I just don't understand.....


hoosierhunter

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I can't help but notice how many guys are trading in their 1 and 2 year old bows for the "newest" "fastest" bow out there.....

I have to ask why.....I mean is 5,10, 20, heck even 30 feet per second worth 200-300 bucks per year....These new bows are getting the brace heights so darn low to achieve speed that you better not even flinch or your arrow won't be on target....

I guess I just missing something here......

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I mean is 5,10, 20, heck even 30 feet per second worth 200-300 bucks per year...

lol...where are you buying bows at?

I agree with ya though...some gotta have the newest latest greatest thing just to say they have it. Oh wait.....

LOL, just remembered, I just bought a new Alphamax bone collector!

Although...I'll have this bow for awhile...on average, I keep 'em 8 years or so.

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I've been in this conversation on a couple other forums lately.

The two most logical things I've heard so far....

"You cant buy your way into better shooting"

and...

"Who Cares"?

Keeping up with the Joneses has a price tag...if thats important to you..go for it and more power to you.

Though it may sound like it has no meaning in this discussion I always remember what my Father has told me:

"If you want to learn something...watch the man who owns one gun...he knows how to use it".

Now that may have had more credence in his day than now...but it still makes sense to me. It's not what or how many of something you have..it's how well you use what you have!

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I look at all the new bows that come out and say man I want one of those and tell myself I am going to get one.In the end when it comes down to it I will be sticking with my switchback xt,I dont beleive there could be a better bow built from any other company including mathews.Its not the fastest out there but the way it is set up it is probably the smoothest and best shooting bow ever made.I may buy a new bow one day but it will more than likely be a recurve.

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Don't think that all those advertising dollars are spent just because the companies like to see their name in print. Marketing has been a long established and growing science that works. We may like to think that corporations have no influence on our spending habits, but don't believe it for a minute. Every TV program or magazine article has behavior modification and brainwash techniques financing them even to the extent that the programs themselves help sell us on the fact that we need the latest and greatest gadget or product.

I have been affected too. I killed quite a few deer years ago with my first old Bear Whitetail that resembled some kind of science fair project gone awry much more than it resembled a bow. Slow, clunky and unsophisticated, It looked more like a construction tool than a bow, but the deer were just as dead, and it really did the job well and worked great. And even so, I still have a wall full of bows bought over the years on the promise that my accuracy and hunting success would escalate. I also have drawers full of worthless gadgets that were bought on the same premise. It took a lot of years to turn that attitude around and build up a strong defense against the Madison Avenue science of brainwashing, but I finally did it. Today, the only expenditures that I will make is when something breaks. I figure that if I haven't bought the right equipment and gotten it right by now, after all these years, new purchases are probably not going to do it either.

Doc

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lol...where are you buying bows at?

Forgot to mention that the 200-300 is the difference that you lose every year on your bow from trading one in.

Kat-I'm the same way, It's a persons choice to spend their money how they want to, but it still has me asking myself why.

It's probably just my sales background analyzing why people make the decisions and choices they do...

BTW did I mention I'm considering a new bow:D

So any of you guys who "made the switch" let me know what you got for sale.....

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I also have had a problem with buying new bows. I don't buy it just to have the latest and great though. Its more for me being able to learn something new about different company's bows. I've tried a lot of different products and I've learned a ton about them. Since the Fall of 2006, I've had a PSE Deer Hunter, 2007 Martin Bengal, 2007 High Country Iron Mace, 2008 Diamond Black Ice, and now I have a 2007 Hoyt Vulcan. I bought all brand new. I only own the last one I bought though. Right now to get another bow would probably ruin me, but now I'm perfectly happy with what I have. I'll tell myself that maybe I can get that new 2009 Alphamax, but do I really need to? No, I don't need to and then the thoughts are gone. I sell bows at Gander Mountain and the 3 other guys I work with feel the same way. Its not right to push new bows on people that just bought something. Maybe if there bow is between 10 to 20 years old, we will a little bit. Ony because its hard to get parts for those bows.

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The way I look at it, is if they are spending that money on new bows every year. Then I get one heck of a deal on a new used bow myself. Last year in February, I picked up there 2007 ROSS at a substantially low cost. These bows were in mint condition and I have to admit they were being sold as well because of the ROSS/G5 ordeal but they were upgrading as well. These bows will last me for the next 5-10 years or whenever I feel like upgrading. I don't need the 300+ fps bows, 287 fps will kill a deer just as dead as those and hasn't let me down yet.

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I'm kind of in the same boat as Gregg. I average a new bow every 5 or 6 years. I've been bowhunting since 1987 and I've had 4 bows in that span, a PSE, Golden Eagle, Mathews Legacy and my current bow is a Mathews Switchback XT. I don't succumb to the hype, but I don't fault those that want something new either. I too look at money involved. When I shoot a new bow my first question is "is this $300 better than my current bow?" My usual answer is "nope." :D

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I'm one of those people that like to trade every few years. I and many others do this for a few reasons. I am into bows! I love bows! I shoot a lot, maybe too much! I shoot 3-D, indoor 5 spot and hunt with my bow at least 20 days per year. If you want to compete with the new equipment every year you need the newest toys on the market. Some out there may think I'm nuts but others who compete know this is true. I have been beat by equipment on several occasions not the shooter. If all I did was hunt I would still be happy with my 10 year old Mathews. Besides I like to stimulate the economy!

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yep...i know a lot of guys where i use to live did that same thing...trade in the year old mathews for the newest thing on the shelf...I tried to do that once when i went from the XT to the Drenalin, and that was a very bad move... after a few weeks, i traded in the drenalin for my old XT...I just assume that if its not broken, don't fix it...

I kind of see this whole trade in thing as leasing...pay money, shoot it for a year, trade it in, pay money.....To each their own...Its an easy way to stay on top of the hype.

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I'm one of those people that like to trade every few years. I and many others do this for a few reasons. I am into bows! I love bows! I shoot a lot, maybe too much! I shoot 3-D, indoor 5 spot and hunt with my bow at least 20 days per year. If you want to compete with the new equipment every year you need the newest toys on the market. Some out there may think I'm nuts but others who compete know this is true. I have been beat by equipment on several occasions not the shooter. If all I did was hunt I would still be happy with my 10 year old Mathews. Besides I like to stimulate the economy!

If you get good enough, you can go pro and get a sponsor and let them supply the equipment.......lol.

My brother-in-law used to do a bit of competition years ago with his old whitetail hunter with the solid plexiglass arrow rest epoxied onto his scratched and gouged up bow. He took great pride in beating the heck out of a whole line-up of guys with their fancy metal-flecked tournament bows with stabilizer bars hanging off in every direction like some kind of satelite. I got a good look at the bows that Stacey Groscup used to use in his exhibition shooting, and they all looked like he had used them for a prybar to pull barn-boards off an old henhouse. That guy sure could shoot though.

My thought is that a new expensive bow may give you a psychological edge of confidence and that may be what wins tournaments, but someone who really understands shooting and his equipment can sure make some pretty ugly bows shoot in some pretty consistant ways.

Doc

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I'm one of those people that like to trade every few years. I and many others do this for a few reasons. I am into bows! I love bows! I shoot a lot, maybe too much! I shoot 3-D, indoor 5 spot and hunt with my bow at least 20 days per year. If you want to compete with the new equipment every year you need the newest toys on the market. Some out there may think I'm nuts but others who compete know this is true. I have been beat by equipment on several occasions not the shooter. If all I did was hunt I would still be happy with my 10 year old Mathews. Besides I like to stimulate the economy!

I totally disagree. All bows shoot well if properly tuned.......its the shooter behind the bow that makes the difference. If the equipment thing was true, then why do I beat shooters who use scopes and long stabilizers when I'm just using pins and a 12 inch stabilizer??? A new bow isn't gonna make you a better shooter....it's all in your head.

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If you have it and want to spend it do it. Me, I would rather keep my fine shooting bow and spend that money on something I do not have or something I want to do. Was at the pro shop last week and shot a couple Bowtechs. Came home and fired off a dozen down my lowely old Dynatec. Shot as good or better, and spent the morning today at Cabelas "browsing" at other things..... haha :)

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I totally disagree. All bows shoot well if properly tuned.......its the shooter behind the bow that makes the difference. If the equipment thing was true, then why do I beat shooters who use scopes and long stabilizers when I'm just using pins and a 12 inch stabilizer??? A new bow isn't gonna make you a better shooter....it's all in your head.

Could not have said that better myself. I rate myself as an above average shooter but not great by any means. My buddy Mike stays right with me with his 11 year old Jennings, or shoots better. The guy is a great shot with his finely tuned rig.

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I totally disagree. All bows shoot well if properly tuned.......its the shooter behind the bow that makes the difference. If the equipment thing was true, then why do I beat shooters who use scopes and long stabilizers when I'm just using pins and a 12 inch stabilizer??? A new bow isn't gonna make you a better shooter....it's all in your head.

I have also beat scopes and long stabilizers many times over. I also agree all well tuned bows shoot good. Now lets look at a 3-D situation. I pull up, see my target, estimate my range at 38 yards and release. Bang! A perfect x ring,could not be happier. Joe Blow walks up with his new Monster calls a 32 yard shot and cuts the x ring. Guess what you have just been beat by a bow not a shooter. It happens every day. A perfect estimate on yardage and a perfect shot with a Bear Whitetail can be matched by a sloppy distance estimator and a 360 fps bow. Same goes for hunting. If I shoot at a deer with my Drenalin at 30 yards and the deer is 35 yds away I'm still going to kill it. Is the same true for my old Bear Whitetail? Nothing against Bear Whitetail it was my first compound bow years ago.;) Besides why should anyone care what I or anyone else does with our money. Some trade cars,trucks,boats motorcycles,sleds,guns the list goes on. I'd like to add bows to this list.:D

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I totally disagree. All bows shoot well if properly tuned.......its the shooter behind the bow that makes the difference. A new bow isn't gonna make you a better shooter....it's all in your head.

Amen Kyle....its like saying "these shoes will make you play like Michael Jorden".....bla bla bla...

Its better to spend the time practicing to be the best, than spending money to make you think you are getting better...

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I have also beat scopes and long stabilizers many times over. I also agree all well tuned bows shoot good. Now lets look at a 3-D situation. I pull up, see my target, estimate my range at 38 yards and release. Bang! A perfect x ring,could not be happier. Joe Blow walks up with his new Monster calls a 32 yard shot and cuts the x ring. Guess what you have just been beat by a bow not a shooter. It happens every day. A perfect estimate on yardage and a perfect shot with a Bear Whitetail can be matched by a sloppy distance estimator and a 360 fps bow. Same goes for hunting. If I shoot at a deer with my Drenalin at 30 yards and the deer is 35 yds away I'm still going to kill it. Is the same true for my old Bear Whitetail? Nothing against Bear Whitetail it was my first compound bow years ago.;) Besides why should anyone care what I or anyone else does with our money. Some trade cars,trucks,boats motorcycles,sleds,guns the list goes on. I'd like to add bows to this list.:D

My bow shoots 280 in compliance with ASA rules and I've shot up here with the IBO 300+ FPS shooters and have done just fine. You can make excuses til your blue in the face, but it's my honest opinion it's always the shooter, not the bow. But in your favor, IBO does require speed to compete if ya suck at yardage.......300FPS is more than enough to shoot the big classes in IBO which is BH and ABH.

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