Bow Hunting Advice

One more thing that wasnt mentioned but I thought I would say it. Dont worry about buying a bow with the most draw weight possible. Opt for something a little less. Most guys at least around here are drawing to much weight and thing that they have to have a 70lb draw to kill anything. I was that way once too. I changed to a 60lb bow and my groups shrunk and I can shoot all day long without getting tired. High draw weights are not neccessary under most conditions. So I just wanted to point out that you dont need to buy the bow with a 70lb draw weight to hunt.

 

we are on a Tacoma forum. people congregated here because they have the fan-boy mentality. me? no..i can find fault with everything i own. i have zero favoritism. hell, my current bow almost ended up in a pond..TWICE! i named it "drunken sparrow" because that is how the arrows flew in the beginning. now it shoots fine and fits me..i still have some things i dont like. but whatever at this point..my muscle memory knows it well.

 

He has a good point

You really don't need all that much draw weight, I mean the compound bows produce a lot more han traditionals and I would hesitate to hunt white tail with my 45 # bear Kodiak magnum 48" except that I am not good enough

Your shot placement and a very sharp broad head makes a lot more difference. Honestly, I like adjustable draw weights that are from 50-60 lbs

But I have seen on now by bear that adjust from 35-70

Hunt with what you are most comfortable with. Anything over about 40# (youth bows are around this, and they hunt with them) will do just fine

Good luck

 

I shoot a Strother infinity, a QAD rest, and an HHA sight. I love it. Will you? You'll never know unless you try it. You might hate it or think its the best set-up on the planet. Point is, no problem listening to fanboys push their favorite brand or listening to objective opinions about equipment, but unless you shoot it in person and it is correctly fitted for you, there is no way to know whether you will like it or not. Go shoot as many bows in your price range that you can and pick one that feels right.

 

What are your guys opinions on sites and quivers?

I am going to go with the QAD ultra rest, I really like the functions of it. I am lookin into the Carter releases and think ill get one if I have the money, if not I'll get a tru-ball or tru-fire.

Just trying to figure out all my accessories I would like while I'm waiting for the shop by my place to get a few bows in he had on order..

 

Sights and quivers are more personal preference I have found

Make sure you get a quality sight and you will be fine

I personally like single pin adjustable sights, while others I know like multi pin sights. I recommend that you get something with fiber optic sites, they are really nice to have

As for quivers, my bow came with one and I have been using it since....except when I am target shooting, it is nice to have a basic hip quiver for that. I paid like 15 or 20 for a cheap on and put a couple pieces of PVC in it for
Tubes. It is really nice when you are practicing and you can hold more than the bow mount ones

 

I have 2 Spot Hogg, Hogg It's that I use for hunting. I've had them for about 5 years, before the wraps came out.. I picked up wrap kits for both and now I modify the sight for what I want/hunting situations.. Single pin for turkeys, 1, 2 or 3 pins for deer. 5 pins for Elk.

Axcel Armortech makes a pretty sweet sight too, if I didn't have the Hogg It's already I'd get one of those..

Lots of choices for sights...Just depends on what you like and how much you want to spend. But remember if you go cheap you might be replacing in a few years because of breakage.

For a bow mounted quiver I've had good luck with the Hoyt models. Nice light weight and quiet if left on the bow when shooting. I did just pick up a Tight Spot and I'm really impressed by it. I like how the quick disconnect mount is super solid and does not rattle. The quiver is also tucked in tighter to the bow than any other removable quiver I've seen.

 

Happy Birthday Bradley! Thanks for the thread by the way ha, been trying to absorb all the info in here...

 

Just on personal preference, I think spot Hogg has the best options. Get it wrapped no matter what, itll stay bright at low light situations. U can also get it custom to your colors. Exapmle for 5 pin

1-20yds RED
2-30yds YELLOW
3-40yds GREEN
4-50yds YELLOW
5-60yds RED

Reason for this is for your middle pin, have it be the only color. So no matter what u looks at green and know 40, so one down 50. Instead of sometimes having to count from top down saying 20 30 40 k there's 50. Same with 7 pin. I'd go with seven pin because the more u get better you'll be able to shoot further.

Quivers- don't have it, but really like the Tight Spot quivers. They sit really close to the riser, prob closer then any other. If your gonna go with mechanical broad heads, check out the octane quiver. Has a magnetic hood so u can't catch blades on foam and they open up. I love mine. Little heavier, but makes it more steady in the hand. Comes with a foam insert too, I just wish it sat a little closer to the riser.

Both Mathews and elite make quivers for their bows and they are pretty nice as well.

heres my bowtech assassin
truglo micro adjust sight before i got the spott hogg
octane quiver 2 piece
ripcord red
easton st epic arrows (no longer being made, gonna get the axis or fmj after i break em all)

 

I like HHA sights. If you want a single pin slider, they are definitely some of the best around. I am currently shooting a tru-ball short-n-sweet release, I like the hook when shooting with a string loop. I have a great cheap quiver. Its a Bohning Lynx 4 arrow. Its solid, great for fixed or mechanical broadheads (even rage heads don't open up in it because of the dual gripper design) and I keep a spare bracket on my climber stand so as soon as I get up my tree the quiver comes right off my bow and is within reach on my stand should I need a second arrow (which unfortunately I have needed a time or two...)

 

Thanks for the info man, I think I like the mult. pin sights. Probably going to have to go with one with 5 just unsure of who makes quality ones. Seems like Spot Hogg is the choice for many..

As far as quivers, I was thinking about making my own for the range outta some PVC and what not. Are there any bows that quivers cannot mount to?? I heard the hoyt Carbon Element/Matrix cant mount quivers..

I will take a look into the Axcel Armortech sights. Any advantages that you like when compared to the Spot Hoggs??

Heard the Tight Spots are nice as well and is quite tight when compared to other quivers.

Thank You for the B-day wishes man! we should go to a range someday and shoot or something???

Thanks for the info on the Spot Hogg, I am really liking those from what I can see so far. Not a whole lot if any bad reviews on them. I will most likely go with a 5 pin sight.

If I dont get a elite or Hoyt I will probably be getting the Tight Spot Quiver, Seems like those have some good quality craftsmanship.

Looking into the HHA sights tonight after I post this reply up. I am not sure if I want a single pin but we shall see! im keeping my mind pretty open on all the equipment just so I can compare and see what I like the most without having favoritism on certain products.

And to be honest I am sure most people at one time or another have needed more then one arrow when hunting. I am sure itll happen to me but I just hope its only one or two. Dont want the animal to struggle and have to track it down for a day to find it...

Thanks with all the input guys, I am hopefully going this weekend to shoot a few bows and check out accessories! we shall see what happens

 

This dominant jake wanted to take a ride in my truck this morning. His 7 brothers and 3 uncles lucked out for one more day..

#3 bird for me this spring

 

Bird #4 this spring I've been pretty lucky, but lots of practice and shooting tournaments helped me stay calm when the time came to make the shot!

 

@Good351 Those are some nice lookin birds you got yourself!

So I have some progress to share with everyone as far as purchasing/trying out as many bows as possible.

SATURDAY: I went over to Archery Sports in Simi Valley, the owner actually wasn't too much of a dick and let me shoot both the Strother SX Rush and the PSE Brute. The difference between the two was NIGHT and DAY.

-Strother SX Rush: Everything about this bow is amazing! Drawing it back was extremely smooth. Did not notice any type of "valley" once reaching full draw. The release was great. I did not feel any vibration once so ever, and the bow didn't drop down after the release either. Stayed perfectly straight for the most part. Although I only got to shot 3 arrows down range, it seemed to be one of the better bows that I have shot if not the best. I also liked how the bow felt in my hands, wasn't too light and had a angle that was suitable to my body position and how I was shooting.

-PSE Brute: I shot this bow, immediately after the Strother SX Rush. Shot 2 arrows and had enough. The vibration from this bow was unreal. Drawing it back was not anywhere near as smooth as the SX Rush and release wasn't smooth either. Its weight was around 1-2 pounds more it felt like and also rolled forward after release. Although the only positive I would have to say that it had was the grip, angle and size felt great.

-Shooting both of these with a tru-fire release...

SUNDAY:

-Mathews Hélim: This bow is incredibly light. Holding it was great, the only thing I would change is putting a slightly larger grip on it. The one that comes stock from Mathews is small and can't feel it when it's in the hand.. Drawing this back was almost as smooth as the Strother SX Rush. Release of this bow was amazing, SUPER quite and no vibration. I did feel a slight rock forward and on a few shots it rocked side to side (could have been poor release on my behalf). It is a great bow with an extremely quite and fast shot.

Mathews Z7Xtreme: Grip on this bow felt better then the Hélim although the draw and release was not as smooth. Had very VERY SLIGHT vibration which was almost unnoticable. The only thing I didn't like was that the draw had more of a "valley." It was no where near as bad as the PSE but not as smooth as the Strother or Hélim. I could definitely shoot this bow and be happy but just not as nice..

-Hoyt Seven37: I was told this was one of Hoyt's top bows in the past year or so. Drawing it back wasn't very smooth. Release gave me vibrations for almost TWO seconds and didn't have very fluent motion IMO. It was a quick and quite bow but not really what I was looking for.

-shot both a tru-ball thumb release and Cobra finger release.


Outcome from this weekends shooting has led me to put the Strother SX Rush on top of my list. It was by far smoother in every aspect and fit me much better. I really liked everything about it and I'm going to go see if I can shoot it again tomorrow if the owner is in a good mood and has the time to help me out again. My dad Is also getting in archery with me and wants to order both a Strother Moxie and a Hoyt Matrix. Who knows if that will happen but both of those will be fun to shoot.

I like the new release that Mathews has. Everything locks into place when drawing back and releases instantly when releasing. If I don't go with the QAD or Ripcord Red I would consider that one. Mathews also makes a bitchen little quiver that swivels into place and locks on. It doesn't require any tools to remove and is small and tight to the bow. I will probably go with the Tight Spot if I don't get the Mathews.

As far as sights go, I am looking into options still and don't have an opinion on which I like better.

The release is between the tru-ball Absolute 360 or the tru-ball finger release that folds back so it's out of the way.

Hopefully going to be able to shoot a few more types before I purchase but all in all I would say it was a successful weekend of shooting for me.

Thanks to all who have given me input it was greatly helpful when shooting and talking to the guys in the shops, keep the comments coming!

 

Did you notice a big difference in the 360 release and the finger release?

I know I did when I tried different ones.

A big thing on the vibration is absorbers, I have limbsaver shock absorbers on mine am that makes a big difference in felt shock, just something to think about

Also

What for you shoot draw weight wide?

 

yes there was a difference between the two. I actually think its better I am just starting again and I am not set on one or the other as far as releases go. I like how consistent positioning feels with the thumb releases. They are just something to get use to and seem to be the favorite for the guys who actually give them a shot.. I think the other type of releases are easier so everything just falls towards that one in the beginning.

As far as draw weight goes, every bow i shot was between 54 and 65 lbs. I definitely will need to work those muscles a little more but 65 wasnt completely undoable...

 

Guns? ha I haven't gotten a bow yet and don't plan to for a while.... You never know though ha. But I'd be down to go shooting sometime, and eventually with bows too

 

Thanks Bengland25, it was a great weekend Done both mornings by 6:30, cannot beat that!

Sorry I didn't answer your question about the Armortech sights before.. I liked their really small fine pins. And the fact that the fiber is completely protected inside the pin "tube". But I keep going back to my Spot Hogg's because of their adaptability. I can fine tune exactly what I want in a sight.. Alot of times if I use 5 pins I'll use .029 for 20, .019 for 30 and 40, and .010 for 50 and 60. And I only use green pins. I don't like orange, red or any other color. I know most people don't have the parts or ability to do this on their own..But Spot Hogg will do a custom pin job of whatever you want, and it is a very minimal charge A buddy just got his 7 pin sight re-done to exactly what he wanted for colors.

That 737 you shot was produced in 2008 and 2009. While it is a very good bow, it is not the most shock free. The 737 was very close to the specs of the legendary Ultratec..lots of people were upset when Hoyt discontinued the Ultratec.. The 737 was designed for those that hunt, target shoot and 3d shoot all with 1 bow. While it does all well, it was not the tops in any catagory. The more parallel limb bows were all more shock free and make better hunters. The CRX, Maxxis, and AlphaMax series are all great smooth shooters. A buddy just picked up a Maxxis NIB off fleabay for 450...deals are out there. If you can find one, you need to shoot a Carbon Matrix or Element (depending on draw length). They are so sweet!

 

Ya, the other type of releases are easier to use, I started out with one. I tried the same release as you, bought one similar and never looked back. The tru-ball absolute 360 you tried, was it a hook release or was it calipers?

I found myself like calipers better....something about the hook releases scare me. I suspect that if I used them for a while, I might like them though. The one release that was not mentioned is a back tension, for a beginner I would avoid those. They are released by a VERY slight movement of the wrist, I was always scared of them and always will be because of how easy they are to release, and they are definitely centered on target shooting too.

edit: I just looekd up the absolute 360, it is only a hook release, I originally tried a boss X release, same thing for the most part, just caliper rather than hook

 

Not quiet true. ALL releases when shot CORRECTLY are back tension releases. What I think you are referring to are hinge releases. And they are not that tough to use or learn to use. I've taught lots of people to use them and use them correctly. And once you've mastered the hinge release you will shoot all other releases (hand held and wrist) correctly. Learning to shoot correctly from the beginning is WAY easier than trying to fix bad habits later on. NO PUNCHING OR PULLING THE TRIGGER.

Hinges and even simpler "Hooks" are used for hunting as well.

Tons of releases for all types of people, shooting style and discipline. Be open to all of them.