I shoot 2213-2214 and xx75 gamegetters which is equivalent to 2413's. 100-125 grain broad head, either rocky mountain or thunderheads. I shoot them because they shoot true and I get a good clean release out of the bow. I also shoot an older jennings which has served its purpose and some. I can still get a pass through out to 35yds, and reuse them. I tried carbons, and was successful in harvesting deer with them, but I just don't care for them. They didn't carry a good flight out of my bow. I get they're quick/stronger and all the advantages they have over the aluminum shafts.

Curious to see what all the high tech hunters out there are using. I see a lot of hunters with $1700-$2000 + bows and some pretty fancy arrows. I've test shot some of these bows and they are pretty amazing pieces of weaponry, but do you really need to spend that much money on a setup to harvest a deer considering a bow set at 45-55 lbs is sufficient? A lot of these folks who have all the high tech arrows don't even see deer let alone get a chance to take a shot at one. Is it preference or is there more to it? My buddies are trying to convince me to buy the latest and greatest setups, but I think I'm going to stick with what's working. As the saying goes...to each their own.

I'll wash these feathers, steam them by holding them over a pot of boiling water and they will fill out and be ready to drop another deer.

if it aint broke don't fix it

i shoot a 2006 model hoyt 100 gr. muzzys and gold tip carbon arrows

"I've test shot some of these bows and they are pretty amazing pieces of weaponry, but do you really need to spend that much money on a setup to harvest a deer considering a bow set at 45-55 lbs is sufficient?"

Do you really need to spend $50,000 on a Toyota when a 1994 Chevy S10 that drives 55-65 mph is sufficient?

Like you said, the flagship bows from just about any company are pretty slick, but if you have something that works for you and you're happy with it, no reason to switch.

Im still using a 2002 mathews FX. I want and could go get a brand new super slick cool bow, but that bow still kills deer out to 50+ yards when im in practice. I cant justify a new bow as long as that one still functions. Its light, accurate enough, and reasonably quiet. I use the ted nugent series gold tip carbon arrows with magnus stinger broadheads. The arrow setup weighs about 400 grains and will be stuck in the ground on the other side of the deer unless i square up on a solid bone.

I shoot an old hoyt that I bought from my niece's x husband more than ten years ago. I don't know how long he had it before selling it to me for $100. He said it pulled just over 70 lbs. I think 50# is enough. I only shoot a few arrows a day for a couple weeks before season so my arrows last a long time. They are carbon arrows that used to be for sale for 40 some bucks a dozen from Sportsman's guide. They are tipped with muzzy fixxed blade 100 grain brooad heads.

If I ever find another good used bow that pulls in the 50lb range and is cheap, I'll probably buy it.
But, as cotton said, "If it ain't broke don't fix it."

I bought a Mathews SwitchBack around 11 years ago, It was expensive then and still some what today if comparing to New bows. I love it and it's the only bow I will ever need. Still have most of the original dozen Beman400 ICS arrows I bought with the bow. Most have shot multiple deer and like you I would rinse and resteam the feathers, I just finally cut off my feathers and put the heat shrink blazer vanes on. The feathers were about done. I did add a new Black Gold sight a few years ago and it looked like a New Bow.LOL

Anything archery related has gone insane!!$$
I can ( and will) kill deer/ bear with my old outdated equipment.

One of my sons killed his first buck with a bow when he was 14 shooting an old compound from the around 1980 with alum arrows, no sights, and a shooting tab on his fingers. He has had some hickory he cut and split drying in the attic for several years to try his hand at making his own bow.

Mathews Heli m here. Gold Tip Hunter arrows with Montec G5 fixed blade broadheads. Light-years ahead of my old 1995 Browning Backdraft bow.

BTW, nothing wrong with any bow and arrow combo that is accurate and comfortable to shoot.

Bear Mauler, 2013 model year. Up til then I used garage sale specials. My bow before this was an old Browning and it was pretty good. I only spent 325 on my bear ready to hunt with 6 gold tip Hunter arrows and a Scott release. I pull 70 lbs now because I can. The bow will adjust down to 60 so this will be the last bow I ever buy.

Exactly right.
Wish I could still shoot my firs MQ1 Matthew's I've killed many deer with carbon arrows before I had to go to a x bow because of stroke...but I always loved Alluminum arrows.

Shoot my dads old Bear recurve
Or his Shakespeare recurve

Cedar Arrows with Bear broadheads

2016 legacy's out of my pearson 306 longbow or martin "the stick" with MA-3 large heads

08 bowtec general with full metal jacket arrows tipped with 125 grain Manteca.
Works great for me like the fmjs for 3d targets easier to remove then carbon.
Both my son's have shot my wife's bow 09 admiral set at 60 lbs

Mathews Outback, 2413 Easton Aluminium Arrows with Rage 125’s. Wish I could still find the Easton XX75-78 2413’s. I’m starting to get low on them.

I have a Browning Illusion which is 12 years old, I shoot it at 77 pound draw weight and 30 inch length, I really like the bow, it shoots a heavy hunting arrow at 270 fps and is reasonably quiet and accurate, I do have top of the line accessories on it including a "slider" sight and I feel that really helps and allows dead on target shooting out to 85 yards.

I recently went and shot all the new bows and decided to get a Hoyt RX-1 Ultra, but I can wait until I find one used, spending 1600 dollars on a new bow that really is not much better than my current one is insanity, it is going to be a bit challenging finding one used with 80 pound limbs but I am sure I can do it with patience. The guys buying new bows every year or every other year are either shooting competition and shooting constantly or more likely just wanting to show off how much money they can spend.

I do like to shoot longbow and recurves as well but feel I lack in skill to try big game with them yet though hopefully next year.

I am still using a 16 year old Hoyt Havoctec and am still shooting deer annually with it. I am shooting 60# and using Gold Tip 400 Hunter carbon arrows with a 100 grain Wasp fixed 3 blade broadhead. I have also used 100 grain NAP Spitfire expandibles in the past but have gone back to fixed blades. I am kind of old so I am still kind of old school.

I’m shooting a pse stinger for the last 6 years my wife bought it our first Christmas together still shoots true. Yeah a new bow would be great but once again it isn’t broke so I will shoot this one for a while.

That seems like a Great set up MnMan!

If your thinking about an upgrade, I would highly recommend going to archerytalk and look in the classifieds. I've seen lots of 3-5 year old bows in near new condition for next to nothing compared to a brand new model. They have several pages of classifieds that cover all things archery.
I watched for a couple months before finding my new bow, bought brand new last year's model for about 300 cheaper than the "new years option". It took me a couple months because I shoot long draw (32 in arrow and almost 680 grains).

Indians would kill buffalo, deer, bear and elk with a stick and a rock tied to it so what does that tell you? Anyone that says you "need" some ultra fast modern bow for deer hunting has no idea what they are talking about. I've said this many times on here, speed doesn't kill deer, stealth and silence kills deer. The only thing speed does is make up for a persons inability to judge distance. If what you have is working, you know your equipment and can shoot it accurately, that's a winning combo. If you were shooting competition IBO 3-D shoots, that would be another matter all together.

Although I own a several bows including a newer matthews- when I go hunting I still grab my 20 year old dual cam bow that most have never heard of, the Blue Mountain Predator. Set at 68# I shoot feather fletched easton xx78 2413 superslams with 125 grain muzzy broadheads quite proficiently. I have killed over 60 deer in 3 different states with that bow- it just plain works for me. My second go to bow is a 58# black widow recurve, same feather fletched 2413 super slams with a 2 blade 160 grain zwickey broadhead. I say stick with what works for you

Arrows are more important than the bow in my brain.. I shoot Grizzly Sticks, FOC with 200 grain maasai single bevel broadheads, total weight is 645 grains. I also shoot the 315 grain Ashby heads putting the total arrow weight at 760 grains. I personally love the heavy set up for the hunting I do- rare that I would shoot over 30 yards. Just killed a deer Friday at 15 yards, I have faith in the set up. I’ve lost many deer with poor penetration with light arrows and broadheads over the years- I’m not saying they were all perfect shots, but I’d rather have a fixed blade/single bevel head stuck in that animal than have an expandable collapse and pop out after 10 yards. Again- just my preference.

Easton XX75 are a great arrow and to prove it, they have been around since the dark ages. When Indians gave up sticks, I think they switched to XX75's In all seriousness, XX75's were the "thing" way back in the 80's and probably before that. Nothing at all wrong with that arrow. Time tested, time proven, a good choice.

2006 Mathews Switchback XT. Goldtip Prohunter arrows 7595- 2 Inch Blazer fletchings. Ripcord Dropaway Rest. With Montana BlackGold Skylight sight. Custom strings made by Mike Carter.
I've taken alot of Game and predators with it.

I can’t remember how to upload pictures from my phone onto here. But last season and this one I am using a 72” walnut English longbow that pulls 68# at 27” that throws a 625gr arrow about 155 FPS. Not the most efficient bow, but fast enough, smooth, quiet and can hit what I’m looking at with it. I just gotta keep my eyes from wandering. The arrows are 32” Cedar shafts of 65-70# spine, 160gr ace standard head made shaving sharp(literally shaved off my beard with them one year), a glued on plastic nock(normally self nock, but I still have several and these were factory shafts) , and tied on pink and white fletching a cut in a straight 1/2” tall profile. I havnt had the opportunity to launch an arrow at a white tail yet, but know they will do the job fine. I just need some furry things to get in my sweet spot of 10-20 yards. My arrows switch every year or two depending on what I feel like making them out of at the time. I’ve used pine, POC, mahogany, cherry, bamboo and pine. So far my favorite shafts have been the cherry ones. I have a small stash of multiflora rose shafts I need to straighten and came across a grove of bamboo I plan to harvest. That’s half the fun of trad, making your own arrows out of locally harvested materials and lumber.

Kyle

I sell archery equipment and I do not push the high end bows. If somebody wants one I will sell it to them but most of the bows I stock are low to mid range prices. plus I personally do not shoot the highest price one out there because I don't think it is necessary. I do shoot carbons and have had good luck with them but I shot aluminum for many years and would not have a problem going back to them. Personal preference or what ever works for you.

I got 2 Matthews I'm looking to sell if anyone is interested PM me for info