M4C Bowhunters

Preparation, Preparedness & Prevention Hunting
1

Gents, I’m sure there are some bow hunters and archers here on M4C and I’m curious to see what archery gear you all are using these days.

I’d be interested to see what the M4C community is using for bows, rest, sights, release, quiver, arrows, broadheads etc…Along with practice and training habbits.

I am a long time bowhunter, I have been shooting bows for nearly 27 years now. I have been using the same bow now for almost 9 years and have just been keeping my cables and strings changed on a regular basis. So I’m a little out of date on a lot of the new technology available.

So what are you guys running? Post any pros/cons and pics of your tried and true performing equipment.

These things seem to have been changing as fast as cell phones lately in the lase 10 years.

Thanks, and I look forward to all of your input.

2

Putting myself through college on a swimming scholarship has left me with very… finicky shoulders so for my home state I have switched over to using a crossbow.

Tenpoint Turbo XLTII and Rage CrossbowX mechanical broadheads on Tenpoint Carbon fiber arrows.

Pros: Accurate (the Tenpoint scope is dead on with its BDC type reticle), very fast, simple, so far seems very rugged
Cons: Expensive initial purchase, heavier than my compound setup

I keep my old Bowtech Admiral compound bow at my brothers place in Montana (cannot hunt with crossbows on Montana). I shot PSE for years when I was younger and switched to Bowtech after shooting my brothers. The bow is amazing AND forgiving for me since I don’t get a lot of practice on it. I do keep my old PSE Fire Lite set up to practice with at home if I am able to draw a Montana tag.

The PSE was set up with a Whisper Biscuit rest (meh) and old pin style sights (also meh). I have since set it up to mimmick the Bowtech with fiber optic sights (much better than pins) and drop away rests (amazing, like free floating a rifle barrel). I have been using my old Fletch Hunter release since I started shooting and have never found anything I like better.

3

2009 Strother Vanquish. 29/60
Rest - Ripcord Code Red
Sight - Sword Twilight Hunter
Arrows - Carbon Express Maxima Hunter
Strings - 60X Custom
Broad head - 100 grn Rage 2 blade

I shoot 50 arrows a day at least 4 times a week.

4

I should have stated what I’ve been shooting.

2006 Martin Magnum Phantom 2 Pro Series, Martin Quiver, Slider Hi Tek stabizer, GKF drop away rest, Carbon Express Speed Freak arrows with Muzzy MX3 broadheads, True Ball release. The sight, I’m actually not sure on the brand (I bought the setup used) but is fiber optic and has a center adjustable pin with a dial knob.

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It’s an oldy but a goody, I couldn’t honestly say how many deer I have killed with it but I’m thinking about upgrading.

5

Im a bow hunter, not an archer. I shoot an Elite Energy 32 w/ a HDX rest and Black Gold single pin sight. Shoot almost everyday until the season is over then start again in the spring. Love all these guns but bowhunting is my passion!!

6

Same here, the guns are a bonus if the freezer isn’t filled during bow season.

7

Ditto. I almost don’t shoot anything but pistols. My bow is far more valuable to me than my rifles/shotties.

2013 Stryker Strykezone 350. Was running a Trijicon Reflex for a while, and switched back to the simple, factory scope. This thing is more accurate than I could ever hope to be, and I don’t use cocking aids. I marked the sides of my string adjacent to the rail, and just monitor the skew as I’m yanking it back. I was originally running a VTAC sling, but upgraded to the padded sling after my last hog hunt. 15 hours of that thin sling on me was not a comfy affair.

Of every shooting system I have ever owned, the Bowtech Stryker is my favorite. I am absolutely in love with this thing. The trigger is ****ing PHENOMENAL.

I’ve been shooting 125-grain G5 Montecs and 125-Grain G5 SGHs. The Montecs and SGHs have been fantastic for me, and the practice Montec blades fly exactly like the real deal.

The SGHs are devestating to anything you’d be slinging them at.

Been using Carbon Express Pyledrivers, and they are freaking great as well.

I had a ton of problems with over penetration on every archery target I tried, until I coughed up the scratch to get a high-Density self-healing broadhead block. Prior to this, the bow was sending arrows through the target like it was non-existent out past 30 yards.

I’ve been using scorpion venom rail line and polymeric string wax. Both have done exactly what I want them to. The string wax is great, and I very rarely have had a need to reapply.

I’ve been eyeballing the Barnett RAZR, but it’s most likely complete overkill. I’ve been getting outstanding results from the Strykezone. If a new model is released this fall, I may pick up another one, depending on the features/upgrades.

I still need a light for this thing. On my compound, I had a stabilizer Picatinny rail, but with the size of the scope I have, it’s going to be difficult to find a light mount thin enough to fit under the scope, as it hugs the mounting rail very closely.

I’ll probably eventually get the Southern Crossbows Risen XT 350 to solve my light dilemma.

8

Up until the 2014 bow season here in my state crossbows were only allowed in late archery season or if you had a handicap permit. Now they are legal to use for both early and late archery season for anyone. I have been seriously considering getting into the crossbow game now but I really don’t know squat about them. I’m also very interested in a lot of the new offerings from Mathews. I’ll never give up the compound bow though it’s just a part of me. It’s a stress relief for me to just go out back and shoot. Keep using the arrows,(for as long as possible, or unless you miss real bad and they’re lost) no need to buy more bullets or load up mags and I fletch my own arrows also, it’s like a gift that just keeps giving.

9

Coming from trad/recurve, I can tell you that I will never go back.

The crossbow has been a game changer for me. In GA, bows , and possibly shotgun, are the only two hunting weapons I can use year-round, and have no fear of violating any rules.

As a dedicated still-hunter, the “sport” to me, is getting all cozy with the critters. I could have a freaking bazooka, but it’s worthless if I can’t track/find/descend upon the animal.

I am absolutely enamoured with archery hunting.

10

You are speaking my language there, I do a combination of stand/still hunting depending on what the conditions are. I love picking up a set of fresh tracks in snow and playing the wind to walk into their bedroom

11

Long time rifle hunter but just got my first bow last year and planning a CO archery elk hunt for this year.

Hoyt Carbon Spyder Turbo
CBE Tek Hybrid 3-pin sight
QAD HDX rest
Spot Hogg Wiseguy release
*Still need to pick up that TightSpot quiver
No Stabilizer for me

Really like this setup so far. Lightweight, accurate, and has plenty of speed so I can shoot the heavier arrows for elk.

12

Like the OP, I am stunned at how far the technology has come. I was looking at getting a new compound before I got my crossbow, and I remember telling my wife all they had were youth bows, and something must be wrong. A little money goes a long way, comparatively speaking to just a few years ago.

On a side note, has anyone seen the VTAC compound sling?

http://www.vikingtactics.com/product-p/vtac-bow.htm

How about the Zulu MOLLE quiver:

http://zulunylongear.com/quiver.html

TRIJICON AccuPin/AccuDial:

https://www.trijicon.com/na_en/products/product1.php?id=AccuPin

13

I haven’t ever used a sling for my bow but just checked out a video on the Vtac, the single point use looks like something I’d be interested in for sure.

14

http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/lars-andersen-shows-off-insane-archery-skills/?fb=dd
Makes me want to shelf the compound and get another recurve!

15


Now I gotta go dig my bow case out of the basement and actually look at the parts… lol

Matthews Hyper-Lite
QAD - LD Rest
G5 Optix XR Pin Sight
Alpine Bear Paw Quiver

16

That was absolutely insane! Wow!

17

2011 Bear Mauler
New Flo green and black bcyx strings from 60x strings
G5 headlock quiver
Gold tip xt hunters
Rage 2 blade 100gn broadheads
Apache stabilizer
Tru ball short n sweet release
Trophy ridge react 5 pin sight
Limb driver pro v dropaway

Shooting 71.25 lbs 28" arrow and making about 299 fps haven’t had a chance to arrow a whitetail with it yet but I’m hopeful for this year.

Sent from my Galaxy Note III using Tapatalk

18

Nice rig, Mathews is up there in the top of my list. They have so many nice looking bows out now.

19

I’m a little iffy on the Rage 2 blades. My cousin and a good friend used them in the past back when they first came out and both had poor penetration on a couple deer. However they did kill a couple too. One was a nice buck that I eventually ended up killing two weeks later. I know a lot of guys certainly have had good results with them, but after their experiences with them I just stuck with my Muzzys. But good luck man hope you kill one with it this year.

20

Good man. Fixed blade FTMFW.

The Muzzy Trocars are a really nice addition to their lineup.