New bow vs. older bow

PM sent Marty…..some must haves there!

So……. I decided that bow hunting may be the ticket to get me back into hunting. I have a 2003 PSE Beast that is in great shape (needs new string). I have updated sights and whisker biscuit on it from when I was shooting a few years ago.

I am always tempted to upgrade to the new toys but I wonder what really does a guy gain with these new high tech bows. Other than a light wallet (these prices seem out if hand). Especially when guys are still taking big game with recurve and long bows.

Where I will be hunting. 30 yard max shots.

I’m still hunting with a Mathews FX I bought new in 2000. I see no need to upgrade to a new bow. I’ve updated the rest, sting, and sights. It flings an arrow just fine.

I look at it this way… a pan black powder rifle will kill deer… why would one use a modern Rifle ? Assuming you go up at least 10 model years and you keep it 10 years, that’s a hondo a year to have a faster, quieter, lighter and more consistent bow. No brainer to me.. can you kill with the PSE, if your good enough, of course

As long as the bow is sound and it feels good shoot it. Upgrading your accessories is huge my opinion. I went from a whisker to a drop away and wow long distance shooting was definetly noticeable, but if your not shooting long range for fun the biskuit is still a good choice. Glad to hear your getting back in

Bows have come a loooong ways. Go shoot a new one and you will see what I mean. That being said, you can find good used (couple years old) on archerytalk.com for more reasonable prices then the $1000.00 they want for some new ones. I bought one there a couple years ago and have been very happy. I am going to upgrade shortly again myself.

Nut

So assuming the numbers in my bow of 295’/second and a new bow’s 360’/second. Is a 0.048 second difference over 30 yards really a big difference?

Assuming 330’/sec the difference is 0.032 seconds.

The only real big difference I can see is the smoothness of pull and release.

I doubt your speed is that high with an old bow, unless you’ve chronoed it. I shoot a ’09 Rytera Alien X that has an IBO of 330. I shoot a 27.5″ draw at 60# and shoot high 280’s. I don’t know anyone that shoots more than 315 ft/s unless they’re shooting a 7-7.5 gpi arrow, and if they were using this setup for deer hunting, they’d be stupid…The benefit with modern-day bows is speed and quietness. I personally can’t justify spending $1000+ on a new bow nor will I ever.
I personally think that any bow from ’06 till now is a good bow. This includes anything from Mathews to Martin. It’s hard to find a “bad” bow because technology is insane, quick, and quiet. I’d suggest going to a big, local archery shop that has such a selection, and shoot a lot of bows. I personally like Bowtech because of their grips and quietness. My second would be the Hoyt Alphamax

Yeah, I wouldn’t contest that. Just going off the online specs for arguments sake.

So question. Are these modern bows taking away some of the challenge of bow hunting?

Getting within 30 yards of a critter is the challenge. No matter what bow you have in your hand. Sure the new technology makes it “easier”. However, the hunter still has to practice and be proficient and know his limits.

If you take your bow vs. my new Bowtech at 50 yards, I’d venture a guess you’d see the difference pretty easily. At 30 yards, I doubt you’ll see much of a difference. I went from an 07/08 era bow to 2013 and the jump was substantial for me. Was it necessary, NO. I now feel like I have a bow that will last me 5-10 years.

Personally I’d hunt a year with what you have. If the fire gets stronger, then consider an upgrade.

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Personally I’d hunt a year with what you have. If the fire gets stronger, then consider an upgrade.

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That is the plan. I just love research and learning/talking about this stuff. I have always enjoyed shooting bows even though I only deer hunted one time with it and have taken a turkey with it.

Well, you guys are right. Stopped by my Bro’s today. He was showing me his (and GF’s) new Hoyt Chargers. Sweet and sexy bows.

I am joining the indoor archery range this week. $120 for a 1 year membership. Open 7 days a week. I figure at the very least I will enjoy going once or twice a week just to burn off steam and shoot some paper.

If you can get into some 3D archery shoots, you should! They’re a blast and will help you learn yardages without a range finder. When we shoot them, we don’t allow range finders, but will discuss yardages. Each person rotates so that everyone has a chance to shoot better than the guy in front of them

I agree 3D shoots are fun an great practice . An gives you a chance too spend time with family and friends out in the woods .

Night and day difference for me. I was in the same dilemma this summer. I was shooting awesome with my 02 Mathews, didn’t think I could really gain that much from buying a new bow. I had a BowTech admiral in ’08, shot it for the season, sold it and went back to my Mathews. At that point, I couldn’t justify spending that kind of money for what it would produce.

Fast forward to 2013, I took the plunge and picked up the BowTech Experience. As I increased my distance, the difference only became more noticeable. I increased my range by nearly 40 yards, not only the speed but the stability really shocked me. I would make the purchase again in a heartbeat.

I think this year I am going to check out one of Mathews new bows. I am more curious just to compare different bows and see what is new, different etc.

Being left handed in a right handed world, it is difficult for me to try out new bows. Many shops don’t carry a good selection. I have been on the fence for a while now on upgrading. My 06 switchback isn’t the latest and greatest. That being said, I haven’t shot a bow yet that makes me feel I really need to upgrade. When that day comes I will throw the money down. In the meantime, I’m going to stick with the old tried and true and keep hammering.

I was in the same boat as you last year, except my PSE was 18 years old. Killed deer with it every year, but finally decided to upgrade to a new one. I was starting to worry about limb cracking and just plain failure even though I never had any issues. I got the Hoyt Charger in January and couldn’t be happier with my decision to upgrade. It has killed 2 deer this year, both complete pass throughs and both right on the mark. I practice a ton during the summer, but have shaky hands and get buck fever on every deer I draw on, I am not the most accurate/consistent shot. The new bow has made me a MUCH better shooter.