Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Bow weight, have they gone too far?

I've looked at some of the new bows and to be honest they are hard to hold steady for me. Granted I like a light bow to pack around, but They are so light I struggle for steadiness with them.

I thing they may have gone too far! However you can always add weight I suppose but you cannot take it off! Anyway, I think I'm sticking with the Switchback, I've not seen anything yet that takes my breath away when I shoot it.

The Switchback is a great bow, IMO just as good as a hunting bow as any of the new ones out there.

I felt the same way when searching for a bow this past year. I tried all I could find that would fit me and even with a huge stabilizer I just wasn't near as steady as I was with my old bow.

I located a Vendetta XL and tried it out, and it blew me away with it's smoothness and ease of shooting. I've always thought that Hoyt and Matthews were the best bows for me but the new Pro Series from PSE have really impressed me.

Hopefully I'll get the chance to stick something with it tomorrow.

I have looked at all the new bows but nothing feels as good as my Outback.

The switchback is an awesome bow no doubt, I loved mine (the XT) and now I have the Z7, I love it too.

If asked I haven't really gained too much over my XT but....I do believe I shoot my Z7 a hair better.

With my Z7 I also don't use my stabilizer where on my XT I did.

Honestly not much difference but I am happy with what little I have gained.

Yes an when a bow set up at 50 to 60 LBS goes threw a game animal at 40 yards what more do you need

When I decided to upgrade from the LX I shopped around and tried quite a few new bows. Went to a shop that had some new, but old stock SB XTs and after shooting other new bows along side the XT, I walked out the proud new owner of an XT. It's not as fast as my LX(305 vs 297 w/ 400g), but it darn sure is a sweet shooter.

Ok I'll bite. What does draw weight and penetration have to do with the physical weight of a bow?

Would say that 8fps of difference won't matter at all.

it sure wouldn't matter enough to matter!

8 FPS is nothing and will be impossible to tell any difference at all....................HB

I agree JJ, some of these new bows are too light and make it tough to hold steady, I like a bare bow to weigh in the 4 to 4.5 pound range but no lighter.............HB

I don't find any issues or problems with shooting a light weight bow. However were I do see a problem and issues is in to much let off. As JJHACK said already you can add weight to a light weight bow but you can't take weight off a heavy bow. I shoot a very heavy Hoyt Vantage Ltd and a very light Hoyt Carbon Matrix. The only thing I can really tell you is that the let off is too much on the Carbon Matrix. Besides that the bow is a dream.

I really like the Hoyt Carbon Element with the light-weight AXT 5 oz carbon quiver, MBG Rush sight and Whisker Biscuit rest. No stabilizer and about 4-1/2#s with 5 arrows (took off the stabilizer bushing and grip to save another few ounces). Shot a good black bear in the spring when grizzly hunting and another two weeks ago when chasing alpine mulies. It carries like a dream..........very nice when on a two week backpack stone sheep hunt in August. No sheep but not the bow, rather the bad weather that was the issue. This bow replaced a fairly light Mathews Drenilin that I still have. The Hoyt shoots fixed blade broadheads well out to 60 yards, as far as I typically practice. Anyway, I shoot it well enough to take it on all my hunts.

My compound is a 2003 Pearson Freedom. It weighs about 4.5lbs bare. When I shoot some of the newer compounds that weigh less than 4lbs bare they feel strange, but that is probably due to lighter mass weight as well as more extreme let off. It is also something that a shooter would most likely be able to get used to and take advantage of.

A lot of newer bows are getting smaller( try to find more than a couple of 36" ATA hunting bows).

I prefer a light bow, and light accessories. I also prefer a light gun.

Maybe you should leave your quiver on your bow when you shoot it. That would certainly add a good bit of weight.