Time for an Upgrade

I have been shooting a Mathews LX,whisker biscuit rest,approx 62#,with carbon express arrows,85 grain muzzys.
No complaints on performance whatsoever,but have the bug to upgrade and get back to speed in the archery world. The Z7 has caught my attention,but I have really not kept up with all the improvements that are available today.In general,I have always put,forgiveness and accuracy over a few xtra fps,as I no longer shoot near as much as I used too.I am really uneducated on arrow rests,used the biscuit so I didnt nock the arrow off in hunting situations,but I am sure there are better options.

Just looking for a few suggestions to start my research with before I drive everyone crazy with too many questions.

I appreciate you guys unlocking the gate here on IDO Hunting and giving a fishing guy a pass to come in!

Come on in Dean… we have no cookies though… Alot of people shoot the biscuits, I never have. I use a fall away and am very happy. If speed is not an issue with you, the biscuit should be fine, but I can guarantee, it has friction…. and friction = slowdown…. it’s a science thing.

Not really…. I stalk with my set-up… finger on the arrow I like that better, as I have heard of guys who stalk with a biscuit… and when they get the shot, they didn’t notice the arrow became “unnocked” on the string with my finger, I know if I bumped it and check everything. I did ALOT of this in MT this last Sept

My bow came with a QAD drop away. You can lock the rest in the up position until the bow is drawn. The arrow guard will not allow the arrow to fall off. I’m not sure all drop away rests are like this, but some definitely keep your arrow where it should be.

I have a Vapor Trail Limbdriver on mine. It is one of the easiest drop aways to set up. I love it. As for forgiving a few new ones come to mind right now. If you like Mathew’s the Z7 is fantastic. It is smooth, draws nice and holds nice. I wouldn’t hasitate to buy one. The New BowTech Destroyer is my current choice of hunting bow for a new bow. It’s light fast forgiving and balanced perfect with no stabilizer. I’m willing to give up my Switchback XT for it

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Not really…. I stalk with my set-up… finger on the arrow I like that better, as I have heard of guys who stalk with a biscuit… and when they get the shot, they didn’t notice the arrow became “unnocked” on the string with my finger, I know if I bumped it and check everything. I did ALOT of this in MT this last Sept

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I wouldn’t recommend stalking through brush with a nocked arrow… a stumble and fall could cause an injury or worse…

The popular Whisker Biscuit is one of several containment style rests on the market today. Containment rests are not significantly slower than fall aways, and if set up properly do not adversely affect arrow flight, in fact they are simple, durable and almost bulletproof.
Fallaways are wonderful but expensive and require some technical nohow to set up properly…not all of them stay consistent in freezing or subzero weather.

Dean, your best bet is to go to a big Pro shop like Schaffers and try em all, just like going to Everts to upgrade a fish pole.
Not all the fastest bows are as smooth, forgiving and accurate for hunting purposes as other bows…depends on design, brace height, etc…
Buy the “fastest” bow that feels good to you…

The Z7 is a real sweetheart, this bow reminds me so much of the original Switchback being smooth to draw back as well as smooth when you have to letdown while waiting for the shot, the Z7 is a tack driver and when setup it has a very good feel of balance when at full draw.

The best thing I can tell you is find a good shop or two and try a few bows, (make sure the draw length and poundage is correct) because this will interpret how the bow feels when draw back and releasing the shot.

Good Luck

Jeff Heeg

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I appreciate you guys unlocking the gate here on IDO Hunting and giving a fishing guy a pass to come in!

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Believe me, it is just a temporary pass.

Dean, I would go to a archery shop like Schaffer’s and shoot all the bows they have to offer and have the bow tell you, which one feels the best in your big paws!

Myself, I’m leaning towards a new Z7 from Schaffer’s Performance Archery!! I know I will get the customer service I expect from making a big investment on a bow. I also trust in their knowledge and expertise there to set me up correctly ( this is scary how many shops I have been to that this is not necessarily true ). To top it all off, I know everything will be precisely right after having it tuned with their Industry leading High Tech / Speed 4000 fps Camera. When I leave with my new baby, I know my bow will perform flawlessly, the rest is up to me!

Dean,

Missed you at the shop 2 weekends ago. We got on some great numbers of fish though!

I’m in the same boat as you, so to speak. I have always shot the Mathews that were the most forgiving/quiet bows to shoot, i.e, Q2, Legacy, Drenalin, and now the Z7. When you get a chance get out and shoot the Z7, I am quite certain you will love it, and will notice a nice speed pick up, with no loss of shootability, and it is so quiet. This bow is an absolute gem, and Mathews really did well with this design.

My Z7 is set @ 72#, 27.5″ draw. I shoot a 422 grain arrow with 78.28#’s of kinetic energy. I don’t have anything other than the factory monkey tails on it, for quieting/dampening.

Over the week-end it was sub zero temps, with minus 40-50 degree wind chills, and knee to thigh high snow. I got to see how deer react to the sound of this bow in the extreme stillness. They actually ran towards me, away from the deer that was making the fuss.

As far as a rest, as someone earlier posted, look at the QAD Pro LD. I’ve shot a Schaffer Mat-1 for many years, but I was looking for something with better containment. With lots of hours spent West in the open country, it is almost a must. I have not put it through the Western test yet, but it has seen lots of (hundreds) arrows over the last month. To this point it has performed flawlessly.

Best of luck, and holler if I can help.

Once again…Thanks for the temp pass Rob!

I appreciate the input guys.I used to have a new set-up every year with all the latest goodies and kept up with all the latest & greatest. That is no longer the case,but my goal was to narrow the list a bit before going in to a shop and driving them crazy.I couldnt agree more that a qualified shop is worth every penny & then some! The bow itself is probably the least of my concerns,but the final set-up,and accessories are of my biggest need of pre-education.

Glad you got on some fish Les,sorry I missed ya.Thanks for the suggestions everyone!!!! Even Big G….aka Mr Science !

Les, that QAD Pro LD looks like it might be the golden ticket! Definitely have to give that a look see!

Thanks,

Jami

Jami,

It is pretty sharp, has some great features, and good reviews. Time will tell, but as of now, I really like it!