Hunting & Fishing hoyt bows

[corey4]

i have narrowed down my pic to the hoyt carbon element G3, or the spyder 30. this will be my first bow using a release.

i have previously been shooting a jennings buckmaster with fingers since '97. i know, i am a dinosaur! (from what the shop owner said lol).

granted, it has been 7 years since i shot a bow continually. i would group all 6 arrows into a 2" circle at 30 yds.

now i am looking to get with the times i guess.

i have shot both of them back to back, but after trying the 2 hoyts, bowtech insanity and experience, and the mathews 'i have no idea top of the line for $900', they all just kinda blend after 2 hours. so i went back today fresh, flung a few from each, and settled on the hoyts.

i am more concerned with shoot-ability, forgiveness and quietness than FPS, draw weights, 'i am a badass cuz i have a 70lb bow that goes 340.65 FPS i can hardly shoot accurately' etc.

this isn't a "you should reconsider the X brand blah blah blah". i have been to the shop 4 times now, and have tried all the bows.

so, is the carbon G3 really worth the extra $500?

 

[GUNNER75]

Re: hoyt bows

Currently I am still shooting my favorite bow of all time, the Mathews Z7. I have spent a lot of time shooting Hoyt bows and would have to say that in my opinion they are both excellent bows, but I do not feel that the $500 is justified.

I don't think you can go wrong with either. I would shoot them one last time and decide which one draws, feels grip wise, and is the least aggressive on release from your description. I think that is the bow for you. My .02

FWIW, I chose the Z7 I bought over the Hoyt due to Mathews having a full line of accessories to go along with it.

 

[corey4]

Re: hoyt bows

the 2 hoyts are pretty damn close.

the big sales pitch is carbon wont get cold like aluminum, it "might" be more forgiving due to carbon being a dampening material, and might be a bit quieter and it is 2" longer, and will provide a little bit more forgiveness.

 

[Fisky]

Re: hoyt bows

I have shot both of those bows, bare bows, side by side. And I preferred the Spyder 30. I personally like longer ATA bows, so I got a Spyder 34. But if I was looking for shorter, the Spyder 30 would be it.

I felt the Spyder was actually quieter, and it definitely had less vibration at the shot for me. Also, it drew a bit smoother I thought. Everybody who shoots these bows will have different opinions. So you have to be the one to decide for yourself.

I don't feel the carbon is worth the extra money. But the salesman is right in that the G3 Element is 2" longer ATA, therefore a bit more forgiving.

What is your draw length? There are different cams for different draw lengths, and while the two bows use the same cams, depending on DL you could need a #2 cam on the Spyder and a #3 cam on the Element, to be most efficient. You want to be efficient. But also, the #2 cam will be a tad faster than the #3. But the #3 will draw noticeably smoother then the #2. So it comes down to what's important to you. This is just another thing to further consider and confuse you.

 

[corey4]

Re: hoyt bows

all of my archery knowledge dates back to 97-99. i got out of it because of school and work and didn't feel it was fair to go archery hunting when i haven't practiced. then i had a hiatus until 2005, then another one til now. i started a business in 2006 and haven't had too much time to do anything.

draw length, i don't know. we didn't get that far into the sale yet. i am 5-10 if that helps.

i would rather have the more forgiving, smoother bow than a few FPS.

to me, a quiet, well placed shot is more important than and extra 10 FPS.

 

[mac37]

Re: hoyt bows

Go ask your question at archerytalk.com Lots of good info over there.
Remember you can't tell how loud/quiet a bow is when shooting it. Have someone else shoot it. Then you'll know for sure.

 

[Fisky]

Re: hoyt bows

I actually need to correct my self on what I said earlier. I based my "#2 vs #3 cam" comments off my experience between the S34, Turbo and Matrix.

Looking at the tuning charts for the Element and Spyder 30, you will be in the same spot on the cams for both bows. So just disregard all that mumbo jumbo as it won't help you in picking between the two.

You really should have your DL figured out by now. And you really should be testing bows out with your correct DL to get the best feel of everything.

 

[Got Diesel]

Re: hoyt bows

Pretty much what Fisky said. You should be shooting bows at your proper draw length. Also the draw weight you plan on shooting at. With the cams on these bows today both of those are critical in determining how a bow is going to feel. Also when you shot the bow tech which has binaries where they synced and timed correctly? That can greatly change how a bow feels.

Archerytalk would be a great resource.

 

[Ghogs Nightmare]

Re: hoyt bows

Not sure on the spider, but buddy is big hoyt guy and has the Element. Good thing with it is how tough it is. After his first day picking it up he now has 1499 dry fires left. (Or whatever their guarantee is for 1 less)
.
Another friend of ours accidently let it rip. They checked it, no damage purely unitentional but kinda crazy to think that if it was another bow could've been ruined.
.
I could never get used to the riser/grip on the hoyt's an prefer mathews myself. Almost like a 9mm/45 discussion

 

[jrgfox]

Re: hoyt bows

I don't know as I've been out of the Bow game for about 10 years but i just ordered a Carbon G3. I was debating between those two bows as well but i felt the draw cycle was noticeably smoother on the G3. Either way when your looking at the upper model bows from one of the top manufactures in the game, i don't think you can go wrong.

 

[EventHorizon]

Re: hoyt bows

I have the Carbon Element 2012. It's very quiet, almost totally dead in my hand and yes, I too did an accidental dry fire (was focused on my draw that I forgot to nock an arrow - dumbass). Good news was no damage other than strings and ego.

Very light, very quiet, very easy to shoot well even with bad form. Make sure you have a quality rest (ripcord) and sight. Disclaimer: this is my first bow but within two weeks of shooting it I was regularly placing 4 shot groups within the vitals at 25yds.

I got mine second hand on archerytalk as well. Great place for info etc.

 

[al22300]

Re: hoyt bows

The Spyder Turbo or the Spyder 34 are hard to beat. I prefer them over the Carbon. If you like short bows the Spyder 30 is a good choice. You are on the right track in my opinion.

 

[corey4]

Re: hoyt bows

why do you prefer it over the carbon?

 

[al22300]

Re: hoyt bows

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: corey4</div><div class="ubbcode-body">why do you prefer it over the carbon? </div></div>

The carbon is a good bow. I felt less vibration in the Spider when I compared the two. Pick the one that shoots better for you just don't assume that because the carbon costs more it is automatically the better bow. I know guys that shoot all year and have access to any bow and they choose to stay away from the carbon.

 

[EventHorizon]

Re: hoyt bows

Vibration is also a function of tuning and how well the accessories are installed. I had my carbon re-tuned after I had it re-strung and its noticeably quieter and more dead in the hand. I had bought mine second hand.

Inevitably personal preference plays a considerable part. When you test each bow try and get the vendor to set them up for your body characteristics to get as true a feel as possible. I highly recommend B&A Archery in Philly if you're visiting the area any time soon.

 

[xXlojackXx]

Re: hoyt bows

After shooting Hoyt's bows for 14 years, I switched to a Mathews Z7 Magnum. Reason being, it's is by FAR the smoothest, quietest, most dampening, and easiest bow to shoot that I've ever shot. like you, I tried all of the top manufacturers products, including the carbon elements, etc. in the end, it's all personal preference and bows these days are all good bows for the money we spend on them. A Hoyt will kill and elk, deer, whatever just as well as a Mathews, BowTech, PSE, etc.

 

[WildBill3/75]

Re: hoyt bows

Like was said earlier, archerytalk forum has a massive ammount of information for you.

Last year I went from a 2011 mathews z7 xtreme to a 2012 hoyt vector turbo and LOVE the change.

Longer ATA bow's are simply easier to shoot. I went from an ATA of 28" to a litte over 35" and simply will not go back.

2 factors of easy bow shooting are a longer ATA and long BH. Axle to axle and brace height. Even though the brace height on the vector turbo is shorter than the z7 xtreme I still find it more of a joy to shoot because of the long ata....think this year they are calling it the spyder turbo...I wanted speed but easy shooting.

On the Hoyt side if you want an easy to shoot, light, forgiving bow I'd recommend a used carbon matrix or if you feel like throwing down big $$$ the new carbon matrix g3.

 

[al22300]

Re: hoyt bows

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WildBill3/75</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Like was said earlier, archerytalk forum has a massive ammount of information for you.

Last year I went from a 2011 mathews z7 xtreme to a 2012 hoyt vector turbo and LOVE the change.

Longer ATA bow's are simply easier to shoot. I went from an ATA of 28" to a litte over 35" and simply will not go back.

2 factors of easy bow shooting are a longer ATA and long BH. Axle to axle and brace height. Even though the brace height on the vector turbo is shorter than the z7 xtreme I still find it more of a joy to shoot because of the long ata....think this year they are calling it the spyder turbo...I wanted speed but easy shooting.



On the Hoyt side if you want an easy to shoot, light, forgiving bow I'd recommend a used carbon matrix or if you feel like throwing down big $$$ the new carbon matrix g3. </div></div>

The vector turbo is a great bow as is the new spyder turbo. The 34" ATA is a big advantage if you don't need a short bow. It is amazing how good the new bows shoot even with a relatively short brace height.

 

[corey4]

Re: hoyt bows

i registered over at archerytalk last week.

i saw they have a forum for finger shooters.

i prefer to shoot fingers. it just seems more intimate to me. kinda like the old man that still uses irons on his hunting rifle. i see that hoyt has a few 40" ATA bows. so i just threw another consideration into the mix.

but on the other hand, the release seems like it needs less time commitment. i am self employed and i do not have the time to practice to be efficient. it is not fair to the animal to go hunting knowing damn well that i didn't have the chance to put the time in for practice. i thought about a crossbow...F that.

the reason for the new purchase is for a faster quieter bow than what i have.

part of me wants to just get the carbon/spider, but the traditionalist in me wants to pick up one of their 40" ATA.

i would LOVE to be proficient with a long bow.