With so many bows on the market and so many advertising claims, how am I to choose the best bow? The answer, you need to shoot them and find out what fits you. You have to consider:
1. Bow weight – for me, the lighter the better, but for a young man who weight lifts, what difference does it make. The lighter weight is good for stalking game, for hiking in long distances to the hunting area, and for those of us that are physically on the downhill slide.
2. Speed – for me, I like an arrow that is fairly flat because I don’t gauge yardage well. (Of course, they make range finders for that, but sometimes there isn’t the time or availability.) However, as Bird says, you can miss faster with a faster bow. Another concern is the draw or pull. Often with a speed bow, the draw is rather radical. That can interfere with accuracy. A smooth pull doesn’t strain the muscle as much and is often more enjoyable to shoot.
3. Draw weight – for me, I do not want it at the max I can draw. Many things can cause you to have problems pulling your max draw weight. Being tired, cold and hungry causes me to sky pull and lose a lot of accuracy. Being in a dark blind in the cold, with a big set of antlers in a good shot position is no time to lack the strength to pull your bow.
4. Grip – for me, I like a narrower grip. I don’t torque the bow as much. Other people like a fat grip. Bird puts a Mathews focus grip on all his bows and I like them too. A new thing that Mathews has developed is a thermal pad for the front of the riser. It doesn’t look like it would add much weight or bulk.
5. Adjustability – I am fortunate to be able to settle for one draw length and I don’t think I am going to get much stronger. However, if I was growing or if I was having shoulder problems, I would be looking at the range of draw length adjustability and draw weight adjustability. I probably would chose a Mission Craze, Riot, or Rally.
6. Color – I like pretty colors and the deer are color blind. (One reference said they only see blue other than black, white and gray.) The only thing you should guard against is large areas of a single color.

You could probably add to this list. Feel free. What we want to do is maximize the enjoyment of archery and bow hunting. Here at Big Birds Bait and Bows, we have a small shooting range. We have Mathews, Mission and PSE bows in stock. We encourage you to come in, draw the bow and if you have time, shoot it a few times.

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