Bow Review

[colockumelk]

I've notice that alot of people are buying new bows.  I myself was one of them.  Since a new bow costs alot of money it is not a purchase that someone should take lightly.  I spent about 6 months shooting different bows.  I did alot of research and came to the conclusion that if you want to know which bow is the best one you have to go out there and try them yourself.  So that is what I did.  I also took a notebook with me so I could record how each bow felt in my hand.  I rated them based on feel and not on any calibrated instruments.  I rated them based on smoothness of the draw and release, hand shock and hand torque and basically just how the thing felt in my hand.  So to help those who are looking into purchasing a new bow here's my "Non-proffessional" bow review that I have taken from my notes.  They are in order from my favorite to my least favorite.

DISCLAIMER
Again this info is taken from my notes that I wrote down as I shot each bow.  Some may disagree with me on some of the stuff I said.  We are all a little biased with bows.  There's nothing wrong with that because being biased is human nature we can't help it.  Also to some the Reezen may have felt smoother than the Hoyt or maybe to some the PSE was the quietest one they shot.  In any case it goes back to shooting them all and seeing what fits you best.  

#1 Hoyt AM32/35:  It had the smoothest draw, had no noticable shock at the shot and no hand torque.  It was also the lightest with good speed 321fps IBO.  The 7" brace height made it very forgiving and accurate.  The only negative thing about this bow is it's quiet but not as quiet as the Bowtech Admiral/Captain or as forgiving as the Admiral/Captain (7.5" BH)  But the AM32/35 I felt beet the Bowtech in the other categories.  

#2 Bowtech Admiral/Captain: Had the 2nd smoothest draw but only slightly less smooth than the Hoyt.  Had no noticable shock at the shot and no hand torque.  It had good speed with 320fps IBO.  The 7.5" brace height made it the most forgiving bow I shot.  It was also the quietest bow I shot.  The only negatives were the weight and it also felt a little top heavy in the hands and at full draw.  

#3 Mathews Reezen 6.5: Had a very smooth draw, little hand shock and little torque.  It was very fast at I think 335-340fps IBO.  I think for people who want a speed bow but also want the forgivness and smoothness etc of a normal bow this bow is perfect.  Because while it is very fast it is also very smooth for how fast it shoots.  I wanted to shoot the 7.0 but they didn't have one.  It's not as smooth or shock or torque free as the Hoyt or the Bowtech but it's faster.  I liked this one alot but I like the smooth over the fast.

#4: Bowtech SWAT: This bow is very very smooth.  Has a forgiving brace height of 7.25 inches and shoots an IBO of 322 fps.  This bow is also about $100 less than the other bows on the list.  It's pretty quiet and has a really smooth draw.  It has some shock and hand torque but overall was a pretty nice bow.  Not as nice as the top end bows but since it was $100 less it jumped up in the list of bows.

#5 PSE Dream Season:  This bow is like the Mathews Reezen.  It's a sort of compromise between a speed bow and a smooth bow.  It's IBO is around 335. I shot this one just after I shot the PSE X-Force and was surprised at how much smoother the Dream Season was than the X-Force.  It was actually pretty smooth, had less shock and was quieter than I expected.  But IMHO if you're going to buy a "compromise bow" get the Mathews Reezen 7.0

#6 Bowtech 82nd Airborne:  If you are into speed bows I would buy this one.  It's shoots at 350fps IBO but is smoother, quieter, and has less hand shock than the PSE X-Force line.  While it's still not as smooth as the other bows I shot it was definately the smoothest and quietest speed bow I shot.  If you like 6 inch brace heights this is the bow for you.

#7 PSE X-Force:  Like all speed bows including the 82nd Airborne it has a short brace height which makes it not very forgiving.  But it is very fast shooting over 350fps IBO.  However the X-Force is not a smooth bow.  It was quieter than I thought it would be but when you shoot it, it has alot of hand shock.  If you draw back and then draw down it feels like your arm is tied to a mack truck.

#8: Bear Truth II:  This bow may not be as quiet, smooth, shock free or torque free like the Hoyt or Bowtech or Mathews but it is almost as good.  It also shoots fairly fast at 318FPS IBO.  It may not be as good as the top end bows but it's almost as good.  It's also almost $200 cheaper.  

[Todd_ID]

That's a ton of time and effort invested to try all those out!  Thanks for sharing! 

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

Well said, I agree with everything you have said......... I also wrote down notes from all the bows I have shot........

[colockumelk]

No problem Todd.  I figured I got alot of help from this site so I should help others out here as well.  Hopefully it might save someone's time on the internet etc.

Hoyt you only agree with me becasue I bought a Hoyt

[workstohunt]

Great information and good feedback. I have been looking to buy a new bow but there are so many now.
Thanks for posting

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

No problem Todd.  I figured I got alot of help from this site so I should help others out here as well.  Hopefully it might save someone's time on the internet etc.

Hoyt you only agree with me becasue I bought a Hoyt

well you made the best chioice thats for sure, but I shot all the other bows and feel the same you do about them

[Bean Counter]

Amatuer reviews are almost as important to me as reviews by the pros. You're not owned, and you dont' have their bais. This is a well written, very helpful and informative post. Thank you.

[coachcw]

Great review , have you shot the limsaver 30 yet ? thanks for your imput. Coach

[colockumelk]

If anyone wants to know anything more specific on a certain bow I have more notes.  Those were just the basic stuff.  Just PM me or ask a question on this post and I'll do my best to answer it. 

Workstohunt no problem.  Like I said guys like Todd and Hoyt have helped me out alot and I'm just returning the favor and hopefully help someone out.  At least maybe point them in the right direction.  I would highly recommend if you're going to buy a new bow do what I did and bring a notebook and write down what you think about the bow while you're shooting it. 

Bean counter I wish I was owned then maybe I would have got a free bow

Coach I have not shot the limbsaver yet.  I didn't even know they had one.  At least none of the shops around E-burg and Yakima had one.  I bet that sucker is pretty quiet and shock free though. 

Hoyt the AM32 for me definately was the best choice.   

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

Good on you, and the limbsaver bow, its ugly as hell, but it shoots pretty well, we have had one on the wall for over a year now, I dont recall anyone even looking at it