So... My Firecat came today

[JohnnyThunder]

UPS just arrived with my new firecat a few minutes ago. Suprisingly 60#s on a Firecat feels a lot heavier than 60# on my Saber. Wonder if it could actually be a little heavier ? Maybe that or the strings on my Saber are getting stretched out ? Been shooting it all fall, probably close to a hundred shots a day. I'll take them both to the pro shop tomorrow and see what they actually pull instead of just assuming that its 60# since its as tight as it goes.

Now I just gotta get a loop and peep tied on the Firekitty and get a rest and sight on there. Probably won't get the sight and rest till after christmas cause I gotta buy presents for the kids and stuff like that. ( Just bought the boy a new Leopard, btw ).

Any recomendations for a rest and sight ? I was kind of thinking a G5 Optix LE for the sight and maybe a ripcord rest ?

I'm excited about getting the Firecat, but its probably going to be after the new year before I even get a chance to shoot it. I'm just going to hunt with the Saber the rest of the season - its already shooting great.

[NEstickslinger]

congrats on the new bow!

[ezbite]

First off this thread is useless without a photo of the kitty, other than that minor detail, congrads. I'm thnking we need to start some sort of firecat mafia

[JohnnyThunder]

thanks

hey can you tell me is 29" draw on a Firecat shorter than 29" draw on a Saber ?

I was thinking maybe I could use another inch in draw length on the Saber, and now that I pull the Firecat I definitely think I need some more draw length.

I would guesstimate that the draw length on the Firecat seems an inch maybe two inches shorter than on my Saber, but they are both supposed to be 29".

[ezbite]

Mine came from the factory set at 29" also. We put a rest on it and an arrow with inches printed on it, when I drew back it was 29" which was a little over and inch too much for me. Take it to a shop and see where your at. If it's printed on the info ticket on your bottom limb, I'm betting it's 29" if you need to shorten it, DO NOT forget to move your draw stop too. You'll over rotate your cams and the cables will come off your modules locking your new bow in full draw. If this happens and your alone, carefull lay it on the floor and loosen the limb bolts 2 turns at a time until you can pop the cables back on. First time this happened I had a guy pop them on while I held full draw, damn near ripped my sholder off when he popped the 2nd one on. Just don't forget the draw stop and you'll be fine.

[JohnnyThunder]

First off this thread is useless without a photo of the kitty, other than that minor detail, congrads. I'm thnking we need to start some sort of firecat mafia

I will have to post some pictures some other time. I couldn't get my camera to work and couldn't find the wife's.

For right now the best I can do is the picture that the eBay seller put with the auction.

[JohnnyThunder]

Mine came from the factory set at 29" also. We put a rest on it and an arrow with inches printed on it, when I drew back it was 29" which was a little over and inch too much for me. Take it to a shop and see where your at. If it's printed on the info ticket on your bottom limb, I'm betting it's 29" if you need to shorten it, DO NOT forget to move your draw stop too. You'll over rotate your cams and the cables will come off your modules locking your new bow in full draw. If this happens and your alone, carefull lay it on the floor and loosen the limb bolts 2 turns at a time until you can pop the cables back on. First time this happened I had a guy pop them on while I held full draw, damn near ripped my sholder off when he popped the 2nd one on. Just don't forget the draw stop and you'll be fine.

I know I won't need to shorten it. If its really at 29", then I'll need to make it 30".

I hope that doesn't happen to me.

[JohnnyThunder]

Well I decided I couldn't wait to get a rest and sight so last night I went to the pro-shop and got an Apex Bone Collector ( same sight as on my Saber ) and a PSE Archery Phantom drop-away rest put on the Firekitty.

The Firecat seems like it pulls a lot harder than the Saber does, so I had to turn it out a couple turns to get it where I could shoot it. While I was sighting it in I could tell I was really liking it because it was making groups the size of a nickle instead of the size of a golfball.

Now I'm finally making 40 yard shots consistently, shooting at my deer target from 40 I've got every shot going in the vitals and most either in the heart or within an inch.

Took it out hunting this morning but it was freezing cold and windy with no game moving, so I didn't see anything. And it was so cold I gave up and came home about 10 am. I would like to go out and hunt with it somemore this afternoon but the Bama game is on and I want to watch it instead.

Also, I bought both my kids a new digital camera for xmas, so if I can't get my camera to work or find my wife's I'll get some pictures with one of their cameras after xmas.

[bfisher]

Johnny,

Don't try to compare the draw cycles of the FireCat to the Saber. I know guys do this, but it's the wrong way to make a decent comparison. Then there's your draw length question. The only way to answer both of these questions is to have both bows measured for draw length and weighed for draw weight. Then draw the two of them.

Know what you're gonna find? The FireCat does have a harsher draw at the same poundage. The bow is also faster and that's part of the price you pay for more speed. You have to work for it. There's no free lunch.

You say you backed the limbs off some? Good move. Make it easy on yourself. Over time you will likely get used to and even enjoy the cams on the Cat. The biggest thing right now is that you are not used to them.

Later on, after hunting season, if you get a chance and you really want to do a real comparison as to the draw cycle of both bows do it this way. Make sure both are set to the same "measured" draw length. Then shoot the Saber over a chrongraph to see what speed it produces. Then shooting the same arrow try the FireCat over the chrono and adjust the draw weight to where it produces the same speed as the Saber. Now compare draw cycles.

You'll probably find that the Cat produces the same speed at 5-8 fps less than the Saber. That makes the effective draw cycle seem much smoother.