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!