All I wanted to do once I returned home was test my bow properly at the range. Out in Wisconsin, I noticed that my issues only showed up on targets beyond 35-40 yards, which I hadn’t really shot much of, if I’m honest. Undoubtedly, that contributed to the problem, because at those ranges and under the margins, any inconsistencies aren’t easy to detect due to the speed of modern compound bows.

After six months with the Mathews ARC 34, I’m revisiting the bow that left me confused at first — this time after tuning, 3D shoots, field courses, broadhead testing, and real range time.

November brings excitement for a multitude of reasons, especially if you’re a bowhunter. There’s the pre-rut, then the rut — that magical time in the whitetail woods, in most of the country anyway, where anything is possible. Giant bucks can be had, and encounters begin to peak. The playing field is as level as it will ever be between the novice and the experienced hunter.