Which Mathews???

R

rwald51

New member
Looking to buy a pre-owned bow for my sons birthday and he wants a Mathews. Which model do you prefer and why? Bow will be used for hunting out of tree stands. Have seen several on craigs list/e-bay but dont know which models are best for hunting.
 
Not to budge in but when buying a bow I wouldn't look at one specific brand because it says Mathews or Hoyt on it. It is best to have him shoot many different bows of all brands and pick which one fits him best. Don't always look at the speed rating when buying a bow either. Many people will buy the fastest shooting bow out there because they think it is the best.
 
Your boy has good taste lol.
If he's still a growin' boy the Mathews/Mission "Craze" or "Riot" might be worth a look. Huge adjustment in both draw length and weight.

If he's about done growing or You dont mind buying another cam when he out grows the draw length then look for single cam bows, like Heli-m, Z7, Z7 Extreme, DXT, Drenalin, Outback, Hyperlite, Switchback, Switchback XT. Or older models like LX, MQ32, MQ1 SQ, SQ2. You will see some Reezen 6.5 and 7's. They have an agressive cam and questionable riser strength. The others mentioned will be better choices.
You will also see bows like, Conquest, Conquest 2,3,4, Conquest Triumph, Rival Pro, These and a few others are longer axle to axle and more target oriented.

The MR5, MR6, MR7, XLR8 and Monster are the hotrods of the Mathews/McPherson company and require a little more maintenance to keep "em running at peak performance. They have an agressive cam. They will be a little longer and weigh a little more than the other bows. When set up properly they will flat out shoot! But probably not the best choice for a boy.

My personal choices for a pre owned hunting bow would be the Z7 Extreme. Shoots like a dream. short axle to axle, seven inch brace height, smooth draw cycle and plenty of speed. DXT for the same reasons. And the older Switchback XT. Butter smooth on draw cycle. Was a great bow.

Regardless of what one you choose, get the boy measured for draw length. And find out what poundage he can comfortably pull. The bow must fit and fit just right or he will never shoot it as well as he is capable of. Hope this helped and good luck in your search.
 
Last edited:
If he's hooked on Mathews I would look at forums on the Mathews web site.
My brother has a switchback and it shoots great for him.
I have the Drenalin and I like it, but neither me or my brother have shot anything else.
My buddy had the Mission and he is seeling it to buy something else.
 
I shoot the Z7 Extreme. And as mentioned above it is silky smooth, short axle to axle, and the 7 inch brace hieght makes it extremely forgiving. I also have an older LX as my back up bow for travel its equally as smooth and forgiving but taller axle to axle.

The Heli-M is this years bow so you will pay more for it. After careful inspection the only significant difference between it and the Z7X is the the Heli-M is 30" axle to axle whereas the Z7X is only 28". The difference in weight is almost non existant. The Z7X should be significantly cheaper. Most importantly be sure to match his draw length so he will be comfortable shooting. I may be telling you something you already know, if so I apologize.
 
I had a z7 for a few years, now I'm shooting a 2010 Monster (precursor to the MR7). Personally, I'm a fan of dual/twin/binary cam bows, so none of the other Mathews suit me.

My wife shoots a Jewel, FANTASTIC LITTLE BOW!!!

I bought my current bows (Mathews Monster and Bowtech Destroyer) last year. I went out and shot every bow on the market, literally over 40 different models, over a few months. The Bowtech Destroyer 350 was my favorite out of the fleet. The Monster is a lot nicer shooting (should say nicer drawing) than the Destroyer, but is a bit heavier, longer, bulkier, and a lot slower (both IBO at 350fps, my Destroyer hits 315, my Mathews hits 285, both with the same arrows and same draw weight. Sucks being a short draw shooter!!!).

Personally, if he likes Mathews, get him a Mathews. Yes, he might find that a different brand felt a little better in hand, or had a better feeling draw, or better styling, etc etc etc, but he definitely won't be lacking with a Mathews.

I'm personally a fan of the McPherson series Mathews. Fast and aggressive, they're very powerful bows. No more difficult to tune or maintain than any other bow out there, but fast, quiet, and powerful.
 
I shoot the z7extreme. Great bow, super smooth and very forgiving. I am new to shooting bow and not the best at accuracy. But i can shoot a 5" ring at 40 yards with this bow!

I would also agree, make sure he shoots a bunch of bows, get him measured, and figure out the poundage he can shoot all day. makes no sense to have a bow that wears him out after 10 shots. the mission craze is getting good reviews and that can grow with him.

Glad to see you are helping get him into hunting, there needs to be more of that in the world!
 
Thanks for all info. He went shopping for and shooting bows this weekend and after shooting several he found a Hoyt bow he really likes.
 
You can't go wrong with any Mathews from the last few years in my opinion. I had a Z7 then the Z7 extreme loved them both. I have a helium now. It seems like they just keep getting better.
 
Originally Posted By: Unique03Ah kid got away from Mathews..best choice of his life! Best choice of his life..to "get serious,get hoyt"

Realy, I didn't know Hoyt still made bows.
grin.gif

Sorry the devil made me do it.
 
Back
Top