[DeadCrowPoe]

Yeah I checked out Mathews and Mission, the shop I went is a dealer, he said he works on Mathews more than any bow and told me how hard it is to deal with them on warranty work. I tried a Quest and an Elite as well. The Parker shoots 320, has a roller guide weights 3.5 lbs and has a lifetime warranty to who ever owns it, I got it cheap $400 as its a leftover. I went into to buy a Mathews or a mission, but he talked me into a Parker, its got an HHA single pin sight which I like. I did shoot the Quest and that was my second choice.
My shoulder was sore when I left that shop. I did notice that know one really makes a bad bow (compared to different firearms manufactures ) it's just some are priced way more than others. I did also check out Hoyt,PSE, Bear(the new line up is sweet) and Martin. I've been to every bow shop I can find in the past few months. Learning a lot on Archery Talk as well. Can't wait to get good enough to hunt, archery season is sep-dec in NH and with all the special tags you can get up to 4 deer if you were so lucky(plus 1 more with ML or firearm).I'm no trophy guy, just like to eat them.

 

[hawglarry]

Another bow to consider and to try is the Mission Ballistic. It has the cams off of the Mathews MR6, a very fast target bow, which is a $1000 bare. The Ballistic has almost the exact same specs as the Mathews Z7 Magnum, another $1000 bare bow. The Ballistic sells for $500. I'll be putting one in layaway very soon! Most archery shops do 60 day layaway with as little as 10-20% down. Thats something else to consider to get a little better equipment than entry level. I bought a Mission craze as my 1st bow last summer and while it's fine for all game here in Ohio, I plan to do some hunting out west and need a little more speed for long shots on antelope.

 

[chipD]

Yeah I checked out Mathews and Mission, the shop I went is a dealer, he said he works on Mathews more than any bow and told me how hard it is to deal with them on warranty work. I tried a Quest and an Elite as well. The Parker shoots 320, has a roller guide weights 3.5 lbs and has a lifetime warranty to who ever owns it, I got it cheap $400 as its a leftover. I went into to buy a Mathews or a mission, but he talked me into a Parker, its got an HHA single pin sight which I like. I did shoot the Quest and that was my second choice.
My shoulder was sore when I left that shop. I did notice that know one really makes a bad bow (compared to different firearms manufactures ) it's just some are priced way more than others. I did also check out Hoyt,PSE, Bear(the new line up is sweet) and Martin. I've been to every bow shop I can find in the past few months. Learning a lot on Archery Talk as well. Can't wait to get good enough to hunt, archery season is sep-dec in NH and with all the special tags you can get up to 4 deer if you were so lucky(plus 1 more with ML or firearm).I'm no trophy guy, just like to eat them.

Welcome to the sport, sounds like you went out and checked on a few brands and the Parker fit you the best. You made the correct choice in bows, now comes the fun part all the goodies needed to hunt. Fixed blade broadheads, mechanical broadheads, or cut on contact broadheads you should check out your state laws as some do not allow mechanical. Of course you have the rest, peep, vanes, and release. Your bow shop should be able to help you out with some of this as well as getting you properly tuned up. Anyway once again congrats and shoot, shoot, shoot.

 

[Golfbuddy45]

The local archery target/hunting shop here in Raleigh carries Mathews, Mission, PSE, and Hoyt, and others. They can order just about any brand but they recommended the Mission (Mathews) to me for similar reasons as stated by Hawglarry. I will have to ask them about Customer Service for ALL the brands and see if they point out problems with any in particular. If they do not say it then I will ask specifically about Mathews and Mission problems. Hope to get back out there this week since Archery Season (Sept 8 - 28 ) is now over and all the masses that were buying everything in sight are done for the year. Also a good time when people are selling their equipment.

GB45

 

[skmarsh77]

I have a mathews reezen which is about 3 years old now. Its already been discontinued for 2 years now. they pump out new bows every year and discontinue the model after 2 years on the market. I've never had a problem with mine and its deadly accurate as long as I do what i'm suppose to do but for the money it cost me I would expect it to be. I have been checking out the new bear archery bows online and I'd really like to shoot one of those. I tried the PSE and I'm sure they are fine bows it just didn't feel as nice as my mathews. Kinda like when I went from riding a honda to riding a harley. Bows are all about how they feel to you. I tried about ten bows before I settled on the Reezen. Just waxed the string today and took it out for some target practice and ended up shooting an arrow into the back of another arrow. Never did that before and even though I wasn't trying to do it I still felt pretty good about the shot. Looks like I'm all sighted in for bow season which starts tomorrow.

 

[chipD]

I think it is a great idea to check with your shop to see if they have had any problems dealing with bow manufactures. IMO the best bow for someone is the one that feels the best to them. Now if a company does not stand behind their product that is an entirely different issue and could stop me from buying a bow that felt great to me. I own two Martins one is their cheapest hunting compound the Threshold and the other is one of their highest priced compounds the Rytara Alien Nemesis. I like both of them and would suggest anyone in the market shoot one when shopping. What I would never do is say they are better then the other brand. Bottom line shoot what you like and like what you shoot. Best of luck this season my fellow archers.

 

[Golfbuddy45]

I think it is a great idea to check with your shop to see if they have had any problems dealing with bow manufactures. IMO the best bow for someone is the one that feels the best to them. Now if a company does not stand behind their product that is an entirely different issue and could stop me from buying a bow that felt great to me. I own two Martins one is their cheapest hunting compound the Threshold and the other is one of their highest priced compounds the Rytara Alien Nemesis. I like both of them and would suggest anyone in the market shoot one when shopping. What I would never do is say they are better then the other brand. Bottom line shoot what you like and like what you shoot. Best of luck this season my fellow archers.

Back in 1973 just after I started my first job out of the University of Florida as an Engineer for IBM I bought this Martin M-44 FIRECAT with PRO LIMBS. It was state of the art of Compound Bows in 1973 - - cost me $400 back then and that was a lot of money for a bow!! Used to shoot an outdoor range in North Tampa at Lake Park. The club was Gasparilla Archers or Bowmen, There were 18 target lanes some built into the flat Florida land by using a bulldozer to push back an angled trench and pushing all the dirt to the back to form a berm. It was great fun to shoot and then out in this open field under the high power lines there were two huge field targets that were angled and way out there at 100 and 200 yards and I believe there was even one at 300 yards. You had to air aim way high and the darn arrow seemed to be in the air for 20 seconds before it hit out there in the field - once in a while I would hit the big target!!


Here is that 1973 Martin M-44 Firecat - - - -

Ohhh - Did I mention I just took this picture a couple weeks ago? This is a group I shot a lasat week with that 40 year old bow with all original strings and wires and sights in my back yard range 30 yards - first time I shot her in a while - - That bottom arrow seemed to not have the same velocity like I did not pull back full draw but it was right on line. Oh - and those Easton XX75 Arrows with the yellow/green - they are also 40 years old and still straight as the day they were made. I did have to replace the rotted rubber tube attached to the sight ring though!
You get what you pay for - - - don't you ?

GB45

 

[DeadCrowPoe]

Thats sweet that you held onto that bow for so long, still a good shooter too(nice group). I was 3 years old when you bought it! I'm only shooting at 20 yards right now.

 

[Pat/Rick]

Still got my Bear Whitetail II, had it tuned and am thinking maybe next year of an archery tag.

 

[YoungBuck74]

Im in your shoes

Im in the same boat as you. I tried out the bear encounter, bear legion, and the mission riot. The encounter is $399 ready to hunt great bow for the price. It has a very very smooth draw but it has a odd shaped cam so it has a breaking point that felt off to me but it shoots great for the price. I was banging out 2 inch groupings at 30 & 40 yards with it. the Legion was the same as the encounter when it came to how smooth and quiet the bow is and has great accuracy. he only difference was the ibo was just a bit higher I believe the ibo on the encounter is 310 and the ibo is 320 on the legion. After shooting the bear bows ( oh by the way im a bear bow kinda guy cant go wrong with a bear when it comes to price and performance) i shot the mission riot it was a crazy amazing box for the price. Mission bows are my by mathews and are the best bang for your buck. The riot hits hard shoots smooth and is a great bow. Go with the bear encounter for a great starter bow but if you can swing $500 the mission riot is a great way to go.

 

[2006HighSierra]

I'd look strongly at a used bow a year or two old. If anyone has looked, we know how poorly bows hold value. The $800 company flagship bow might fetch 4-500 in a year or two. You might be able to find a loaded out midrange Hoyt or Bowtech or similar for your price that costed a fortune initially. But if new a budget bow kills well enough. I keep hearing about how slow and loud apparently my '02 Hoyt Magnatec is compared to all the new bows and although I'd like a new one and have been window shopping abit, I've never heard the deer whispering(hey did you hear how loud that bow string was? If he spent $1000 on a new one I'd never heard it and jumped that arrow). And speeds nice but shooting distance with your bow is like pulling off long shots with a 45-70. Mine is riding at 209fps. Barely enough speed to kill a chipmunk according to present bow companies. But I still put a doe down at 54 yards with it.

 

[Golfbuddy45]

Speaking of used bows and the cost vs new - Bows seem to be like cars - once you drive 'em the cost goes down about 1000% . . . . Here is my 2011 HOYT CONTENDER ELITE shoot thru design. This bow was $1300 new in 2011 bare bow. I bought it on Archery Talk for $500 including a Hoyt Pro V arrow rest, shipping and insurance. I paid $125 for the COPPER JOHN ANTS2 sight including the Viper scope with 6x lens (about $500 new) and she shoots incredibly accurate. So far a total $625 investment I have a top of the line almost $2000 outfit...

GB45

 

[william152016]

Under $300, you can choose Genesis Kit

 

[T.R.]

I've always had very good luck with Bear products.

TR

 

[T.R.]

Bear Archery has always built very good quality bows for a competitive price. They save on manufacturing costs by using mass production methods and modern machinery. I still shoot my older White Tail II from the 1990's at targets for fun. It cost me $99.00 in 1993 which was a genuine value at the time. But I hunt with a modern crossbow fitted with a 4X scope sight. The crossbow is a better hunting tool for me. It's an older Ten Point that I bought second hand about 8 years ago.

Good hunting to you.

TR

 

[IN1894SS]

Bit of a thread resurrection but I'll say Samick Sage.

 

[Gylesi]

Compound bows have a let off of any where from 65-80%. Guys who are shooting 70lbs with a compound with 80% let off are only holding 14lbs after the let off. Those same guys will not be nearly as accurate with a 60lb recurve or longbow. There are sights for recurve bows but honestly for survival bow, stick to the KISS principal. The only thing that replaces practice & experience, is more practice & experience. Shooting a bow without sights is not nearly as difficult as you would think. I had a 35lb fiberglass longbow https://secretstorages.com/best-compound-bow/ for years (my wife inadvertently sold it during a garage sale - she's still is not allowed in the garage). I had a dozen wooden arrows for it and I was ridiculously accurate within 30 yards. Never shot it with anything other than field points though. Never shot broadheads with it. Look on eBay and check Craigs list. You'll want a finger tab or glove for holding the string. I never used an arm guard because, IMO, it promotes the bad habit of locking out your arm when shooting.There are a lot of useful videos on this topic on Youtube. I'll leave one here for general information, I hope this helps someone.
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[T.R.]

Bear Archery has always produced TOP bows for a fair price due to their modern mass production processes and smart engineering. I still shoot my older Whitetail Hunter II that I bought for $99.99 in 1994 as a close out sale at our local store. Yes, its heavier than new models and arrow speed is slower but I can still slice through the 5 inch bulls eye at 25 yards. Bear bows are keepers! I have no quarrel with PSE products. Their crossbows are amazingly accurate.

TR