Bows have gotten pretty expensive in the last 10 to 20 years. I think I paid $300 or $400 for my Browning Mirage back in 1991, and at the time, that was a hefty price tag. But it’s nothing compared to what a good bow will run you today.
That’s a big part of the reason it took so long for me to upgrade. My old bow was still getting the job done, but it’s incredibly heavy. That’s one of the reasons I was able to buy it 30 years ago, because the person who special-ordered it didn’t pick it up, and nobody else wanted a 90-pound bow.
But now that I’m approaching a half a century old, I understand why nobody else wanted such a heavy bow back when I bought mine. It’s painful. I can still shoot it, but for two days after I do, I can’t brush my teeth.
So it was time to finally bite the bullet and get a new bow. The new bows are slinging arrows faster than my old Browning does, and they get those velocities with much lower draw weights. On top of that, the letoff on the new bows is dramatically lower. My old bow had 65% letoff, so I had to hold 45% of that 90 pounds. My new Hoyt Ventum has 85% letoff, and the draw weight is a much more manageable 70 pounds. It shoots smoother with the better cams, and the horizontal limbs make a huge difference on the shot. The bow stays steady instead of trying to jump out of my hand.
And the best part is that I’ve wanted to get out and practice with it. I’ve been shooting it every day since I got it, and I’m getting better every day. I’m also getting stronger. The irony is that since I’ve been shooting the new bow for several weeks, I can once again draw my old bow without it hurting.
I wish I’d upgraded long before now. And I probably should have done it with more time before the hunting season, but at least I’m practicing more. I’m pretty sure I’ll be ready to hunt by the time I get out to the woods.
