Should I?

[New Hampshire]

OK, Wal Mart has a PSE wheelie bow there, all set up at 29" draw with accessories for $100.  Its not a ultra-fancy, fast shooter, but looks functional.  Should I pick this bow up to keep for a back-up?  My budget is going to be busted when I buy my primary bow, so buying another "fancy" bow is out of the question.  My friend told me having a back-up is just common sense.  And proof of that came when a guy we know had his bow go ultra SNAFU (I believe he snapped his cable and tweaked a cam) while taking a few practice shots off his deck 2 days before the season.  Luckily he too had a back-up or his season woulda been on hold for a bit.  So is it worth spending the hundred bucks (maybe cheaper, cuz I have the patience yo wait and see if it goes on sale or clearance)?  Or should I just forget about it and hope nothing ever does go wrong?
Brian M.
P.S. i've definitely decided against ever carrying the old Pearson I have into the woods with Broadheads.  It is ONLY a practice bow now, so it will not be there for back-up.

[Redhawk1]

I got a Matthews and don't  worry about a back up. If I messed up my bow, I would just go get another Matthews. Or I could tell my son I was going to use the one I bought for him.      I would say save your money and if you have a quality bow you should not have a problem, but like anything crap happens. :wink:

[cam69conv]

Ok # one IGNORE redhawk as far as the Mathews statement as ALL bows can screw up at any given time no matter WHAT kind of hype they want to pay millions of dollars to advertise..Aint no wonder they are so expencive..If they didnt spend so much money on B.S. and Lies they would be able to concentrate on truth in advertising as far as even getting CLOSE to thier advertised speeds and quality..Now that being said..That old Pearson may be a performer if you know how to shoot it well..If it had a lil problem with fixed blade broadheads then I would recommend the ROCKET ULTIMATE STEELS...They are a fixed blade with a smaller diameter cut but they fly very true with NO tuning to your arrow..Fly just like a field point...I shoot these at speeds of 297 feet per second with NO planeing problems AND thier blades are .036 thick... Now the cut diameter is only 7/8 diameter but with a nice lung shot that is MORE than enough..PLUS they are only 20 bux for a 6 pack..My buddy was useing these last year and he was shootin an old and I mean OLD bear whitetail and was gettin pass throughs at 20yards easily..Dont count that old pearson out so easily..If you shoot it well in practice then you can shoot it well enough in a hunt if you are confident in your shooting...And YES it is ALWAYS a good idea to have a backup bow...You could accidently catch your string or cables on a thorn bush and cut it up or anything...Luck can be a sweet woman or just a mean ole heffer...depends on her mood that day :twisted:  Good luck and I hope me and several other serious hunters help you in any way we can

[Redhawk1]

cam69conv, I was just letting the guy know what type of bow I use, as you can see, I did put stuff can happen to any bow. Your dislike for Matthews bows is apparent. If someone invests in a quality bow NO MATTER the brand, it would be for the better.
"In my opinion" I would not spend the money on a second bow for a back up. Now with that being said! I gave him my feedback as he requested, it is not your place here to tell anyone to IGNORE someone elses posts.

[THE#1hunter]

Im not a moderator, but common guys, were here to help some1 else out...not to argue w/ eachother..

It seems logical to have a backup bow, especially if your doing some target practice the night before and ur broadhead accidently taps the string when your putting it on the rest(happend to me two years ago  :oops: ), ya never know, anythings possible...
What is the max # on it?

[willis5]

do you have your primary bow yet?
I think you should get that first and then worry about a back up. The season is approching fast, and you need to get comfortable with a new bow. I would be more worried about gettign to know your new bow before I woudl worry about a back up.

A back-up is a great idea, but it is tough to get used to two bows at the same time. stick with one first, and get it tuned and arrows flying true every shot. then worry about a back up.

[JeffG]

Well, I AM the moderator.  
Personal attacks, to include attacks of a mean nature on preferred brands of equipment, are not allowed.
If you have a preference, by all means you can state it, but we don't want to be reduced to the level of disrespecting other people's equipment choices.
Please, keep it friendly, thanks.  JeffG

[Redhawk1]

Im not a moderator, but common guys, were here to help some1 else out...not to argue w/ eachother..

It seems logical to have a backup bow, especially if your doing some target practice the night before and ur broadhead accidently taps the string when your putting it on the rest(happend to me two years ago  :oops: ), ya never know, anythings possible...
What is the max # on it?

THE#1hunter, I was not starting an argument, I posted my reply and got blasted by cam69conv. I feel I have a right to reply to his post. I did not get out of line in my reply. I did try to PM him but kept getting the invalid error message. Or I would of never posted a reply here.You are 100% correct in than we are here to help one another.

[Redhawk1]

do you have your primary bow yet?
I think you should get that first and then worry about a back up. The season is approching fast, and you need to get comfortable with a new bow. I would be more worried about gettign to know your new bow before I woudl worry about a back up.

A back-up is a great idea, but it is tough to get used to two bows at the same time. stick with one first, and get it tuned and arrows flying true every shot. then worry about a back up.

You make a very good point. That is why I would not have a back up. Just for my local hunting.I like to stick to one bow and master it. If I needed a bow to go hunting if my bow got damaged, then I would get another bow. But I would stick to the same brand, if not the same model of bow. My pro shop would have me set up within hours if I needed it. :grin: Unless it was a major break down they would take care of me right away. I also do a lot of business with them and they told me, if I ever needed a bow while mine was in for repair I could use one of there. The bro shop I go to has great service. I have 2 reasons why I chose Matthews, the first is Matthews is my personal favorite.  and second is the quality of service. No other shops in my area is set up like the one I go to and Matthews is there main supplier.  I would also recommend a good pro shop. Wal-Mart would never offer you that kind of support and you are basically on your own. Now if I was to go on a major hunt where I would be flying to a outfitter and paying big bucks for a hunt, I would have a back up bow. I would have both bows set up the exact way and practic with both.

[cam69conv]

Redhawk, I was NOT attacking you persay I was attacking the way you put it to him as far as dont worry about a backup if you have a Mathews..Some people cant afford to have 750 and 800 dollar bows let alone buy 2 of them set up identical..Yes It can be a little hairy practicing with 2 different types of bows BUT I was trying to give him info on NOT purchasing a new backup bow as he probably already has one that he knows well and can shoot proficiantly already..his pearson bow is already shot in, he already knows the bow well, and with the proper broadheads it would be just fine for a backup bow.. His previous statement was " I'll already be exausting my extra money for the year on a new bow " so I was trying to help him SAVE money..If your prefrence is Mathews then more power to ya..I personally dont like them because of all the hype..Yes they shoot pretty well but I have YET to see a single one reach within 45 fps of thier advertised speeds..Now I do know that all manufacturers get these speeds the same way..They string the bow to 70# and 30 inch draw and use an unfletched and untiped arrow that is only 5 grains per inch..So naturally I will usually take around 25 fps off what the IBO speed is for my usuall setup..Again I have YET to see a Mathews stand up to the Hype..That is MY personal opinion and I do NOT attack ANYONE for thiers..I have noticed you and I dissagree on equipment as far as bow choice and the wisker rest..You seem dead set that if Its NOT what you have then it is junk and if anyone dissagrees with that then they are attacking you personally..I was only saying to ingnore the statement of buy a mathews and you wont have to worry about a backup because ANYTHING can happen to ANY bow plain and simple..I dont care if you paid 2000 bux for it..the string and cables are always exposed and can always get screwed up..a Backup bow, If you are an outright gotta go huntin or ill die kind of person like me, is a nessessity. Not everyone can afford to spend alot of money on equipment so what they have has to last.

[Redhawk1]

cam69conv, I was not trying to sway him to a Matthews, and I know any bow can fail without notice. Maybe I should of rephrased my answer. But I have had great success with my Matthews and and very pleased with it's performance. I do not get caught up in all the hype myself. It is all advertizement in my opinion. Also the cost of the Matthews makes it hard for me to have a back up, because I would want a Matthews for a back up. :-D  Remember my son also shoots a Matthews and I already have a big cost with him.  :-D  I never knock what anyone chooses to shoot as long as the have success and fun doing it. But if I had a choice of 2 less expensive bows and a expensive quality bow, I would pick the quality bow hands down. Be it a Hoyt, Matthews of any of the other quality bow. :-) I think it is good to have differences as long as it stays civil. One final note, I hope you have great success hunting.  

[willis5]

New hampshire,

Do you have any more info?

I think that would get this back on the right track. :-)

[New Hampshire]

OK, first Im sorry if I got some people here to touch off each others nerves.  Not intended.

I am not prepping to hunt this year.  So I have plenty of time to practice, and was practicing (key word WAS, my local club is having problems, so I lost the closest place I can shoot, and living in Suburbia means no backyard shooting...)  My only, I dunno what to call it.......worry, with the Pearson is that the only rest that can be used is a flipper rest.  I am getting used to it, but I worry too much about having a nice sharp broadhead slip off and turn me to confetti should I twist, slip or move the wrong way.  The big reason I kinda decided not to use the Pearson for hunting is that the guy at the bow shop (and yes I realize they are in the business of selling equipment, but the friend from work who brought me to help out is real good friends with ALL the guys there and he guarentees the guy is on the up and up,) said he would not reccomend it at all.  AS it is my arrows are waaaaay too long because with a broadhead on it will not clear the riser.  The bow is in great shape, he said, but its just so antiquated it will be more of a hassle than a help.......and considering Im new to this Im all for making things easier.  But like cam69 said, Im a man of meager means.  I am looking at a PSE Typhoon or Reflex Excursion (possibly the PSE Firestorm lite) for a main bow, so you can see my budget is going to be about $300-$350 for the bare bow, and of course the more I spend on the Bow the more that cuts into the accessories added on.  Im TRYING like hell to scrap together the cash, and if I do I will buy the bow I TRUELY want, an AR.  But for right now that is a pipe dream.  I suppose if I scrape together that ind of cash I could buy two of the same lesser priced bows, but lets face it.  If you could buy an AR or two PSEs, which would you do......most likely the AR.
So considering all this you can see why Im looking at the "Wal-Mart" special.  Like I noted before, I know it aint perfect, I know it aint the fastest, shortest, lightest, most capable.  But I do see it as basically a "hundred dollar insurance plan" for that Just-in-case security.

If anyone needs any more info Ill answer best I can.  This is turning out to be a more difficult decision than I thought.
Thanks,
Brian

[Redhawk1]

New Hampshire, let us know what you decide and I hope you have great success  with what ever you choose.  

[cam69conv]

Hmmmmm Well New hampsire This is a delema..about the only way to safely shoot and old style bow with the flipper rest and with broadheads is to Cant your bow...This is a BAD habit to get into if you are going to a later model such as the reflex...I had one of the Reflex Bows, the extream, and I kick myself daily for trading it for a Rem 760 30.06 that dang near kicked me out of a tree stand...Dang that sucker made a mule seem like a light weight    The excursion Is a good lil bow for the money and will have no problems dropping a deer with a well placed shot. as far as your pearson goes your shop pro is right... Not recommended at all..Ill tell ya what...Buzz me and let me look up some stuff. I may be able to come up with a better backup for ya for around 120 or so all set up..It will be used but I run accross good deals all the time on used bows and I check them out myself before recommending them to anyone. Like Redhawk said..I would stay FAR away from any bows from wally world as they only worry about sales not so much the customer..You can either pm me here or email me at .. cam69conv2002@yahoo.com We will see what we can work up for ya..Always there for a fellow hunter as much as I possibly can be...Huntin makes the world a happier place for me..Good luck

[willis5]

I have a pse firestorm lite, and it is really sweet. More $ as you know, but really nice.

I would go get yourself a nice bow, and put the $100 into the bow and rest and arrows... I think you will be better off.

[THE#1hunter]

Good luck with your decision...keep us posted  

[New Hampshire]

Cam69conv you got a PM.

Well Im passing on the Wally world special.  Id like to first correct a mistake I made.  Its the Reflex GRIZZLY Im looking at.  The reason is because Outdoor Life did a test of some 20 or so bows and the grizzly happened to be among them  It got the OL best buy value because every tester was amazed how quiet, accurate and how "shootable" the bow was and were amazed even further at the $300 price tag!  The only down sides they could find were that it is a tad heavy at 4.1 lbs (not really a problem as far as Im concerned,) and the arrow speed was nothing to really ooh and ahh about (again not really a big problem.)  The ONLY thing Im not sure about is that these bows are of a split limb design.  Ive read that these types of bows can be more difficult for a new shooter to learn on properly because the split limbs can twist and amplify any newbie inconsistancies.  That is the ONLY reason Im on the fence with this bow.  I really like the Typhoon (and the Firestorm Lite is close behind,) but since it is so new I cant find anyone shooting one who can report on it.  It seems like it would be a great set-up, but you can never tell.  Price does not really factor in between the Typhoon and Grizzly because they run the same price for the bare bow.  Ive already got a whisker buiscuit thats going on the bow, which ever I get, and a Mongoose peep (cuz its reeeaaallllyyyy wide.)  I am looking at pin sights with a lot of fiber wrapping on them, and the Trophy ridges are at the top of the list (as you can tell my visions not the greatest......25 years old and youd swear I have 90 year old eyes  :grin: .)  Ive really been doing my homework, which is why I decided to wait a full year + before trying bow hunting (even before I found out the Pearson was not going outdoors with me.)  So Ive generally narrowed down to what I like and want, and thanks to this forum Ive been getting the list narrowed even farther.

Thanks,
Brian M.

P.S. As for the back-up bow, Im taking up cam69 on his offer of keeping his eye open for a deal to come his way.  However, I see Sportsmans Guide has a Brwoning Avalanche II I can get for $206.97, but its a lot more than I was looking to spend (or put another way more than I HAVE to spend.)  So we will see if he turns anything up before I begin eyeing around again.  My thanks goes out to him.

[cam69conv]

Howdy again New Hampshire,
 The Grizzly is also a great starter bow...Pleanty of speed to smack a deer with a well placed shot and also a very forgiving bow...It has a nice long axel to axel and a very nice brace so you would be happy with it...I will check the shop tommorrow and see what there is as far as used bows and also check around with some friends...Bow hunting is an extream passion of mine and I will do all I possibly can to get anyone that is interested in it to get into it..Archery is the ultimate in hunting and will test even the best of hunters in thier talents..I wish the best of luck to you and lets see what we can do