the correct bow

[oldy]

I wonder if anyone out there can point me in the right direction.
I am knocking on a bit & it occurs to me that most of my score is lost through bad aim.I shoot a bowtech pro-40 dually at 48lb @28 ins,which is a nice bow but not very forgiving ,for me that is,.I am now in the market for a new bow & I am thinking of an ultraelite with either cam 1/2 or spiral cams or a merlin xt with either a viper or alpha cams,if possible I am going to try both.What I am looking for is a bow that will help me to hold steady on the aim,I have been down the draw length road and feel I need one of those rock solid on the aim bows.I feel I need some speed as well as my lbs are not that high anymore. I used to shoot a 48 lb recurve 25 yrs ago. I would appreciate your advice,.Thanks in anticipation ...oldy

How a bow feels tends to be a very personal thing, the hold rock steady on aim thing can be achieved by experimenting with the mass of the bow and how the stabilization is arranged etc. I find really light bows a bit skitish and often add weight to keep em steady at full draw. I also like a long stabilizer with quite a lot of end weight to help the "rock steady" feel, at the detriment of a slow settle time. If you need more arrow speed, have you considered using ACE's instead of Navs?

I do hear the new Elite is the dogs though. Personally if I were to buy a new bow just now, I would be spoilt for choice.

[pyroarch57]

Oldy, if you find one of those "rock steady on the aim bows" let me know first, so i can get mine before the stampede happens.

[dino1300]

Hi, not to sure about the 'rock solid' on compound. If it is physicaly too heavy then you might strugle to keep on aim.

With recurve, I have found that you can adjust the tiller so that the draw weight is balanced between the top and bottom limb. If you find that at full draw the sight is trying to go up then increase the weight on the bottow, and vica versa. You have to hold the bow lightly to see the effect.

[Marcus26]

Get yourself a Bowtech Allegiance if you want a rock solid aiming bow that is fast enough for you to find back and still compete. Quite a few of the older guys at our club shoot 90m quite well at near 40lb with theirs.

Otherwise out pf the bows you mentioned the UltraElite gets my vote.

[Adam]

As I've said about a zillion times before, you can't shoot any better than you can aim. How well you can aim is influenced by a number of things besides the basic ability of an individual to aim accurately at what they are looking at. To my mind the issues are:

Mass weight: are you able to handle it well? This will depend on age, strength, stamina, physiology. If it's too high, it'll take longer to get the bow to settle into a stable aim. Also, once it's moving (say, in the wind) it'll take longer to settle again, sapping strength and testing the stamina of the muscles involved in aiming. Too light, and it'll move under the slightest provocation. That said, I personnaly think light is better than heavy as gives the archer more control over what's happening.

Stabilisation: are you using a set-up that help you get the bow to settle upright and with the sight on the gold? This links closely with weight issues too.

Tiller. Despite what some people think, I firmly believe this has a significant influence on your ability to put the sight where you want it. Besides, it's very easy to adjust and experiment with tiller, so why not try it?

Cam type: have you got a wall that you're happy with? Can you pull into it without dragging the sight off the centre? Is the bow trying to drag you down the range, or are you genuinely in control of it?

Draw length: too long and you won't be able to hold a steady aim, too short and you'll get left/right misses as you (subconsciously) swap the holding pressure between your bow hand and your draw hand.

The simplest way to get a solid aim is to find a bow that works with your physiology and form and, in your hands, naturally settles where you want it. I have always found that the UltrTec work well for me, especially with spiral cams, but the UltraElite seems to work better (early days yet, though) as it has a more natural and neutral balance - it wants to sit upright in my hand.

Adam

[Merlin Archery]

Hi Oldy. Glad the Merlin was on your list. Everyone has an opinion, and I'll give you the same advice I give everyone. TRY THEM ALL. Then make your own desicion. Good luck!

[Jerry Tee]

I would say try an Oneida Pro Eagle but I very much doubt you would be able to get your hands on one so see if you can try a Bowtech Constitution and any thing else you can get your hands. Why settle for some thing good when you could get some thing great?

[kato]

Given the veracity of all the issues raised in Adam's post and the complex interwoven nature of the problem I would have thought having the bow customised to you by the manufacturer would be invaluable and would [were I you] point me stongly towards Merlin

[oldy]

Thanks everyone for your input,I have tried the tiller variation in the past.
I think part of the problem is that my b/t pro 40 is so heavily reflexed it seems to exagerate any torque,I have filed the grip flatter but is has made little difference.I have an old Martin bow that is almost zero reflex and that is easier to hold steady but is a long axle high bracing height bow,which needs more lbs than I can handle.Anyway watch this space as if & when I find a bow that is fast, forgiving,rock steady on the aim,puts the arrow in the 10 even when it was aimed at the 7 I will let every one know,after I have bought mine,that is.
oldy.