Most accurate, high energy, long range bow on the market?

[TX mountain hunter]

Attn. Long range experts & competition shooters: Is the Carbon Matrix the most accurate (but still fast and lightweight) bow on the market?

I looked through recent years threads and couldn't find a post to answer this general question. I do expect to see many different favorites out there for bows. Could you please provide a justification for why you would take one bow over another (more forgiving, quieter, etc.).

Please note as a disclaimer that I am relatively new to the sport, ~12 years bowhunting experience. However, I've become very addicted to the sport and tend to shoot thousands of arrows per year. I'm currently shooting a Switchback and depending on how much I've been shooting lately, average from 3-6" groups at 60 - 70 yards. The problem is I can't get the bow to tune with broadheads or bare shaft tests. I've tuned Hoyts and PSE's in the past with no issues. I've had several shop owners and a couple competition shooters look at it and noone can help me. Regardless, I'm fine with giving up on the Switchback and feel it's time for a new bow.

I'm leaning towards the Carbon Matrix by Hoyt w/ a 27.5" draw and 80 lbs. Is there a more accurate, but still light weight for backpacking trips, bow on the market? I would like to be able to have enough energy to still have proper penetration on an elk out to 80, 90 or 100 yards or ??? whatever that magic energy number is (for when my groups get better).

Thanks in advance!

 

[coues84]

12 years exp. You should have this figured out already. Find a good pro shop and they will usually set up whatever they have on hand to shoot. Then shoot as many as you can handle. Then make the decision. Whatever feels the best in your hands will ultimatlely be the most accurate of the bunch.

I would maybe go with a heavier arrow, or back off the poundage a bit or both, and see if that dosent help your groups. Sometimes speed is a bad thing with broadheads. If you can carry whatever KE your looking for down range with a lower poundage I would for sure give that a go and see if the decrease in speed makes them group a bit better. Only other thing I can think of is yoru FOC is a bit back and they are flying on you. Might try a heavier broadhead, and/or a bit of helix on your vanes. I shoot 100gr heads on the Easton Axis 300's @31" total length , with as much twist as I can get out of my Bitzenburger and still get the whole vane attached to the arrow. I like my FOC nose down, and the vanes spinning like mad to control. Helped me tighten things up real good.

Or try different broadheads. I have always had good luck with the heads I shoot. They are now called shwacker, used to be Sonoran Broadheads. they have always flown true for me out to distance.

Good luck.

 

[spdrman]

I personally like the hoyts but that's all personal preference, my friends (some of which are pro shooters) and my self all shoot pretty good at longer distances and we all shoot different brands of bows (PSE, Bowtech, Elite, Hoyt, Fred Bear), its all about what feels good and what you can shoot good, I really wouldn't be to concerned about the speed of the bow but more so how's its set up, I'm shooting a Hoyt carbon element and I lost 40 fps switching to that bow from my previous bow, I played the speed game for a few years and had nothing but problems trying to tune my bow and as coues84 stated try shooting a heavier arrow with more front of center and alot of helical, I've had nothing but problems trying to tune lightweight arrows with broadheads and where I live we have to use fixed blade broadheads, I really like 3 inch fusion vanes with as much helical as I can get and I also build all my own arrows, I like the quality control I get from it, one of my favorite tools is the G5 arrow square, seems like the saws never make perfect square cuts and I use that on both end to make sure my knock and insert sit perfectly in the arrow

 

[WapitiBob]

"Attn. Long range experts & competition shooters: Is the Carbon Matrix the most accurate (but still fast and lightweight) bow on the market? "

The quick answer, no.
Jesse, Reo, and bunches of others are generally using the Contender Elite.

 

[Scot E]

Your request is a bit of an oxymoron. Most accurate and highest energy very seldom end up being the same bow.

If you are really serious about shooting those distances then you need to spend some time shooting many bows to find the ONE that fits you best. This usually means the one that holds the best for you. Nobody can tell you what bow that is as your shooting form, body style and preferences will make each bow a unique shooting experience. I would try to find buddies or a club that will let you shoot their bows since that is a much better way to get a feel for a bow compared to a pro shop letting you shoot one 5 or 6 times at 20 yards.

Then go with heavy arrows and good expandable (if they are legal in your state) or low profile head like the slick trick. Don't buy into the light arrow fad that has hit archery recently. They will never shoot flatter at the distances you are talking about. At those distances wind drift will also be important so use a good Fletch like blazers or FOB's if you shoot a drop away.

Likely the best thing you can do is to take some form lessons from a good instructor. I think that may do more for increasing the range of your shooting than any of the equipment upgrades mentioned.

You will hear that speed is overrated in archery and in some ways they are right. Guys often try to overcome poor form or lack of hunting ability by buying a faster bow. This seldom makes things better. However, it is silly to dismiss the benefits of speed in the archery game. Especially in a hunting scenario, where there is the risk of range estimation errors, speed is a highly valuable asset and reducer of error, both vertical and horizontal (wind) I personally find the fastest shooting bow that fits me well and holds dead in my hand.

BTW, those switchbacks will tune. Assuming you don't have issues with the bow, you likely need to mess with arrow spine, head weight and bow weight. One big misconception in bow tuning is how to best tune your setup. Most folks max their bow then try to get their arrow and head to fly correctly. It is a much better option to get arrows and heads close to where you want then tune your bow to your arrow setup. Yes, sometimes that means that you may be shooting 67 lbs instead of 72 lbs but if accuracy is your goal then it really is a non issue. Plus most guys shoot way too much weight and their ability to hold dead still for a period of time needed to execute a kill shot is diminished greatly.

Good luck!

 

[TX mountain hunter]

Thank you all for the feedback. Back on tuning the switchback, I have tried a couple different weights, and even exceeded what the charts say for arrow stiffness with no luck. Should I try going with even heavier arrows than what currently exceeds the charts? I get close when i drop my weight from the 72 max down below 60. I currently have a happy medium setup with 62.5 pounds. At 50 yards, my mechanicals hit dead center, 65 they are about 3 or 4 inches right and 30 yards they are about 2 inches left. I do have a level on the bow.

As far as an instructor, I've pretty much just picked up bowhunting on my own without having a mentor. The only people I shoot with are newer to bowhunting and less experienced than myself. When in pro shops, I try to have people help with my shooting form and have had good luck practicing their suggestions.

I saw a recommendation for FOB's or blazers, I assume quick spins will suffice?

Thanks again!

 

[Scot E]

If you have better luck at a lower poundage then you may want to go up in spine rating and then try it and see if you can get closer to finding a good tune near 70lbs. Do keep in mind though that there is seldom 10-15 fps difference in velocity when going from min to max on your bow. I guess my point is to not get to freaked out about shooting close to 60 lbs instead of 70.

What is your draw and what arrows are you shooting, ie brand, model, length?

The quick spins will work fine but they tend to rob velocity at longer distances because of how fast they spin the arrow.

 

[TX mountain hunter]

I'm shooting 27.5" draw, easton axis 340 (9.5 gpi) ~27" arrows at roughly 62#s. Would prefer to shoot at 72 #s if I could get it to tune. I tried shooting the same arrows at a longer length (about 29") and the tuning got slightly better, but still not worth the justification of buying a dozen new arrows. Should I go even heavier on the arrows? What are the chances this works? The charts are calling for a 400 shaft size, but that even magnifies the tuning issues.


Thanks again!

 

[Buttermilk]

Have you tried the 400's?

Those 340's are pretty stiff for that draw and poundage.

Regards
Rog

 

[lazylabs]

I switched to shooting the FOB's and REALLY like them. I think one of the cool side effects are that when an arrow passes through the game the fob is left behind at the point of entry. It leaves a nice initial tracking point. If you screw one up you just slip the nock replace fob and keep shooting.

 

[TX mountain hunter]

Have you tried the 400's?

Those 340's are pretty stiff for that draw and poundage.

Regards
Rog

I Haven't tried the 400s, but I did try the gold tip equivalents (I can't remember what number those were. I had tuning issues with those as well which is why i tried switching to a heavier and stiffer arrow.

 

[coues84]

I get close when i drop my weight from the 72 max down below 60. I currently have a happy medium setup with 62.5 pounds. At 50 yards, my mechanicals hit dead center, 65 they are about 3 or 4 inches right and 30 yards they are about 2 inches left. I do have a level on the bow.


I bet your rest is off just a hair or 2 ( possibly literally) . And your sighted in at 50 on the center of your sight.

Put your top pin on at 20 yards. And shoot that pin ( the top one) at one high spot on the, target backing up a couple of yards each time. Every shot at the same spot on the target.

I bet by the time you get back to 50 or so yards. you will have a diagonal line of arrows across the target. If not closer. Which means your rest is off. Tweak it a bit at a time until you can get a straight vertical line of arrows.

Good luck.

 

[TX mountain hunter]

I have tried adjusting the rest multiple times during both bare shaft tuning and paper tear tuning. I assume this would yield the same results as the back up testing? Moving the rest can get me close to center, but the broadheads and bareshafts still continue to miss to the right the further I back out, even when I moved my rest previously. It got close, but a bareshaft never would tail less than about 3-4 inches at 20-25 yards.

 

[coues84]

Honestly I have never paper tuned anything. I eyeball it off the center of the riser initially, then start backing up from 10 yards. I usually have it dead on by the time I get to 30 yards, shooting in 3-4 yards incriments. The only broadheads I have ever had not shoot with my field points were the shuttle T locs. And the only problem I had with them is they started dropping off at 60 yards. By 70 yards I was a full pin low. Other then that I have never had any problems. Even the Muzzy 4 blade heads shoot to distance. I wont shoot any fixed blades farther then 40-50 yards if there is any wind. But other then that Everything has shot well.