I got a little bored about page 2 so I can't address every point made but Matthews does make a great product. Of course when you are an innovator, you change the market to make things in the image of your innovation. "Standing on the shoulders of Giants" as they say. Now you can get a better bow from the worst manufacturer out there (I will leave it to you to decide which that is), that was available when I got my first Bear Whitetail back in the 80's (on the clearance rack no less).
The point is, if you find a bow that fits you, you can shoot that baby for many years with no degradation in hunting performance. If you are shooting competition, then the nit picking does arise as you are obviously committed to the endeavor, whether rifles, pistols, or bows. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of those masters over the years and the differences between them and other competitors is minute (between them and me huge) but the focus on what will add advantage in the next shoot is big in the microscopic measurements of success.
Physics will dictate what arrow speed will be attainable with controlability. There is a balance. Dropping 325 fps as a performance bar may likely be the perfect speed for a semi-average joe to perform well with a bow, while 350, 375 etc might make that baby uncontrollable for the average hand.
After a shoulder injury I dropped down to a 60 pound compound and found out a lot about performance. That bow, while old tech (Hoyt), shot an arrow at 310, was accurate, and I could shoot a long time before fatigue set in. The Matthews Switchback in a 70 pound bow, replaced that bow and I was very enamored with it. Of course I have since transitioned to a long bow...
The most important thing that I have learned in archery was finding a mentor to help the beginner learn to evaluate the spine, draw weight, sights and all the incredible amount of minutae that archery comes with. I have been lucky enough to meet some of those types in archery, pistol shooting, perhaps rifle, darts, etc. They are not the braggarts but the lovers of the discipline, usually competitors with some humility intact.
Too many beers tonight I fear...
