Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting couple questions......................... ......

while waiting for our chinese take out to be cooked(Kung Pow chicken to clear out clogged sinuses ) the wife and i walked around the corner to the local sporting goods store. she browsed the sales racks...........i glanced through the used guns and saw nothing of interest and wondered over to the bows...........ive never really shot archery other than some in gym in high school but have been half thinking of taking it up since bull elk rifle tags are hard to draw around here and i had fun with the fiberglass recurves in highschool though i was only so-so(45 minutes per day for a couple weeks isnt much practice), besides ive got a buddy thats been bugging me to take it up so hes got someone else out prowling the hills with him looking to poke an elk with a sharp stick(he took his first bull this year)

anyways i happened to read an article on the Mathews Switchback a couple months ago and i noticed they had a couple instock.........so i grabbed one off the rack and gave it a pull back to see how it felt..........apparently i had a heck of a grin on my face cause the wife happened to look my direction and said something along the lines of "oh chit".........apparently women do read minds...............

would the Switchback be a bad bow for the beginner? figure between the ground squirrels, jackrabbits and badgers at my uncles and shallows full of carp at the lake where we spend most of our free time in the summer i could have alot of fun with a bow

I am of the opinion that good equipment never hurts a guy. Switchback is dang near #1. That is only because they came out with a new one this year.

While a speed bow can be very unforgiving - it has been my expirence that they Mathews bows are pretty decent in that regard. I never really shot a bow that was hard to shoot.

I would look at a mid level Hoyt if only because the switchback is 2 models old already (Switchback XT and Adrenalin) and as such resale might hurt should you not like it -- would rather loose small money than big

Whatever you choose - good luck!

dont remember which it was for sure, wasnt aware there was more than one but saw some had "2006" and one had "2007" on the price tags.....i just grabbed a couple of the "2006" ones cause i saw 3 different draw lengths on the tags so figured thats what i would check out and see how the felt.......

anyways the bow felt good in my hand........the hand grip fit my hand quite well.........it was alot lighter than i thought one would be but i havent really handled many compound bows.......the wife wasnt impressed cause she couldnt pull it back but i sure liked it.........

If new, it doesn't matter if it's not the latest model. Still a great bow.The bow has a generous brace height and is easy to shoot.If the $$$ didn't scare you off grab it and welcome to the world of bow hunting.For reference the latest Mathews offering is the DRENALIN

as for the $$$ its not far off of most of my rifles so cant see how it matters, the wife only starts getting mad when my toys creep over $1,000.......dont have the funds to purchase it at the moment but i think i might be able to pick one up in the next few months along with the rest of the needed goodies.......thanks for the input guys......ill go back and chat with the archery guy and see what all feels best so i know exactly what i want once the $ is in hand.

All set up,with rest, sight,arrows etc. you'll be around that $1000 range.

yeah but if i dont set it all up on the same day it dont count

Like your way of think'in!

apparently i had a heck of a grin on my face cause the wife happened to look my direction and said something along the lines of "oh chit".........apparently women do read minds...............

LMAO !!!

Yeah, your ready. Do yourself and your pocket book a great service by going to a good pro shop and getting some help. Don't be in a hurry. You want to try as many bows as possible from different makers. Find out what your draw length is and what poundage your comfortable with (not HOW MUCH you can pull) rather, what your comfortable with and can control.

Also, there are a lot of really great used bow packages out there to think about. If you need help on where to look, just send me a pm and we'll talk. DL, poundage and an idea of what make and model your interested in. Then decide price point. New or used.

Good luck! BT

Best of luck getting into the the archery hunting rattler. You are right about the elk hunting (rifle) in your part of the country (I am in the same boat). Archery will get you a tag every year and I know you like to chase the lopes. That Aug 15 pronghorn opener is nice as well.

I have shot a few critters with my bow, but am far from an expert. However, I would recommend going to an archery shop to find out what you fits you best and answer your questions. I made this mistake when I got into archery 20 years ago. I think going to some place you can shoot 1/2 dozen bows and see what fits and feels best to you is the way to go.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

+1 on having a knowledgeable pro shop guide you and set you up.

im making a big loop across the state in a few weeks..........know of any good archery shops in Missoula or Butte mtmiller? my roommate at Tech was an archery nut and i seem to remember an archery range/shop up in the old part of Butte but that was 7 years ago........doubt ill be in a position to buy at that point unless i unload the 375WSM before then but i would rather prowl archery shops than spend the day watching the girls ski(my knees wont handle it so i sit and read anyways)

I have been to the bowshop in Uptown Butte, few years ago though and I don't remember the name. I was just window shopping, but seemed like a nice place. I am sure the staff is knowledgable and can help you out. Even if you can't pull the trigger yet, I think it would be a good place to stop and shoot a couple bows and ask some questions.

Here are a few shops in MT.
http://www.montanaoutdoorsdirectory.com/directory/archery_supply_equipment.htm

Good luck.

rattler, i would stop at 3-D ARCHERY in Vaughn on your way to Butte he has great prices you can call and ask for Tony he has low mark up one of the best around. Tony has lots people from all around go to his shop he has popup targets up to 40yd Hear is his # 965-3236 . If your in Glasgow stop at D&G ask for mark they will deal with you on last years mod I have found them to be very fair . Not sure what is in WP but i have heard Brian has some stuff there. good luck MTHunter

There's a guy in Roy who has the best prices I have come across - check out the High Country offerings for a bow nearly as good as the Mathews with a little lower price tag.

I second 3-D Archery. I happened to meet Tony on a bear hunt in SK about three years ago. Great guy, except his bear ended up a little bigger.;-) I think he has the full mount in his shop. I ended up visiting his shop a few weeks after we got back to MT and he made me a great deal on a BowTech.

When and if I buy another bow, he will be the guy I go to.

If you stop in, say hello from Craig and ask to see the videos from the hunt.

Get it. You won't be sorry. (Other than the fact that you will lose a lot of sleep with your new obsession.)...and listen to Blacktails advise about the pro-shop. It is well worth the effort to have their support. I promise.

I had a switchback and now own 2 xt's you can't go wrong with either. I personally think that it is more important to be comfortable with your bow! You starting out with one of the best will just keep you from trying to upgrade!

thanks guys...................i am most definatly getting one now........looked over the upland bird regs for MT.......i can hunt pheasants with a bow never much liked scatterguns and have been relying on my lil bro to supply me with pheasants after i fould out a 22 was illegal............i can get back to hunting the lil buggers legally

rattler,

Good luck...you have just been "hooked!"

best,
bhtr