Tracker, being honest that is a tough question, kind of like asking which kid is your favorite. lol Right now I can't answer that with a single answer. I like each bow for different reasons. They are all top of the line very fine bows. But if someone wants to pick out the little details between the three it can be done. I work part time in a pro shop and I wasn't all that inpressed with the Drenalin when it first came out. But after shooting the shops Demo a lot and testing it head to head against the other two I realy became inpressed. All bows seem equally quiet IMO and almost the same with smoothness and zero hand shock. Here is my list of the best positives and worst negatives that stand out for each bow compared to the other two. Note I am being very picky because these three are all awesome bows, and a archer can't go wrong buy owning any of them.
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Drenalin
Positives
1) Light Weight almost a half pound lighter than the other two bows.
2) Fast, on paper its listed as only 2 f/s faster than the Switchback but in reality its a good 9-10 f/s faster than the Switchback.
3) Well balanced and is very accurate, this is a matter of opinion but for those who have owned both bows or all three seem to think that drenalin just holds better and as a result it more accurate. I tend to agree with this as well, I rate it as most accurate of the three.
Drenalin
Negatives
1) Has a slight kick out from the bottom, it's not hand shock, its just kick that can be felt. With even a small stabilizer such as a Slim S Coil this problem is eleminated.
2) Slim Lims are not yet proven over time so that is why I am listing it as a Negative. For some this scares them away from this bow. Mathews states they last twice as long as the regular lifetime warranty limbs. I really like them myself and like all Mathews products they come with a lifetime warranty, so even if they do have problems so what. Mathews has one of the best reputations for customer service.
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Switchback XT
Positives
1) Smooth, very smooth, IMO there isn't a bow on a market thats as smooth drawing and shooting as the XT. Sure the Dren and regular switchback are smooth to, but the XT is even more so its the best of the 3 in this category.
2) Very Short axle to axle at 31" comparted to 33" for the other two. This comes in handy for the treestand hunter or hunting out of a blind. I too like the shortness of it for these reasons. When hunting out of a blind this is my bow of choice.
3) Forgiving, it has a half inch more brach height (BH) over the other two at 7.5" compared to 7". This again is a matter of opinion but some archers realy like that half ince more BH and claim it gives them more accuracy. I mysef realy can't tell much difference in accurace between the XT, and SB. Both are really accurate bows IMO but with that said the Dren is more accurate for me.
Switchback XT
Negatives
1) Slow, sure its smooth but that smoothness came at a price in speed. Its about 12-16 f/s slower than the Drenalin depending upon the arrow weight. I myslef could care less about speed, when it comes to big game hunting. I like shooting heavier arrows around the 270-280 f/s mark and the XT does that with ease. The XT is plenty fast for any bowhunter and plenty fast for me. It just happens to be slower than the other two bows.
2) Short axle to axle, I know I lised this as a positive too, but some archers hate short axle to axle bows prefering a longer ATA. So this is both a negative and positiver depening upon the archer you are talking to.
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Switchback
Positives
1) Its a all around well balanced bow, it preforms very well and gives a hunter all his or her needs like a good hunting bow should. It has good speed better than the XT but of course not as fast as the Dren. It is smooth shooting with zero hand shock, as mentioned not quite as smooth as the XT and to some it might be better than the Dren becasue it has no bottom kick like the Dren has. Like the other two its deadly quiet and overall good accuracy for a hunting bow.
2) Cost, its cheaper than either the XT or Drenalin.
3) Well proven and reliable. Not that the other two will not be, its just I like to hunt with a bow that has preformed for me in the past. For whatever reason, this gives me a boost of conifidence when the moment of truth presents itself. I bet I am not alone in my thought process.
Switchback
Negatives
1) It doesn't do anything special that either the XT or Drenalin does a bit better. Not to sound like a broken record, but bottom line its not as fast as the Dren and not as smooth as the XT.
2) Weight, out of the three its the most heavy. Overall its a normal weight hunting bow compared to all the bows on the market today, but the Drenalin has up the bar in the weight department.
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There you have it this is my opinion of my three bows, which one do I like the most? For now I can't say they are all excellent.
) Anyhow are you going for a spring bear? Hope all is well.
