martin firecat pro x

[bayhunter]

  anyone out there shooting this bow? i have an older martin rage w/ fusion cams this bow still moves arrows @291 fps,looking to upgrade.

[DeKuma]

JBR has shot one and is in process of getting one through The Nock Point.  He may be of help.

[wastickslinger]

I shot one for 8 years. It was my first bow and it treated me very well. I dont think mine was cranking out 291 though. Seems like about 240-250 if memory serves. Killed a few at 50+ yards though so i guess speed wasnt an issue.

MuleySniper talked me into a Mathews last year and it cost me 180 inch buck. Sniper you are a frigging turd!!!!! My Martin Firecat would have put the smack down. 

I still have the Martin bow all set up. I will likely keep it for fun.

All kidding aside( although missing the buck was no joke) I love my new Mathews.

[JBR]

I have shot the 2008 Martin FireCat Pro-X both at the Nock Point and then side-by-side against a Mission Journey bow, up at Riverside Archery in Mt. Vernon. 

Let me prefice this by saying, I am a TOTAL NOVICE and have no experience with archery.  That being said, I have shot several brands of bows during the last two months I've been searching and researching for my first bow.  As it stands right now, I believe I'm going to go with the Firecat. 

At 70#, it was not as smooth, but dropped down to 60-65#, and the Firecat was smooth and quiet and noticably FAST.  It did have a little bit of hand vibration, but not nearly as much as several others, with just the bare bow.  I'm sure that with that with a stabilizer and a few after market dampening products, most of that will be taken care of. 

The Mission Journey bow was very smooth.  I was told at Riverside that it's the Matthew's lower budget company, like Diamond is Bowtech.   The Mission Journey bow is the Matthews Switchback XT, without the harmonic dampeners and roller cable guard.  Other than that it's the same bow for about $599.  I really like it, but shooting the Firecat ProX next to it, the Firecat seemed about as smooth, but MUCH faster.  Like I said earlier, for a novice, it was NOTICABLY faster. 

For the money, $549 - $599 new, I really like the 2008 Martin FireCat with all things considered.  That my VERY humble .2 cents.

[bayhunter]

 thanks for the report.much appreciated.

[JBR]

FYI,  there's a lengthy report done on the FireCat in April 2008 issue of Bowhunting World magazine.