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