why upgrade?

[rosscrazyelk]

I got to thinking about this topic  because of a coworker of mine. He gets a new bow every other year. I could understand if he is a collector but  he just wants to have the new stuff all the time. He has tried to get me to buy some of his (older) bows. He goes on and on about the chances of killing are better with a quicker, quieter bow blah blah blah..
I find this humourous because I have had the same bow for 10 years and my bow kills just fine
I even have a friend who shoots a early 90's high counrty with aluminum arrows still. I guess in my mind if it still works why always get a new bow.
Am I missing the boat on something here?

[boneaddict]

some folks are gear/gadget crazy.   I like simple.   I've wondered the same thing, but know people are different.  I guess thats what drives the industry.   Personally I think their focus is on the wrong thing, but who am I to judge.

[mtbiker]

Ever find a pair of shoes that are just perfect?  I mean you put them on and you have this universal peace and harmony moment like all is well with the world?     Well, some people are seeking that same thing with a bow.  They do the same with other stuff too ....rifles, cars, relationships, you name it.   I upgrade stuff within my various hobbies.  Some were good and worth while upgrades.  Some, were losers and really not worth the money or effort.

Anyway, lots of differnt motives.  We can judge them right or wrong, but at the end of the day it's a personal thing.   

[sirmissalot]

I've never quite understood it either. Every once and a while I want to upgrade to something that shoots a little faster... But never do. It just seems strange, you don't upgrade your main hunting rifle every year, so why your bow?

[huntnphool]

I could see upgrading if you are using one of those bows from 20 years ago that weighs 10 pounds, or is 40" long. Its nice to pack a bow that weighs 3.5 pounds and is only 32"-34" that shoots 300fps compared to those old bows.

[hillbilli]

I think it depends how much upgrade in performance you're talking.. my high country is 10 years old or a little more, and was the latest fastest thing when it was new (rated at 290).. and while I am more likely to hit a deer with it at uncertain yardage than with my traditional bow, or even a very slow compound like the Whitetail 2 and Black mag i started with.. but if you shoot my bow side by side with one rated at 310 or so-- there's not much difference, when we tried it I saw like 3 inches difference at 40yds.. based on what I've seen I think if the new bow isnt 30fps faster or more (rated IBO speed-because thats all we really have to go on)- then it probably isnt enough to matter.. if the new bow is noticeably louder than your old bow- or you just dont shoot it as well.. then is the gain worth it?

[earlmarne]

every time i get on archery talk i feel like i need a new rest,sight,stab,release,arrow,and bow.
but i think this season i will be fine with my current bow.it fits me perfectly and untill i can afford to buy another without selling this one i will stick with it.

[kentrek]

i think a lot of people might also think it will help compensate for their shortcomings and plus they look so much cooler with the new products in there hands...which is what were after right 

[Crunchy]

I am still shooting my Switchback XT that I bought new in 06.  IBO is 316fps.  I am wanting to upgrade but just havent seen that one bow that convinces me to pull the trigger

[RadSav]

Ever find a pair of shoes that are just perfect?  I mean you put them on and you have this universal peace and harmony moment like all is well with the world?     Well, some people are seeking that same thing with a bow.

I think you nailed in on the head.  As much as we try to avoid the hoopla and advertising spin sooner or later an archer finds himself wanting that perfect fit.  We tend to get confused with techno advancements, sexappeal of speed and brand superiority thinking it has to equate to better sooner or later.  Some are more susceptible to the spin than others.  But the fact is most bowhunters have been sold a bill of goods and even if it says Hoyt or Mathews on the label it doesn't mean it fits or even works for most of us.

I go through a half dozen bows a year testing and judging to see if the advantage really exists.  I consider it part of my job to be up-to-date with the new greatest marketing spin.  Yet increasingly more and more each year it's complete hogwash with the high end bows.  The big brands being some of the worst offenders!  There has been an increase in the performance and quality of bargain priced bows in recent years.  And in my opinion many of those are really the better bows for price, performance, ease of shooting and overall value.  $699.99 MSRP for my view of the personal best PSE has to offer.  $599.99 MSRP on my view of the best bow Bear has ever offered (though no longer in production as an adult male's bow). $499.99 MSRP for the Mission version of Mathews best bow (My Goodness is that a DEAL).  And the list goes on and on from manufacture to manufacture.

I spoke with a H-W member yesterday stating that if I was forced to shoot one of the most popular bows on the market right now I would quit bowhunting.  That probably goes for 80% of the so called BEST of the name brands.  A bow should increase your enjoyment of the sport.  You should have complete confidence in it and bet your bottom dollar on it performing to the task at hand.  The right one should leave you with the same feeling you have when hunting that animal of a lifetime with your very best friend and hunting partner.  It's been three years since I held a new bow that gave me any hope of achieving that end.  Three have come close, but each of the manufactures had to go and screw up a good thing by either making it too heavy or adding something completely stupid (IMO)

From the late eighties until 2005 I used the same bow for everything.  The first time she ever let me down I took it as a sign that she was tired and ready for retirement.  That bow hangs on my wall as if waiting for a shrine to build up around her.  Few days go by when I don't wake up in the morning looking at that camo'd queen hanging there wishing we could spend some more time in the woods tagging the best of the best and making another impossible shot through the smallest of holes in the worst of branch filled shooting lanes that end with a short blood trail and heavy packs back to the truck.  I have two bargain priced bows beside her that are equally up to the task.  Both group arrows better than my ailing eyes can see these days.  But yet our friendships have never entered into such personal admiration as that magnificent ugly yet beautiful beast that casts her shadow on them both.

Some day it is going to happen.  A new bow will hit the market that is the exact bow I would design myself.  It will speak softly to me and say, "I'll be with you until the last day of your bowhunting career!"  And all the battlescares we share and blood stains we collect will never take from the beauty and respect we have for one another.  And life as a bowhunter will somehow be whole once more.  My search for her continues.  And will so until we finally find one another

[rosscrazyelk]

Ever find a pair of shoes that are just perfect?  I mean you put them on and you have this universal peace and harmony moment like all is well with the world?     Well, some people are seeking that same thing with a bow.  They do the same with other stuff too ....rifles, cars, relationships, you name it.   I upgrade stuff within my various hobbies.  Some were good and worth while upgrades.  Some, were losers and really not worth the money or effort.

Anyway, lots of differnt motives.  We can judge them right or wrong, but at the end of the day it's a personal thing.   
 

I do try many things but I do not buy all of them. I have no problem with trying things out  but there are alot of people who buy things  for the awe value.  I am not judging anyone. I just dont understand I guess

[D-Rock425]

I get a new one about every year or every other year for sure.

[steeleywhopper]

I think your resale is better when the bow is newer vs older. With he high price of bows in today's market you better sell off the last years bow to cut cost on the new modeled jazzy bow that just came out. In reality why keep a bow if your not 100% satisfied anyway.

[deerslyr]

If I had the money I'd buy a new one every year. Heck I'd buy new everything every year if I had the money if it gave me even the slightest bit of advantage. Would it make a difference in the game I harvested, probably not but there might be a an opportunity or two through out the season that it would provide me with and that would make it worth it.
BUT until the day I have that kind of money, ill be rocking my '10 mission maniac thats proved itself a time or two. Props to those guys that can buy a new one every year though 

[mtbiker]

Ever find a pair of shoes that are just perfect?  I mean you put them on and you have this universal peace and harmony moment like all is well with the world?     Well, some people are seeking that same thing with a bow.  They do the same with other stuff too ....rifles, cars, relationships, you name it.   I upgrade stuff within my various hobbies.  Some were good and worth while upgrades.  Some, were losers and really not worth the money or effort.

Anyway, lots of differnt motives.  We can judge them right or wrong, but at the end of the day it's a personal thing.   
 

I do try many things but I do not buy all of them. I have no problem with trying things out  but there are alot of people who buy things  for the awe value.  I am not judging anyone. I just dont understand I guess

Awe feels good.     I'm a drummer.  I was in the local drum shop the other day and played a Ludwig Classic Maple kit that had this killer 24" bass drum.  Every time I hit it I paused, said "awe" (well more like WOW), giggled, then continued the back beat.  Anyway, the thump out of that thing was awesome.  Too bad for me I didn't have a cool $2500 in my pocket.   

[jrebel]

Pretty sure there has been a thread on this the last few years.

I buy a new bow every 2-3 years cause I want to be cool and with any luck the newer bows will start improving my accuracy at 120+ yards.      Just had to do it, I couldnt' resist!!

I do it cause I can.  When I was younger I couldn't afford the newer bows and the older ones were just as effective.  Now I can afford it so I do.  No other reason, just love the sport and like the new equipement / technologies.    

[KFhunter]

I've been debating an upgrade to my bow






It's not real quiet, not real smooth either 

[JJD]

It's what makes the archery industries world go round  . 

[RadSav]

Why upgrade?  RADSAV just booked another sheep hunt and my bill is coming due soon!  What better reason for everyone to upgrade?  Buy two or three new bows...Please!  Just make sure you put those Radical Peep sights on them

[Bean Counter]

I downgrade 

My pastor has three bows, all newer and more expensive than mine. I can outshoot him with my seven year old bow with him on any one of them. Then again 2 of the 3 are Matthews so maybe that explains it. 

I am convinced that merchants aim on selling you upgrades for several key reasons:

• You can eschew hard work (practice) by throwing money at the problem... just like Congress.
• Your ego is protected... "You couldn't possibly have a problem with your technique, its gotta be the bow's fault!"
• They make more money
• etc

Related: Should You Upgrade?

This guy is awesome. His thoughts relate to photography but I see 100% correspondence with archery, guns, and other technique-based equipment.

People are always asking me if they should upgrade.

Should you get that new lens, new camera, or just as often, since you're considering lenses and bodies, should you just upgrade to a better brand of camera?

If you have to ask, then the answer is a clear:
 
NO.
 
Why? Simple: if you have an obvious need for something, like a telephoto lens to photograph your kids at sports, there's no question that you ought to get it. If its obvious, you're not asking anyone, although you might be trying to sell your wife on the idea.

On the other hand, if you have to ask, the answer is NO.

I once asked a wise old friend if I ought to marry a certain girl. I valued his input on something so important. He laughed, and said "If you have to ask, the answer is NO." He went on to explain that if she was the right girl, it would be so obvious that I wouldn't be asking anyone. Therefore, if the answer wasn't obvious, then she's not the right one, and the answer is unquestionably NO.

With equipment, what everyone (except accomplished masters) fails to realize is how little the camera has to do with the actual result. Even though LEICA M lenses really are sharper than most Nikon or Canon lenses, so what: you'll never actually see any difference in real pictures made under real field conditions. What you're taking a picture of, and how you do it, are far more important to the final image than what brand of lens you used.

What you will see is that your pictures will suffer when your attention is distracted away from your subject, and instead focused on worrying about your equipment, or worse, worrying about equipment that you don't have yet!

The only thing that contributes to good photos is paying attention to your subject and the basic elements that lead to strong compositions. The best place to learn these critical things is to read everything I have at How to Take Better Pictures, and read, understand and take to heart Bruce Barnbaum's book "The Art of Photography."

If you know how to take great pictures, you can make them on a pocket camera, an old 35mm camera, an old $5 garage-sale camera, or even an expired disposable camera. These links go to examples of shots I've made with each crappy camera, and every one of you already has a much better camera than any of those. Even cell phone cameras are good enough to win photo contests, and friends of mine have made big money doing just that.

None of us has unlimited cognitive (thinking) ability. Whatever brain cells we expend on worrying about "should I upgrade" are brain cells that aren't contributing to thinking about our subject, or making a picture right now. This is precisely why even thinking about upgrades makes our pictures worse: we're thinking about gear we don't have, and not thinking about our pictures.

It's easy to let ourselves off the hook today, knowing that as soon as we get that next great gotta-have-it thing that then our pictures will suddenly be great. The sad reality is that there is always some next-great-thing, and getting it is never the answer.

Some of us, myself included in my stupider days, have spent decades worrying about the next upgrade, and never stopped to think about what makes a good picture.

The only thing that improves our pictures is to be paying attention to what makes a great picture right here and right now, with what you already have.

Making great photographs takes hard work. Sure, everyone gets great shots now and then by pure luck, but it takes careful attention and discipline to make great photos consistently.

Thinking that a sharper lens or more feature-infested camera will make better pictures tomorrow is the coward's excuse for not making a great picture today. Right now is all that matters, and putting off the hard work until tomorrow is for wimps. Any *censored* can think that if they only had some great new camera that they'd be making shots like the pros, but the fact is that the pros would be making the same pictures if you put your camera in their hands.

The reason everyone thinks in terms of constant upgrades is that it's an easy way to think, and manufacturers spend billions of dollars in advertising to nurture the myth of the upgrade as the easy way out.

Pentax, Olympus, Nikon, Canon, Leica, Hasselblad and Phase One all take the same pictures.

Only when you become a master should you even start to think about changing cameras, and then, why bother? You need to be good enough to get perfect exposures for every shot. I'm far from great, but even I can do this with any camera because I know how to test it and then compensate each exposure as needed. Even the best camera on Earth can't always do this by itself. You have to be in control. If you can't get the results you want with what you already have, it's your fault, not the camera's. A new camera won't improve your pictures.

If you're loaded, sure, go ahead and buy it, but don't expect it to make your pictures any better.

Paying attention to your picture, and not to buying more gear, is the only way to improve.

[pianoman9701]

I'd love to upgrade every couple of years. The new Hoyt Carbon whoseywhatsy is an awesome shooting bow. I just can't afford $1400 for it and my $500 bow shoots fine with it's $80 Cobra sights (now $100), and Tight Spot quiver. I will have to add the Rad Peep sight the next time I change strings, though.