Mathews bows, learn me something new

[sushi42]

I own a PSE Mach 6, have shot this bow for oh, probably 12 years and can't say enough about this bow. I draw 88 lbs, shoot carbon shafts with a 100 grain muzzy and when I unleash it, whatever happens to be the target is in real deep sh*t! Once the intended target is reached you'd swear a baseball bat has just been snapped in half against a tree trunk. Whitetails usually fall inside of 100 yards but as we all know, where the hit was plays a vital role in how far the animal goes before expireing. Now, I have some buddies from the gun club who do these extravagant Africa safaris and whatnot and they take a full arsenal with them, including their bows. I have been told that 90% of the really big-game bowhunters all shoot PSE bows because they hit so hard. This even seems true on TV. Any safari bow-hunt I've seen has been using PSE bows. Is this because the PSE holds its energy for a longer period of time over the course of its flight? Does the higher letoffs of Mathews cause it to lose energy quicker? That seems to be common sense to me considering I can shoot 1 pin from 10 to 50 yards but I don't hear of any Mathews owners shooting 1 or even just 2 pins. Just hoping maybe some of you Mathews believers can help me understand the love you all have for this bow other than being extremely user friendly. I would like to hear from all bowhunters here with their thoughts. Thanks.
Ed

[offshore]

PSE baby!! I shot for PSE for 8 years and still after all these years still use there bows. I admit that in a weak moment I did buy a Mathews but sold it and went back to PSE. I just did not like the Mathews felt in my hand or during the shot. Back to PSE after that and have been happy ever since......Mark

I know a few that really have hated the PSE!!

[Bird Dog]

I'm totally clueless in answering this

I was no physics major, but how does this happen? If 2 different bows shoot the same arrow and fps speed, how does one have more impact or kinetic energy than the other?

I shoot a 7 yr old Browning Arrostar. I shot a Matthews Drenalin the other day at work and all I can say is that it's bad ass. Damn that thing was smooth. I've only shot a PSE a few times, and that was a long time ago.

[offshore]

I'm totally clueless in answering this

I was no physics major, but how does this happen? If 2 different bows shoot the same arrow and fps speed, how does one have more impact or kinetic energy than the other?

I shoot a 7 yr old Browning Arrostar. I shot a Matthews Drenalin the other day at work and all I can say is that it's bad ass. Damn that thing was smooth. I've only shot a PSE a few times, and that was a long time ago.

This is true. The heavier the arrow the more pounds shot theoretically more penetration. With the advent of carbon arrows things have changed a little. I like a heavier arrow with a little more poundage for hunting Elk. But for deer I like the lighter carbon arrows with less poundage. I use the same broad head for both 100grain 3 blade muzzy...Old school.One of my first compound bows I shot was a Martin Cougar Speed flight great bow super quiet no let off and you could watch the arrow laub into the air right into the kill zone. That was one of my favorite bows. ..Mark

[Pipeliner2]

Ed

I'm not defending one over the other as it's my firm belief that most companies produce top of the line bows and it falls to the preference of the individual.

First off, What is your total arrow weight? To be sure that you are not in effect "dry firing" your bow it should be over 5 grains per pound of draw weight (88lbs is 440 grains), especially if you have a longer draw length. Any less and you are risking damage to the bow. For hunting, I personally prefer 6.5-7 grains per lb of draw weight. (I too shot 90 plus pounds back in the mid to late 80's using 100 lb PSE limbs on High Country risers and eccentrics).

In feet per second, how fast does your PSE shoot these arrows.

I'm sure you're comparing apples to oranges when comparing a Mathews to the 88lb PSE. What was the draw weight of I have not heard of too many Mathews Bows pulling much over 80 lbs, so the 88lb bow immediately has an advantage (assuming it spits out the same arrow faster than the Mathews).

It come down to pure physics. If you have an arrow (let's use 450 grains total weight) shot at 300 feet per second (fps), your arrows initial kinetic energy (KE) is approximately 90 ft/lbs. The same arrow at 275 fps has an initial KE of 76 lbs. Downrange KE is reduced do to a reduction in speed over distance.

Let-off has nothing to do with an arrow losing speed downrange.

Today my preference (and my shoulder's) is to shoot a higher let off bow in the 70 lb range using a 510 grain arrow. My current bow (happens to be a Bowtech 101st Airborne) shoots these arrows at 285 fps for 92 ft/lbs of energy and I have yet to leave an arrow in an animal (includes a 1000 lb bison shot through 2 ribs). In fact, with the proper broadhead I can shoot through a steel drum using this set up. For comparison, my '06 Mathews Switchback shoots the same arrows at 265 fps, while the new Mathews Monster rockets them at close to 300 fps.

As far as distance an animal will travel after the shot goes, it all comes down to shot placement. These last few years I have been very selective on my shot placement, and have only had 4 or 5 not fall with in sight.

I hope this helps. Not trying to push any brands, just offering my $.02.

Best of Luck this year

[sushi42]

Pipeliner, I have a 31" draw length but with an overdraw of course my shafts are trimmed. As for speed, the last time I was on a chrono I was clocked at 346 fps. It has been years since I have bought new shafts and I was set up here by a local pro so I am assuming I am allright with this shaft vs. draw-weight vs. fps. I haven't had a shaft explode yet!

Now, as far as let-off having nothing to do with loss in kinetic energy. Thanks for the lesson. Then where does the loss come from on a Mathews vs. my bow? At the club I can shoot a much straighter arrow ( you can barely see this thing screaming throught the air) than can my buds who are shooting Mathews. Therefor, they aren't getting the accuracy at the longer targets as I am. In the woods I am often killing at 45 plus yards. I don't hesitate to shoot fifty yards as a matter of fact. So again, where does the loss come from if a Mathews produces a similar fps as I do with less draw weight? Is it the cams? I'm shooting a bow with two cams vs. a Mathews with a single cam.

Offshore, sweet kills dude. How did that bow handle a true large game animal as your elk?

[offshore]

Offshore, sweet kills dude. How did that bow handle a true large game animal as your elk?

Shot placement is everything I called him in to about 10 yds quartering away and he only ran 20yds.He couldn't make it up the ridge. The arrow went all the way into the bread basket. I was shooting a 500 grain arrow @ 70lbs..Mark

[DoveHunt]

WOW! Talk about over kill...88lbs??Overdraw??I got over that 25 yrs ago.

Consistency Kills...Hard to do with a high poundage, low brace height, 2 cam bow. Not that it can't be done, obviously you have it dialed in, but not always easy for the avg. bowhunter with limited tuning skills.

As kids we where taught keep your broadhead super sharp and hit em in the lungs you can kill them with a 20lb recurve. Of course as a macho teenager I pulled 80lbs with an overdraw and that bow still is weak compared to the new tech of today and 60lbs and large brace. Now I'm not shooting 50yds either.

[Pipeliner2]

The loss in trajectory is purely a factor of speed at release. The faster the arrow, the less it drop over a given distance. As much as I love my bows and the way they shoot, I would never dare to claim mine is faster than what you are shooting. With a 500 grain arrow, I'm doing about as good as I want. Like I said before, these setups were enough to take my bison, complete pass through breaking ribs on the way in and on the way out. If I were to lower my arrow weight to get 320 plus fps (which my bow is IBO rated for) I doubt I would get through the same kinds of bone and tissue. On our Texas whitetails light arrows do just fine, but throw a 3-400 lb hog in the mix and you're likely not to get a blood trail.

I would bet that your buds Mathews bows are not clocking anywhere near the 346 that yours shoots. I assume that their draw lengths are shorter than yours (each inch of draw length adds/subtracts speed), and they are not pulling the 88 lbs you are. Manufacturers rate their bows according the IBO standard which is 5 grains per pound at 70 lbs draw weight at 30" draw length. Those with less weight will shoot slower. Those with shorter draw lengths will shoot slower. Those with heavier arrows shoot slower. In contrast, shooting much lighter arrows will give you increased speed. If you look at the manufacturers claims these days, they have changed their wording to read "up to xxxx fps).

I still have a feeling that your arrows are light for your bow (Here I am not so concerned with the arrow blowing up, it's the wear on the bow and the thought of the bow going as I look at scars on my left fore arm from when one of those heavy conversions blew up and drove a metal tear drop connect into it). Shooting an overdraw I assume your arrows are about 26-27" in length. With even a heavy carbon arrow (9 grains/lb) a 100 grain tip and plastic fletching I'm coming up with an arrow weight of 400-410 grains. A little light for 88 lbs. But if it's working for you, why change?

Best of Luck

Pipeliner, I have a 31" draw length but with an overdraw of course my shafts are trimmed. As for speed, the last time I was on a chrono I was clocked at 346 fps. It has been years since I have bought new shafts and I was set up here by a local pro so I am assuming I am allright with this shaft vs. draw-weight vs. fps. I haven't had a shaft explode yet!

Now, as far as let-off having nothing to do with loss in kinetic energy. Thanks for the lesson. Then where does the loss come from on a Mathews vs. my bow? At the club I can shoot a much straighter arrow ( you can barely see this thing screaming throught the air) than can my buds who are shooting Mathews. Therefor, they aren't getting the accuracy at the longer targets as I am. In the woods I am often killing at 45 plus yards. I don't hesitate to shoot fifty yards as a matter of fact. So again, where does the loss come from if a Mathews produces a similar fps as I do with less draw weight? Is it the cams? I'm shooting a bow with two cams vs. a Mathews with a single cam.

Offshore, sweet kills dude. How did that bow handle a true large game animal as your elk?

[NY Bearhunter]

I have to agree that PSE, is maybe the best overall.

Mathews, has proven to be the best at 3D competitions by far. I have hunted with some of those boys and they do crank up the poundage and the equippment can handle long distance shots but, they are not hunting bows.

Why, do you draw 88#'s, that whitetail will still jump the string. You really want to know how good you and your set up is try pronghorn hunting where a 70 yd shot is a chip shot or putting a kill shot on a texas hog or a jave you would be surprised I'm sure.

I draw at 65#'s and use Easton Axis carbon shafts at about 400 grains and I shot a 100 grain Grim Reaper. I have killed more than my fair share of game including large game with this set up, and made my kills at 50 yds and then some but had a hard time with 70 plus yd shots, (pronghorn)

Bottom line is something that we all know and that's shot placement, you can kill any whitetail at 20yds with proper placement using a field point.

Here's something to chew on... Uncle Ted draws his bow at 50#'s uses wooden arrows with huge 4 bladed broadheads and still makes his kills at 30yds, his wife uses the same set up but, draws at 45#'s. Lets not forget our fellow hunter Tred Barta, who uses a longbow with homemade wooden arrows and fleching, along with rock broadheads and still gets his kills, some at 20yds or better.

The way I see it is this, everyone is different and uses what they can afford and they make it happen for them one way or another.