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Mathews Monster & super fast bows

Sligh1

Sligh1

Administrator
Staff member
So, what's the over-all opinion on the Monster???

You can get the Monster XLR8 which shoots up to - over 360 fps BUT it only has 5" brace height- too little!!!

Regular Monster, has 6" brace height and shoots up to 353 fps.

(we all know the bows will always be somewhat less for speed BUT these are still going to be darn fast- well over 300).

Problem or question...

-Have to get new Mathews rest because other drop aways don't go down fast enough in most cases. I suppose that's ok and i'm fine with that.

-If I were to get one, I am going to guess I'll get it to around 315-320 fps. I am thinking at that speed, my MX-3 fix blade Muzzy's MIGHT be going by-by as that might be too fast. Anyone have a recommendation for a solid expandable- I will NOT shoot Rage's- had too many problems. I'd love a 2" diameter and I'd love it if someone magically made a perfect one (which to me, Rage's fall WAY WAY short).

The attractive part of this bow: super flat shooting, amazing kinetic energy (blowing through stuff!), deer have even less reaction time, etc. Nervous about switching though- big MX-3 fixed blade fan too.

Tell me what y'all think of the Monster?
 
I saw the ads, read about the brace height, turned the page. IMO a couple bow companies have turned the speed thing into a pissing match. Some like speed so they'll get them be happy.
 
I'm with Muddy. In doing the math an arrow that is traveling 320 fps on a 40 yard shot will hit the target in .375 seconds. An arrow traveling at 280fps will get there in .42 seconds. In my opinion .05 seconds difference isn't going to mean jack in terms of less reaction time for the deer. I heard that they shoot well but the lower brace height isn't worth the trouble in my opinion....you better have perfect form or else your lightning fast, flat shooting arrow isn't going to end up where you want it...it will just stick farther into the dirt.
 
I went the speed route. Last year I bought an 82nd Airborne. It shot 320 fps with my hunting setup. I don't have perfect form. It was fast, but that's about all I can say about it. It wasn't comfortable and my groups were no where's near as tight as my 285 fps Commander. This year I traded the 82nd in on a new Captain. It shoots about 305 fps with my hunting arrows. I don't think I will ever own a bow with less than 7" of brace height again. Now this is not to say that if I wanted to spend the time and shoot a speed bow enuf to get comfortable with it that I couldn't have shot it well. JMHO anything with less than 7" of BH is just too sensitive for my shooting style. I tried the speed game. Now I have more experience than I had b4 I did it.
 
I hear you, no doubt! BUT I do think there's some merit to saying that a bow is so fast that you NOW can have ONE PIN from 0-40 yards. There is quite a bit more kinetic energy as well. Alot of folks have issues with penetration of arrow (a lot that i know that choose expandables). My bow now has a brace height of 7", no problem at all. The Regular Monster is 6" BUT it's a little longer axle to axle and a bit heavier. I guess maybe it will come down to shooting it a bunch to really see if it works well too. Thanks for the above input! More thoughts anyone???
 
Maybe somebody should wake Horn Hunter up. He posted pics from spring turkey where he used his new Monster. I bumped into his son the other morning and he said Horn Hunter is loving the Monster. Come on Horn Hunter, tells us about your bow!

I have never even picked up a Monster at an archery shop, but from reading the forums, if the roll over is as hard as I've been hearing, it's not the bow for me. To each his own, though.
 
Thanks for the wake up call JNRBRONC, my son told me that he saw you the other day. I need to get out your way and setup some cameras.

Anyway, about the Monster. I have the regular Monster with the 6" brace height, I have not shot the XLR8 so I can't compare the two. When I shot it the first time I shot it next to the new Reezen and for me the Monster felt better. It is a little top heavy but I like the added weight, it seems to help me hold steadier.

I have a 29" draw at 70 lbs cranked all the way down. I have heard that some of them are up to 75 lbs when they are cranked down all the way but I have not checked mine. The draw does have a noticeable hump at the back but I didn't think it was that bad and I got used to it pretty quickly.

I am shooting carbon express 350 maximum hunters with 125g G5 Striker Magnum broadheads and they hit right where the field points hit. I do have the new Mathews downforce rest and it works well.

I have not shot mine through a crono to check the speed but my buddy has a Yellow Jacket broad head target and I have a block and I shoot through both with a broadhead. I did shoot two turkeys with it this spring and it blew right through them. I am looking forward to deer season.

The bottom line is just to go shoot one and see how it feels. I didn't buy it for the speed, but the speed is nice, it just felt better than the Reezen and I shot it better than my Switchback XT. It's not for everybody but I really like it and I am glad I bought one.
 
I didn't like the Monster, but I fell in love with the Reezen 6.5, which ibo is at 340 fps. I ended up buying a Reezen 6.5 a couple of months ago. I'm not a speed guru either, but I do like the fact that I can shoot lower poundages (I have mine set at 61 lbs), still get decent speed and a lot of kinetic energy. I'm shooting a 450 grain arrow around 280 fps, and my arrows are going DEEP into my block target.
 
I found this demo of the monster on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8vn7s5PISg&feature=related Pretty neat clip. I have seen this same guy do allot of demos of different bows on youtube. I would think that if you are shooting between 280 and 300 fps you should be in great shape. I myself like a quick bow in the 280 to 290 range that is quiet as can bee for those longer shots. Someone on here has the saying at the bottom of ther posts, Speed is great, but accuracy is deadly, or something like that. I like that comment.
 
I prefer a smooth, quiet, easy drawing bow for hunting..

I thought the Monster shot great for how fast it is, but it is on the harder side to draw and the huge hump at the end of the draw cycle is no good for hunting in my opinion..

I will stick to smoother quieter slower bows with normal brace heights for hunting..

Since when did 300fps become too slow for hunting anyway?????
 
I shot the Monster - everthing was nice and smooth until the last three inches or so of the draw. I hated the hump at the end. I could probably get used to it, but it just wasn't for me. It does have a ton of power behind it, though. The faster speed would be nice for elk/moose/western game, but for whitetails I don't see any real advantage. My hunting setups have always shot between 260 & 270 FPS - and that has been plenty enough. Just my opinion.
 
I don't think you are going to get 1 pin out to 40 yards unless you want to screw around with how high it is going to be at 20yds on a buck of a lifetime. My buddy has an 80lb elite that shoots low 340s consistently and he has to have his first pin set at 30 yards. It drops too much at 40, or should I say shoots too high at close ranges if you sight in at 40 yards. There is still some drop from 20-30, but you typically can't get your pins close enough. I did watchi him biff a shot on an antelope bedded at 11 yards because he forgot to aim low enough with his first pin set at 30 yards. Goodluck in whatever you decide. Low brace heights scare me, especially with bulky hunting clothing on.
 
Sligh1 said:
Problem or question...

-Have to get new Mathews rest because other drop aways don't go down fast enough in most cases.
Click to expand...
Never heard this. Limbdriver, QAD Ultrarest I know will clear it as well.

Since IW slowed after turkey season I started hanging out on Archery Talk. There are LOTS of posts about the monster. Love them or hate them its a fast bow.

I've shot the XLR8. Wow. The whole 1pin to 40 yards is true. There is about 3-4in from 15yards to 40 with out moving the pin. That was a 28in 68lb with a 390ish gr arrow.
 
bowhuntr311 said:
The whole 1pin to 40 yards is true. There is about 3-4in from 15yards to 40 with out moving the pin. That was a 28in 68lb with a 390ish gr arrow.
Click to expand...

That is insane! It's crazy how far technology has come with bows in the past twenty years. Just think what the next twenty years will bring! Say good bye to multi-pin sites?
 
Mathews has their NEW rest for the Monster, it's a drop away called the "Down Force Arrow Rest". It was designed and needed for super fast bows because normal drop-aways were often not clearing in time, the bow was too fast for the rests. This design of rest solves that if there's a problem.
 
If your getting a Monster and you want to put a mathews rest on it. More power to you.
I wont own another mathews with out a Mathews T-Serious Quiver, awesome 1-Piece quiver.
The QAD ultra hd rest has been "recorded" at 400fps with no fletching contact. Its in their tech support area. The XLR8 I shot had the mathews rest on it... Nothing special in my opinion. Although the pro shop owner sure tried to sell me one, telling me that the short brace height was why the Monster "HAD" to have the down force. The Omen, and 82nd airborne are somewhere just over an inch more of brace height. I doubt its enough to make a difference.

PSE and Bowtech are well over that 340 mark as well. Thier not toting the you have to have some special rest like Mathews. If you ask me, I think its a ploy for Mathews to sell more Mathews stuff.
 
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