Vert bow opinions

[canoe13]

I have shot the same PSE Laser Mach1 since 1980. I was thinking it might be fun to try a bow made in this century. I have always shot with fingers, tried a release and did not care for it. Can't see sights well at all but shoot just fine out to 35 yards without them. I am used to a smooth draw of 50-60 lbs. So, any suggestions? Don't worry though won't be hunting with a new bow till next year. My old favorite is ready to go.

[xcaliber]

I would get a bow with 34" axle to axle, or longer, and before buying anything, shoot an Elite. I was going to get one, but could not pass up the deal I got on my Hoyt Spyder 34. Also, I have read a lot of great reviews on the PSE Bow Madness 34", and I love my Brute X.

[longbow joe]

I love longbows n recurves but if i were to buy a modern forgiving bow it would be the mathews no cam

[Hunt it]

If you shoot fingers and instinctive to boot, what the heck do you want wheels, cables and nuts and bolts for? You have nice traditional bow written all over you. Simple, light and string and a stick. Your shooting an Excalibur because you like less nuts and bolts and cams, get the trad bow to go with it.

[canoe13]

Over the years I have shot many recurves and longbows but none as well as my stripped down PSE. And as I get older the stickbows are that much harder for me to shoot accurately. So, that being said I guess i would like something faster than my old bow but I would prefer a bow that looks like a bow not some Stars Wars weapon if you know what I mean.

[paulaboutform]

Although your old bow is fine, I'm sure, it's a whole new world now and really incomparable. The new bows are simply smoother, gentler and faster...in other words, BETTER.
You're really handicapping yourself by shooting your compound with fingers, weather you're shooting it instinctively or with sights. I've been a competitive 3D shooter at an international level for many years and compound bow hunter even longer. If your bow is setup correctly, with the correct gear, you can literally draw your bow with your eyes closed, anchor, open your eyes and your sight housing will be centered perfectly inside your peep. Your range will be extended and your accuracy will improve. Period. If you just want to shoot with fingers, you'll need a longer axle to axle bow of 38" or more to avoid finger pinch. Look for any of the offerings by Hoyt, P.S.E, A.P.A., Elite, or even Bowtech. I encourage you to go to a reputable pro shop that actually know what they're doing to set you up correctly, thisiincludes a proper release aid and the proper use of it. The most common error with release aids is that they're too long with the trigger finger being extended so the finger tip is on the trigger. That's incorrect but most people don't understand that. Also, unless you're an advanced archer, stay away from the high speed, low brace height, short axle to axle bows because you won't be able to control them and your accuracy will suffer. Sorry for the long winded response but hopefully this helps. PM me if you have any specific questions if you need a hand.

Paul

[canoe13]

I love traditional archery. I currently own 3 recurves, and all the classic books. Even got to meet Fred Bear years ago. But I struggle to get a 50 lb.bow to full draw. I wish it weren't so but that's where I am now.

[Reinyrooster]

My two favourite bows were my Oneida AeroForce and my PSE Axe 6. Can't beat the Oneida for smooth easy draw, but they're not all that fast. The PSE was up around 305fps and really nice.

[acreek]

If I were looking for a compound bow to shoot with fingers, I would seek out an archery shop that does a significant amount of business with target shooters rather than seeking out a shop that caters exclusively to bowhunters. The reason being that in today's world, most bowhunting bows are short axle to axle bows designed to be shot with a D-loop and a release and many of them have radical cams that are super fast but not the smoothest to draw. However, if I were in your position and wanted to shoot a modern compound bow and fully realize the benefits it could bring, even while shooting without sights, I would force myself to learn to shoot with a release. They make shooting today's compounds so much more enjoyable and smooth. Besides, there are a multitude of releases out there that work in different ways. There has to be one you would like.

[mmc]

I have to agree when it comes to modern compounds and releases. They just can't be shot well using fingers, not like the old smooth draw round wheeled rigs were. I used to shoot an old school Darton back in the 80s that I heavily modded myself. That bow shot very well using fingers and shot like crap using store-bought releases.

So, I designed and built my own release. I cut, carved, filed and sanded the small release body from a piece of cured Ironwood. The small wooden release body was attached with bowstring material custom made and served to length, to a wide leather arm/wrist band that I stitched myself. The moving parts were all ground into shape from large industrial roller bearings scavenged from junk machinery. Needle bearings were scavenged from a large universal joint from a truck for the trigger and captured string release axles. Very hard and durable materials and a lot of tedious work under magnification... but oh, what a difference a custom fitted release, precision made and with fully adjustable triggering mechanism, made when shooting that old bow.at targets! I was shooting plastic bottle caps at 40 yards with that old rig. And could take out a cap every shot with my Eastons!

I emptied my buddies' pocket one afternoon betting 50 cents per shot at 40 yards into bottle caps and next day he was back asking me to make him one of those releases. His was identically made, but I used Blue Beech rather than Ironwood and it turned out equally well. He still shoots that home made release to this day, both for targets and for hunting.

If you want the good stuff, many times you are better off making whatever you can yourself.