WEBVTT - Ep.524: Foundations - Does Anyone Really Need a New Bow?

0:00:01.000 --> 0:00:05.720
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide

0:00:05.760 --> 0:00:10.760
<v Speaker 1>to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your host,

0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:15.960
<v Speaker 1>Tony Peterson. Welcome to the wire to Hunt Foundations podcast,

0:00:16.000 --> 0:00:18.800
<v Speaker 1>which is brought to you by First Light. Today's episode

0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:22.440
<v Speaker 1>is all about bows, but also the fundamental question of

0:00:22.440 --> 0:00:25.520
<v Speaker 1>whether an upgrade is really necessary for you or not.

0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:41.519
<v Speaker 1>In the not too distant past, I spent a decade

0:00:41.520 --> 0:00:43.880
<v Speaker 1>of my life as the equipment editor for bow Hunter

0:00:43.960 --> 0:00:47.559
<v Speaker 1>Magazine and bow Hunter TV. That gig was pretty amazing

0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:50.520
<v Speaker 1>from the perspective of getting new hunting gear and being

0:00:50.560 --> 0:00:53.240
<v Speaker 1>able to try it out in a wide variety of scenarios.

0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:56.480
<v Speaker 1>It was also an eye opener on many fronts, not

0:00:56.640 --> 0:00:58.560
<v Speaker 1>the least of which was setting up and hunting with

0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:01.720
<v Speaker 1>like six or seven brand new bows every year. As

0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:04.800
<v Speaker 1>you can imagine, that will shape your opinion on bow technology,

0:01:05.319 --> 0:01:08.240
<v Speaker 1>bow fit, and whether it's worth it the upgrade every

0:01:08.319 --> 0:01:11.440
<v Speaker 1>year or every couple of years, or only as often

0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:14.039
<v Speaker 1>as Haley's comments swings through the night sky and signals

0:01:14.040 --> 0:01:16.560
<v Speaker 1>that random cult leaders and their followers should drink the

0:01:16.600 --> 0:01:19.199
<v Speaker 1>poison cool aid and head off to Narnia or wherever

0:01:19.200 --> 0:01:23.560
<v Speaker 1>they go. This episode is all about new boats, whether

0:01:23.600 --> 0:01:38.119
<v Speaker 1>they are actually worth it or not. Before the Rhona

0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:40.640
<v Speaker 1>swept across the globe and change how we all gathered

0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:44.080
<v Speaker 1>together for various events. I did a lot of speaking

0:01:44.120 --> 0:01:47.760
<v Speaker 1>engagements and a lot of outdoor shows. As you can imagine,

0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:50.960
<v Speaker 1>my seminar topics nearly always centered on white tail hunting,

0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:54.000
<v Speaker 1>usually white tail hunting on public land or something similar.

0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:57.160
<v Speaker 1>When you've got an hour to speak, you learn pretty

0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.680
<v Speaker 1>quickly that about forty five minutes is a good run

0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:02.400
<v Speaker 1>time and for the actual seminar, because you'll need to

0:02:02.440 --> 0:02:06.320
<v Speaker 1>answer some questions afterwards. Oftentimes fifteen minutes for that isn't

0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:08.480
<v Speaker 1>really enough, but it does give you a glimpse into

0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:10.920
<v Speaker 1>what the crowd is thinking, and when you deal with

0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:13.240
<v Speaker 1>a lot of crowds, you get a pretty good glimpse

0:02:13.320 --> 0:02:16.440
<v Speaker 1>on what the average white tail hunter is actually thinking.

0:02:17.400 --> 0:02:20.320
<v Speaker 1>The questions that come up immediately after a deer seminar,

0:02:20.880 --> 0:02:24.520
<v Speaker 1>they almost always involve gear. People ask, you know, what

0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:27.480
<v Speaker 1>broadhead do you shoot, what's the best decoy, what's the

0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:30.520
<v Speaker 1>best dear scent? And of course the question that comes

0:02:30.600 --> 0:02:35.359
<v Speaker 1>up every single time, what bow do you shoot? Now

0:02:35.400 --> 0:02:38.240
<v Speaker 1>this is a loaded question, my friends, kind of like

0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:41.400
<v Speaker 1>are you a forward or chevy guy? Or what's the

0:02:41.400 --> 0:02:45.080
<v Speaker 1>best bird dog breed? To get? The thing about bows,

0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:49.040
<v Speaker 1>at least modern compound bows is they mostly all look

0:02:49.120 --> 0:02:52.880
<v Speaker 1>the same. They mostly all advertise pretty similar features and

0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:56.799
<v Speaker 1>performance specs. They mostly all carry a similar price tag,

0:02:56.960 --> 0:02:59.239
<v Speaker 1>which would make Fred Bear roll over in his grave.

0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:05.480
<v Speaker 1>Here's the thing, though, bow choice, It's highly subjective. Even

0:03:05.480 --> 0:03:07.919
<v Speaker 1>if you had unlimited funds and could buy whatever bow

0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:11.880
<v Speaker 1>you wanted every year, if you were real honest with yourself,

0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:15.520
<v Speaker 1>you'd probably brand hop. What I mean by that is

0:03:15.680 --> 0:03:18.520
<v Speaker 1>you probably wouldn't become a fanboy of anyone brand if

0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:21.440
<v Speaker 1>you could shoot the newly released flagship models set up

0:03:21.520 --> 0:03:26.079
<v Speaker 1>here specs every year. My mother in law, who is

0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:28.880
<v Speaker 1>partially a resident of this planet and partially a resident

0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:31.760
<v Speaker 1>of some alien world that is totally untethered from reality,

0:03:32.200 --> 0:03:35.080
<v Speaker 1>she likes to get hunt. Hell. My whole family is

0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:37.920
<v Speaker 1>obsessed with finding eggets and other cool rocks. We are

0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:41.000
<v Speaker 1>just rock hounds through and through, I guess. And while

0:03:41.000 --> 0:03:43.360
<v Speaker 1>we're walking a lake shore with sore necks, while staring

0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:45.520
<v Speaker 1>at the ground straining to see a hint of reddish

0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:49.520
<v Speaker 1>purplish translucents that might indicate an egg it. My mother

0:03:49.560 --> 0:03:52.360
<v Speaker 1>in law likes to say things like, you know, I

0:03:52.400 --> 0:03:56.960
<v Speaker 1>believe the aggets choose you. Maybe those pockets of water

0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:00.000
<v Speaker 1>or air that formed in magma over a billion years

0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:02.480
<v Speaker 1>ago and then filled in with silica and other minerals,

0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:04.560
<v Speaker 1>one layer at a time to eventually form these cool

0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.800
<v Speaker 1>rocks with concentric lines like topographic maps, and then took

0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:10.160
<v Speaker 1>a wild ride along the rise and follow the dinosaurs,

0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:12.080
<v Speaker 1>and then much later beneath the crushing weight of the

0:04:12.120 --> 0:04:14.560
<v Speaker 1>glaciers as they crawled their way down from Canada, only

0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:17.000
<v Speaker 1>to eventually melt and recede, leaving us with thousands of

0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:21.400
<v Speaker 1>lakes in a landscape greatly altered. Maybe they're just there

0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:23.800
<v Speaker 1>for us to find, and once in a while we do,

0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:29.039
<v Speaker 1>and that's just cool. They don't pick us. We picked them,

0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:32.400
<v Speaker 1>just like we do with our bows. Yet I get

0:04:32.440 --> 0:04:34.919
<v Speaker 1>where Mrs fruit Loop is coming from, because when you

0:04:34.920 --> 0:04:37.279
<v Speaker 1>shoot a lot of bows, it does feel like one

0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:40.320
<v Speaker 1>model will choose you. This is where the bow buying

0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:44.520
<v Speaker 1>process gets interesting. Since I don't know you, I'll give

0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:47.200
<v Speaker 1>you my preferences of the bows that tend to choose me.

0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:51.200
<v Speaker 1>They're almost always built with a very smooth draw cycle

0:04:51.920 --> 0:04:55.400
<v Speaker 1>a really solid back wall. They almost always measure about

0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:58.960
<v Speaker 1>thirty to thirty three inches between axles and are not

0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:04.159
<v Speaker 1>engineered for and foremost to generate blistering aerospeeds. They're usually

0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:09.120
<v Speaker 1>engineered for that great intangible that is shootability, where accuracy

0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:13.200
<v Speaker 1>and comfort are king. I'm a white tailed guy, mostly

0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:16.520
<v Speaker 1>as most of you are. So chasing high readings on

0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:19.719
<v Speaker 1>a chronograph. It's not really my thing. I don't care

0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:22.599
<v Speaker 1>how fast my bows are ever, or I'll put it

0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:24.680
<v Speaker 1>that in another way. I guess the bows that are

0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:27.599
<v Speaker 1>out there right now, hell, that have been built in

0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:32.000
<v Speaker 1>the last decade, they're all plenty fast. If they're well tuned,

0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:35.120
<v Speaker 1>they will put two holes in the biggest bucks, provided

0:05:35.160 --> 0:05:36.839
<v Speaker 1>you hold your pin where you're supposed to, and you

0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:40.440
<v Speaker 1>shoot decent arrows tipped with decent broadheads. I was only

0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:42.440
<v Speaker 1>going to brush over this speed thing, but I just

0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:45.320
<v Speaker 1>can't do it. I won't do it. It seems I've

0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:51.200
<v Speaker 1>triggered myself, so here it goes. Sometimes scratch that. Oftentimes,

0:05:51.240 --> 0:05:54.640
<v Speaker 1>to get those sexy ibo speeds that manufacturers can advertise,

0:05:55.600 --> 0:05:58.720
<v Speaker 1>they've got to build bows in a certain way. They

0:05:58.720 --> 0:06:01.080
<v Speaker 1>tend to shorten the brace high which is the link

0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:03.320
<v Speaker 1>between the throat of the grip and the string. The

0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:05.200
<v Speaker 1>shorter of the brace height, the more time your arrow

0:06:05.200 --> 0:06:08.039
<v Speaker 1>spends on the string getting pushed down range. There's also

0:06:08.080 --> 0:06:10.440
<v Speaker 1>a cam component to the whole thing, with what you'll

0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:14.320
<v Speaker 1>here described as aggressive cams. All this means for most

0:06:14.360 --> 0:06:16.040
<v Speaker 1>of us is that the bow will be more likely

0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:18.360
<v Speaker 1>to make that scary jump on you while you're aiming,

0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:21.240
<v Speaker 1>but not when you're ready to shoot. We all know

0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:24.240
<v Speaker 1>that butt pucker moment when you're calmly trying to float

0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:26.839
<v Speaker 1>your pin across the target, or worse, waiting for a

0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:29.280
<v Speaker 1>buck to step into your shooting lane, and then your

0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:31.600
<v Speaker 1>bow starts to go and your shoulder has to get

0:06:31.600 --> 0:06:35.080
<v Speaker 1>involved real quick. There's nothing that will take your mind

0:06:35.200 --> 0:06:38.520
<v Speaker 1>right out of the shot process faster, and that's something

0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:41.599
<v Speaker 1>that sticks with you. You don't forget that moment or

0:06:41.640 --> 0:06:43.920
<v Speaker 1>that feeling, and it will sit like a little devil

0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:47.280
<v Speaker 1>whispering in your ear whenever you draw, and especially when

0:06:47.320 --> 0:06:49.159
<v Speaker 1>you draw and have to hold for longer than it

0:06:49.279 --> 0:06:53.080
<v Speaker 1>usually takes you to get through your shot sequence. Personally,

0:06:53.360 --> 0:06:55.800
<v Speaker 1>there are enough tiny fallen angels whispering in my ear.

0:06:55.880 --> 0:06:58.960
<v Speaker 1>I don't need anymore Now, the good thing about boat

0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:02.000
<v Speaker 1>designs and the end years behind them is that they've

0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:05.960
<v Speaker 1>gotten way better since about like two thousand and seven,

0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:08.920
<v Speaker 1>when we really decided speed was the end all to

0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:13.080
<v Speaker 1>our bow needs. Bows today can achieve pretty impressive speeds

0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:16.120
<v Speaker 1>without ripping your shoulders out or making it miserable to

0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:18.800
<v Speaker 1>tune them. But there seems to be a sweet spot

0:07:18.880 --> 0:07:22.720
<v Speaker 1>aerospeeds that falls well below the marketing speak, but it's

0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:26.040
<v Speaker 1>still plenty high enough to do his job. I guess

0:07:26.200 --> 0:07:29.440
<v Speaker 1>you know, maybe the biggest word of caution here is

0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:33.400
<v Speaker 1>understand what's going on. If a manufacturer is really touting

0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:36.440
<v Speaker 1>the speed aspect of the bow you're interested in, make

0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:39.640
<v Speaker 1>sure to shoot that bow set up to your specs

0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:43.440
<v Speaker 1>plenty before you swipe your credit card. Now, at this

0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:45.520
<v Speaker 1>point it's probably prudent to talk about what makes a

0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:48.920
<v Speaker 1>bow comfortable for you, not just what I like. But

0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:51.680
<v Speaker 1>as I said earlier, we are strangers. So the best

0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:54.200
<v Speaker 1>way to figure it out is to do what you

0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:56.560
<v Speaker 1>can to shoot some different models. If you have a

0:07:56.600 --> 0:07:58.680
<v Speaker 1>good relationship with a pro shop and they'll set up

0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:02.760
<v Speaker 1>some bows for you, that's a huge plus. Use your release,

0:08:02.920 --> 0:08:05.600
<v Speaker 1>the release you use hunting and shoot them with your

0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:08.600
<v Speaker 1>eyes open, and then shoot them blank bail style at

0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:12.520
<v Speaker 1>close range with your eyes closed. Ask yourself, how does

0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:15.440
<v Speaker 1>it feel. Do you like the way the draw cycle

0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:18.040
<v Speaker 1>feels as it rolls into the valley and eventually hits

0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:21.120
<v Speaker 1>full draw. Is it a little squishy at full draw

0:08:21.280 --> 0:08:23.920
<v Speaker 1>or is it rock solid? How does the grip feel?

0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:27.920
<v Speaker 1>Is it bulky or slim which do you prefer? If

0:08:27.920 --> 0:08:29.880
<v Speaker 1>it is bulky and you don't like that, can you

0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:32.679
<v Speaker 1>take off the grip plates to make it slimmer. Now

0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:35.320
<v Speaker 1>I'm not an Olympic caliber shooter, so take this for

0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:38.240
<v Speaker 1>what it's worth. But I am pretty picky about grips.

0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:40.920
<v Speaker 1>The slimmer the better for me. I don't want to

0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:43.640
<v Speaker 1>make tons of hand contact with my grip. Ever, I

0:08:43.679 --> 0:08:48.360
<v Speaker 1>don't want anything sticky or well grippy on my grip.

0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:51.120
<v Speaker 1>To me, that part of the bow should touch just

0:08:51.160 --> 0:08:53.839
<v Speaker 1>a little bit of my hand during the actual execution

0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:57.200
<v Speaker 1>of the shot. And that applies to backyard shooting sessions

0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:59.200
<v Speaker 1>and the rare times when I've got a hundred fifty

0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:02.280
<v Speaker 1>buck walking on a trail by my stand. When you

0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:04.960
<v Speaker 1>shoot some different bows, you start to get a feel

0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:08.439
<v Speaker 1>for the draw cycle too, and for the grip. You'll

0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:11.440
<v Speaker 1>see what dead in hand really means, but only if

0:09:11.520 --> 0:09:13.200
<v Speaker 1>you shoot a bow that is truly dead in hand

0:09:13.200 --> 0:09:16.000
<v Speaker 1>against one that isn't. This is one of those things

0:09:16.000 --> 0:09:20.240
<v Speaker 1>that is easiest to get by experiencing it, and it matters.

0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:22.560
<v Speaker 1>Some of the bows out there seemed to almost aim

0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:26.520
<v Speaker 1>themselves and hold themselves on target, which is a pretty

0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:29.760
<v Speaker 1>amazing thing. And this is what I want. I want

0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:33.120
<v Speaker 1>to enjoy drawing and holding my bow and feel like

0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:35.800
<v Speaker 1>it settles in so that my pin goes where it's

0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:39.400
<v Speaker 1>supposed to. I don't know the magic behind the designs

0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:41.480
<v Speaker 1>of those bows, but I know when I get my

0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:45.480
<v Speaker 1>hands on one, it's no different from I don't shotguns

0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:48.679
<v Speaker 1>in my experience. If you hand me pretty much any shotgun,

0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:52.240
<v Speaker 1>I can probably wing shoot okay with it, but some

0:09:52.480 --> 0:09:55.079
<v Speaker 1>just jive with me. I've got a little weather b

0:09:55.200 --> 0:09:58.160
<v Speaker 1>O'Ryan over under twenty gauge that was mostly supposed to

0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:00.680
<v Speaker 1>be a grouse and woodcock gun, but over the years

0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:03.199
<v Speaker 1>has been with me for ducks and roosters and prairie

0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:06.679
<v Speaker 1>chickens and quail and even a few turkeys, just because

0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:08.319
<v Speaker 1>I love the feel of it and I shoot it

0:10:08.360 --> 0:10:12.880
<v Speaker 1>so well, comes to the shoulder quickly, settles in nicely,

0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:16.319
<v Speaker 1>and it's balanced just right. I'm sure your listeners who

0:10:16.320 --> 0:10:18.880
<v Speaker 1>are heavy into guns can relate, whether it is a

0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:21.400
<v Speaker 1>shotgun of your own or maybe your favorite deer rifle.

0:10:21.960 --> 0:10:24.480
<v Speaker 1>The thing is that little twenty gage wouldn't cut it

0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:26.920
<v Speaker 1>for everyone. There are plenty of people out there who

0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:29.840
<v Speaker 1>would not shoot it that well and wouldn't appreciate the

0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:31.880
<v Speaker 1>field because it didn't work for them the way it

0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:34.960
<v Speaker 1>works for me. They need to find their own gun,

0:10:35.360 --> 0:10:37.920
<v Speaker 1>just like we need to find our own bows. Your

0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:42.080
<v Speaker 1>process it's definitely gonna be different than mine. Hell, maybe

0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:44.439
<v Speaker 1>you love speed bows. Maybe you want to use one

0:10:44.480 --> 0:10:47.000
<v Speaker 1>pin for every shot from five yards to fifty, or

0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.920
<v Speaker 1>maybe you hate having big pin gaps, so you want

0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:54.040
<v Speaker 1>blistering speeds and it's your number one priority. Or maybe

0:10:54.080 --> 0:10:57.120
<v Speaker 1>you want comfort, but you have a different definition than

0:10:57.160 --> 0:11:00.240
<v Speaker 1>I do. Either way, if you're even remotely into sitting

0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:04.720
<v Speaker 1>a new rig, do yourself a favor. Forget your brand loyalty.

0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:10.400
<v Speaker 1>Oh scratch that tamp down your brand loyalty. Cover up

0:11:10.440 --> 0:11:13.559
<v Speaker 1>that white tattoo on your shoulder, Scratch that Matthew's decal

0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:16.200
<v Speaker 1>off your truck. Do whatever, do whatever you have to

0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:20.480
<v Speaker 1>do to be somewhat objective, because here's the thing. The

0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:23.840
<v Speaker 1>best bow for you right now might not be made

0:11:23.840 --> 0:11:26.880
<v Speaker 1>by the company that made your last best bow. And

0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:29.959
<v Speaker 1>I'm not saying brand loyalty isn't important, especially if you're

0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:32.520
<v Speaker 1>concerned with customer service issues and some of the extras

0:11:32.559 --> 0:11:34.760
<v Speaker 1>that go into making a big purchase like this. So

0:11:34.800 --> 0:11:37.760
<v Speaker 1>I'm not advocating a switch just for the sake of it.

0:11:38.480 --> 0:11:40.319
<v Speaker 1>I'm just saying, be open to the reality that a

0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:43.040
<v Speaker 1>switch might be a good thing for you. And my

0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:45.480
<v Speaker 1>time at bohn R magazine taught me that every bow

0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:49.000
<v Speaker 1>manufacturer out there has the potential to make an amazing bow,

0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:53.400
<v Speaker 1>but from year to year, the field might change, or

0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:56.959
<v Speaker 1>the focus of the flagship design might change. That means

0:11:57.000 --> 0:11:59.880
<v Speaker 1>the bow brand that I absolutely love last year just

0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:02.120
<v Speaker 1>might not do it for me this year. This has

0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:04.520
<v Speaker 1>happened to me a lot, and it has opened my eyes.

0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:08.480
<v Speaker 1>Individual models matter, from brand to brand, and from year

0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:11.160
<v Speaker 1>to year. It's easy to get caught up in the

0:12:11.160 --> 0:12:14.320
<v Speaker 1>fanboy mentality, but maybe not the best idea all of

0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:18.200
<v Speaker 1>the time. And of course, through this whole rambling nonsense,

0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:21.560
<v Speaker 1>the same thing keeps bubbling to the surface. You gotta

0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:23.520
<v Speaker 1>do some work to find out what works for you.

0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:27.480
<v Speaker 1>And bow choice is important because that is the tool

0:12:27.559 --> 0:12:30.000
<v Speaker 1>that we use to send sharp sticks through the air

0:12:30.280 --> 0:12:33.520
<v Speaker 1>and hopefully deliver a merciful death to deer another game,

0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:37.560
<v Speaker 1>a quick five to ten second death that results in

0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:42.679
<v Speaker 1>no suffering and short, super sweet blood trails. That matters

0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:46.120
<v Speaker 1>a lot. It also brings us around to the original question,

0:12:46.480 --> 0:12:49.600
<v Speaker 1>the whole point of this podcast, which is do you

0:12:49.679 --> 0:12:53.240
<v Speaker 1>really need a new bowl? Probably not, but that depends

0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:55.480
<v Speaker 1>on how much you like your current rig. If you're

0:12:55.480 --> 0:12:57.320
<v Speaker 1>in the market for a new one, is it just

0:12:57.400 --> 0:13:01.120
<v Speaker 1>because you can't stand not spending an extra so or

0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:03.600
<v Speaker 1>is it because you're not that happy with your current bow?

0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:07.560
<v Speaker 1>Do you feel like you could be shooting better? What's

0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:10.840
<v Speaker 1>your confidence level like at every range, but especially the

0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:14.240
<v Speaker 1>far end of what you consider your effective range? That's important.

0:13:15.040 --> 0:13:17.160
<v Speaker 1>Have you had some tuning issues that you just don't

0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:21.160
<v Speaker 1>feel are fully resolved, or once they are resolved, keep

0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:25.400
<v Speaker 1>coming back around after another couple hundred shots. Do you

0:13:25.400 --> 0:13:28.440
<v Speaker 1>think your bow is too slow or too loud? Or

0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:29.880
<v Speaker 1>did you shoot next to a buddy you as the

0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:32.760
<v Speaker 1>latest and greatest and get just a bit jealous. Has

0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.560
<v Speaker 1>it been one year or ten since you bought your

0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:39.320
<v Speaker 1>last bow. These are all questions worth asking yourself, but

0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:43.160
<v Speaker 1>I think the most important is are you enjoying shooting

0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:46.640
<v Speaker 1>your current bow? Because if you have fun, it's usually

0:13:46.640 --> 0:13:48.960
<v Speaker 1>because the bow is comfortable and it puts the arrows

0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:52.640
<v Speaker 1>where they're supposed to go. Enjoyment matters in a few

0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:56.199
<v Speaker 1>different other ways. To first off, if you're having fun,

0:13:56.440 --> 0:13:58.600
<v Speaker 1>it means the bow is working the way you'd like

0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:01.880
<v Speaker 1>it to. It also means that you probably shoot more,

0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:05.240
<v Speaker 1>which is huge. If you're not enjoying shooting your bow

0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:08.199
<v Speaker 1>for whatever reason, but usually because you're not as accurate

0:14:08.200 --> 0:14:09.840
<v Speaker 1>with it as you'd like to be, then that's a

0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:13.120
<v Speaker 1>red flag. There's something going on. That might be a

0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:15.960
<v Speaker 1>simple tuning fix, or it might mean it's time to

0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:18.640
<v Speaker 1>go shopping. Maybe you've gone a little stale in your

0:14:18.640 --> 0:14:21.240
<v Speaker 1>practice regimen because you know your current bow is good

0:14:21.280 --> 0:14:24.480
<v Speaker 1>at twenty thirty maybe forty yards, but you'd like to

0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:27.840
<v Speaker 1>stretch that out and do some long distance shooting. Now

0:14:28.120 --> 0:14:30.080
<v Speaker 1>this is a topic for a different podcast, but I

0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:34.280
<v Speaker 1>think practicing at extended ranges it's mooe importante, Mi amigoes.

0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:38.360
<v Speaker 1>Not only is it fun, but it's telling. It will

0:14:38.440 --> 0:14:41.400
<v Speaker 1>highlight shooting form issues, tuning problems, and has the potential

0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:44.240
<v Speaker 1>to give you loads of confidence, which is worth a lot.

0:14:44.800 --> 0:14:47.920
<v Speaker 1>It'll make shooting sessions more enjoyable and helps to turn

0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:50.800
<v Speaker 1>those close shots that you'll actually take on deer into

0:14:50.920 --> 0:14:53.920
<v Speaker 1>much easier propositions. If you can shoot a paper plate

0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:56.960
<v Speaker 1>group at I don't know, eighty yards, you don't have

0:14:57.040 --> 0:14:58.720
<v Speaker 1>much of a reason to miss a white tail's vital

0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:02.000
<v Speaker 1>at twenty. It feels that way too if you happen

0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.440
<v Speaker 1>to practice a lot of extended ranges, so maybe a

0:15:05.440 --> 0:15:08.720
<v Speaker 1>new bow would open up that world to you. Anyway,

0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.040
<v Speaker 1>you've got a lot to think about, but also a

0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:13.160
<v Speaker 1>lot of time. If you're kicking around the idea of

0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:15.600
<v Speaker 1>a new bow, this is a great time of year

0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:18.200
<v Speaker 1>to start your research. It's a great time to head

0:15:18.200 --> 0:15:20.760
<v Speaker 1>to the pro shop to gauge how serious you really are.

0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:24.000
<v Speaker 1>It might lead to new purchase or make you realize

0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:26.720
<v Speaker 1>you're good enough with your current rig. Either way, if

0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:30.320
<v Speaker 1>you've got to itch to explore the possibility, scratch it now,

0:15:30.880 --> 0:15:34.040
<v Speaker 1>well before the serious summertime practice sessions kick off and

0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:36.400
<v Speaker 1>your local pro shop turns into a madhouse with the

0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:39.520
<v Speaker 1>chaos of the preseason, and be sure to tune in

0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:42.120
<v Speaker 1>next week as I shift gears to a topic that

0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:44.200
<v Speaker 1>every one of us has devoted some thought too over

0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:47.520
<v Speaker 1>the years, buying deer ground. Even if you think you

0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:50.680
<v Speaker 1>could never afford a single acre of recreational property, I

0:15:50.680 --> 0:15:52.480
<v Speaker 1>think you should give it a listen because that was

0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:55.160
<v Speaker 1>the camp I was in for a long time before

0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:57.240
<v Speaker 1>I got out of it without going totally broke, which

0:15:57.240 --> 0:16:00.360
<v Speaker 1>is what I'm going to talk about next week. Yeah,

0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:04.640
<v Speaker 1>that's it for this week, my friends. I'm Tony Peterson

0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:07.320
<v Speaker 1>and this has been the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast,

0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:10.240
<v Speaker 1>which is brought to you by First Light. As I always,

0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:12.240
<v Speaker 1>thank you so much for listening and for all of

0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.200
<v Speaker 1>your support. If this episode didn't quite give you the

0:16:15.240 --> 0:16:17.800
<v Speaker 1>white tail fix you're hoping for, head on over to

0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:20.000
<v Speaker 1>the wire to Hunt YouTube channel to check out our

0:16:20.040 --> 0:16:23.160
<v Speaker 1>weekly how to videos and give the Meat Eater dot

0:16:23.160 --> 0:16:26.480
<v Speaker 1>com slash wired a look to browse our vast library

0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:27.680
<v Speaker 1>or white tailed articles