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Beentown

Dignitary Member
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15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
I am looking to purchase a new bow (maybe slightly used) in the Spring. I do a LOT of research before purchases usually. Anyway here are the top contenders.

1) Bowtech Destroyer 340
- 340 IBO
- 7” brace height
- 32 3/8th axle to axle

2) Strothers Infinity
- 343 IBO
- 7 1/6th brace height
- 33 5/8th axle to axle

3) K&K Vindicator
- 345 IBO
- 7 1/8th brace height
- 35” axle to axle

4) Mathews MR7 Magnum
- 344 IBO
- 7” Brace height
- 33” axle to axle

5) Elite GT500
- 336 IBO
- 7 1/8th Brace height
- 34 7/8th axle to axle


My ideal bow is 34" ATA with at least a 6 5/8th brace height.

I have shot an Elite and like the quality but didn't like the let down cycle. It was a Hunter model and don't know if the GT has the same cycle. If so then it would be out of the running.

Shot Milos Strothers and it is a strong contender. Smooth, fast, and quiet.

Mathews. Well I have had a few and just like the quality. None of there bows really pique my interest but they are in the running because of the quality I have had in the past. SQ2, LX, Outback, and Ovation have all been great for me. I have not shot the MR7 yet so any input is appreciated.

Bowtech I have not shot in years. I like the specs. Any info on these is appreciated. Back around 2003 I shot a few Bowtechs and was not impressed.

K&K is another brand I have never shot. Kevin can design a great bow. The only reservation I have is if they are going to be open for business two years from now. They have NIB bows for $595.

Any experience with these fellas? Any I should add to the list to check out (no Hoyts)? I listed numerically above but it is not a preference just a way to list. This is going to be a long process of me finding one to shoot, read reviews and finding the right deal.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
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39,704
248
Ohio
I am currently looking at a Bowtech Destroyer 350. 60lb bow with 344IBO. I have not shot it but have drawn it back in the store. I was impressed. My cousin and his hunting buddy both bought this model this year and their 70lb Destroyer350's are making them very happy. My cousin is hitting pie plates at 80yds consistently. I would not rule this one out Charles. I still need to shoot some Elite bows before I make up my mind. Destroyer350 is a front runner for me though.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
I am currently looking at a Bowtech Destroyer 350. 60lb bow with 344IBO. I have not shot it but have drawn it back in the store. I was impressed. My cousin and his hunting buddy both bought this model this year and their 70lb Destroyer350's are making them very happy. My cousin is hitting pie plates at 80yds consistently. I would not rule this one out Charles. I still need to shoot some Elite bows before I make up my mind. Destroyer350 is a front runner for me though.

What kind of draw cycle Phil? Solid wall with very little creep is what I prefer. I like the idea of extra brace height on the 340.
 

jagermeister

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Ohio
I'm not a big fan of Blowtechs. I love my Elite Z28... the grip could use a little work, but it's tolerable. I've shot a GT500 and a Judge... liked them both as well. The let-down can be a bit harsh, but it's easy to get used to. That all being said, I think the new Elite logo and the new Answer bow are fugly. I don't have a clue why they changed the logo... looks gay now IMO. I've never heard a bad thing about Strothers bows, so if I were in the market for a new one they would certainly be a contender. Mathews bows just make me sick with all the marketing hype, plus they're fucking ugly too. People just buy mathews without even shooting other bows, simply because the million-dollar marketing has brainwashed them into thinking they're the best. They've made some good bows over the years, but the Z7 didn't really impress me. The back wall is soft, the warranty is mediocre, the accessories cost a fortune, and it just plain didn't wow me. My dad bought a Z7 after I bought my Elite... without first shooting an Elite, mind you... and now he wishes he would've bought an Elite after shooting mine.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
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Well here are my thoughts

1) Fuck mathews for the most part..same lame single cam technology but they have no trouble doubling the price. Their latest offering is in the severe LAME department.
2) Cam and 1/2's...i like them. easy to tune once you know what your doing and always shoot strong and stay in tune. Even when they are a little out of tune they shoot well
3) Binaries- again easy to tune but can be finicky when out of tune. Lean can be an issue but they are working those kinks out.

Strothers has been exceptional to me. I cannot complain one bit one how well they treated me. I feel the same about Elite.
K&K - Kevin is all over the map at times but his talent is exceptional. I will own a K&K next most likely. His bows are a lot like an infinity
Bowtech....fuck them..their customer service is HORRIBLE. they dont stand behind their products either. no money from me
Hoyt-is a maybe on my list. I hate the tech riser BS.
Athens- might be on my list if it weren't for one of their head dudes being a doucher..

there are others but i have been out on a limb before and not ready for that now.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
I'm not a big fan of Blowtechs. I love my Elite Z28... the grip could use a little work, but it's tolerable. I've shot a GT500 and a Judge... liked them both as well. The let-down can be a bit harsh, but it's easy to get used to. That all being said, I think the new Elite logo and the new Answer bow are fugly. I don't have a clue why they changed the logo... looks gay now IMO. I've never heard a bad thing about Strothers bows, so if I were in the market for a new one they would certainly be a contender. Mathews bows just make me sick with all the marketing hype, plus they're fucking ugly too. People just buy mathews without even shooting other bows, simply because the million-dollar marketing has brainwashed them into thinking they're the best. They've made some good bows over the years, but the Z7 didn't really impress me. The back wall is soft, the warranty is mediocre, the accessories cost a fortune, and it just plain didn't wow me. My dad bought a Z7 after I bought my Elite... without first shooting an Elite, mind you... and now he wishes he would've bought an Elite after shooting mine.

The let down on the Elite is harsh to me because it is weird. 10" valley then all the weight at once. Are all the models the same in that aspect? I am not knocking them at all. I just have a different preference. I am sure I could get used to it but if I pay this much for something I don't want it to have to get used to it unless it gives me an advantage. Some people like having more creep so the bow doesn't try to take off with just a little creep.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Well here are my thoughts

1) Fuck mathews for the most part..same lame single cam technology but they have no trouble doubling the price. Their latest offering is in the severe LAME department.
2) Cam and 1/2's...i like them. easy to tune once you know what your doing and always shoot strong and stay in tune. Even when they are a little out of tune they shoot well
3) Binaries- again easy to tune but can be finicky when out of tune. Lean can be an issue but they are working those kinks out.

Strothers has been exceptional to me. I cannot complain one bit one how well they treated me. I feel the same about Elite.
K&K - Kevin is all over the map at times but his talent is exceptional. I will own a K&K next most likely. His bows are a lot like an infinity
Bowtech....fuck them..their customer service is HORRIBLE. they dont stand behind their products either. no money from me
Hoyt-is a maybe on my list. I hate the tech riser BS.
Athens- might be on my list if it weren't for one of their head dudes being a doucher..

there are others but i have been out on a limb before and not ready for that now.

Thanks Milo. Was going to call but figured the input could help others when deciding later.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
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Appalachia
I'll echo Milo on most of what he said...

Mathews: I am on season five with the Switchback XT and love it. I have huge hands, so I love the meaty grip and balance of the bow. You cannot find a better drawing hunting bow IMO and I've shot a ton. It is "outdated" technology, but I'm getting 290 fps with 70 ft. lbs. out of it, so it will do the number. Having shot the Z7 Magnum, I really enjoyed shooting it. From a familiarity standpoint, it is a great bow for a Mathews lifer.

Elite: I will most likely own an Elite next. I'll be adding a TQ Custom Grip to get me back into a meatier grip, but outside of that issue, I love the draw cycle, back wall, and performance. You can't beat their warranty and service IMO. Overall, just a great route to go.

Strothers: If I do not buy an Elite or Mathews, it will be a Strothers. I trust Milo's opinion on bows over anyone else and if he loves it, I'll love it. We have similar demands from a bow, much like you do Been...

I have never been a Bowtech fan because of their draw cycles. I'm not impressed with the Destroyer line. I have always hated Hoyts and you won't find me saying much positive their. They are just not for me. I won't own a K&K for personal reasons. As for all the others, I stick with what I know. I will say this however, I did shoot a PSE Evo a month or so ago and I was pretty surprised with the draw and back wall. It was a very nice shooting bow. Fast, quiet, and dead. It would be a contender to me before Bowtech ever would...
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
PSE = Parts Scatter Everywhere

LOL It is something that has always stuck with me and I can never see me shooting a PSE.

I love everything about the Elite except for that damn let down. Here is an example the let down on the ONE example I handled. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing (bow is almost 1/3 way let down by now), slam, all 70#'s at once.

Perfect draw cycle for me is like this:

- Pulling full weight until just before anchor
- Holding anchor with just 1/2" of creep available
- When letting down I want a good amount of force right after that 1/2" of creep

I also believe a bow with this type of cycle is beneficial for accuracy for me also not just comfort.
 
The let down on most 08.5 an newer elites have the same feel give or take.. A bit of that feel can be tuned out..But if you dont like that feel I would go a different route ..As Jbrown stated the grip can be a issue for some,..I struggled with it a bit an im a pretty damm dedicated archer..I went with a Torqeless grip an it made a night an day difference..You do lose a bit of BH with it an DL(1/4inch-ish)....
 

jagermeister

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18,057
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Ohio
The let-down on the Elites can be tweaked a bit, but it'll still be there for the most part. In all honesty, it really doesn't bother me. After shooting it enough, you learn to control the let-down pretty easily... even with a trimmed-down Limbdriver that offers no arrow containment. I wasn't able to get my hands on a Strothers bow, but the Elites had the smoothest draw cycle of any of the bows I shot, by far. And one of the biggest factors in my decision was the Elite warranty. If I'm in southern Ohio for a hunting trip, like I will be very soon, and I happen to run over my bow and break something... all I have to do is call up Elite and they'll overnight me a bow that's all set up and ready to go. There aren't many companies that can compete with that.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
The let-down on the Elites can be tweaked a bit, but it'll still be there for the most part. In all honesty, it really doesn't bother me. After shooting it enough, you learn to control the let-down pretty easily... even with a trimmed-down Limbdriver that offers no arrow containment. I wasn't able to get my hands on a Strothers bow, but the Elites had the smoothest draw cycle of any of the bows I shot, by far. And one of the biggest factors in my decision was the Elite warranty. If I'm in southern Ohio for a hunting trip, like I will be very soon, and I happen to run over my bow and break something... all I have to do is call up Elite and they'll overnight me a bow that's all set up and ready to go. There aren't many companies that can compete with that.

I completely understand that. One reason I am such a big Springfield Armory fan. I believe the leader at this point is the Strothers. K&K a close second. I would buy a K&K today IF I knew Kevin would be there for a while. I mean hell, he left Strothers (the company that is his name sake). Eccentric people usually do great things though.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
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one thing you have to remember about cam and 1/2 bows is that everything hinges around cam rotation and ending points. specs are somewhat meaningless at times. I will be honest, i went through hell and back with mine until i broke the misconception that is must be in spec. Once i did that i understood the cam system design and made it much easier to get what i wanted out of the bow. i cant think of anyone yet that has touched the strother infinity as far as performance. i mean 343 with a 7+ inch brace...33.5 ATA to boot. i would own another one in a heartbeat knowing what I know now. I know some of you think kevin from K&K is a bit "crazy" per se but he is VERY good with bows and you will hear more bad than good about him out of respect. he can build flame throwers that are very smooth to draw and shoot. i like his rotating draw length mod on his bows. hate having to by mods. the thing about mathews is especially this year, and dam gun company put out a better performing bow than they did...WTF
 

Beentown

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Supporting Member
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Sunbury, OH
Any other bows I should look into with those specs?

All around:

340 IBO
32-35 ATA the larger the better
At least a 6 1/2" BH
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
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18,057
223
Ohio
one thing you have to remember about cam and 1/2 bows is that everything hinges around cam rotation and ending points. specs are somewhat meaningless at times. I will be honest, i went through hell and back with mine until i broke the misconception that is must be in spec. Once i did that i understood the cam system design and made it much easier to get what i wanted out of the bow. i cant think of anyone yet that has touched the strother infinity as far as performance. i mean 343 with a 7+ inch brace...33.5 ATA to boot. i would own another one in a heartbeat knowing what I know now. I know some of you think kevin from K&K is a bit "crazy" per se but he is VERY good with bows and you will hear more bad than good about him out of respect. he can build flame throwers that are very smooth to draw and shoot. i like his rotating draw length mod on his bows. hate having to by mods. the thing about mathews is especially this year, and dam gun company put out a better performing bow than they did...WTF

What kind of speeds are you getting from that Infinity, Milo? I know you're probably shooting a heavy-ass arrow... but I'm curious nonetheless.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
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What kind of speeds are you getting from that Infinity, Milo? I know you're probably shooting a heavy-ass arrow... but I'm curious nonetheless.
i honestly do not know...no chrono yet...all i know is i have 2 pin settings with a 525 grain arrow...25 and 35...the gap is minimal between them. can't wait to get a new bow press and fiddle with it more in the spring.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
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I aint a mathews lover..But what criteria are you judging performance on?
specs in general. they reinvented last years bow and barely made any improvements. not sure why anyone would spend dam near a grand for essentially the same dang bow you can get for 700 new and last years model. nothing spectacular has come from mathews since the switchback and drenalin.....i mean what are they pimpin now? a thinner waffle iron that weighs just over 3.5 pounds...whoopty doo...the drenalin weighed in at 3.8 pounds and shot like 8 fps slower than this model...:smiley_blackeye: