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Dragon X8

Jay_Disarray

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
1,950
Location
MN
So I've been kind of just browsing different bows, and I've had my eye on a bear cruzer g2 for quite some time now to replace my current bow, a Bear Authority. There is nothing wrong with my bow, its a hand me down, of sorts, and I kind of want my own first brand new bow.

I've also been looking at getting started within the next few years learning how to do all my own work. Its expensive though, and the press is easily one of the most costly expenses. Watching Sean's Outdoor Adventures, I was initially dismissive of the Dragon X8 mostly because of the low cost. I watched a few more videos (in particular the one I'll link below) and to a fairly novice eye, they look to be very similar as far as construction and design goes.

What really caught me was the fact I could lower the weight enough on the Dragon X8 to where the string slips off, so you don't need a press to remove and replace the string or any of the string parts, add twists, or any of the other stuff that I want to learn how to do, but the cost of a press is inhibitive.

Does anyone have experience that could offer their input on this particular bow?



 
I think your money is better spent elsewhere. I just saw a perfect Hoyt Element for $400. New elites and primes in the $400 range and a mathews switchback for $250. All will be a much better experience than those two.
 
Bowmaster press. Used it on my diamond solo cam. Just picked up a dual cam, and have pressed it with the L brackets. The first few times I did it on the dual, I was nervous and cranked it down. But after a few times I felt better about it. Deffenitial take your time with it. But it works.
 
I have this bow - hunted with it last year. I don't think you'd be wasting money, but I've not compared it against a current high-end bow to compare. I enjoyed doing all the setup & adjustment work on it myself. I started off by backing out the limb bolts as you describe, and it certainly works but it gets tedious.

http://prototechind.com/cosmetic_imperfection_sale.htm

I eventually bought a blem bowmaster portable press for $59 (incl shipping), and it's way better than backing out limb bolts, then re-tightening them evenly, losing count, etc.
 
I'm kind of in the same boat. The bow technician that worked on my bow since I bought it changed his line of work. I kind of panicked and ended up making my own press. As soon a turkey season ends I'll be changing my strings and tying to dial it in. I also my end up replacing my bow with one of the elite or bowtech bows that have all the built in adjustability to tune them.
 
Lots of stuff work but the longevity and quality are extremely different. Will they work, absolutely. But if I can have something proven and get better performance, then my money goes elsewhere
 
You can get a new in box 2020 or 2019 model bow for close to half off on eBay from reputable sellers.

For instance, you can probably get a 2019 Bear Kuma for around 400.
 
Not a comment on your bow dilemma, but a 2nd or 3rd for the bowmaster with L brackets. I bought a used bow and, a first for me, used the bowmaster to replace strings and cables, then twists to tune to spec, add a dloop, and add back a peep with twists to rotate. I'd love a real press, but this worked fine on the cheap. One useful addition was a craigslist bike repair stand, which clamps on the bow grip and allows all sorts of angles and access. That idea came from someone on here...
 
I shot a g2 for a couple of years before upgrading. It was an okay bow, I never had any issues with tuning however I outgrew it quickly. I've never shot a bear authority however based on the price point I can only imagine it being a lateral move in performance and quality.

Is there any specific reason against going with a second hand bow? You can get a flagship bow for almost half the price of retail if it's a couple of years old.

There was a Bear Kuma that just recently sold on the classifieds for like 400 bucks. I shoot the Kuma 30 and it's light-years ahead of the g2.
 
I shot a g2 for a couple of years before upgrading. It was an okay bow, I never had any issues with tuning however I outgrew it quickly. I've never shot a bear authority however based on the price point I can only imagine it being a lateral move in performance and quality.

Is there any specific reason against going with a second hand bow? You can get a flagship bow for almost half the price of retail if it's a couple of years old.

There was a Bear Kuma that just recently sold on the classifieds for like 400 bucks. I shoot the Kuma 30 and it's light-years ahead of the g2.
I'm not against it at all, in fact I did pick up the Elite Option 6 that @george_costanza had for sale in the classifieds.

I was only looking at this bow because of the ability to break it down and tune everything without the need for a press. With this elite option 6 I will need a regular style press, as the limbs dont allow for mobile press use. I'll pick up one in the next year or two probably, it will be a worthwhile investment, and if I get good enough I could probably recoup my money on it.

I was handed down that bear authority by my dad, when we bought him an xbow. He has been unable to draw the authority because of shoulder issues.

I passed that authority onto my little brother who was shooting a very aged bow, and wanted to upgrade but didnt have the money because hes getting married this year.
 
I think you'll be quite happy with that elite, you can't really go wrong with any flagship bow made in the past few years.

For your bow press, you might want to checkout the synunm bow press. Its a bit more expensive than the bowmaster, but waaay faster and just as compact. I've used mine on 4 different bows in as many years without issue. I keep one in my bow case at all times.

I can't speak to the elite, but a quick call with the manufacturer should be able to confirm or deny whether that press would work for you.
 
I think you'll be quite happy with that elite, you can't really go wrong with any flagship bow made in the past few years.

For your bow press, you might want to checkout the synunm bow press. Its a bit more expensive than the bowmaster, but waaay faster and just as compact. I've used mine on 4 different bows in as many years without issue. I keep one in my bow case at all times.

I can't speak to the elite, but a quick call with the manufacturer should be able to confirm or deny whether that press would work for you.
I believe I looked it up and the elite website states that because they are past parallel limbs, no portable press is recommended. I cant find the link atm
 
@Jay_Disarray did you ever get one? I could help my self. Sean's outdoors had some he was selling for 149 shipped. I picked one up for the kids. Curious if you ever got one and how it has worked for you. If there is anything to keep an eye out for.
 
@Jay_Disarray did you ever get one? I could help my self. Sean's outdoors had some he was selling for 149 shipped. I picked one up for the kids. Curious if you ever got one and how it has worked for you. If there is anything to keep an eye out for.
I didn't, I wound up spending the money on an Elite bow I found in here, I have been keeping an eye on them and did see that he had them on a deal.
 
My son doesn't use his Barnett bow I bought him a few years ago, so that has kind of become my test bow to working on them.

I also just invested the money into a bow press instead, so whatever bow I get for my lifetime I can press and work on easily
 
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