Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting What's everybody shooting this year?

Our bow opener is September 2nd and I can't wait. I've been shooting a bunch and helping the kids get ready too.

I have two bows set up this year. I like both, but I'm shooting the Elite better than the Mathews. It's the first Elite bow I've owned and I can't put it down. Deer are the only thing on the menu for me with the bows this year.

Elite Tempo
65lbs
29" draw
Axcel 4 pin (all green)
QAD HDX Ultrarest
Carbon Express Maxima Blu Rz
QAD Exodus 100 grain

Mathews Halon 7
70lbs
28 1/2" draw
IQ Pro Hunter
QAD HDX Ultrarest
Easton FMJ's
Rage Hypodermic 100 grain

What's everybody else using and whatcha hunting with it?

I have a Bowtech carbon knight 70lbs @ 29"
predator pendulum sight
ripcord fall away rest
beaman arrows
Muzzy fixed broad heads
react quiver and stabilizer

Blackwidow HF1225 48# 60" (1972)
Bear Delta quiver
Goldtip 35/55 w 50 gr added to insert
Magnus 125gr Stingers
4" helical fletch
Blackwidow calfhair 3 under tab
Velcro for arrow rest (gapped for quill clearance).

PSE Inertia
Black Gold Rush 5 pin
Ripcord rest
Fuse quiver
Beeman ICS 400 arrows
Montec G5 100 gr broadheads

Antelope, whitetail, elk will be hunted. Been shooting a lot. Ready!

Bear Grizzly, 58", 50 lb.
Carbon Express Heritage 150's
Magnus Stinger 125 2-blade

Bought some 400's with the weighted insert system, but havent had a chance to tune them, so will hunt with the lighter arrow for this season. I only have one week to hunt, so first deer in range will be fair game, miss havng venison.

One thing I learned playing the weight game to carbons......

I run Goldtips......two 50gr brass weights added to reg aluminum insert is about it, as amount of shaft that can flex has been reduced.

If you do that, might as well yank 'em and just go brass insert (100gr).

I ran 400's in a cut past center Blackwidow, 55# w fast flight.
Reg insert and one 50gr brass insert had it shooting bullet holes in paper. And my shafts were a tad long. 125gr tip.

If your Bear isn't cut past center or running FF my guess is your gonna need a 100gr brass insert and a tip weight over 125 gr. When using 400's.

Sacrifice one arrow to testing

Ran slightly shorter 400's in a 60# cut past center widow, B50 strung.......100gr brass insert and 125gr tip. Wonderful.
Those arrows will not work in my 48# cut past center Widow that's B50.
Maybe if I slap on a 225 gr head.

I have yet to try that (have some tips).

Beautiful paper tune with my GT 35/55. They are slightly shorter than the 400's from the last Widow. Shop ordered them (raw shafts) and they were shorter from the manufacturer. Probably thinking for smaller shooters? They work fine, but only because I draw right around 28".

Longer I might not have needed the weight added.........a little zip helps in 3D shooting LOL.

My grizzly is a newer production, still using B50.

The 400's are gold tip traditionals, with the reg alum gold tip insert. I bought 50 gr weights that screw into the rear of the insert via a long wrench. I am hoping I can run them long with one 50 gr insert, if not, I can add a second weight or heavier broadhead as I am still on the fence about using the 125 stingers.

My old Mathews Black Max II with Easton carbon 330's loaded with 125 gr Grizz Trick II's

And my Toelke Montana Whip long bow, getting new wood Ron LaClair arrows made up now that will wear the 160 gr STOS broadheads.

It's gonna be a hell of a year, I can feel it.

Newer model, proly has more preload...........should smoke a deer with ease

IIRC the older weights had a more shallow wrench hole (or nothing for wrench). Newer ones are better, but longer since the glue grooves are deeper/wider. I've got some of each LOL.
The long wrench is pretty sweet.
Makes the weight deal way easier, and.............dandy for holding stuff I'm spray painting 1100 forend the last project.

62" Black Widow PLX 55lb @28" pulled 29.5". Carbon Express heritage 250 full length with a Magnus Stinger 125 grn.

This hopefully!


Most likely be shooting my Hoyt Carbon Defiant ~58# with Easton Bloodline 400 arrows and Muzzy 4 blade 90gr broadheads. I am trying a MBG Ascent this year, usually shoot 3 fixed pins - will have to see how I like this in the end. I also shoot a Hoyt Satori 45#, may use it but the compound is a much more powerful rig for the big critters.

Hoyt Faktor 34
68 pounds
31" Beman night falls
Wrapped with three 4" van techs
Nocturnals
Total arrow weight 500 grains
Iron Will 125 grain BH

I still have cedar shafts if the shoulder neck would ever allow the brackenbury to come out of the dust. Lays at the foot of my bed on a cedar chest.. So I can see it every day.

Likely it'll be PSE fire flight around 50 pounds or barnett crossbow. Have a lot of 10s around, nothing yet good enough, a nice 12 not good enough but one 7 that HAS to go. So far.

Won't open until the week we are back from AK, which is fine with me. Can't stand hunting when its 100 anyway.

Same as last year...

PSE Drive LT
29" @ 70 lbs
Easton Helios 340 @ 405 gr w/ 100 gr Viper Tricks and 4" feathers
QAD Hdx
Black Gold Ascent Ambush


Looks like antelope only for me this year. Blew a nice shot on a unique bent horn last year (still kicking myself in the ass). Hope he survived rifle season and I get another crack at him. Season starts in a couple of weeks.

07 Bowtech Allegiance
50lbs 30"
28.5" Goldtip 3555's with 4" feathers
Thunderhead 100's
Impact Archery Solo
Trophy Taker Pronghorn

Drill that sob centershot, a lot of great eating there.

Sounds good gunner - I'm a good trophy hunter right up until a dinker gives me a shot! Will find out soon, season opens Aug. 30 - I'll be there.

LMAO, same/same...............................................if I start smelling grill smoke and see steak knives and large baked buttered and black peppered potatoes in my head, the dinkers getting tagged.

Nothing new for me this year; 2012 Elite Answer, Goldtip shafts and Vipertrick broadheads.

I got this bow from a Elite guy in 2013 and have been thrilled with it............

E 35
Gold tips
Magnus Stingers

Got a pair of Hoyt rampages.
One 58# One 68#
I like the F 15 100 grain broad head
Dove tailed sights one black gold, one a viper. I like the viper better
Whisker biscuits rests
Custom strings....lube the limb pockets.
The biggest improvement for me was a hook release not the claw type tightened her right up.
Got a chub on the arrows I bought this year.....the Fletch says " don't tread on me". Lyrics to Uncle Johns Band.
Bee man ICS hunter

Hoyt Carbon Spyder Turbo
72# @ 29.5"
Easton Axis 340---running 300fps @ 454 gr
AAE Pro Max vanes
125gr Swhacker
Limbdriver Pro-V
IQ Pro Hunter
Tight Spot 5 Arrow

Elk, deer and hogs this year!

Duckhunter That is some nice set up. One of my buddies has the same bow, pricey but ya get wat ya pay for.............

Bear Encounter
Gold tip 5575 Hunter XT arrows
Slick Trick broadheads

Cheap set up but it works.

I bought a new bow this year. I had a Mathews Z7 since it came out and got some great trophies and experience out of it.

I tried on the new Halon, but didn't care for the weight or balance. I ended up with Hoyt.

Hoyt Carbon Defiant Turbo
70# with #2cams at 28"
498gr Easton FMJ at 280fps
125gr Magnus Buzzcuts
Beestinger 10/8
SpotHogg Fast Eddie XL double pin
Tight Spot 3 Arrow Quiver

Whole set up weighs 5.69lbs.

Now while it's an awesome bow, I enjoy shooting my cheap Sammick Sage 50# recurve more.
I have it loaded with 450gr GT Traditionals with the 125gr Magnus Buzzcuts too.

If my shoulder holds out, I will be using a

Bowtech Assassin 58lbs
Easton Da Torch with lighted nocks
Muzzy 100gr 3 blade fixed

Otherwise, it will be a
10-pt Vapor shooting 100gr Rage Core broadheads

I always have two setup, just in case. My main setup is as follows.

Bowtech Prodigy
70lbs
28 1/2" draw
HHA Optimizer Site
QAD HDX Ultrarest
Easton FMJ's
Slick Trick 100 grain
Scott Samurai release

Mathews DXT
27" / 60lb
Extreme Bone Collector 1400 sight
Whisker Biscuit
Beman PorkChop's
NAP 3-blade Bloodrunners
TruFire Edge release

Acadian woods recurve @ 52# shooting POC and Bear greenies with bleeders.

PSE. Season starts soon

Same old Hoyt I have used for 20 years...

Diamond Carbon Cure 65#
Trophy Ridge React 5 Pin
(considering the new 3 Pin hybrid)
QAD Ultra Rest
BeeStinger Hunter stabilizer
29" Cabela's Carbon Hunter
(340 spine, 430 Gr total Weight
Raptor vanes on 3º helical)


I know this much, these set of First String buss and strings is my last.
They are simply not quality strings. 60X are soon to be on the way.

Hoyt Carbon Defiant 34
28" / 60lb
Tight Spot 3 arrow quiver
Trophy Ridge Pro 5 Pin
QAD Ultra rest
Hoyt Pro Series 5.5" stabilizer
Carbon Express Maxima Red (250's)
Carbon Express lighted nocks
Carter Chocolate Lite release

Hoyt Carbon Spyder 34- 68lbs
Gold Tip 55/70 XT Hunters w/ Nockturnals
Swhacker 100gr.

My 15 year old Browning F5, on my 5th string and cable.

I will again be toting my 1999 vintage Jennings X-Master.
about 62 lbs at 31 1/2 inch draw
Beman ics camo hunter 340's cut to 29 1/4 to go with the 3" overdraw.
75 grain Wasp Jak-hammer heads
carbon rover rest and a 3-pin sight.....don't remember the name.
Nice tight groups and 308 fps....

Probably carry the old K-Mag a time or 2 when sneaking around in the thick stuff.

The same thing I've used for over 10 years.

A Matthews Outback
62#
28.5" Draw
Easton Axis
Muzzy 4-blade 100gr

Either my:

Bowtech Experience 65#, CBE Tekhunter, ACC 3-49's, QAD, Fuse Carbon, G5 Strykers

or

Hoyt Defiant 31 65#, HHA 5519, Goldtip Pro, QAD, Doinker Platinum

I hunt 4 states in the fall, the bows are ready to go....good luck everyone.

Shooting my Mathews with the FMJ's and a few arrows started spraying. Same three consistently were all over the place. After scratching my head for a bit, I checked to see if they were straight. Sure enough -- they were slightly bent. No idea how it happened unless I did it pulling them from targets. Either way, the FMJ's are out. I have some Bloodlines in the corner I'll play with next.

Halon 7 70lbs set up similarly to yours

Halon 32, 6. 29/70
Easton FMJ 5MM with 50gr brass inserts
Slick Trick Vipertrick 100gr

65lb LX, Beman ICS 340, 100 grain Thunderheads and 100 grain Slick Tricks

I just purchased a used Hoyt Carbon spyder. Smooth as silk, I'm extremely pleased.

I shoot a Howard Hill Wapati 66" 57lb and use cedar arrows with 165 gr TreeShark broadheads.

Mathews Halon 32
70 lbs, 29 inch draw
Trophy Taker drop away rest
340 FMJ's
100 gr Rage Hypodermics for antelope (dead 'loper already!)
100 gr Slick Tricks for elk/deer

Back up bow is an 80 lbs Elite Impulse

2007 Bear Element
70# @ 28
Beman ICS Hunters
100gr Muzzy 3-blade

Same setup I've been hunting with for a decade. If it ain't broke...

Excaliber Ibex crossbow. Dr. doesn't want me drawing a bow any more with the pacemaker in my left shoulder.

Vintage Bear WhiteTail II bought in 1993 for $99. I've killed 16 deer with it and still going strong!

Sherwood

I sold my 2017 PSE compound.
Bought another old metal riser Blackwidow recurve

Wow! a lot a fellows using real bows on here, what I mean is stick and recurve bows. My hats off to you!

I 'll be using the Mathew Z7 I bought used about 7 years ago. 50-60# set at 60#, 29" draw I think
Montana Black Gold flash point sight and Ripcord rest
Goldtip 5575 with Slicktrick 100 grain

For me its a easy bow to shoot.

Good Luck to all!

I'm waiting on the Fed Ex truck..........can't shoot in backyard for fear of missing the delivery ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Moved about a ton of oil soaked metal flash from machine at work last night, shoveled like a mad man (was in a hurry).
Back was screamin' sweat pouring.
Figured I'd be a total cripple this morning.
Woke up fine (physically)

Mathews Z7 70# 30" DL
Maxima Carbon Express Reds
Slicktrick Magnums 100g
Quad rest
Spot Hogg sights

Same bow and setup I've had since 2010...except new arrows, strings and changed the grip to a anti-torque.
Next year I will get new stings again.

Bought my first bow and this will be my first season bow hunting. I was choosing between a Halon 32 7 and Bowtech Reign 7. I picked the Halon.

Mathews Halon 32/7
QAD HDX rest
Black Gold Ascent Verdict single pin
Easton Buckshot stabilizer (just to have something there lol..)

It's a 31.5" draw currently set to 55# so I can get some practice in. I was drawing 70# with it from the start so I will probably go back to 70# at some point.

I know little to nothing about about arrows or broadheads at this point. I just have my practice arrows and I'm mostly shooting at 20-23 yards. With 32" 300 arrows and field tips I got to where I can easily hit lungs and vitals with confidence. When I tried 25-30 yards the results were mixed. I hope to get get squared away over the next couple weeks.

Get you some swacker and keep practicing. You'll be ready in no time

2018 PSE Expedite. 27/65. HHA Virtus rest. Sword Jury Pro 3 pin sight. Dead Center Carbon v2 8/6 stabs. Hogwire Custom Strings. Black Eagle X impact 250 topped with 100grn G5 dead meat mech heads

New Breed GX2
50 lbs., 30.5" draw
Spot-Hogg Bulletproof sight
Fuse 4-arrow quiver

Bowtech Guardian from 08, 70# 29” draw.

Elite Synergy, 70#, with some Wac 'ems