So I'm finally getting to hunt again this year after being on a hiatus. I'm looking to upgrade to a newer bow and not quite sure what I want. What bows are y'all shooting/would you recommend? Not looking to spend a thousand dollars on a bare bow, but don't mind spending some money a a properly set up rig either. Preciate the help!

Parker Bows on clearance as they're going out of business.

https://www.parkerbows.com

I bought 2006 model Matthews bow (bare) for about $300 and love it. Of course, I was already shooting a Matthews bow to begin with. Picked this one up as a back up. I would go and shoot different brands and models and find out which one fits you best, then go from there. Only problem, most pro shops will only have the "new" bows in stock, and those will more than likely exceed your budget of $1000.

Don’t over think it. I have Bear Recure on my wall that has killed 32 white deer.

Depends if you want recurve or compound then people can probably help you more

Didn't even realize I left that part out. I'm looking at compounds

Mission offers quite a bit of bow for the money.

Faced this same dilemma a few times myself. After learning the hard way by buying the lesser (slightly cheaper) product — they just never seem to completely fill the purpose of upgrading or at best they are just a band-aid for what I really want. Bit the bullet and upgraded to a new Mathews Triax a couple years ago and am now loving life — extremely smooth shooter, very consistently “dead-nuts” on target even with fixed blade heads at 60 yards. Now I cry once about the purchase price but really enjoy quality products, rather than saving $250 — struggling to get anywhere near the performance I need, and looking to upgrade again in a year or two.

If it were me, I’d just look at a new Mathews Vertex, Bowtech Realm, or other premium brand of interest - pretty confident I’d get over the initial expense pretty quickly and enjoy it a lot more.

My 2 cents

After looking around more and doing some research, mostly about warranties, I'm leaning more that direction. Chances of actually needing the warranty on a brand new bow are probably slim, may be hopeful thinking on my part, but I'd like to have the peace of mind knowing I have one if I do end up needing it. Thanks for the input!

I think the Martin REV is the best new bow out there for the money. Smooth, no hand shock whatsoever, fully adjustable without a press. It is an MSRP of only $449. I have seen them for $349. Of course you need to put accessories on it but you can be out-the-door for $500-600 range. Its a 30" axle to axle bow so real light and handy for a blind or stand.

Welllll, I made a trip to On Target out in Canton to do a little window shopping. The staff there was awesome and let me shoot as many bows as I liked, as much as I could handle. Shot all sorts of bows, Bowtech, Elite, Hoyt, PSE, Mathews, just about anything they put in my hands. I tried to avoid shooting the higher end bows just because of pricing, but the guy handed me the new Mathews Vertix and said just shoot this and see what you think. Initial thoughts, the first couple inches of draw were rough, but after that it was smooth as could be. The only thing I heard was the arrow hitting the target, no felt recoil at all, and down the black hole I went. I kept shooting other bows just to keep an open mind but I think I've set my mind on the Vertix. I shot the Traverse, loved it as well, it was just too tall of a bow for my liking. Plus, the modular concept of the Vertix really won me over in case I need to adjust the poundage up or down. Just a simple $45 module to swap instead of having to replace the limbs. I hadn't planned on spending that much on a bare bow, but I got suckered in and not sure I can go with anything else. Now to figure out how to convince the wife that it's worth the money...

Really sorry to hear about Parker GOB. I think they had been selling in bass pro catalogs for what like 25 years? more?

My first bow was a mathews z light, their 2nd model. Have had a couple more and a bear. Can't go wrong with either brand, Bears are usually much less $, and I killed as many deer with my bear as any mathew.

I have a Diamond Edge SB-1 that I bought new a little over a year ago.
It's my first bow and I love it as it wasn't expensive and it's very versatile.

First started shooting at 30# draw weight at 15-25 yards distance, then moved up in increments and now I'm getting a good grouping at 45 yards at 60# draw weight.