking for more specific stuff, I will say this...

I would not buy a new bow without first shooting the new Elite line, they are some of the smoothest drawing bows you are likely to try, and the service behind them is as good as it gets. Their finish is also spectacular, and the tranferable warranty will make for a great resale when the time comes.

I also would be sure to shoot the Dartons, they makes ome of the most under-rated bows in the industry, but are a Michigan compay and have made such great advancments in cams over the years, that most other companies are paying them royalties for the use of systems that fall under their patents.

G5 is another MI company making some great bows. The Quest line by G5 are some of the best values out there dollar for dollar, they are impressive already, and now they are introducing the Prime line to complete with the cream of the crop in the industry. The Primes look great and are very innovative, but I have yet to shoot one myself.

Strother Archery is yet another MI company that is making some fantastic stuff. If you want speed and silence with a smooth draw, they are a great choice. They are new, as a second year company, but they are working hard towards leaving the growing pains behind and becoming a true force in the industry.

Athens Archery is another young company that is making some great stuff, they have taken a stance similar to that of Elite, which is to use the best engineering and machining they can, combined with the best materials available, to make a fantastic bow and follow it all up with amazing customer service. 

For what I like in a bow, I don't have to look too far outside of what is mentioned above. That said, there are several other companies that are making great stuff as well, some well known and some other small companies. I still say you will be doing yourself a service to get out and shoot everything you can before making a final decision. 

Have fun shopping!!


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## Atchison (Feb 18, 2009)

hartofthethumb said:


> I atill atand by the "shoot all you can"..
> 
> But since you are looking for more specific stuff, I will say this...
> 
> ...


G5, Elite, Darton would be my top 3 bow companies...and it has nothing to do with them being in Michigan.


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## hartofthethumb (Apr 11, 2008)

Atchison said:


> G5, Elite, Darton would be my top 3 bow companies...and it has nothing to do with them being in Michigan.


 
I should clarify that they aren't on my list for bing in MI either, just though it was worth mentioning they are from here. They are on my list for quality bows, thats it. 

Elite and Strother are my top 2. I am ahuge fan of them both, followed by Athens. I do love the Darton stuff as well.

Elite by the way is not 'exactly' a MI company. The parts are machined, and bows built here, yes, but they are a NY company.


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## CowboyUp (Jun 11, 2009)

I too am standing by shooting as many as possible. Just because a bow feels good in someone else's hands doesnt mean it will in yours. That being said, if you want my opinion on a narrowed down selection, a Darton will most likely be my next bow. Some of the newer models feel at home in my hands. Another great bow is an Elite, a buddy won one this year and it shoots awesome. When you do go shoot, like MMowen01 said, the draw cycle is a major thing I pay attention to, I cant stand a bow that feels like it wants to take off with a slight move of your hand. Honestly, the best thing you can do is shoot as many as possible. Sometimes its a bow you wouldnt have looked twice at that will surprise you. Have fun!


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## westmichhunter (Nov 8, 2010)

Look at athens bows athensarchery.com bought one last year and it is the best bow i have ever shot. super smooth, solid back wall, best fit and finish i have seen and shoot 285fps with 29 draw 365 arrow weight at 62 lbs. customer service is awesome, call them up and talk to a person right away and they take care of you really nice. they are made in indiana. Check out the buck commanders they use the same version as the one i purchased. an accomplice 34 ata. my 2 cents


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## wadevb1 (Mar 25, 2008)

Last month I purchased a BowTech Destroyer 350. I've been shooting it three hours since. Excellent bow. Slings my 378gn maxima hunters 325fps. Speed with the smoothness of my SwitchBack XT.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BIG_FISH (Oct 31, 2009)

Shhoot them all. You will love mathews.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk


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## stinky reinke (Dec 13, 2007)

Strother bows are sweet. I just shot 2 of their bows, SX-1 and SR71 SUPER smooth and FAST. I would reccomend that you find a dealer and shoot one of these bows ASAP. You will not be disappointed I can guarantee you that.


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## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

I went to 3 different bow shops over 3 weeks and shot many many bows. The bow I was shooting was at least 10 years old and I was amazed at the changes in the new bows. My biggest problem was trying to decide between 5 different bows that were all in my price range and all bad ass! 

My top five were Quest primal, Hoyt Maxxix 31, Bowtech Destroyer, Mathews Z7 and an Elite. 

It was a lot of fun shopping. Make sure when you are shooting/comparing bows, you have all of them set with the same draw weight and length. I shot a couple of 60# bows next to 70# bows and I just couldn't get an apples to apples comparison. 

Have fun and good luck!


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## Mightymouse (Sep 19, 2007)

Matt Brummette said:


> I just bought the carnage and love it. But we might have different tastes. But if you liked the truth line the carnage is definitely a step up.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I am a Bear shooter and was going to mention the Carnage but hadn't heard anything about it yet.

Bear makes quality bows and if you are at a dealer that carries them I would add one to your "try" list.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Airplanes (May 15, 2010)

Get out there and shoot. Shoot em all. You have some real good advice already on here, but I havent heard anyone say anything about diamond, Ive shot a lot of bows and this is my favorite, It like buying a bowtech but half the price. good luck and let us know what you decide


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## mikieday (Jan 20, 2004)

im sure you have purchased something by now but I recently purchased the carnage and have to give it a big thumbs up...I changed the grip to a wood grip off a truth II and it topped it off perfect for me


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## Non Typical (Feb 17, 2009)

Atchison said:


> G5, Elite, Darton would be my top 3 bow companies...and it has nothing to do with them being in Michigan.


 X2 I couldn't have said it better. Until you shoot these, you will never know what you are missing.
Pat


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