Anyone into archery / bowhunting? Hoyt vs PSE on the brain

[atomd]

I've been out of it for a number of years but I'm very determined to get back into it. The bow I'm going to buy will be for hunting and will be practiced with heavily. In a few weeks I'll be getting either a Hoyt Katera or a PSE X-Force Dream Season. I'm really torn between these 2 bows. They are both so good. I like the speed, grip, and slightly longer brace height of the PSE. That bow wants to GO. If you creep just a tiny bit with it, it just wants to let that arrow rip. I think the Katera has a slightly better draw and those limbs are tried and true. It seems to be a really tough, durable bow and I like that. I can always swap out the grip to thin it out a little. A 6" brace height might not be as forgiving for me especially since it's been a while since I shot.

The Katera comes with a slightly better string out of the box but the draw length is set in stone. If I wanted to let my wife shoot this bow in a year or 2, the PSE would be the better choice because I can adjust it with a $30 module. I'd have to sell the Hoyt or buy her something else. The Hoyt can be adjusted for 5% more letoff than the PSE but the PSE will shoot faster at a lower draw weight. To me, the PSE has no hand shock at all. They Hoyt has a tiny, tiny bit. It's not even a real issue. That might disappear completely after a stabilizer. Hmmmmmm. I dunno.

I wish one of them was 100% what I wanted instead of 99%. I'm sure I'll be happy with either one since I like them both so much (yes, I've shot them a number of times). The PSE is around $75 more than the Hoyt.

Anyone know anything about these 2 bows? I realize they are pretty expensive for someone getting back into a sport but I will be paying dealer cost on them which is MUCH, MUCH lower than the MSRP. I also was pretty heavily involved in it in the past so I have an idea of what I'm looking for. I've tried to weigh every option but maybe I'm missing something. I wish I could buy them both!

[Regolith]

I don't know much about bows myself (I am planning on getting into the sport after I pick up a recurve, though - so you can count me as a rank novice), but I'd say if being able to adjust the draw length is a big deal, go with the PSE, since it allows that option.  It'd probably save you money in the long run if your wife does decide to shoot it.

If it's unlikely your wife will ever use it, however, I'd say go with the Hoyt, since it's the cheaper of the two.

Remember, my advice is worth just about as much as you paid for it. 

[Lennyjoe]

I've shot PSE for years and have been happy with their products and service. Might of had something to do with living in Tucson Arizona and only 10 minutes from them. I still hunt with a PSE G-Force set at 60 lbs with Gold tip 5575 arrows and 100 gr broadheads. The arrows are 28.5 inches long with 4" vanes and go right at 300fps thru my chrono. Still shoots well even with hatchet cams. I like the lower draw weight PSE for hunting because when its 19 degrees out and you have been on stand for 3 hours the lighter bow is easier to draw. Not much speed difference between the two. I used to hunt with a PSE Firestorm set at 75lbs for 3-D and hunting but when I stiffened up on stand in the cold that bow was almost impossible to draw. If you can, shoot both first. Good luck.

[Stevie-Ray]

I've shot only target bows. Have a Hoyt Pro-Vantage.