Back into it.

Hello everyone. I used to bow and fish hunt back in the day and I am wanting to start again. Without starting a huge fire, does Mathews still make good bows? Who else makes good compound bows? Looking to hit hogs and a deer or two. I've researched around but it's crazy what will pull up on a search, prefer talking to the local guys. Thanks in advance.

Hello Die11 ive got a Mathews solocam and i love it im kinda green at it but its a great bow,for any kinda shooting you wanna do.

Yes, Mathews still makes good bow. Other companies to look at are elite, PSE, Hoyt, and bowtech. There are a lot of smaller companies out there too. Shoot as many as you can and build your own opinion. Good Luck.

What do you think your budget will be? That will give us a good starting place.

I think, shop a used bow. They are like golf clubs, every year the manufacturers come out with new models, so the "last years" models instantly are worth about half what we paid for them.

Where are you located? Go to Cinnamon Creek or another big pro-shop DURING THE WEEK. Weekends are too busy and you can't get undivided attention. Most will have used bows and will let you shoot them.

Start with a light pull weight. They will also be able to fit the bow to you.

I jumped right in a few years ago and bought a Hoyt Carbon Element with all the top accessories, spent a ton of money. Shot it allot for about 6 months, now it sits in my gun safe... I'm on to something else.

Archery is fun though

Budget will dictate what you should get. I am an avid hunter but not a speed freak, I lean more toward comfort and dependability than speed. If you are interested in long range archery and speed, you will start to lose comfort and smoothness.

For hunting, I would shoot a few different bows and research that "line" to find the right bow. Mathews, Hoyt, Bowtech, PSE, and the other big name brands make solid bows and are all competitive with each other.

As was said, don't try the highest poundage. Technology has come a long ways and you can achieve tremendous results with lower poundage than in years past.

Good luck and hope you find what you are looking for

Appreciate the reply. I'm in Frisco and right now I don't care much about the budget vs. getting something that is good quality and works well. You know how it goes, you try to go cheap and end up spending more money in the long run. I will google Cinammon Creek and stop by during the week like you said.

Thank you! This is what worries me right there. The way technology has changed in the last 12-15 years has my head spinning. Not even sure what I am looking for. I used to shoot a PSE set to 75 lbs but it sees everyone is shooting 55-60 now. Are the new bows that much better and quieter?

Thank you brother.

Yes, the new bows are much faster and quieter. I used to also shoot a PSE, but it was at 72. I have a switchback and a Creed and shoot both at 60-62. There is no comparing them to the old bows.

Arrows, rest, peeps, strings, silencers, stabilizers, releases, and all the other accessories have also been improved.

For the most part, a "standard" set up will be more than adequate to get the job done. Again, it will come down to budget and your goal.

I've been a bow hunter since 1976 and things have changed so many times throughout the years. I own over 25 hats by Mathews, and have sold or traded as many Mathews bows over the years, thinking I had to have the newest bow each year. I didn't......

This past Christmas I was at Alvarado Archery and decided to buy another bow, as I had sold my last one, and shot a Mission. I then plopped down the credit card and never looked back.

Diel11,

Is this you buddy? Getting some great info here. Also consider asking your fishing buddies. Some of them are bow hunters as well. I love my Bowtech 360. Good luck with your search for a new bow.

Spro! What's up man? Yes sir, these guys here are taking care of me for sure. I will ask on the fishing side also but I'm going to listen to these gentlemen here.

I don't remember Bowtech from before. Are they fairly new?

Excellent. Thank you for your time and help.

Yes sir, bet I end up doing the same thing! Thanks for the help.

Bowtech has been around for at least 10 years that I know of. I tried a Mathews, PSE and Bowtech before I decided. Just have to try them all and see what feels right to you. Don't think you could go wrong with any of them. Bassthumb has a Bowtech 360 also.

Just got off the phone with Ron, he had all kinds of good information also.

Used to be a small shop in Frisco, they couldn't compete with the bigger shops.

There is also one in Lewisville, near the Eagle Indoor Gun Range. I used Cinnamon Creek cause I hit it off with their GM and bought a PSE for my daughter, Hoyt for me. It is addictive and you can drop a ton quickly.

I only pull 50#'s on my carbon Element, I'm 63 and not strong. It will drill out to 60 yards, even for me. I think you only need to pull 35# to hunt, don't quote me on that though.

I live in Frisco, maybe we could shoot sometime, my hunting partner (Daughter) is kinda busy with teaching school and hunting for a husband :-)

I just decided to get back into bow hunting myself. I just put together a new setup. I went with a Bear Anarchy HC. Bear aren't as fancy as the big 3 but they are good (and cheaper) and my model is a 2014 so it was cheaper yet. If you grab a 2014 model of any manufacturer it should be a little cheaper and still really good.

Might have to take you up on that. I'm going to look at some tomorrow hopefully and see how it goes. Thanks.