New Bows Noisy??

[archerystud]

As to the reference of how much a heavy arrow matters, adding 50-80 GRAINS to an arrow will soak up more sound than a heavy bow, less weight or string or limb add-ons. Its a small price to pay to keep your hunting rig quiet.

Yes I know that is the case. I'll have to chrono a heavier arrow to see if I can justify the expense. I don't think I need more KE right now if I'm only going to hunt whitetails.

[Scoot]

Archerystud, I'm having a tough time understanding where you're coming from in this thread-- What do you want? Do you want a quieter bow? If yes, use a heavier arrow. We're not telling you to use a heavier arrow to get more KE. You keep saying you don't need more KE- that's fine and I agree with you, but that's not why anyone is telling you to use a heavier arrow. Use a heavier arrow to get a quieter setup and forget about KE if that's not important to you.

Why do you have to chrono a heavier arrow to justify the expense? If you want a quieter rig shoot a heavier arrow. If you are more concerned about speed, don't shoot a heavier arrow. The two outcomes are at odds with each other- more speed = more noise: less speed = less noise. If speed is really important to yu then you will have to sacrifice some noise. If noise is more important, then you'll have to sacrifice some speed.

I'm not trying to nitpick your post or be rude, I'm just having a really tough time understanding or following your logic...

[DonBo]

Scoot, I think what he's looking for is a new bow that is quieter than his current set-up, that shoots an arrow at least as fast as what he's got now. If I were in the market for a new bow right now I'd be looking at the same things.

If I can't get an upgrade of something (quietness, speed, smooth, whatever) why bother with the expense.

Sorry as, not trying to put words in your mouth, but I see where you're coming from.

[sticknstring]

That Element is a really nice rig. To me, it sounds like you really like it except for the noise. I'd go shoot it again with a good stabilizer and some heavy arrows. Bring your LX and shoot that one too. Put a few through the chronograph for fun. That should help you make a decision. It's always fun getting a new rig. Maybe going slightly used with a 2011 model might ease the transition? Good luck - let us know with whatever you end up with!

[Scoot]

Scoot, I think what he's looking for is a new bow that is quieter than his current set-up, that shoots an arrow at least as fast as what he's got now. If I were in the market for a new bow right now I'd be looking at the same things.

If I can't get an upgrade of something (quietness, speed, smooth, whatever) why bother with the expense.

Sorry as, not trying to put words in your mouth, but I see where you're coming from.

Sure, that makes sense and I hear ya. I don't see where KE fits into the equation at all though. I don't think anyone's recommending heavier arrows for the purpose of KE- it's for quieting down the bow.

I agree with the above- bring your old bow and compare apples to apples in terms of arrows, chrony, environment (some shooting places make the bow sound louder than others). If you don't see improvements in the outcomes that matter to you (speed and sound), don't upgrade. If you do, get your checkbook out!

Good luck with the decision! Sorry for being a bit dense in following- I really was trying to understand and help and not nitpick and be a pain in the behind. Good luck!

[archerystud]

Scoot,

My original question was just about the NOISE in the newer bows. I wanted to quantify that it wasn't just an anomaly to the one bow I was testing.

So now I get all these recommendations for heavier arrows which I understand. I have an Engineering degree and took way too many Physics classes in college so trust me....I GET IT!

My point then becomes is it justifyable to spend $1000-$1300 plus accessories and arrows just to end up with a bow which shoots just as flat as my old one???? I'm thinking for me that it probably is not. My old bow isn't horrible but it's not as great as it was when I first bought it.

I'm looking for a smooth bow but it has to be quiet. But for the type of money that these new bows are costing I'd like to get a little more benefit than a bow that is just a little quieter.

[tracker x-2]

Astud

I would say if your confident in your current set up to stick with it. Thats the most important thing i have found with my gear. There will always be a new smooth and quiet bow being produced in the future.

For my self if I am ever haveing doubts about spendy that much $ on something I usually wait on it.

[Scoot]

Yep, there's no doubt that the benifit from one year to the next is small and sometimes it's non-existant. However, over the course of a few years it adds up and the changes that have happenend in the last decade are pretty amazing. The changes in the last two decades are ridiculous!

I totally agree- to upgrade every year is really tough to justify the cost. When you break down the benefits per dollar spent, it'd be hard to make an annual upgrade make much sense. But... it depends on how much disposable cash you've got and how much you like the "newest and best" and how much time and effort it takes you to make the switch. Some people are good at swapping bows over and shooting new gear. Others struggle a lot with this and require a shop to do most or all of their bow work for them.

If I didn't get a deal on bows I wouldn't upgrade as often as I do. I also like swapping over gear- I'm OK at it and my brother is really good, so it's not a big deal for me to do it.

Good luck with the decision about swapping bows. New equipment is sometimes a pain and not a big improvement. Like I mentioned before, I still miss my '07 Commander a bunch and haven't seen anything that I like better than that since then...

[archerystud]

The only other caveat here is if some "discussion" in the house turns to a couch upgrade (or something similar) if I don't spend the money on a new bow. Then a BOW PURCHASE WILL BE MADE!!!

I kind of like upgrading about every 5 years or so. I also think the technologies aren't advancing nearly as fast as they were about 15 years ago.

Thanks for the inputs guys. I have plenty of time to shoot some new bows over the winter to decide.

[pureinsanity]

What do you do with your old bows after you upgrade? I had trouble getting rid of an old bow because its considered out dated...

Basically it turned me off on ever buying a new bow ever again.

With a gun at least you can sell it and make some money back.

I under stand technologies advancements allow us to have a smaller, lighter, more powerful, and longer distance shooting bow..

What makes you want to upgrade??? I am pretty much out of bow hunting now a days and use my bow for fishing and target practice. But I see no point in wasting 1000$ on a nice bow and accessories when my outdated bow does the job just fine. Personally I wont shoot a deer that is 60 yards out, probably not even 40 yards out.

I guess what justifies you upgrading, also what are the benefits to upgrading. In my opinion, My old bow - 6 years old, would kill a deer just as good as a new bow would today. I take only close shots so I know I will hit the vitals and not have a poorly placed or long distance shot that might take longer to kill the animal.

Thoughts?