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Strother VS Elite

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
That fuggin Fluteman had his bow hanging on the wall when i was there last weekend. An Elite Z28.. I picked it up and drew it back a couple times.... Mistake.... Now I'm looking at bows and have it narrowed down to a Strother or Elite.

I liked the Elites draw cycle. Smooth, no rollover, solid on the back wall, but what sold me was the wide valley. When i let down It was like i had to damn near let the string go limp before it wanted to go. DRASTIC difference between that and my Reflex (Hoyts little brother) with my Reflex it has a narrow valley that is all go like most Hoyts.. Some like a bow that just wants to go go go.. I think i like the wider valley. Depends on if you like to shoot from the wall or the valley... I like to shoot from the wall, but when hunting i like to be able to hold in the valley until the shot presents itself, then back to the wall for the shot. . VS holding against the wall the entire time the deer stands behind a tree.

So it's came down to a Strother or an Elite. Both Eric (milo) and Brock shoot a Strother and love it. With the knowledge those two have about bows, you can bet it's a winner of a bow. The problem I have is I'm not a big fan of the bows namesake. Just a personal opinion of which i can only base on things i have seen and heard. Nothing in person. However, i have NEVER heard a single person say something bad about the bow or it's design. The fact is Kevin designs some damn good bows..

The Elite... Just a good damn bow from the little time that i've had one in my hands. I like their warranty. Transferable. and they have a hunter warranty. Where if you are on a hunt in BFE and you cut a string etc. They will overnight you a completely rigged up and tuned bow as a loaner to finish your hunt. Service like that is hard to beat.

Either way I'm getting rid of the Reflex Highlander. Not that it's a bad bow. We get along just fine, and it kills deer without problems. It's a good time to be in the bow market also. Enough 3d left to get to know her good before season. And guys are looking to trade up also so many are for sale.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I'll own an Elite next year for sure. IMO, they are making one of, if not THE best bow on the market. Like you said, if Milo and Brock shoot a Strothers, you know its a damn good bow. But I'm in the boat with you on the whole namesake thing. Not to mention Elite is far more accessible to me than the Strothers. I love my Mathews and will probably keep it, but I'll have me an Elite to kill whitetail buck deerz with before much longer...
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
The Elite... Just a good damn bow from the little time that i've had one in my hands. I like their warranty. Transferable. and they have a hunter warranty. Where if you are on a hunt in BFE and you cut a string etc. They will overnight you a completely rigged up and tuned bow as a loaner to finish your hunt. Service like that is hard to beat.

That right there would sell me. I don't know many companies willing to go to that length of service. Says a lot about them IMO.
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
I'll own an Elite next year for sure. IMO, they are making one of, if not THE best bow on the market. Like you said, if Milo and Brock shoot a Strothers, you know its a damn good bow. But I'm in the boat with you on the whole namesake thing. Not to mention Elite is far more accessible to me than the Strothers. I love my Mathews and will probably keep it, but I'll have me an Elite to kill whitetail buck deerz with before much longer...

Where are you going to buy it at? Is it local for me?
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
The only problem with strothers IMO is the distance to even hold one....That sucks..

I love my GT500, its smooth, its fast, and I love the grip. To me the grip is huge.

Joe, unlike you..I like the fact that I can hit the wall and hold at full draw and it feels like I am not holding any weight at all. I also like the valley, makes me feel more comfortable and secure if I have to let down. I know its not going to rip my shoudler out of socket.

I tell you what though, you will never regret your decision to buy an elite. The are No.1 in the industry if you ask me.

Reason not a hwole lot of people have heard about them is they dont go all out on print ads like hoyt or mathews does. The word is out though!
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
The only problem with strothers IMO is the distance to even hold one....That sucks..

I love my GT500, its smooth, its fast, and I love the grip. To me the grip is huge.

Joe, unlike you..I like the fact that I can hit the wall and hold at full draw and it feels like I am not holding any weight at all. I also like the valley, makes me feel more comfortable and secure if I have to let down. I know its not going to rip my shoudler out of socket.

I tell you what though, you will never regret your decision to buy an elite. The are No.1 in the industry if you ask me.

Reason not a hwole lot of people have heard about them is they dont go all out on print ads like hoyt or mathews does. The word is out though!

On an Elite i would agree. Against the wall it feels like you aren't holding much at all.
 

Fluteman

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,094
146
Southeast Ohio
On an Elite i would agree. Against the wall it feels like you aren't holding much at all.

The thing you have to keep in mind is how I had mine set up. I am shooting a 29" DL with the draw stops maxed out, so it will have a longer valley. If you adjust the drawstop all the way in, there won't be nearly as much valley and you would be that much closer to the breaking point.

I like having a longer valley for hunting, especially in cold weather, because the bow doesn't want to creep on you at full draw when you are trying to get situated. I have never shot a Strothers bow, but to be honest, I have no desire to. My heart is completely content with my Z. I have shot quite a few of the new bows for this year, and none of them had me wanting to sell my Z. Besides, I'm shooting 295fps out of that bow, and I have a short DL. Don't think I could find a smoother drawing bow with those kind of speeds.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Not exactly local, but that last time I checked on Strothers, the closest bow in the models I wanted to shoot were 4.5-5 hours aways...

POS Rednecks like you shop at Wal-mart, that's why!
:smiley_arrogant:

:pickle: Just had to, carry on!
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
POS Rednecks like you shop at Wal-mart, that's why!
:smiley_arrogant:

:pickle: Just had to, carry on!

Ha! I took 2nd place in an indoor league with my Wal-Mart special while shooting against 13 Mathews, a Hoyt, and a high end Jennings. If you can shoot, you can shoot. Don't matter where the bow comes from. But you're right, I am a Redneck and I do shop at Wal-Mart!!!
 

twireman

Senior Member
2,929
149
Kingston, OH
With the warranty you cannot go wrong with an Elite. Fine piece of deer killin' machine. I wouldv'e owned at GT500 but got TOO good of a deal on my Pearson to pass up. Can't say Strother is bad (No doubt they are bad ass as well) but there are a ton of used Elites floating around. It's definitely the right time to buy. Good luck!
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Like Wayne and Fluteman, I've got my draw stops maxed out too... so the valley is pretty damn wide. It's funny watching people draw it back that have never held an Elite before... they try to let it down and they can't believe how far it'll go before it yanks on ya.

Last summer I shot damn near every new bow on the market when I was in the hunt. All EXCEPT a Strother. Like Greg, I could care less, though. For me, it came down to the Z28 and the Mathews Z7. At 60 lb draw, there really wasn't much difference between the two. But I don't shoot 60 lbs, so I had the guy crank them both all the way up.... this is where the difference was like night and day. Elite's draw cycle is amazing, the back wall is rock solid, and it's smooth as silk at the release. My Z is set at almost 73 lbs DW, at 29.5" DL, and I get between 297 and 300 fps with 380 gr Easton Flatlines. It's no speed demon that's for sure, but it's one of the smoothest bows out there. What really made up my mind on Elite was their warranty and the Elite Promise. I travel to BFE for one week every November, and knowing if something happens to my bow Elite will send me a loaner gives me serious peace-of-mind.

If you can, shoot them both and see what you think. If you can't get to a Strother to shoot it, don't sweat it because you sure as hell won't go wrong with an Elite. I've yet to get my hands on a 2011 model, but from what I hear they are even smoother than the '10s.
 
I'm set on the elite pure (replaced the Z71) now I ordered one in ninja black it will be here when I get back from leave. I shot the strother infinity and I liked a lot it. I ended up going with the Elite because they are much more established company. From what you described the pure or the infinity would fit you draw prefences. The two bows are very similar in draw charateristics but the designs are a little different. Good luck Joe.
 

deerjunkie

Junior Member
959
0
Canton, Ohio
Joe, one of our guys used to be the production manager for Elite before he moved back to Ohio. If you have any technical questions or anything else on Elite you want to know don't hesitate to ask. I am sure we can have an honest and accurate answer for you.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
So it's came down to a Strother or an Elite. Both Eric (milo) and Brock shoot a Strother and love it. With the knowledge those two have about bows, you can bet it's a winner of a bow. The problem I have is I'm not a big fan of the bows namesake. Just a personal opinion of which i can only base on things i have seen and heard. Nothing in person. However, i have NEVER heard a single person say something bad about the bow or it's design. The fact is Kevin designs some damn good bows..

I shot Milo's new Strothers tonight. Don't get me wrong, I am no bow expert and haven't shot a lot of new bows like you guys have, but mannnnnn that thing is SMOOTH and quiet. Hell of a freaking nice bow. Damn.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I stumbled back on this old thread and wondered if you were still kicking this around, Joe...

As of a couple months ago, I now own both a Strother Infinity and an Elite Z28. I know in the past I've never had a single bad thing to say about my Z28. Howwwwwwever... As good of a bow that it is, this fuggin Strother is an absolute dream to shoot. The draw cycle, while different from the Elite, is still very smooth. There is a bit less of a valley that takes some getting used to, but only because the Elite valley is so incredibly wide. The Strother is quieter, faster, and I even like the grip better. Plus, predator camo just plain looks sick, IMO. Now, I will say this... I had some tuning issues at first with the Strother. At longer draws (29"+), the Infinity doesn't really tune when set at the recommended brace cam orientation. It's really not a big deal... Just causes for a few headaches if you're unaware of it. If you go with a new Strother, this won't be an issue because I believe they've gone to a two-track binary system (Badger cams I think?).

Don't get me wrong here... I still do love my Z28. It's a great-shooting bow and is an excellent hunting bow. That being said, this Strother has honestly made me consider selling the Elite. Do yourself a favor and shoot both, Joe. Hell, you can shoot both of mine this summer if you want.... that is, if I still have the Z. :smiley_blackeye: