Upgrade or not?

[honesttjohn]

Newbie here. I have a 10 year old or so Equinox that is getting to be a little too heavy and cumbersome to lug around (I'm 73). Looking to maybe upgrade to something like the MagAir. I don't want to spend a fortune, since I like rifle hunting better. But I do go out with the guys some in bow season. Is this something that I should consider, as opposed to one of those compound things?
And, is my Equinox worth anything? What retailers are in the North Detroit area?

[rmb721]

I am 72 and I hunt with an Equinox and am not going to change. I also have another Equinox, a Vortex, and a Phoenix, all wide limbs.

Even if you get another crossbow, I would keep the Equinox if I were you.

[Normous]

Welcome to the forum,

If it makes you happy and want to carry a lighter crossbow it doesn't have to make sense to anyone else.

I know a guy in his 70's who replaced his heavier Vortex with with the Mag air and he could not be happier.

You could also cross the Border to Windsor Ontario and buy one 30% off with the $ Exchange Rate.

I can see getting a fair price selling your Equinox to offset the cost.

[flightattendant100]

For a few $$ more and a few Oz. You can get a Mag 340. Great bow.

[gerald strine]

I am a former Equinox owner my self and that is a wonderful bow.
I would second the vote for the Mag 340 it is a very good value for the money and it is close in speed to the Equinox but much shorter and not as wide.
It is not exactly light in weight but a much more handy bow.
The draw weight is stout but the draw length is quite a bit shorter than the Equinox.
I am 5ft 5in and I can rope cock the 340 if I need to but use a crank most of the time.
Any micro with more poundage than the 340 and I would be into using a crank full time.
I live in southern Mi and would be happy to let you shoot my Mag 340 if you were interested in checking it out.
As far as dealers go not a big selection Cabelas , Jays in Claire, Dunhams at least in the fall has a few.
I have found solid deals on E bay.
I am sure that mag air is a great bow and it may be just what you want but I like the extra power the 340 offers .
Resale is normally not that high on used long limb bows so you may want to keep the Equinox as a back up bow .
You may be able to buy a used 340 Mag at a good price these days if you are patient.
All that being said I am wanting a 360 Wolverine mostly for cosmetic reasons.

[xcaliber]

For a few $$ more and a few Oz. You can get a Mag 340. Great bow.

YEP!

[honesttjohn]

Thanx for the replies. Looking at the Mag340 now. Couple of the guys got Ravins and love them but we also had one guy put out of commission for a couple weeks when he broke a cam pulling his compound up to his seat. Helpless feeling sitting there while deer walk by and you can't do anything about it. Decisions Decisions.

[papabear1]

I will be 81 in July and i have a Equinox,
and it will soon go to machine shop to
become a (Thumbhole Vixen )
life will be so much more simple

Dave

[artifact]

I'm 75 and hunt with a Matrix 380, I have 2 of them, I would stick with an Excalibur!
Find an Excalibur you like, the odds are if something were to happen to it you wouldn't be out of commission for a couple of weeks or more like the Ravin owner. I would also consider keeping the Equinox, that way you will always have a backup bow just in case!
I also have a set of spare limbs, and extra strings for when I only had the one 380, figured that would be some good insurance on not having any down time, especially during the rut or when it gets down to crunch time near the end of the season.

[Boo]

A practical choice is a Mag 340 The speed nearly matches your current bow so it makes more sense than a MagAir. But the MagAir sure is light weight!

[honesttjohn]

I found a Matrix 340 brand new in the box for $550. Is that the model before the Mag 340? Good or bad?

[Boo]

The G340 is a polymer framed bow. Nothing wrong with a polymer framed bow, it just may not be your cup of tea. They are a bit more noisy and subject to damage to the mainframe more easily but they work and a bit easier to cock than a Mag 340.

At $500 you're getting a bow about $50 less than the going price. But price isn't everything. The Mag 340 is a Micro and is more compact than the Matrix bows. The Mag 340 is pretty much Excalibur's most popular bow.