Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 09, 2009, 08:54:15 PM
This week I reshot-
Hoyt Alphmax 32 and 35
Pse bow madness and X force gx
Martin Firecat
Matthews Reezen 6.5 and DXT
Bear Truth 2
all bows were 29 in draw at 65lbs....
Hoyt Alphmax 32- ($850) I like the feel of the 35 better for myself, but this bow is nothing short of amazing..... the only thing that some might not like is the new XTR cam draws somewhat harsh, but it is as smooth harsh if that make sense... the bow it super smooth, little to no hand shock and whisper quiet..... it was one of the quiestest if not the quietest of the bow I shot.
Hoyt 35-($900) same as the 32 just 3 in longer and .2 lbs heavier.. this is the one I own.... just a great all around hunting/3D bow..
PSE Bow madness ($500) This bow is a great bow in the price range, it is very light, fast and very quiet. the drawback however are it draws harsh, especially from a single cam and it has a decent amount of handshock in the shot.... but for a mid range bow its about as good as it gets....
PSE X force GX ( $869) This is PSE flagship bow, it has very radical cams that let you know just how radical when you draw.... If you creep at all with this bow the cams will snap you back down really fast. Overall it shoots alright...... fast, fairly smooth, still some hand shock in the bow.. the 80% let off is nice and feels like you are holding nothing. The bow is quiet but not as quiet as the hoyt or matthews IMO... Its a good bow, just not worth the price tag IMO...
Martin Firecat ($580) I have been very dissapointed all the way around this year with the martin line up, and before hoyt this is what I shot. The firecat has a smooth draw, as smooth as any bow with the exception of the DXT, but the smoothness does not make up for the loudness of the bow and it has a bit of handshock and kick upon the shot..... I think most of the noise is coming from the holowed out rollergurad..... either way im not very impressed in any aspects other then the smoothness of the draw.. a good beginer bow but nothing to exciting....
Matthews Reezen 6.5-($869) Not at all impressed with this bow, it is quiet like all matthews, but it draws like a horse, especially for a solo cam, it has plenty of vibration in the shot and a not so enlightening 6.5 in brace height.. everyone that has shot it next to the DXT at the shop says its a pos compared to the DXT and I would agree.. its overpriced and way overhyped....
Matthews DXT-($859) I am not a matthwes Guy, but this is a awesome bow, It is the smoothest drawing of all the bows, it is as quiet if not even quieter then the hoyt and equally as smooth.. at 31 in axle to axle it is small and compact and super light.. its a great all around hunting bow.. IMO it is still the best bow matthwes makes along with its bigger brother the Drenalin.....
Bear Truth 2- ($700) I have never been a big bear fan and after shooting this bow again I recalled why, its not super quiet, has almost a "tang" sound to it... I hate the grip, its not ergonomical at all.. and it has a TON of hand shock and vibration, especially for a singnature bow from a well known company.. I was blown away at how much this bow vibrated after the shot, I let 4 other guys shoot it and they also said the same thing.... not impressed at all, and for the same money you can find a much much better bow....
I would rate these bows in this order
1. Matthews DXT/Hoyt alphamax- Both are pure pleasure to shoot, super quiet, fast, little to no hand shock and very accurate..
2. Pse Bow madness - for the money it has more performance and aside from the harsh draw a nice shooting bow.
3. Pse X force GX- A good bow but overpriced IMO for what you get.... but speed still sells..
4. matthews Reezen 6.5- the last 3 in this list are all about the same for me, bows I would never shoot, the only thing that put this bow here is the quietness of this bow compared to the remaining 2.
5. Martin Firecat- The only good things about this bow are the smoothness of the draw and its under 600 bucks.... but the noise and hand shock do not make up for it.
6. Bear truth 2- awful bow for a supposed "top line" bow, tons of hand shock, not super quiet or fast and its not good to look at either... much better bows for the money are out there....
There you have it a review of the bows I reshot this week, if you have a chance shoot them all and compare what you think....
6.
Post by: Bird_Bagger on February 09, 2009, 08:59:06 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 09, 2009, 09:00:23 PM
Post by: bucklucky on February 09, 2009, 09:05:32 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 09, 2009, 09:07:56 PM
Post by: bucklucky on February 09, 2009, 09:09:08 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 09, 2009, 09:13:44 PM
Post by: Bearhunter on February 09, 2009, 09:15:20 PM
Post by: archery288 on February 09, 2009, 09:18:36 PM
Hoyt, shoot a couple of the new Bowtechs and give us your review, it would be interesting to see how the stack up to to mathews and hoyt....
Paul is too afraid.... He may like em... :chuckle:
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 09, 2009, 09:19:17 PM
Post by: Bearhunter on February 09, 2009, 09:20:44 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 09, 2009, 09:21:38 PM
Hoyt, shoot a couple of the new Bowtechs and give us your review, it would be interesting to see how the stack up to to mathews and hoyt....
Paul is too afraid.... He may like em... :chuckle:
Lol Jon thats not what im afraid of.. I have shot a few, shot my buddys captain.. nice bow, pretty smooth and quiet..... I wouldnt say it was any better then the DXT or alphamax.... I personally dont like some of the enginering they do in thier bows..... lots of people love em.. I havent shot one yet that blew me away enough to sway me from hoyt....
Post by: archery288 on February 09, 2009, 09:22:30 PM
Post by: Bearhunter on February 09, 2009, 09:26:10 PM
Post by: archery288 on February 09, 2009, 09:28:01 PM
Post by: Bearhunter on February 09, 2009, 09:32:03 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 09, 2009, 09:33:35 PM
Post by: colockumelk on February 09, 2009, 11:42:06 PM
When you are only 5'6" and only have a 27" draw, the string angle isn't as steep and the bow seems like it's the right size and not a 2x4... :chuckle:
Ha ha gotta love being short. I'm 5'6.25 and I agree the Admiral doesn't seem to short at all. My tall goofy *censored* of a friend hated it and says it felt like a toy. I loved it. I test fired it and am buying it so in order to not jack this thread here was how I felt about it.
I recently testfired the Bowtech Admiral $769. It was set at 70lbs and 28 inches of draw. This bow has the smoothest draw cycle of any bow I have shot. If you let down it also does not rip your arm out of your socket like the Bowtech 82nd Airborn or the PSE X-Force will. When you fire it there is absolutely no hand torque to speak of and was basically vibration free and without any after market silencing stuff such as Limb Savers etc was super quiet. Overall it was the smoothest shooting bow I have ever shot. Another thing I liked about it is that you can change the draw length and the draw weight with hand tools and without needing a bow press. The only downside to this bow is it is slightly heavier than the Matthews and the Hoyt's. I think this is because of the center pivot riser. Overall the most awsomest bow ever. And yes awsomest is now a word.
Post by: Jason on February 10, 2009, 04:41:44 AM
I would love to, but we dont carry bowtech.. their customer service was awful at best from what I was told
Come on Paul, you can't beleave every thing you hear, you will never like anything other than Hoyt until you shoot what's not in your shop, I know you get a good deal on bows from hoyt for being on the shooting staff but you'r opinion is biased and you wont be able to give an honest opinion on any other bow thats not sold in your store, get out and shoot all the bows then compare them, not by what other people tell you
Post by: Crunchy on February 10, 2009, 06:06:57 AM
Post by: colockumelk on February 10, 2009, 01:28:48 PM
Post by: funkster on February 10, 2009, 01:58:42 PM
Post by: colockumelk on February 10, 2009, 03:01:43 PM
This test was set up to show the strengths of the X-Force which is speed and ft pounds of energy. That the only strength it has. This demo was rigged. Why did they take off all of the factory installed anti-vibe and sound dampening stuff. Because they knew that if the other bows could keep that factory installed stuff the X-Force would be much louder. If it was a truly unbiased test it would have measured the sound with all the factory installed stuff. It's not after-market stuff it's factory installed stuff that is part of the bow.
If it was unbiased they also would have had real people shoot it to compare how smooth the draw cycle is and how much each bow vibes etc. We are not machines and hand torque and a smooth draw is important after all this has a big impact on how accurate we shoot. It was very biased. After all look who produced it. Any video that is produced by a bow manufacturer is going to be biased it doesn't matter who it is.
Post by: twisp_river_slayer on February 10, 2009, 04:53:52 PM
Good review. I currently shoot a SBXT. I enjoy single cam bows, and Im gonna wait to see what all the hype is with the " Monster" before I purchase a new bow. If I dont like it or the Reezen Im more than happy with what I have now.
The SBXT is an awesome bow! I will never get rid of mine but i was talked into buying a DXT this hunting season. I didn't think Mathews could ever make a better bow but they proved me wrong once again! lol I have shot the Reezen and i wasn't impressed and all the Monster is is a worked over PSE. If you are going to get another bow i would definitely recommend the the DXT. But keep your switchback!!!
Post by: funkster on February 10, 2009, 04:54:42 PM
Post by: colockumelk on February 10, 2009, 08:55:03 PM
The best way to decide which one is the best for you in my opinion is to shoot as many of them as possible before you decide. I'm sure you already know this. I don't know why I just said that. Damnit preaching to the choir is boring.
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 10, 2009, 09:18:11 PM
I would love to, but we dont carry bowtech.. their customer service was awful at best from what I was told
Come on Paul, you can't beleave every thing you hear, you will never like anything other than Hoyt until you shoot what's not in your shop, I know you get a good deal on bows from hoyt for being on the shooting staff but you'r opinion is biased and you wont be able to give an honest opinion on any other bow thats not sold in your store, get out and shoot all the bows then compare them, not by what other people tell you
the only reason archery world does not carry bowtech is because the cutomer service was crap.. PERIOD.... ask someone other then me next time your in the shop, you will get the same response.. its nothing personal against bowtech.. thier service sucked.. when they would call to get a bow sent back, bowtech always asked what happend to it etc.. basically it was always the bow owners fault.. not the bow, other companys.. when the owner who i wont name on here calld them, they never question.. they all say ok if you looked it over send it back...... also bowtech wont even ship us parts for bows because we dropped them, anyone that comes in has to go to sportsmens to have work done.......
Post by: Todd_ID on February 11, 2009, 09:12:49 AM
Post by: Crunchy on February 11, 2009, 01:48:52 PM
Post by: twisp_river_slayer on February 11, 2009, 01:54:07 PM
Post by: bow-n-head on February 11, 2009, 05:55:53 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 11, 2009, 09:10:24 PM
Post by: trailtreker on February 11, 2009, 10:08:01 PM
Post by: BaseballStud20 on February 13, 2009, 01:42:09 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 13, 2009, 07:48:20 PM
Post by: coonhound on February 14, 2009, 05:15:20 PM
I would agree with all of your statements.
A bow that doesn't get much attention is the APA line up:
the APA Viper is one smooth shooter, by far the smoothest single cam I've ever shot, it had a nice crisp stop, comfortable grip, very quiet and smooth on the shot. I only know of one dealer in Washington, I almost pulled the trigger on one but Hoyt's reputation for durability pushed me that direction.
Here's my review on the AM35 now that I've got it setup with a few hundred shots through it.
Here's my review:
- the fit and finish is spectacular, I've got the black/camo model
- My draw length of 28.5" which required the use of the #2 cam, it drops into a very short valley a little sharper than I prefer but I'm already getting used to it. My Mathews Outback was smoother on the draw. Wish I could use the #3 cam.
- It tuned unbelievably fast, I only had to make a couple small adjustments and I was shooting bullet holes.
- The speed is right where I wanted it, with it maxed at 62lbs, I'm shooting a 418 grn arrow at 265 fps.
- Very forgiving compared to my Mathews Outback, I don't know why but I see the arrow fly way better with this bow and it doesn't throw them way off when I jerk on the shot.
- The stock grip is decent, maybe a little big but it finds center nicely and I don't fight left and right hits. I may try some side plates just for fun.
- It's a little quieter than my Outback, probably average to slightly better than average for a new bow.
- Now that it's loaded with accessories it's very dead in my hand, I don't like wrist slings and this bow doesn't give me the urge to GRAB the bow at the shot, it just lays in my hand.
- I also shot broadheads, Muzzy 3 bld 100 grn, and they hit exactly where my field points hit at 20, 30, 40 & 50.
- The balance is nice while carrying it, it's not so top heavy like my Mathews, should be nice to pack all day.
Overall I don't think it's going to be a miracle, but it most definitely will improve my shooting with it's forgiveness. I am thrilled with the ease of broadhead flight and fact that it's not so sensitive to poor form. I can't wait until the next 3D shoot.
I'm pumped,
Coon
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 14, 2009, 05:42:21 PM
Post by: coonhound on February 14, 2009, 06:20:09 PM
Good on you.. I also love my am35 with the black/camo combo.. I shot the reezen 6.5 today after we put the new dampner on it, good god it is the biggest POS I have ever shot.. the thing had so much hand shock it almost fell out of my hand.. I was blown away......
I used to be a Mathews fan but they haven't done anything this year that gets me even interested. I shot the Reezen 7.0 and 6.5 and they were both a big step backwards in my opinion.
I also shot most of the Elite lineup, in fact before I shot them I was pretty sure I was going to join that crowd. They were decent, the Z28 interested me with that 8" BH but it just didn't get me all that excited after I shot it. I've shot a dozen different bows in my quest to quench my "gotta have a new bow sickness" before settling on the AM.
Post by: Jason on February 14, 2009, 06:48:03 PM
I shot the reezen 6.5 today after we put the new dampner on it, good god it is the biggest POS I have ever shot.. the thing had so much hand shock it almost fell out of my hand.. I was blown away......
LOL.. have you shot the Martin firecat yet?, that thing has some good hand shock to it.
Post by: funkster on February 14, 2009, 07:32:16 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 14, 2009, 07:54:55 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 14, 2009, 07:56:45 PM
I shot the reezen 6.5 today after we put the new dampner on it, good god it is the biggest POS I have ever shot.. the thing had so much hand shock it almost fell out of my hand.. I was blown away......
LOL.. have you shot the Martin firecat yet?, that thing has some good hand shock to it.
I have that was one of the bows in the test, it also has plenty of hand shock and is loud, but no where near the shock of the reezen... martin has not impressed me at all, the only decent bow is the warthog, I shot about 30 arrows through my buddys, its very fast, but as with all bows to get that the cams are crazy, and the backwall is not that great.......
Post by: funkster on February 14, 2009, 08:32:16 PM
weight measurement meaning? the 32 weighs 3.9 and the 35 4.1
Yes, what it weighs. Thanks but I was not talking about the catalog weight. I was talking about a bow setup with sight,quiver and stabilizer!
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 14, 2009, 08:44:20 PM
Post by: funkster on February 14, 2009, 09:08:52 PM
Post by: RUTNBULL1 on February 14, 2009, 11:27:39 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 15, 2009, 10:50:41 AM
Hoyt,thanks! I currently shoot with a stabilizer and I am thinking of not using one next season to shave weight, can you give me some pro's and con's if that would be a good idea or not. I have always used some type of stabilizer, I think that is how my dad setup my first bow and I just always went with one.
I always have and always will use one, I like the bow to be weighted forward, also most hunting stabilizers dont weigh enough to really make a difference one way or the other as far as weight IMO.. I would use one, as already stated, they take vibration and shock out of the bow and also quiet them down. does not matter how light your bow is if the animal hears it and is a skidish one.. they balance the bow better and in theory should help you shoot better, also extremely important when it comes time.. My best advice for any hunter would be take up target shooting, and not with your hunting bow, learn proper form and shot execution with a back tension release.. it will open your eyes and you will see your shooting ability increase over time ten fold.. you dont need to shoot your hunting bow year round to be ready to hunt.... I shoot spots 9+ months out of the year.. also shooting in big shoots or shoot off style shoots will help calm your nerves when it comes hunting time, being in a shoot off with someone for lots of money is way more nerve racking then having a big bull or buck in bow range.. IMO.. shooting a target bow properly will also make the transistion to your hunting bow super easy, after all its not as much the bow that makes a shooter good but his ability with it.... and that goes for any bow.... this year I will be shooting my new am35 for 3d and hunting so I will be shooting my hunting bow much more before season then I usually do.. most of the time I set it up around august, shoot a few 3ds and get ready to hunt... thats more then enough for me because I shoot year round.. thats the best thing you can do, also as good as it sounds, I think getting all dressed up in your hunting gear to shoot is a little overkill and not needed..... if you are compfortable with your bow and know it then a little extra clothing wont make a difference when the season comes...... :twocents:
Post by: colockumelk on February 15, 2009, 12:04:15 PM
Good on you.. I also love my am35 with the black/camo combo.. I shot the reezen 6.5 today after we put the new dampner on it, good god it is the biggest POS I have ever shot.. the thing had so much hand shock it almost fell out of my hand.. I was blown away......
That's how I felt when I shot the PSE X-Force. It was overall a miserable experience. I even talked to a guy who claimed to have test fired many bows and said the X-Force was the smoothest bow he'd ever shot. He loved it. Apparantely he'd never fired a bowtech, Hoyt, Matthews, Martin, Diamond, Reflex, Fred Bear, Alpine, Parker or Browning before. :chuckle:
Post by: MLBowhunting on February 15, 2009, 04:56:38 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 15, 2009, 07:57:35 PM
Good on you.. I also love my am35 with the black/camo combo.. I shot the reezen 6.5 today after we put the new dampner on it, good god it is the biggest POS I have ever shot.. the thing had so much hand shock it almost fell out of my hand.. I was blown away......
That's how I felt when I shot the PSE X-Force. It was overall a miserable experience. I even talked to a guy who claimed to have test fired many bows and said the X-Force was the smoothest bow he'd ever shot. He loved it. Apparantely he'd never fired a bowtech, Hoyt, Matthews, Martin, Diamond, Reflex, Fred Bear, Alpine, Parker or Browning before. :chuckle:
Thats funny, I have heard people say that as well, i think it comes down to how much/often they shoot and what bow they have had/shot.. Id say Im a great person to compare bows because of how long and how much and at what level I have been shooting at.. someone who shoots 300 arrows a year and has not bought a new bow in 5 years might think the x force shoots really nice
Post by: BaseballStud20 on February 15, 2009, 08:29:19 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 15, 2009, 09:00:46 PM
Post by: funkster on February 16, 2009, 11:11:30 AM
I hear you on "back tension" shooting, I was thinking on making the switch this year. I am trying to shoot more this year and learning how to shoot back tension will give me a excuse to shoot. It's hard to find time now to shoot, I take my son to agility training 3 times a week throw running a business in and that takes up most of my time. I was thinking of setting up a target in the garage just to get some trigger time.
Post by: BaseballStud20 on February 16, 2009, 11:17:04 AM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 16, 2009, 11:26:58 AM
Post by: Antlershed on February 16, 2009, 11:50:58 AM
My best advice for any hunter would be take up target shooting, and not with your hunting bow.......(cut out for quoting purposes)......its not as much the bow that makes a shooter good but his ability with it.... and that goes for any bow....
For the sake of conversation, why not shoot your hunting bow year-round Paul instead of shooting 2 different bows? I understand in your case, you are shooting comps so you have more than one bow, but it seems to me like you need to know how each bow shoots in your hands, so why not practice with the one that you are going to be using out in the field? I guess I see it like if somebody was practicing with one rifle all year and then when they get ready to go hunting, they grab a different one they haven't been shooting much. Maybe I'm reading into it wrong, but would love to hear your opinion...
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 17, 2009, 08:16:03 AM
Post by: Antlershed on February 17, 2009, 09:06:38 AM
Post by: coonhound on February 17, 2009, 07:00:39 PM
[/quote]
I agree that everything you're telling us is accurate for most of us...kind of a funny situation, at least for us looking in, a very accomplished target shooter out of the shop I frequent is one of the most uncomposed hunters you'll ever see. This guy will take 1st at a good portion of the 3D shoots but might miss 5 or 6 critters in one season. LOL
Coon
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 17, 2009, 08:36:14 PM
Post by: NWWABOWHNTR on February 19, 2009, 06:42:30 PM
Post by: Hoytstaffshooter83 on February 19, 2009, 08:56:08 PM