6 Things to Compare When Buying a New Bow: The process of elimination
6 Things to Compare When Buying a New Bow
The Process of Elimination
Written By: Stephen Miller & Jake McLaughlin, BowhuntingAZ
If you're in the market for a new bow, I personally believe this is the only way you should be landing upon a final decision when it comes down to make and model. Now I'm no expert on the process, I'll leave that to techs who are the true masters. But, I can speak to the fact that they were able to extract and draw out my likes and dislikes with each bow. Some of those were things I didn't even realize were bothering me at first and now I'm completely aware of these nuances.
BowhuntingAZ recently had the opportunity to go and shoot all of the latest bows. Arizona Archery Club hosted us and was extremely gracious with their time. They gave us free rein of their showroom and allowed Jake and I more than enough time to shoot the newest 2020 line up and see what stood out above the rest. When comparing bows side by side it's paramount that you consider the following details.
- The overall weight of the bow
remember that you'll also be adding quite a few accessories to your bow as well. Do you really want to carry around a brick when you're hiking far into the backcountry? Or perhaps you prefer that dead in your hand type bow?
- Ease of draw/let off ( ability to maintain draw for a long period of time)
Some people prefer a bow that just draws back with ease, while others prefer a little bit of resistance and a hump falling into the valley
- Draw length/brace height for your size
some bows might not even be right for you depending on your stature, make sure you consult with your tech before selecting a model that might not work.
- How deep is the bow's valley?
This is extremely essential when it comes to being able to hold your bow drawn for long periods of time. A deep valley also aids you in a slower let down of your bow should you need to let your draw down and not spook your animal.
- Dead in the hand? Fall forward after the shot?
How does the bow feel once that arrow has ejected? What does the bow tend to do once all the workings begin to run?
- Vibration/fit/grip for your hands
Does the bow rattle you every time you shoot? Different types of material bows may feel different in your hands or perhaps the manufacturer's grip just doesn't sit right in your palm.
As the techs hand you comparable bow models, they'll guide you through each of these steps and help you hone your senses as to what works for you and what doesn't. This knowledge undoubtedly comes from years and years of archery and hunting experience. I was super grateful through this whole process for the tech's patience with us. For my duration of shooting & selection, I realized that I have a real issue with a bow that has a stiff or resistant draw and a large hump before seating into the valley. It felt like they screwed with my overall shot confidence. If I'm not able to essentially manhandle my bow however I want, I feel like I'm not in control of it and therefore I'm less confident in my shot. I also prefer a very deep valley. Specifically speaking from personal experience here, I've held a shot for several minutes before on a Coues buck. Being able to hold that position without the bow wanting to snap back right away was a huge factor in choosing which model to go with. Ultimately I made my decision. I whittled the selection down to a top 3 pretty quickly. From there it fell down to a top 2 and those top two bows were EXTREMELY close. But, ultimately I found a model that worked for me and held a solid promise in all of the categories mentioned above.
Jake took his time with the selection and carefully picked over each aspect of the bows that he handled. Meticulously shooting each bow multiple times, ensuring that he understood all of the unique qualities each bow offers. After shooting dozens of arrows the BowTech Revolt X started to dwindle down the competition. Jake got closer and closer, eventually dwindling down to a final trio of bows. He wasn’t as particular as I was to the deep valley of the draw. Jake preferred the aspect of a slight hump right before seating into the valley, and he was very particular in a having solid back wall. The bow selection this year has a great variety to choose from and therefore made it very tough to choose a final bow. Like the archery tech said, “if we could have the perfect bow, it would be the draw cycle from this bow, and the valley from another bow, mixed with a back wall of a different bow, and vibration from another. But at the end of the day, these bows are all top of the line, premier flagship bows. It comes down to minute things that make each bow unique and their own.” Ultimately it was a smooth draw cycle and a very solid back wall that landed Jake on his decision. Finally, Jake chose between two bows. In the end, he found what was best for his own desires in creating a perfect shot.
For both of us, we can confidently say that bowtech has made such a phenomenal bow for 2020. Undoubtedly a serious runner up. But in the end, the 2020 PSE Carbon Air Stealth Mach 1 and the 2020 Hoyt Carbon RX-4 Ultra stood out for both of us, prevailing over the competition. We owe a huge thank you to Russ of Arizona Archery Club for his time, patience and dedication to helping us find the perfect bow. In terms of customer service, you won’t find anything better than what we received right here!
Check out our video below of the full process we went through with Arizona Archery Club! Go give the shop a visit and let them know that BowhuntingAZ sent you. You can even hang out and shoot all the same line up that we did! Let us know which bow stood out for you.
https://azarcheryclub.com/