I'm primarily a handgun and rifle shooter.  I can appreciate the differences between an entry level 1911 vs. something like a Dan Wesson vs. a custom piece from Ed Brown or Nighthawk.  One can easily tell a good or bad fit of the barrel, slide and frame, barrels that are match grade or not, perfectly blended work, etc.   At the range, performance is visible as well with potentially better accuracy, etc.

I have a PSE Whitetail Extreme (I think a BassPro special) that I purchased used years ago from someone who upgraded.  I shoot it at a foam target 15-20 yards away in my backyard occasionally.  

What are differences one would experience as they move up from an entry-level bow like this to nicer bows?  Is it the capability to shoot further?  More accurately?  

Thank you.  I apologize if my language lacks proper archery terminology or this question is rather basic.  

More accurate, and repeatable.
Weight.
Durability.
Ease of tuning.


I stepped up to a Hoyt a few years back, glad I did.

There's a ton of aspects that go into making a quality bow.  But in general below are some of the things to look for:

1) Cam System - Contrary to some's beliefs, this is the heart of the bow.  The cam system dictates, in part, what the bow feels like when drawn.  High quality bows have buttery smooth cams and draw cycles.  The Hoyt RX3 draw exemplifies this.  Compared to my Elite Impulse, the RX3 shines.  The cam is also what determines let-off, valley, etc.  My Defiant Turbo at 70lbs feels like 90 compared to my RX-3 at 70lbs.

2) Riser - Many of the top tier bows have shifted to carbon.  Most manufacturers claim "LoOk aT tHe WeIgHt SaViNgs!" but in reality the weight savings are minimal.  What you do get, however, is a VERY stiff riser that doesn't impart torques on the bow at full draw.  Additionally, you get a riser that doesn't give you frostbite in the winter as carbon is warm to the touch.  Carbon really is only good for hunting bows.  Target bows like the large ATA lengths and heavy weights.

3) Strings - one of the most overlooked components.  Quality bows typically come with quality strings.  There are some exceptions.  The Mathews Zebra strings come to mind as being one such exception.  Hoyt utilizes Fuse strings.  They're OK for a season or so but I typically replace my factory strings as soon as I can.

4) Tune-ability - Simply put, better bows tune more easily.  Again, there's always exceptions.  My Hoyt RX-3 tune'd up without ANY issue.  My Hoyt Defiant Turbo, however, was a royal PITA.

5) Speed - This goes back to both cams and riser, but better bows typically manage to get more speed over cheaper bows of comparable stats (ATA, brace height, limb weights, etc).  Better bows also seem to meet their IBO speed rating more regularly.

For a hunting bow, I typically look for bows around 330-350 fps IBO, 6" brace height, and ~30-32" ATA (shorter if hunting from a tight tree stand).

I  regularly shoot 70-100 yds with my Hoyt RX4 Alpha just because it’s so smooth .

 Honestly apart from warming the bow up and zeroing the sight tape, I rarely shoot under 50 yds .

If you’re just having fun sending arrows down range with a couple $$ invested that’s great.  Have a ball

But if you want to get serious accuracy then it’s going to cost you!


Imaging shooting this target at ..... say 70 yds . Every ring to get to the bullseye plan on spending $400 +/-
In quality equipment.

Yes.  I’m serious Attached File

for your first bow, even if getting back into archery, I would not go top of the line. I would get a mid-priced bow. Your shooting style will evolve as you shoot more, and you will more than likely outgrow your bow. when this happens, you will know. Then go and shoot as many different bows as possible. Ultimately, you will find the right bow. (Our bows choose us, we don't choose our bows).

Don't get hung up on speed or draw weight. Speed thrills, accuracy kills. You will want the fastest bow you can shoot accurately. A 55lb bow is more than adequate for elk, for example.

having a properly tuned bow is critical. This means your arrows, your bow, your release, and your form are all optimized.

your bow needs to be fitted to your draw length.
your arrows, heads (field points and broad heads) must be correct for your bow. The arrow should be of the correct spine weight.
You should be using a release and a D-loop. A trigger style release is easiest to use, a hinge is the hardest, but the most accurate. (I cannot shoot a hinge, and I don't really care that I can't)
a decent arrow rest - I like a drop away, some people like whisker biscuits.
a good peep and a good sight. - I use a single pin, put a multi-pin sight is a good choice.

all of this stuff needs to work together, with you and your form.

you need to shoot a lot, then shoot some more. I probably shoot 200-300 arrows every week. On the few occasions where I don't, I get antsy. I replace my bow strings every year because I wear them out.

I recently made the mistake of trying to change a bunch of stuff with my shooting form. bad idea. Took me a few weeks to put everything back - loop length, release length, anchor points, and my grip. I was trying to change it up so that I would stop doing a trigger slap every so often. Now I simply just focus on smooth release.

I also found I had developed some cam lean, so a quick paper tune solved that.

for a first bow (or the first one in a long time), other than having the shop help get it tuned, you won't have to worry about a lot of this stuff.

I go to the trouble of fletching all my arrows identically, weighing them to ensure they're identical, etc.

in my suburban back yard, I get 20 yards for practice. The local range, that I go to every weekend, lets me shoot out to 100 yards. (The farthest I generally shoot is 80, because it amplifies every minor thing you do wrong - it humbles me enough, not to mention its a longer walk and people don't like waiting for you.)

If going to hunt with it, it needs to be vibration free and dead quiet.
Deer can duck and jump even the fasest bows iif its not quiet.

Things to keep in mind for a quiet bow:

1) if you drop the poundage down on a bow, i.e.: take a 70lb bow and de-tune it to 65 lbs, it will get noisier. you are better off using 65 pound limbs - they will be quieter.
2) all bows make noise, but using a string stop and dampening devices will help
3) A good stabilizer with a a vibration dampener is useful in two ways: it steadies the shot and quiets the bow.
4) properly splined arrows are a little quieter - not as much flex at the shot.
5) accuracy trumps speed every day of the week. it is useless to have the fastest bow if you cannot hit what you are aiming at.
6) heavier bows tend to vibrate less, if you are a spot and stalk hunter, bow weight may matter. if you are a stand hunter it may not. (I like shooting a Matthews, I don't like carrying one - this is why I don't have one. to me they are very heavy.)

As in all things, free advice is generally worth a lot less than you paid for it. I don't have a problem offering bad advice.

BowTech’s factory is in my home town. I don’t necessarily think they build the best bow, but I think they build a decent bow. They are local and I know a few guys that work in the proshop, so I know they’ll take care of me. Bought my wife a Diamond Edge 320 a few months back. Decided to upgrade my old PSE Caroll Dominator. Shot the Convergence, the Reclaim SS and the Revolt X. I liked the Convergence fine, I liked the Reclam SS better, but I liked the Revolt X best!!! Quieter with less vibration than the Convergence. So I spent the big money and every time I shoot it, I smile!

I’m a big guy with long arms so I went with the Bowtech Boss....

Love it. It’s done the job more than once.

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