Any tips for when I buy a new bow?

The best tip I can give you is to shoot all the bows you are interested and go with the one that feels the best fit for you.

Honestly I would tell you to go to several pro shops and shoot everything you can get your hands on.

It really is a chevy vs. ford vs. dodge type thing when you open this can of worms.

And, the bow is just part of it you have arrow rest, arrows...etc.etc.etc.

longer bows are more forgiving but shorter bows are easier to handle especially if you are stand hunting. I prefer a longer bow myself and if your hunting the west and taking longer shots forgiving is a big benefit. By longer I mean 36" or better.

Things to consider are smoothness, weight, speed, comfort blah blah blah.
personally I don't mind bow weight much I feel it helps my hold.

Everyone has different features that suit them so that is why I say take your time and shoot a lot of different bows and see what feels good to you.

Don't be surprised that after a year in the field with your new bow you find features you might like better than you have. It can be an evolutionary process.

O.K. I'll say it: I'm a Hoyt guy! Now go and find what you are.
:thumb

test shoot, as many kinds, types and modles as you can. Pick the one that you like the feel of best.

Make sure you get equipment that actually FITS you. It will make all the difference in the world! Have a couple of different shops measure you, because some are better at it than others. Also, bows are a little like shoes. Just because you shoot a 29 inch draw in one brand, does not mean you will shoot that exact length in another. I'm generally a Hoyt guy as well, and I've noticed that a 29 inch Hoyt is at least a half inch to as much as an inch shorter (in my opinion) than the same length bow in Reflex (which is also a Hoyt product). How solid the back wall is will also make a bow feel a little longer or shorter than another.

I have a diamond rapture I just got last year and Im very impressed with it , its fast and quiet and I got it out the door with everything I needed to start for about 500 bucks I only shot at one deer about 25 yards walking and right when I pulled it stepped right behind a pine and it was headed right for the kill zone, it was a nice one too about a 26" 4 point ](*,)I never got the broadhead back it was stuck about 2" into the tree :arrow

south wind said it perfectly, you could ask 100 peaple a get 90 different answers! i bought a matthews drenaline and love it, but i really dont think you need to spend that much money to get a really nice bow. like i said i love my bow and its great but when it was all said and done i forked out $1400+ to get it [ my sights are the spot hog, hunter hog it, with the new hog wraps] they ran $250 +/- just for that setup! look at those diamonds, hoyts, reflex the primos bow was pretty good, look at all of them. you can get a great bow for a lot less spendy than others!

wow, some quick responses there! Thanks a bunch to everyone for their input. I'll be going to a shop or 2 (however many I can find in the area I guess, I don't really know of any as of right now but ill look and hopefully find at least 2). I'm assuming they have bows to test shoot or whatever while their, if that's the case then I guess i'll go shoot a few and see what I think fits me.

Again, anyone know any good shops in the Salt Lake area? Or am willing to drive a little bit if you know of somewhere thats pretty good. Or if there's any decent fishing around i'll drive just about anywhere and make a weekend outa it, haha.

But some of your responses (all of which were great by the way) got me thinking about another question. What are some, or all, of the accessories you guys have tried and like or dislike? Of course i'd never buy something or not buy something just because some guy on the internet loves it or hates it, but it could help me narrow down my searches when i'm looking at everything.

thanks again to everyone, i'll let ya know how things go today

i really like the DROP ZONE rest by trophy taker, its awsome give it a look, but a ton of people really like the new wisker biscut rest as they hold your arrow so it cant fall off, ive heard good and bad about them but its worth checking too[ accually i dont really care for them, but a lot of people do so they must be worth looking at] as far as sights go, it took me forever to figure which one i liked there are a lot of really great sights out there.

I love my drop away rest, and a little thing caled a no-peep, it is great gets rid of your peep and helps your form too.

Try them out and go with the one that feels good.

just get a hoyt brother :arrow

man this is tough - been checking out all sorts of different bows and accessories, there's too many choices, haha.

Just like everyone is saying, buy what you like. Don't go buy a name like Hoyt's, Matthews, PSE etc.. Buy what feel good. There are some dang good brands out there that no one talks about. Don't be afraid to look at them also. ~~>>

I appreciate all the replies, and my apologies, havent been on here for a good week or 2. been working a lot lately.

But I had a new question. Well first off I decided that the bow I like best was the Mathews Guardian. But my new question was this.....

If I buy a new boy i'll be able to use it this season. Then after this season It'll be locked up for 2 years and then i'll be using it a lot then after. Would I be better off waiting 3 years to buy one of the new bows then? Or should I just get one now?

My reasoning is this.. These bows are already sooo complex that how much more are they really going to be able to do to them to make them that much better within 3 years? But the side of my brain thats telling me to wait it out another 3 years reasons with me saying that I really dont know much about archery and archery equpment, so maybe if I buy one now there willl be a big break in technology and ill be pissed i missed out on it.

What do all you ladies and gents have to say about that? If theres just gonna be new models and new looks and what not over the next couple years then I really dont care and would just assume buy one tomorrow. But do you guys think theres really much more they'll be able to do to make it worth waiting?

thanks all for your replies

the GAURDIAN is made by BOWTECH, mathews makes the switchbacks and drenalines, either way good bows. but anyway i think it depends on how hard you can hunt this year? if it's just a little bit of hunting maybe you could hold off for 3 yrs and see what is out there. even these bows will have been out for a while and all the bugs will be out and you wont be guessing on a new product. but if you get a bow now and just shoot alot it will make you a lot better shot in 3 yrs and you'll be more tuned for hunting. so i'd say if you got some good hunts planned this year, the make the purchase, but if it's just a little bit of hunting then hold off. but bows do seem to come out faster, quiter, lighter, and all sorts of new things each year, probably no matter what you buy there will be a newer badder bow in 3 yrs, but thats part of bows, their like computers, you by the best there is and next year it's outdated and worth 20% of what you paid for it. but a 10 yr old bow still killes elk and deer just as good as a new one does, it's all the shooter!!!

Thanks for seetin me straight killerbee.. I meant the Drenaline by Mathews :)) .... See what I mean, there's too many bows out there. they got me all confused.

Yeah as far as this season goes it's just gonna be a local elk hunt and a local deer hunt... But I dunno, I can't decide what to do, hah.