Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting looking for new bow.

Here is my problem, like many archers here, I can't pull back my bow very well anymore. I have a Mission Endeavor set at 47 lbs . I can pull it back but the first few practice shots are quite stiff and hurts my rotators to pull back 47 lbs when it is warm outside. When it is cold outside it gets even worse . Last year I could not pull my bow back on a nice buck and had to let it walk. I pulled my rotator cuff real bad trying to shoot the deer. I got to figuring , if I buy a Mathews Triax , I could likely get the same arrow speed at 38 lbs pull with this bow . Does that sound right? The Endeavor is rated at 316 FPS. arrow speed. and the Triax 343. I read that you can rude the pull 1 pound and reduce arrow speed by 2fps. This means I could reduce a Triaxs pull 13 lbs , down to 34 pounds pull and get the same arrow speed. Does this sound right . and is this Triax really that efficient , and now bows that much better ? I just have to ask.

All things being equal it could very well be.

Time for a cross-bow.

Probably a better investment, IMHO, if you are not able to recover the shoulder strength.

My first thought - lower your current bow to 40 pounds, and dial it in, add weight to the arrow if you are worried about penetration at the lower poundage.

By the time you buy the Triax, and get the correct spined arrow for the lower poundage, and test all over a chronograph - it's going to cost a bit for that much equipment change.

Yeah, the new bows are more "efficient" aka faster, but keep in mind that the IBO speed is based off of an industry standard arrow, typically around 300 grains, and most hunting set-ups are typically pushing at - or over - 400 grains of arrow weight.

So, your actual bow speed with a hunting arrow is most likely going to be closer to 305-320 - or less - with the Triax.

I think you're going to see very little return for the investment - does WI have a minimum poundage for bow hunting?

Yes , Wisconsin has a 30 lbs minimum. I thought about a crossbow and figured if I buy this Triax , it will sure be my last compound.

Agree buying a new bow for what little you will actually see out of it is not a great investment.

If he wants to try bowhunting one more year, before going X bow........how much is that worth?

It's not just an investment in gear.

It's about living.

And the price to do what he wants, is totally up to him.

IMHO bows depreciate bad enough, no bow is an investment.
Some are better than others at holding value.

Paid 980 for my Blackwidow new, shot it a ton, won some shoots, killed deer and when injury forced sale (had to go back to compound for a bit).........sold it for 600.
Quiver and arrows too.

So it "cost" me about $100 a yr to shoot a custom built bow................man that was a friggin' BARGAIN!

Good points. Kinda how I've ended up with a bunch of rifles, a couple pretty nice, when a RAR would get 'er done. My only advice would be to actually try one set up as he describes and compare it to his current one dialed down. Might not be much difference, and he could use the money saved for something else nice he would enjoy.

I'll play along! You are right it is about living. You are also right it's totally up to him. And again you are right bows are a horrible investment.

Now back to reality!!!!!
When I say an investment, it is in the terms of gear not financle gain. Similar but different.
It is about living as it should be. But living can and will happen with the bow he has just fine.
And last it is all up to him, however he is seeking advice here. So some good people with solid knowledge have given him their take on it. Which clearly the OP was seeking or he wouldn't have made the post. Now you have made good points too.

I know guys that had to go xbow and wish they coulda tried one more year for a big one w reg bow.

Dont know how much that would be worth.

Im trying for a P&Y w recurve while I still can and its a battle. May never happen.

Body falling apart....have a year or few left tops.

So i can sympathize w the OP

Looked at Mission and Ravin x bows.....$$$$$.
When recurve is no more, might squeak a yr or so w compound. But even then itll be short lived. Surgery will proly kill all vertical bow usage

I decided to turn my bow down one turn, what a difference that made. I went from shooting 47 lbs to 42 lbs . At 23 yds it shoots about 5" lower, but dont really notice the difference in speed of the arrow. I might just go get a Mathews yet but want one more deer with my Mission Endeavor. The bow was $330 bucks 7 yrs ago and a good bow but only 3 deer with it so far. I will likely get a Mathews Triax after this season.

Buddy has shoulder issues. Healed up enough to drag out the Triax. Said it was comfy ( was worried it wouldnt be )

Thanks Hookeye, Glad to hear it is a good bow for bad shoulders.

Noticeable difference in the penetration of your arrow into your target from 47 to 42 pounds? Arrows need to get in there to work!

I noticed that the arrows go into the foam target a little less, like 4" or so.

Just a little update on my potential bow purchase . I went to the bow shop, I find out my bow is 59lbs draw to my surprise . My fish scale says 45lbs but no matter. the owner had a Mathews Triax and he set it up for 55lbs and 25" draw length for me. Nice of him to change his personal bow up for me to try out. So, his Triax, my same arrows and the Triax set at 55 lbs. shot the arrows at 236 fps. I shoot my bow, it was at 60 lbs, @ 24 1/2" draw. To my surprise it shoots the same arrows at 230 fps. SO, with the Triax with 5 lbs less draw weight an extra 1/2" of draw for a little help it only managed to shoot the arrow 6 fps. faster. I was amazed and he seemed perplexed there was so little difference. I was all but ready to buy a Triax till I shot it. Noticing right away , I didn't notice any difference in arrow speed. The Triax is surely a smoother , better feeling bow with a dead backstop and that could help accuracy but for that little difference I will not be buying the top of the line Mathews Triax. I watched many Youtube vids about how amazing the new Triax is. Brother in law went from a Mathews Creed to a Triax and says it was night and day . I wonder out loud if this is all a bunch of hype. Also, I went to another Mathews dealer closer to home. The owner there said I would be unhappy with a Triax cause many loose so much arrow speed when they go to a short dew length but the Mathews Avail keeps most of the arrow speed cause it is already set up for shorter draw lengths . Has anyone ever hear of this ? I checked into the arrow drop difference of 5 fps at 30 yds and shooting my old bow will drop my arrow 30" and the Triax would drop in 29" so I am only loosing 1" trajectory on a 30 yd. shot. I dont think many people know this stuff and bow dealers dont care to tell them.

Well everyone , I bought a new Mathews Avail. I compared it to my 8 yr old Mission Endeavor. I still like my Mission but the Mathews is a superior bow. With my arrows @ 54 lbs draw with my Mission I get 231 FPS. With my Mathews @ 52 lbs I get 251 fps. I gained 20fps with 2 lbs less draw weight. I am happy I got better performance . I am not sur sit was worth $1,008 . I did trade in an old bow noone else wanted and got $100 for it. I also badly needed a $150 string for my Mission Endeavor, however. I shoot my new bow more accurately , it is a better fit and quieter too. It is a nice bow. I am glad I did not get the Mathews Triax. With my draw length @ 54 lbs I was only getting 236 fps with the Triax. The reason is my draw is only 24.5" and the Triax draw has to be set down so much further cause the cams are so big and I was told that is why the Avail is better for shorter draw lengths.
I still might get a crossbow for when it really gets cold.

Cam rotation has a lot to do with the results you are seeing. A cam that tops out at a shorter draw achieves full rotation vs one that tops out at 30 or 31". That's why your avail is more efficient.

Thanks 280Ackley. One of the Mathews dealers didn't know that or didnt say. The dealer I went to explained that to me so I went with him but was not my regular bow shop.

The new Mathews bows are more efficient , I upgraded from a Drenalin to the VXR my draw length is 27 " I came down 5 lbs and picked up 11 fps .

There is no free lunch when it comes to putting energy into the bow to get the energy out of the bow. Some of these new bows with very high IBO speeds get that way though short brace heights and aggressive cam draw curve profiles. To equal the energy stored under the draw force curve with a slower less aggressive bow design you need more draw weight. Long story short, you have to put the effort and energy into the bow to get it back out. The trick is to find a bow with a draw force curve that is conducive to your shoulders. I have shot smooth 70# bows with no problem but have also shot 60# bows that were miserable to draw. Both shot the same arrow about the same speed. Be sure to consider more than the IBO rating when you are testing out new bows. You just might be able to shoot a smooth 40-45# bow where a stiff drawing 35-40# bow would have you on the sideline.

has anyone tried a new Prime bow i have been told that is a very nice easy bow to shoot ? or a PSE ?

Shot all the major brands flagship and second tier bows over the last month. I ended up ordering a Hoyt Axius Ultra 29/60. A little longer than my current bow at 34" a to a and a bit faster. The main thing that I really liked is the way that it holds on target. Current wait times are 6-8 weeks, hopefully a little sooner as I would like to use it for indoor leagues for a few weeks to see how we get along.

I think you are going to like it a lot! Very smooth bow

I went from my first bow which was a PSE entry level compound to my Hoyt Hyperforce and man what a difference. Once you get that baby back you feel like you can hold it all day long!

I have no prob w peak or holding weight, actually prefer 65% letoff for feel.
My issue used to be, mass weight (when I had pinched nerve in spine messing up shoulders).

Picked up a Michigan Autumn camo Oneida Aeroforce.
Might run it fingers (change module to 38).
Might run it release (has PDC)
Def change the grip.

They're smooth and cool old bows.
I'd rather have a G Rex if shooting release.

60# and older tech is fine w me. I don't shoot 3D any more, just plop deer once in a while.
Have been running an old Blackwidow recurve so anything is a hot rod compared to that.

Popped elbow, proly dump it and order a new one at lesser #. Sucks.

Yeah, a new G rex and a Blackwidow.....if I had 2500 bucks to blow.
Won't kill deer any deader than my old clunker Oneida and Blackwidow I have 1/3 of that in (combined).

Interesting note on letoff. I actually had them put 80% letoff modules on instead of the 85% that the new Hoyts come with. 85% at 70# is ok but at 60# it's only 9#. Pretty easy to torque the string at full draw with that little tension on the string.

my shoulder problem hurts more from the release and the recoil that comes afterwards from the bow.so off the internet i purchased a shoulder/velcro harness and has helped me alot. this is the name of it ZENKEYZ it cost me around $30.00 and as long as i don`t got heavy on pounds with the drawing of bow, less than 50 lbs. of the bow its fine but Hoyt bows are harder on me also.

The newer bows at 60# hurt my joints.
The old Hoyt cam and a half from 2005 was and still is comfy for me, at 70#.
But they aint speed demons compared to what we have today.
IMHO they were and are fast enough.
Comfort is a biggie.

Last year I had problems with my bow shoulder stabbing pains almost every time I pulled back. Purchased a crossbow for the season just to stay in the game. This year I shot my Z7 at 52 pounds without much trouble even turned it up to 54 with 28" draw at 272 shot my best buck (a 125 class whitetail nothing major I assure you) to date and I think I harvested 6 more along with it. Thinking seriously about buying a new bow and keeping the crossbow as back up. Surgery would probably put me out of both games for a while.

Glad to see your still at it AH64.

I think I just need to keep practicing with less break time between shots.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all

i mis shooting my bows for hunting and competition archery but the pain got to be to much with the lose of sleep also.so in early October this fall 2019 i purchased a Ravin x-bow for hunting and i did shoot a decent buck with the xbow. do i like using a xbow not really but its my only choice for archery hunting anymore at age 66 and since i have already have had both shoulders operated on.i enjoy those long cool tree stand waits in the archery season while trying to out smart a older whitetail buck which don`t always happen every year,i have now bowhunted almost 55 years too long to ever just quit archery and just walk away.hope you all had a great fall hunt this year and for many years in the future,Pete53

Im thinking aluminum 17" ilf riser w maybe supercurve limbs, end up between 45 and 50#.
58"
I draw 28"

Dunno if the Uukha " curve " puts them between supercurve
and regular.

Think a Tribe Halo riser w Uukha limbs to look about right.
Unfortunately the Halo riser no longer made.
Maybe get lucky and shoot one at Cloverdale this summer.