# Best finger bow, ever.



## GuyWithBow

I have shot mostly recurves over the last several years, but kinked my shoulder up and have had to go back to compounds full time. Still like fingers and would like to stick with it, but bows hard to find these days... particularly with my 31" draw. 

I have looked at all the new stuff and it looks like, for my purposes, the hoyt contender elite or reflex caribou is the way to go. There is alot of older model bows around though that are completely servicable. What are are of your picks for "best finger bow I have ever shot" so I could give them a look too.


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## b0w_bender

Ha I just posted a thread on this!

http://www.martinarchery.com/2010web/shadowcat.php

Martin got it right! This is a top of the line finger bow!


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## fuelracerpat

Huntin' or targets?

Target............ 47.5" Barnsdale Classic X .........Bar none!
Huntin' ..........inside 20 yds. it don't make much difference! I killed a little whitetail buck this year with a Katera XL (36" ATA), certainly not my choice for a target bow, but from a pop-up blind at 14 yards, it worked fine!:darkbeer:


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## GuyWithBow

fuelracerpat said:


> Huntin' or targets?
> 
> Target............ 47.5" Barnsdale Classic X .........Bar none!
> Huntin' ..........inside 20 yds. it don't make much difference! I killed a little whitetail buck this year with a Katera XL (36" ATA), certainly not my choice for a target bow, but from a pop-up blind at 14 yards, it worked fine!:darkbeer:


I am doing both. I have looked at the barnsdale's a few times, but have heard mixed reviews about thier suitablity for hunting (i.e. Noise).

Question was more geared to any bow ever made. There are alot of them still around, just need to know what to look for.


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## Harperman

Depends on what the intended use of the bow is, the archer's draw length, and shooting style, etc..etc...Horse's for Course's...If I didnt need a bow that I can pull through a clicker, I'd think for me, the best all-round Finger bow would be a Hoyt ProTec, or Pro Elite, with XT-3000 limbs, and Cam 1/2 Plus cams...I like the Conquest alot, also...Gotta give props to the Katera XL also, maybe even rank it over the Pro Tec for Hunting, and 3-D...This old Aspen, with the long limbs, and serious deflexed riser is about as forgiving of a bow as I've ever owned, but it's painfully slow compared to my other bows...with 5 grains per pound, and peep in string, and at my draw length, the Aspen is rockin' the Chrono at 240 f.p.s...NOT a serious contender for 3-D, to me, anyway, but it shoots so stable, and draws so smooth with the Accuwheels...LOVE the grip...Jim


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## fuelracerpat

PSE................Laser Magnum
Pearson .........XE Classic
Hoyt............. ProVantage
Martin ...........Cougar Magnum
Any of these ol' bows will be suitable for stringwalking.

The Barney is more than quiet enough to hunt with.....maybe not as quiet as the parallel limb things....but all of the bows above had hunter versions and were considered top of the line in their day.


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## KStover

GuyWithBow said:


> I am doing both. I have looked at the barnsdale's a few times, but have heard mixed reviews about thier suitablity for hunting (i.e. Noise).


My Barnsdale with the shoot through system is loud. It's the loudest bow that I have ever owned. It's great for spots but it would not be my choice for hunting. The cable guard option is a quieter bow.

I would suggest getting a bow with a long ATA, at least 42".
Get cams if speed is important to you, wheels if forgiveness and comfort are at the top of your requirements. If you let us know what you would prefer cams/wheels it would help us steer you in the right direction.

Happy Trails
Keith


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## WI BowFish

Oneida Black Eagle, best fingers bow by far, I had a Martin Pantera for awhile and it was another great bow. "Older Bow"


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## big cypress

hoyt provantage


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## hunting1

Hoyt Aspen, Reflex Caribou, Mathews Rival Pro, Conquest 3, are a few of my favorites.


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## Unclegus

1. Hoyt Provantage Carbon Plus with Pro wheels 
2. Barnsdale Classic X My shoot thru isn't noisy????
3. Hoyt Prostar
4. PSE Laser Magnum
5. Bear 4 wheel Tamerlane


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## GuyWithBow

Guess I should start kicking myself for not buying that Aspen 3 years ago for practially nothing...


This may seem like a newby question, I assure you I am not, but what is the gravitation toward a soft wheel over a harder cam with finger shooters? I have shot both, seemed the least important part of the bow design because I can't tell a real difference on. (Example: Old Hoyt protech you could get either a command cam or accuwheel. Shot them both, felt different but shot them the same.)


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## NeilM

I'm a fan of the Bowtech Constitution, but it is a bow that you either shoot well or hate, as it takes no prisoners. The Binary cam is a hard, fast cam with a solid back wall, but very little valley, so if your hold is not solid, it WILL rip the string out of your hands.

I have two


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## GuyWithBow

Here is a thought...

The "golden age" of finger bows is past us, our choices are limited now to maybe one bow by each manufacturer... If that. As best I can tell, the big issue with "old bows" (meaning used and manufactured a decade or two ago) is usually questionable limbs and out of date cam designs. Am I missing another option?

Let's say I go to 50 pawn shops or archery shops that have a bunch of used bows and just pick out what feels good in my hand. Send that riser off to barnsdale and have a set of reliable, new limbs and a moderate set of wheels or cams then get winners choice (or some such) to custom make a set of cables and a string for it. Is this a plan anybody else has ever had?


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## hunting1

Man, there are still some good bows! Martin, Reflex,and Mathews make a great finger bow! It is not dead and there are still some gently used good ones out there. I have yet to have limbs fail. I am only 36,but my first was a Bear White Tail and my first new bow was a Hoyt Ram bow. :mg:


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## FDL

Well my opinion differes, I like a finger bow that has a solid wall, 41" or so that I can get
around 274 fps out of. It needs to not have much hand shock, and aim real nice. Wheel bows have to much valley for me. I shoot with one finger and back tention, and have a short draw. I can shoot a bow as short as 37" as long as it meets my other needs.


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## b0w_bender

Martin Cougar 2000-2001 ata 45"
Martin Razor 2002-2005 ata 46"
Martin Scepter 2005 - 2009 ata 42.5"
Martin Shadowcat 2010 ata 41" 

Mathews Conquest
Hoyt Protec with 4000 limbs ata 46"
Reflex Caribou ata 46"
Barnsdale of course are nice

Note for me anything under 40" ata is not acceptable. (OK well perhaps if you have a 26" draw it might be OK)


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## Dodgeman67

I have one of the older CSS bows and I think it's 44 inches axle to axle, one came and you can creep a little with it.

It shoots as well as my target panic will allow.

I went to shooting fingers after a gater jaw release hit me in the mouth a few times and I got a little gun shy.

I still shoot a release some, but the target panic just kills me and I can't shoot a release very well or my fingers for that matter.


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## hunting1

FDL, I like the hard cam or Minimax as well and you bring up a huge point in that I think if your draw is less than 28" your options and such change. I think the longer A2A comes in to play when your draw is longer. I like the Rival Pro and Conquest as well wish I would have never sold my 2000 Cougar with Fusion cam.:wink:


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## Fingashoota

big cypress said:


> hoyt provantage


Me too!


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## GuyWithBow

Dodgeman67 said:


> I have one of the older CSS bows and I think it's 44 inches axle to axle, one came and you can creep a little with it.
> 
> It shoots as well as my target panic will allow.
> 
> I went to shooting fingers after a gater jaw release hit me in the mouth a few times and I got a little gun shy.
> 
> I still shoot a release some, but the target panic just kills me and I can't shoot a release very well or my fingers for that matter.


I forgot about CSS, thank you! I even live in WV too, they may revoke my drivers license or something! I will give the factory a call today. I think they marketed under horton now, but should know where to point me for a finger bow.


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## big cypress

a lady in stuebenville,oh. told me you don't have drivers licenses in wv .


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## GuyWithBow

big cypress said:


> a lady in stuebenville,oh. told me you don't have drivers licenses in wv .


We just tell people from Ohio that so they will stay off of our roads, get tired of cleaning up the wreckage.


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## KStover

I believe that a Hoyt Protec with LX limbs should be high on the “best ever list”. I prefer a bow that has a soft wall and a decent valley, the accuwheel provides this. With an ATA of 47”, finger pinch is not an issue. The older Protecs have a deflex riser, making it more forgiving. IMO they have the best grip that there is. The Protec LX is the most comfortable bow that I have ever shot.

Let us know what you end up with.

Keith


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## Roger Sr.

Look at my signature, every bow in it but the Guardian are great finger bows, and I put every one of them together with Nitrous cams there fast and accurate, and a few years old.


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## fingers

The Jennings T-star was a super forgiving bow as was the Pearson Classic. Then came all those wonderful Hoyts with PSE and Martin snapping at their heels the whole while. Hoyt seemed to really put the equation together though in the early to mid 90's with their accu-wheel, long ata, and forgiving risers. To me the Aspen had it all. I still have a target model Aspen with the LX pro limbs 50# 28-29" gathering dust in my closet. But I think the Reflex Caribou with the original e-wheel is my favorite and that is what I hunt with. I love that bow best of any of the others that I've owned and named above as well as Oneida eagle and XI bows. I will say though that the Oneida was a surprisingly good shooting bow and I won 2 3d state championships with it. I always shot spots other than the state 3d and did pretty good at Nationals with the Oneida but did better with the Hoyt bows.


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## bigbob29

Came back to archery after a 10 year break, found my 20 year old bow didnt cut any more, and couldnt get a steel replacement cable, so bought a 2001 martin cougar elite from over there and would never consider getting rid of it. Took me a while to get back into the swing of things but am right up there now in comps.Very forgiving and like the solid wall. Dont like the big let off though on any newer bows these days . Also got a Razor X with se limbs and a A2A of 35 1/4 that I tried with fingers and never got any finger pinch and thats with a 30'' draw.With the cougar I draw 31 1/2.


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## big cypress

you've probably read before that i had a protec with lx pro limbs and cam and half and really disliked that bow . i'd never shot cams before just wheels and found i don't like cams . i might have liked it with wheels but still don't like the little bitty grip area i don't get a 'secure' feeling with it . it may help with not torquing the bow but if you don't 'grip' it a fatter grip area shouldn't be a problem and is more comfortable [for me].


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## jshperdue

*Best Finger Bow*

Just got a bowtech Brigadier and its a sweet shooter. Have shot a hoyt aspen for years and the hoyts a great bow but the bowtech is faster more quiet and shock free. Its just been different getting used to that hard wall. I shoot fingers and instinctive and couldn't be more pleased but its all personal preference. Just shoot what feels good.


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## riverboat

Another vote for the Constitution. Like the guy says though you either love it or hate it. Hard back wall takes some getting used to - first time I didn't have a good grip and ripped the string out of my fingers, I was somewhat perturbed.
Kids learned a couple of new words. Shoots really good for me though, have had five or six bows in the last 40 years and like my Connie the best of the compounds.


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## CutTheLoop

For years, I would have fought tooth and nail convinced is was the Rival Pro... followed closely by the BT Constitution.

Currently, the Athens eXceed 300 is putting up better 3d scores than I have ever shot on average... This bow is more consistent and forgiving(arrow included) than anything I ever hoped to get out of my Rival Pro or Con3.

37" ATA, dual track slaved cams... perfect for me. Solid wall.:darkbeer:


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## gohlson

*Best Bow Ever*

I've been out of archery for several years and I just recently got back into the sport. I'm finding that none of the bows available today, with the exception of the Barnsdale line, even come close to what I need for my long draw length, 33 1/4", and the long ATA I need. 

But... in saying this, one of the best bows I have found for target shooting without any modifications would have to be the old Golden Eagle Archery Eagle or Eagle II bow. They are smooth and accurate, but aren't the fastest bow by any means. If you can find an old Martin Cougar Magnum M-15 bow, or a Pearson Classic II these were also really a great long ATA bows as well.

Good luck and I'd be very interested in learning if you found any other long ATA (> 42") bows.


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