Hunting bows, how do they compare?

[goshawk]

I know this a very subjective question but the answers can help me narrow the field a bit.
I am looking for a hunting bow to back up my Mathews Conquest 3 for a elk hunt in September.
I bought the Conquest 3 as it has a long axle to axle and I was hunting with fingers at the time.
I have now gone to a release and pins and I'm looking for a second hunting bow with a shorter axle to axle.
I like a bow that I can work on myself without heroic efforts to tune, durable and reasonably priced.
My target bows are all Hoyts.
How are the Hoyts for hunting?
ANY help would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Wayne

[slimpikins]

the tec series by hoyt make for good hunting set ups and so do mathews. i know more about mathews, and for shorter axle to axle, the outback is 3.5 inches and is a great shooting bow, and the switchback is 33 inches. both shoot great and are good hunting bows

[Switchback-Mn1]

Give the Switchback a look I think you will like it. If you want even shorter ata look at the Outback

[Oldaro]

Wayne, there's no way but to try'em all out, and the next best thing is to sort them up, according to your needs, or expectations.

There are hunters who absolutely will prefer noiseless bows to any other kind. If your game is spooky and your hunting distances short, the noise might be your enemy. The least noise will come from the parallel limb systems, and / or from the camless compound models. Those you might find among Mathews, and the latter from a company named FireBrand, Llc. My preferences are at Mathews side, since I'm personally unsatisfied with the other's customer treatment.

If you prefer speed, go for the speediest, and that would be Mathews Black Max II. Of course, it is a bit louder, and needs additional sound reducement, but nothing dramatic. It can be done with some added string leeches or something similar, but you'll be amazed at the flat trajectory of your arrows. The problem at trainings is that the carbon arrows tend to friction-burn themselves in the foam, and that kinda develops your pull hand same fashion as an outboard pullstart engine... Your vocabulary develops as well... but that little bow (36" a.t.a.) is worth a try. Of course, it takes some practice to control the speedy bow. Fun, too!

If you like to adjust, adapt, and generally dabble in among strings, limbs and other strangely strung forces, go for the big H. The tec series is very well made, neat manufacturing of the top class, but somewhat too many parts to my taste. Of course, there's this advantage of fine-tuning in every sense of the word, and maybe you prefer that. I tried several -tecs when I was buying my second compound (my first was a Jennings Buckmaster), and frankly, what made me decide to buy Mathews BlackMax (the 1st model) was the feel. From the overall simple directness of the design, over the cleanliness of the manufacturing, to the long, stubborn and resilient draw resistance of the limbs, to the extra long active stroke of its small brace height, and (to me) simply perfectly formed handgrip; well, everything just whispered "I'm yours". Or, "you're mine", which is about the same in this case. A few trial arrows right there in the shop decided.

Anyway, to the point: try out the most models and manufacturers you can, there's no substitution for it!

[archerdad]

given a set of criteria mainly bow geometry ere is a chart for how forgiving a bow is.

http://www.huntersfriend.com/bowspecs3.htm

however you still have to find what fits you best and that you are most comfortable with

george ryals suggests find a bow and stick with it.

i agree.

[Cornfed]

I would certainly suggest the Hoyt TEC series for a hunting rig. I have owned several Mathews including the Switchback but the new Hoyt VTEC is the best bow that I have ever used to date! The VTEC is my '05 hunting rig! I love the machine!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/Cornfed/VTECleft.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/Cornfed/VTECright.jpg