So after many conversations with the wife
, she has finally agreed to let me spend the money and get a new bow
. It all started last year when I went to Spokane Valley Archery, and shot the Hoyt Alpha Max... I loved it! But then RileyTDF came up a few weeks ago with one of the new Strothers bows. I had to work the morning they went Turkey hunting so I didn’t get a chance to shoot it. But never the less I thought it was gorgeous! The wife and I planned a trip down to Walla Walla last weekend, and I figured it would be a great opportunity to shoot the Strothers SR-71. But being me... I was too impatient! So I called up Josh at SVA and wanted his professional opinion of the new Strothers bows. He basically told me that they are a very good bow. But he encouraged me to come in and shoot a bunch of bows to see which one felt the best. So last Friday I left work early, rounded up the girls, and headed down to SVA.
When I got there Josh had 5 bows set up at 29" and 70lbs. Here are the bows. Strothers Inspire, Hoyt Maxxis 31, Bowtech Destroyer, Mathews Z7, and the Mathews Monster 7. The first bow I went to was the Strothers. I immediately liked the way it felt. It had good balance and the grip felt great! I shot 9 arrows through the Strothers bow. Over all I thought it was a nice bow. But my biggest problem with it was I felt like I was pulling a semi up hill. The rollover was much greater than I wanted in a bow. The second bow I Grabbed was the Mathews Z7. Followed by the Monster 7. They both were fast, and smooth. There was just one problem. Both bows were too bulky for my liking. I could tell they were built great and very solid but I just couldn't see myself packing either of these heavy, bulky bows into the woods.
The Fourth bow I grabbed was the Hoyt Maxxis 31. I had Extremely high expectations for this bow. With 3 of my close friends shooting Hoyt’s, plus with my previous experience shooting the Alpha Max I knew this would be a contender. After the first arrow, I was AMAZED! It had an amazingly smooth draw. The let off was perfect, and it felt great in my hand. I didn’t want to set it down!!! There was one down fall to the Hoyt. I just wish I could get a little more speed. The IBO rating is 323 @ 70lbs with a draw length of 30” It was a bit slower than I wanted.
The Bowtech Destroyer was my least favorite. I liked the hay it felt, and it seemed to be a very smooth bow, but the let off was far too aggressive for my liking. With the first arrow I drew I had made a small grip adjustment and the bow started to cycle immediately. For me this was a deal breaker. I set this bow down and moved on!
After shooting all 5 bows inside, I narrowed it down to 2 bows. The Hoyt Maxxis 31 and the Mathews Monster 7. At this time my daughter and wife were getting a little restless inside so we decided to take it outside. Having the slight breeze at my back and the Hoyt Maxxis in my hand. I drew back with my eyes closed. Trying to mentally pick the bow apart threw each phase of the shot. Again I was truly impressed. As I opened my eyes and set into position I felt relaxed and egger to let the arrow fly. With a slight touch on the Scott's release, the arrow was down range! WOW… I love this bow!
I decided I needed to be fair to the Mathews Monster 7. I alternated between both bows for about 60 arrows. In my opinion I think both are at the top of the class. The deciding factor came down to the bulkiness of the bows. With that being said I ended up choosing the Hoyt Maxxis 31 Blacked out.
Over the weekend I had thought about my decision constantly. I was questioning my decision because the Hoyt was a bit slower in speed. So on Tuesday I called and had Josh order an 80lb bow instead of the 70lb we had talked about. I figured I could pick up some speed if a used a shorter arrow with a 400 spine. The bow is currently on order and hopefully being built as I write this. I can’t wait! I will be posting pictures to follow!
Accompanying the Hoyt Maxxis 31 will be a set of Winners Choice strings in solid black, an HHA single pin sight, Trophy Takers full containment Smack Down fall away rest, Fuse Carbon Connexion stabilizer, and a Fuse Satori 2 Piece quiver.
