Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Mathews Drenalin

I was looking at buying a Mathews Drenalin and was wondering what some thoughts were on this bow. Good or bad I'd like to know what its like before I buy it. I'll be using it to hunt both from treestand and stalking. I've already shot it just want some more input.

Very smooth, quiet, accurate light, and relative short axle to axle. I bought one this year and really like it. I almost bough a Bowtech instead, with the proshops being the decision maker.

There are several good bows on the market, and as personal as the decision is, you'd be doing yourself a BIG favor by firing as many of them as you can to decide what YOU like before spending the money they bring nowadays.

I've been shooting a Drenalin for two months now- getting it ready for spring turkey hunting and an Africa trip in June.

I haven't found a thing so far that I don't like- it's accurate, fast, and the quality is simply outstanding.

I also bought a new Bear Truth, to use as a back up for the Africa trip. While it is a good bow, it simply doesn't match the quality seen in the Mathews Drenalin.

I bought one last summer it is alot eaiser to shoot from a tree stand but, I really dont see much of an Improvement from the switchback. I have friends that are shooting the switchback, switchback xt and the lx's. I am sure the dren is quieter than the lx but not much quieter than an switchback.

The Drenalin was the first Bow I was looking at when I went to the pro shop to shoot them but the guys in the shop confused me with showing me so many other brands and to much info for a new person to archery. I shot the xt and thought it was the best one of all that I shot..smooth and quiet although appeared a little slower than the others but this could because they had it turned down. I was scared a little by the comments from them that I was going to have trouble with the sevings wearing down and being new and spending what seems like alot It concerned me. After talking to a few people about the serving issue I hear its not that big of a deal. I'm leaning towards the drnalin again because of the extra weight thats gone and it's suppose to be quicker.

I am a huge fan of the xt and wasnt overly excited about the drenaline due to the fact that I loved my xt. However I have said for the past year that if the drenaline came out with a shorter bow like the xt I would buy it. So I did. I got the DXT last week and have shot it about 50 times. It is noticeably faster then the xt and just as smooth and quite. Amazingly it is even lighter. I have put together a ranking system for each and due to the short time I have had the DXT I will be conservative, but first impression is about as close to perfect as a bow can be, for me anyway.

On a scale of 1-100

1. DXT 99 out of 100
2. XT 95 out of 100
3. switchback 92 out of 100
4. Drenaline 92 out of 100 (granted I only shot this bow 10 times)

When I was doing my marathon of bow testing back in March, I put the Drenalin down early, preferring the Switchback XT. In the long run, I ended up with a Bowtech Allegiance because of the smooth draw and the solid wall. They were all good bows, though.

Marathon of bow testing is about what its seemed like so far. I checked out the DXT also and it seemed to short for me.

zeke go here and read about the mathews bows these guys are archery nuts, this is also the place to buy your bow but just assume if you buy a used bow the string will probably need replaced. It seems like all the bows have only been shot 50 times since the new string has been put on it, and we all enjoy spending the day with our mother in law. I have bought and sold 3 bows here and there is no fees. www.archerytalk.com Tony

Archerytalk is definitely a good resource for bow this-and-that but be warned, they are Martin sponsored!

I spent years in an archery shop that sold Mathews, PSE, Bowtech, etc and the best advice is TRY THEM ALL. The bows made by the major manufacturers all have some merit, the tricky part is finding the one that best suits you.

Personally, I still shoot a Mathews Outback and, in truth, haven't seen anything offered with the combo of brace height and some adjustability to draw length that suits me well enough to justify a "newer" bow.

As for the Drenalin, my experience with new shooters has been that the switchbacks are generally more forgiving and typically easier to shoot.

Just my .02...

I shot 5 deer last year with my Hoyt Trykon, the buck was Pope and Young. This year I got the Drenalin and shot only 1 deer, it was a doe.

By that statistic alone you should get a Trykon. Now for the rest of the story...

I bought the Drenalin only because it was rated the hottest new bow this year. Last year the Trykon was supposed to be the best. I was fortunate enough to know people in the industry to buy both bows at significant savings to allow such frivolous activity.

I liked the Hoyt, had no problems with it other than the servings seemed to unravel. The Drenalin is lighter and I like that, but I don't think it is any better than the Hoyt. I do tend to hit my wrist with the Drenalin bowstring where I rarely, if ever did with the Hoyt.

The Drenalin will get me through the winter, shooting league and darts. Who knows what I'll be shooting next year. I doubt I will change though, the Drenalin is a great bow.

I was looking at the Drenelin as well but I can't justify the cost over my current Mathews Legacy...it's quiet and fast, maybe slightly heavier but it is a very nice bow.

I am however going to change out the sight and rest to try something new.

I have a Drenelin shoots nice but don't really care for the grip i kinda wish i waited and got the new bowtech general it just feels better to me imo good luck theres alot of good choices out there

I started my bowhunting with the Legacy and it is a fine bow. If I hadn't worked at a place where I got considerable cost savings on newer Mathews I would likely still be shooting it.

All the major bow manufacturer introduces a "new and improved" line each and every year in hopes for volume sales. Typically, however, the technology improvements don't warrant all the new models just the almighty dollar.

I have been searching high and low to find out whats the hottest bow on the market and time again everyone keeps raving about the Bowtech General- no bow shock, extremely quiet, great draw cycle, only negative is that its about 12-15 fps slower than a couple of the other leading bows. In one test the Drenaline scored 3rd or 4th, i was very surprised, i would just research the heck out of it and shoot as many as you can, i know what im buying....

I live in Mathews country(actually the same town and used to work there). The rest of the competition has "caught them" and they are riding on past reputation. Go and shoot every bow that interests you and compare them. dont let the salesman sway you. Pick what works for you, then decide if you want to spend more or less money for a bow.

FWIW some of their employees dont shoot a Mathews. Some have been shooting Bowtech and have been counciled on their choice of equipment.
Moral of that story is dont bite the hand that feeds you...the door may hit you on the ass on your way out.

I've had a Q2 since "01" and it's been a great bow. After shooting a newer Bowtech, it will definately be in the running, along with the new Mathews, when I get a new rig.

I've been shooting a Legacy for quite some time now and I love it, in fact I have two of them. I've shot the Switchback XT and the Drenalin both and while they may be a bit lighter I didn't notice any difference in smoothness or noise. My Legacies shoot great so I have no plans to change any time soon. Shoot them all and buy the one you like best. It's a big investment for most of us. make sure you get the one you want!

Bob

I also have the Mathews Legacy and was contemplating selling it and moving up to the Drenalin but I like the one I have so much and it shoots really good...so why change?

The DXT is great. I loved the switchback xt but this new DXT is awesome.

For me, Mathews production theme has always been "built for comfort, not speed" the later being where most all manufacturers try to prove their worth today. "Mine is faster, NO.. mine is faster... etc, etc. While I would agree that Mathews doesn't enjoy the large technological advantage it used to, until it's reputation takes a serious dive their bows will hold their resale value better than most.

IMO, the best bow is the one that suits it's owner better than the rest. Mathews remains at or near the top of the field and those who shoot their bows, particularly their older, discontinued versions do so because what they have works for them. If someone else had something that was "the end all, be all" bow these older Mathews wouldn't be able to hold the value you they do within the archery community.