New bow question

[Dahitman44]

I started out on a Golden Eagle and now I am ready to upgrade.

I am looking at an '06 Hoyt Trykon XL. I have shot it and i think I like it. The sales guy said a lot of Mathews owners have been switching to Hoyt. I alsways thought I would buy a Mathews, but I am not sure now.

Any thoughts between the two?

What info or thought would help?

[Deitz Dittrich]

to be honest, shoot them both and see which feel best in your hands.. Both are the TOP of the line bows and I dont see how you could feel you chose the wrong one having chosen either of them.

Good luck!...

I'm a hoyt fan, I own at least 3-4 of them.

[Dark Cloud]

There are so many nice bows out there. Shoot them and get what you like best. Try and ignore the hoopla. Im looking into new bows myself and am really impressed with Diamond line of bows by Bowtech. The Mathews switchback was nice too. Didnt care for the draw cycle on the Trykon but thats me. Try and get to many differnt shops and shoot em all. Beware of shops that only carry or definatly push one brand of bows. We had a local guy here who tried to make you believe you couldnt kill deer unless you were shooting what he was selling that year. Hes now out of business...

[Scoot]

DHM,

I really like my Hoyt. I shoot a Protech and love it. Did I mention I really like my Hoyt?

I shot the Trykon and found it to be a little short for my liking. I'm very partial to longer bows. My next bow will likely be even longer. I like to get relatively close to 40".

If you want to come to Fargo I can let you shoot mine. Likely won't fit you too well, but you'll get an idea of what it is, arm/hand shock, etc. It'd cost you $5 to come up to the bowclub (mandatory $5 charge per day for non-members) but would likely be worth it.

On a related note, if you are very tall, I generally recommend a longer bow. If not, you're not as limited (IMO).

I'd definitely go with the previous recommendations- shoot them all and get the one you like best. Take your time and shop around. If you get a Bowtech, Mathews, or Hoyt you can hardly go wrong. Another up and coming bow brand is called "Elite". They're basically a Bowtech (made by one of the Bowtech mucky mucks who branched off with his own company) with better strings and cables. Also cheaper. Might want to check them out.

Good luck,

[Walleye Guy]

I shot Bowtech, Mathews and Hoyt. The Switchback XT was the best fit for me. IMO it was the smoothest and quietest of the three. It wasn't the fastest but speed wasn't my number one priority.

Just make sure you shoot all three brands before you make a decision. There may be some others you want to consider as well.

[cliffy]

Hitman:

I posted a response in the DL forum....but I will add to it here. Shoot them all and go with the one you like the best...dont worry about what someone else is shooting or switching to. Is this bow going to be for hunting or just target shooting or both? Scoot brought up a good point about ATA lenght. My Switchback XT is pretty short ATA and some people dont care for such a short bow....its a matter of taste. Make sure you take your time and try as many bows as you want before making your choice. Good luck in your search and let us know what you end up getting.

Cliffy.

[Dahitman44]

Dark --

Draw cycle? The what cylcle? You'll have to explain that for me.

To me, the switchback and the Trykon were hard to pull back then boom, it let off.

Help?

[Dahitman44]

Scoot --

I like slightly longer bows as well. That is where the Trykon XL may be the way to go. Many have said that longer bows can be more accurate as well.

[Dahitman44]

Eye guy --

I shot the '06 hoyt and I think it was very quiet and less vibration than the previous year model. I have been thinking about this for quite a while.

[Boomer]

I've read a lot of posts on this site and haven't heard much of Ross bows. I'm new to the sport and didn't really know anything about bows until I started trying all of the different brands. I liked the Ross 334 the best of all and hope that I haven't made a bad choice! I've only been able to use it on targets so far, but it's been great and I haven't had to do anything with it so far. Anyway, I would give one a try if you're buying(unless someone on this site knows of a good reason not to). In a way I'm glad I hadn't heard all of the hype of the other bows - that gave me a chance to choose the one I felt was the best fit for me without the preconceived ideas.

Good luck with your choice - it's not easy!

[cliffy]

I think what Dark is referring to is how the bow feels when you pull back the string to the holding position. The area that concerns how the bow feels when you reach the let off point and the cam rolls all the way over. The smoother the cycle, the better. I have shot both the Trykon and the XT and thought they were very smooth....if you are experiencing a tremendous let off that is ruff...you may want to experiment with the draw weight. Just a thought. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

As far as longer bows being more accurate...I think in general is true. The way it was explained to me was...the longer ATA (axle to axle), the more forgiving the bow will be....or your mistakes won’t be magnified as much. Again, someone correct me if I am wrong. Good luck in your search.

Cliffy

[Dark Cloud]

Draw cycle - how the bow feels when being drawn. Depending on let-off and cam configuration, some can feel kinda harsh and others are mush smoother. I prefer a smoother one, more fun personally to shoot and nicer when you have to draw super slowly when you might get seen.

Longer ATA bows aren't neccisarly more forgiving. Bows with a greater brace height(distance from grip to string) are more forgiving and generally more accurate. Thats why most target bows have a brace height of 8 or more inches. Longer ATA bows may feel better to some as they tend to balance a tad better depending on a number of variables. The big knock on short ATA bows at first was they were critical to shoot but now most have a brace height in the 7-8+ inch range and now they are much more forgiving. Short brace height bows are typically faster though as the arrow is in contact with the string longer pushing the arrow for a greater time, this is what makes short brace height bows also more critical to shoot - arrow is in contact with the string longer giving you more time to do something wrong like drop your bow arm or torque the grip. I have owned alot of bows over the years and no doubt the longer brace height ones, say over 7 inches were more accurate and more forgiving... Lots to think about, Hopefully I helped....

[Dahitman44]

Cliff --

My understanding as well. The longer the bow more forgiving the bow will be. I am really thinking about the Hoyt over the Mathews.

Hard to believe.

[Scoot]

Yep, Dark Cloud is right on. General rule of thumb is longer ATA's are more forgiving, but he's definitely right- not necessarily so. He's also right on about brace height.

So, DHM, now that your head is spinning with a wealth of information, you're thinking about Hoyt? Can't go wrong with one of the big three. Like I said before, check out Elite. They have a new bow called "Energy" that is pretty much awesome. Also cheaper than you'll find a comparable Hoyt, Bowtech, or Mathews. And just so we're clear- I have no sponsorship or endorsment deal with Elite- they just make a good looking and shooting bow. I didn't know about them until after I got my Protech. I'm very happy with my bow, but if I could go back I'd get an Elite Energy. Shot one a while ago and it is sweet!!!

[cliffy]

Quote:

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Cliff --

I am really thinking about the Hoyt over the Mathews.

Hard to believe.

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Oh...Hitman..you are breaking my heart...come on and drink the kool-aid and join us Matthews owners on the dark side..the force is much greater....

Just Kidding. Pick the bow that best fits you...and I agree, Hoyt is a very, very good bow. Good Luck.

[Dahitman44]

Right on cliff.

HM