Thinking about this bow...talk me out of it, lol.

[NMSbowhunter]

New for 2023 is Mathews Image. It is designed to be a lower poundage alternative to folks who are having shoulder problems and need a lower poundage but full size bow. Shoulder issues have become an issue for me. I'm finding that this year I have been struggling to draw my 60# Hei-M. It is mainly my left shoulder. It feels like I have an aggravated or torn tendon it there. It makes it difficult to hold the bow at arms length while it is drawn, so maybe a new bow is not the answer since it is really not the draw weight but holding the actual mass of the bow at arms length.

I saw this bow and thought it might be a good one to get, but a new bow is a whole new can of worms once you go down the rabbit hole of quivers, sights, arrows, etc., ad nauseum. I would keep my old bow and not strip it for sights, quiver, etc.

Maybe my local shop will have one for me to look at. I am really leaning toward getting a 50 pound set of limbs for the bow I have. I could do that for a few hundred bucks.

I think I am just struggling with a bout of "newbowitis".

Shop IMAGE™ | Mathews Archery (mathewsinc.com)

 

[jsh909]

You should buy it. I have been shooting one and absolutely love it. I really enjoy shooting 50#s. I hunt with 63, but for everything thing else I shoot 50. I think you will be really happy with it as long as you don't have a change of heart and decide you want to go back up in weight, obviously you would be stuck then. 50# will kill everything in north America as long as you are comfortable with that, I say go for it.


How did I do as far as talking you out of it.

 

[Exhumis]

It makes it difficult to hold the bow at arms length while it is drawn, so maybe a new bow is not the answer since it is really not the draw weight but holding the actual mass of the bow at arms length.
I think I am just struggling with a bout of "newbowitis".

You answered your own question right here. How you gonna shoot it if you can’t even hold it, let alone repeatedly shoot it. You have the ‘itis. Sounds like shoulder work is in order.

 

[Coathanger15]

335 ibo at 50 pounds is a testiment to their bow engineering. Provided that is true. If I remember correctly the vertix a couple years ago listed the same ibo at 70lbs....

 

[jsh909]

335 ibo at 50 pounds is a testiment to their bow engineering. Provided that is true. If I remember correctly the vertix a couple years ago listed the same ibo at 70lbs....

You are correct I have a vertix the ibo is listed at 336

 

[raisins]

335 ibo at 50 pounds is a testiment to their bow engineering. Provided that is true. If I remember correctly the vertix a couple years ago listed the same ibo at 70lbs....

i'm guessing they are shooting a 5 grain per pound arrow still....so 250 grain total arrow weight, if my hunch if right

 

[jsh909]

Yea that's how they got that high of an ibo rating and at 30in draw I would assume

i'm guessing they are shooting a 5 grain per pound arrow still....so 250 grain total arrow weight, if my hunch if right

 

[phatkaw]

I bought a new V3X and put 60# mods on and cranked it down to 55# 'cause of my shoulders...

Buy the bow! Don't add any stabilizers to it. Keep it light.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

i'm guessing they are shooting a 5 grain per pound arrow still....so 250 grain total arrow weight, if my hunch if right

Yes, I would be shooting a much heavier arrow and I don't really care about speed. I wonder where the point is where you start to approach a dry fire scenario?

I just need to work on this shoulder. Part of that may be draw weight but part of it is just the shoulder itself. I would probably be better off spending the money on some physical therapy for the shoulder.

It does look like a great bow.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I bought a new V3X and put 60# mods on and cranked it down to 55# 'cause of my shoulders...

Buy the bow! Don't add any stabilizers to it. Keep it light.

I'd really like to look at one firsthand and shoot it. Maybe they will have one at the local shop. I agree about keeping the bow mass as light as I can keep it. No use hanging a bunch of stuff off it to give my shoulder more issues.

 

[jsh909]

Yes, I would be shooting a much heavier arrow and I don't really care about speed. I wonder where the point is where you start to approach a dry fire scenario?

I just need to work on this shoulder. Part of that may be draw weight but part of it is just the shoulder itself. I would probably be better off spending the money on some physical therapy for the shoulder.

It does look like a great bow.

5 grains per pound is the lightest all the manufacturers accept as still safe from damage to the bow.

 

[Detect]

all the newer mathews bows are heavy, not like the helim at 3.5 lbs. you could try to find 50# limbs for the helim, but it's a pretty stiff cam with not much of a valley. maybe a bow/cams with more valley and let off would help too.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

all the newer mathews bows are heavy, not like the helim at 3.5 lbs. you could try to find 50# limbs for the helim, but it's a pretty stiff cam with not much of a valley. maybe a bow/cams with more valley and let off would help too.

Yes, I considered getting some lighter limbs for the bow I have. that would be the simplest and least expensive option. That may be the route I go.

 

[kyler1945]

I regret selling my HeliM every day.

Use the two grand to buy a season yard pass from the wife or out of state tags and gas

 

[Horn]

Mfjj shot it, 50# 300 grain arrow for 297 fps. He's a 30 inch draw

 

[ricky racer]

Speaking of Mathews bows...

John Eberhart just got an Image bow too. See at 14:00-15:00 on the following video.

 

[jsh909]

You could just buy the avail that's in the classifieds right now and save your self some money if you're not worried about speed or the newer aesthetics

 

[Fuse Dude]

New for 2023 is Mathews Image. It is designed to be a lower poundage alternative to folks who are having shoulder problems and need a lower poundage but full size bow. Shoulder issues have become an issue for me. I'm finding that this year I have been struggling to draw my 60# Hei-M. It is mainly my left shoulder. It feels like I have an aggravated or torn tendon it there. It makes it difficult to hold the bow at arms length while it is drawn, so maybe a new bow is not the answer since it is really not the draw weight but holding the actual mass of the bow at arms length.

I saw this bow and thought it might be a good one to get, but a new bow is a whole new can of worms once you go down the rabbit hole of quivers, sights, arrows, etc., ad nauseum. I would keep my old bow and not strip it for sights, quiver, etc.

Maybe my local shop will have one for me to look at. I am really leaning toward getting a 50 pound set of limbs for the bow I have. I could do that for a few hundred bucks.

I think I am just struggling with a bout of "newbowitis".

Shop IMAGE™ | Mathews Archery (mathewsinc.com)

Turn down the poundage, but go see a physical therapist for three months. Fix that equipment first!

 

[ricky racer]

If you want a new bow, go buy a new bow. I've been shooting a stick bow for 30 years but like you, I've had an issue with my shoulder and resigned myself to buying a compound to hunt with this year (2022). I'm getting up there in age and over the years, I've had to drop poundage so I wanted a bow that had a good draw weight adjustment range so as I continue to age, I can drop the bow weight as needed and still be in the game without having to buy a new bow each time.

I've been killing deer for a long time with a long bow or recurve so I know you don't need anything fancy just to kill a deer. I opted for a PSE Stinger ATK which is considered a "entry level or beginner bow". Out the door for $399. The bow I chose has a draw weight range of 35-60# and is easy to change by myself at home. I see the Mathews Image is selling for $1,199!! and only had a 10# weight range adjustment.

Earlier when I was toying with the idea of buying a compound, I picked up a used Mathews Conquest mistakenly thinking the poundage was more adjustable than what it is. My mistake, however I only paid $150 for the bow and it came with a QAD drop away rest, a really nice Vital Gear fiber optic sight, a Bohning quiver and a Tru Ball Release! I stripped those goodies off of the Mathews and put them on my PSE and put the Mathews on consignment at my local archery shop and should recoup most of my original purchase price which means all the goodies were nearly free!

I'm shooting my PSE set at 45#. In the video I linked above, John Eberhart says he's shooting his Image set at 40# so you don't need a super fast bow to kill good deer. The Mathews Image produces speeds up to 335 fps while the PSE is only up to 312 fps, more than enough speed for deer hunting east of the Mississippi. That extra $800 buys you a few more fps if that's what you want. I'm shooting a 650 grain arrow out of my bow set at 45# and I have no idea what speed it's leaving the bow at but it really doesn't matter, it's still probably still quicker than my recurve.

 

[jsh909]

A lot of guys will say why shoot a 650 grain arrow out of a 40 or 50 lb bow and essentially turn a compound into a trade bow, but that is never an apples to apples comparison. The compound is still way more efficient and has let off. So you are not holding the full the weight of the draw. I don't worry about speed either. If you are a whitetail hunter shooting inside of 30 or possibly even 40 yards speed matters little. Shoot the heaviest arrow that gives you acceptable trajectory for how you hunt. I guarantee you will never turn your compound into a recurve/long bow. Shoot what makes you comfortable and happy. You will have more confidence and trust in your ability to shoot the bow. That alone will make you a better shot and a better hunter. Do what makes sense for you.

My max range on white tail is 30 yards personally, but everyone is different. I shoot 63lbs and about 620 grains because that's where everything ended up. I can confidently shoot targets out to 70 yards and even farther with my target bow, but for me past 30 yards there are too many variables, but to each their own.