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I was able to shoot the Monster today. Below is my opinion, and the only reason I'm posting it is because I've seen several people asking questions about the bow on the other Monster threads. I figured I'd give what I consider to be a completely unbiased opinion. Please keep in mind that I in no way claim to be an expert. My experience with bows is limited to only the last 4 years or so, but I have shot probably 50 different bows over that time due to my need to always have something new. I've shot bows that ranged from great to piss poor (in my opinion).
To start off, the bow unfortunately was set at 28.5", while I am a 30" draw. (Note: Any discussion about the DL being long on this bow appears to be untrue in my observation, as my bow arm had a severe bend in it.) The bow was set at 67.3 pounds, according to the shop's Easton digital bow scale. The rest was a Whisker Biscuit. 4" vanes are not recommended with a WB on this bow, as the front of the vanes contact the whiskers when you load the arrow (this would be even more of an issue with the XLR8). Not that it would matter once the bow is drawn, but when you slide the arrow in to the biscuit and vanes hit the whiskers, I'm guessing you would wear out your biscuit pretty quickly. No stabilizer was installed, but the new Mathews string stopper was in place. A 3 pin sight, a string loop, and peep site were installed. No additional aftermarket accessories were on the bow.
The draw of the bow is stiff, but suprisingly managable. It does load up just before turning over, but I was VERY suprised with how "easy" it is to draw. It is definately not the same as my Alphamax, or anywhere near what my Switchback XT was, but it is MUCH easier to draw than what I expected. I went in to it expecting the bow to be very difficult to draw. I did not know the draw weight until after I shot it. Looking at the gap on the limb bolts, it looked like it wasn't backed out too far, but judging by the feel of the draw, I would have guessed that it was closer to 60 pounds. I can't say enough about the fact that it draws much, much easier than I expected. I am very interested in shooting a bow that is a match for me draw length wise. It is hard to get a true feel for a bow when it is 1.5" short.
As for the wall, it is solid. Being that the draw length was so short, I was pulling pretty hard in to the wall. I will say that you don't get much creep before it wants to go, though.
The bow holds very well. Again, I was VERY surprised how well it did hold given the short draw length.
The actual shot was good as well. There is a slight amount of vibration felt in the handle, but honestly, it is comparable to my Alphamax. Nothing that is a big issue to me. The bow is very steady in the hand, and doesn't want to leap forward at all.
Now for shootability. Please note that I am currently fighting a case of target panic. My shooting is not bad, but not where I want it. Also note by looking at the pictures below that I was shooting the shop's 4 arrows. 3 were Axis 340, the other was Epic 400. Only two of them matched exactly, as one was about 2" longer than the others, and another was outfitted with feathers. Also, the release I used was the shops, and was nothing like what I am used to.
The first 8 shots were at a target around 10 yards, and I paid absolutely no attention to where the arrows hit. I was just trying to "feel" the bow. The next 4 arrows were from 30 yards, and are pictured first below. (The two arrows that are nearly touching are the matching ones.) The next 4 were from 20 yards, and they are in the second picture. I went on to shoot around 20 more from 30 yards and had similar, if not better, results than pictured.
For an average shooter such as myself, shooting a bow that was too short, unmatched arrows, and a strange release, I was EXTREMELY surprised how well I shot the bow, especially at 30 yards. I would love to shoot the bow out to 60 yards to really get a feel for the effects of the 6" brace height.
The last point I will make, and the thing that concerns me the most about the bow. I was looking at the string/cable pretty closely and all the places where they roll over the cams. I noticed on the down cable, 2 or 3" above the cam, the serving was starting to seperate. The shop just got the bow yesterday, and they said that people had been shooting it non-stop, but that concerns me. It may be something to keep an eye on with the other bows.
To start off, the bow unfortunately was set at 28.5", while I am a 30" draw. (Note: Any discussion about the DL being long on this bow appears to be untrue in my observation, as my bow arm had a severe bend in it.) The bow was set at 67.3 pounds, according to the shop's Easton digital bow scale. The rest was a Whisker Biscuit. 4" vanes are not recommended with a WB on this bow, as the front of the vanes contact the whiskers when you load the arrow (this would be even more of an issue with the XLR8). Not that it would matter once the bow is drawn, but when you slide the arrow in to the biscuit and vanes hit the whiskers, I'm guessing you would wear out your biscuit pretty quickly. No stabilizer was installed, but the new Mathews string stopper was in place. A 3 pin sight, a string loop, and peep site were installed. No additional aftermarket accessories were on the bow.
The draw of the bow is stiff, but suprisingly managable. It does load up just before turning over, but I was VERY suprised with how "easy" it is to draw. It is definately not the same as my Alphamax, or anywhere near what my Switchback XT was, but it is MUCH easier to draw than what I expected. I went in to it expecting the bow to be very difficult to draw. I did not know the draw weight until after I shot it. Looking at the gap on the limb bolts, it looked like it wasn't backed out too far, but judging by the feel of the draw, I would have guessed that it was closer to 60 pounds. I can't say enough about the fact that it draws much, much easier than I expected. I am very interested in shooting a bow that is a match for me draw length wise. It is hard to get a true feel for a bow when it is 1.5" short.
As for the wall, it is solid. Being that the draw length was so short, I was pulling pretty hard in to the wall. I will say that you don't get much creep before it wants to go, though.
The bow holds very well. Again, I was VERY surprised how well it did hold given the short draw length.
The actual shot was good as well. There is a slight amount of vibration felt in the handle, but honestly, it is comparable to my Alphamax. Nothing that is a big issue to me. The bow is very steady in the hand, and doesn't want to leap forward at all.
Now for shootability. Please note that I am currently fighting a case of target panic. My shooting is not bad, but not where I want it. Also note by looking at the pictures below that I was shooting the shop's 4 arrows. 3 were Axis 340, the other was Epic 400. Only two of them matched exactly, as one was about 2" longer than the others, and another was outfitted with feathers. Also, the release I used was the shops, and was nothing like what I am used to.
The first 8 shots were at a target around 10 yards, and I paid absolutely no attention to where the arrows hit. I was just trying to "feel" the bow. The next 4 arrows were from 30 yards, and are pictured first below. (The two arrows that are nearly touching are the matching ones.) The next 4 were from 20 yards, and they are in the second picture. I went on to shoot around 20 more from 30 yards and had similar, if not better, results than pictured.
For an average shooter such as myself, shooting a bow that was too short, unmatched arrows, and a strange release, I was EXTREMELY surprised how well I shot the bow, especially at 30 yards. I would love to shoot the bow out to 60 yards to really get a feel for the effects of the 6" brace height.
The last point I will make, and the thing that concerns me the most about the bow. I was looking at the string/cable pretty closely and all the places where they roll over the cams. I noticed on the down cable, 2 or 3" above the cam, the serving was starting to seperate. The shop just got the bow yesterday, and they said that people had been shooting it non-stop, but that concerns me. It may be something to keep an eye on with the other bows.
