Suggestions For New Bow

I am looking at purchasing a new bow. I know everyone has their preferences, and I’d love to hear opinions. I mainly bowhunt whitetails in Mn and western Wi. Most shots I take are under 35 yards. However, I go elk hunting out west every couple years and see shots to 60 yards. I have been shooting Hoyt, but the bow doesn’t seem very forgiving. I have been looking at the Matthews Nocam, Creed XS and Chill X, and the PSE Decree HD….and maybe the latest Bowtech. I’ve shot my brothers Matthews and can hit a dime every time! I really like the No Cam, but I’m afraid the speed might be too slow for out west. I’d love to hear other opinions.

What does forgiving mean to you ?

i really like my elite. i have just shot it at the range at 20 yards. i have not been hunting with it yet, but i can’t wait to get out with it.

I have owned several Matthews bows and am very happy with my no cam. Not really sure about the issue of speed. It shoots about 5 times faster than anything Fred Bear ever shot and he seemed to do fine. Point is, Matthews has always had a rap about their bows not shooting rifle speeds, but my point is, they are very easy shooting, easy tuning, killing machines. Go shoot all the bows, let the bow pick you. Good luck in your search. I’m not sure there is a bad one out there anymore.

Forgiving to me is when you have practiced all year and you notice shooting that a small jerk here or there throws the arrow 3-inches off rather than 1-inch. I shot a Darton starting in 1991 and then a Matthews, followed by a Hoyt. The reality is when a 150 class buck comes in you aren’t perfectly calm. I’m not ripping Hoyt one bit. They make an incredible bow. In fact, it may just be the guy behind the bow…lol. I’m Just looking for something to give me full confidence…maybe just a change.

Go shoot all the bows u can and see what you like best. Imo all companies make good bows it is hard not to become brand specific though after you have a couple bows from a company.

For forgiveness, get the longest bow you dare to carry in the woods… that and working on your form will go a long ways. Bow brand has alot less to do with “forgiveness”… like said, shoot a bunch of bows, but it’s hard to shoot under “BIG BUCK” at 20 yards conditions… and that all comes down to the shooter at that time. Good luck

This may be more about finding the right mass weight versus whats comfortable. We can all go to the shops and pick up a bow that feels good and for the most part they will all shoot good. But what happens often, folks tend to pick up the ultra light weight hunting bow and go sweet this thing is light, thats great for carrying around but the lighter the bow the easier it is to move and impact the exampled three inch’s as you stated versus a one inch hercky jerk when nerved up.
Shooting in awkward positions or having the draw lenght slightly on the short side also contributes to bow more movements under pressure.

Finding a balance with something that meets your needs for carrying to the stand yet having some weight to add leverage and stability to your shot when you flinch and jerk under pressure.

JH

I shoot a Hoyt Charger and love it, but everyone is different. Like stated above go shoot them all and find one that works best for you.

Matthews. Say no more. Lol

Monster chill sdx. Get the 70lb one. Crazy fast. 80% let off. Talk to the boys down at archery headquarters in Rochester. Great place to do business

Mathews NoCam hands down. Quietest and one of the most forgiving bows I’ve ever owned. Not to bash the Creed but the NoCam is in a different league. Did I mention how quiet it is?! The draw cycle is silky smooth, with a nice back wall and isn’t jumpy.

Speed wise, it’s no speed demon but I’ve found it’s plenty fast. I shoot a 408 grain arrow with a 28″ draw length at 70lbs. I’m seeing speeds around the low 290s, pushing into the mid 290s. For me, pin gap isn’t that big of a concern with that set-up. I can shoot my 30 yard pin at 20 and be an inch and half high or 2.5 inches low at 40.

I would buy that bow 10x over again.

I wouldn’t worry so much about speed. Doesn’t matter how fast your arrow flies if your not comfortable with the bow. Also more the more speed you have the more force behind the bow and then that also means more noise when you shoot.
Biggest thing speed does is give you forgiveness if you miss read how far out the shot is, but with rangefinders of today, I don’t think this is a big issue. If the bow fits you good and you can drive nails with it, go for it.