I was 16 when I harvested my first deer. It was a fat, corn fed, 130lb, Indiana doe. It was bow season, and I was equipped with a pretty nice PSE Carrera. I loved that bow, and I thought I'd be a PSE customer for life. Nine years later in 2010 I decided I’d buy a new bow for the 2011 deer season. Since I had only shot PSE, I really wanted to buy something completely different. Only problem was that my local bow shop (Lil' Arrow Shop - Mace, IN) only sold PSE and AR. I liked Mathews as a company, but it seems like everyone I know has a Matthews. I like to be a little different, so I began searching.
One day I was reading an online forum when something caught my eye. "Well this is interesting" I thought.. The title read “I love my new bow - the Mission Craze.” I wondered, “What is Mission Archery?” I looked it up online and found out that it was Mathews new line. I was hooked after that since it wasn't directly a Mathews bow, and because my friends hadn't heard of them either. I began scouring the net for reviews, and I couldn't find a single negative word about Mission. After extensive search I fell in love with the Mission Craze, and it was right in my price range. Everything about it seemed right, and I couldn't wait to put one in my hands.
My wedding was coming up in just a few months, and money was real tight. I figured that with wedding money I'd have no problem buying a bow. The only problem was that the wedding was September 24, 2011, and I really wanted to get out and shoot my new bow sooner than that. Indiana's bow season starts October 1, and six days isn't enough time to get a new bow dialed in. I decided to bite the bullet, put pride aside, and go ask my old man to make me a loan. He agreed under the conditions that I pay him back on September 25, a day after my wedding. He also warned me to not go over $400. On the way to the Matthews dealer here in Indiana I got a phone call from a client I had done some artwork for. He said “Hey Joey, I’m sending you a check for $100 for the work you completed.” This was panning out just perfect, now I've got an extra $100 for new arrows too.
Pulling into the parking lot of the Mathews dealer I almost felt as if I were cheating on a girlfriend. I pretty much only go to the PSE shop and pulling into a Mathews dealer made me a little uneasy. I put the emotions aside and headed in. First thing I saw was the bow I was after, the Mission Craze. The shop attendant was busy talking with another customer. They were going back and forth about how the Rage Broadheads are plain "Junk." Yet when I asked the other customer why, he just said "Cause they is just junk." I waited for a little more explanation, but didn't get it. "Well that explains it......?" I thought. Anyway, I asked the attendant to hand me the Craze. When I held it for the first time I immediately knew that it wasn’t going to work. I just didn’t like the way it felt. It was shorter than I expected, and the weight was off. I remember feeling off balance just holding it. Discouraged and disappointed, I was nearly ready to head back to the PSE dealer. I turned my head and glanced back at the bow rack one last time. That's when I saw it. There it was, almost as if it had a white light glowing around it. I swore I heard angels singing, until the attendant said, "Oh, you want to see the Mission Endeavor?" Interested, I agreed, and the clerk handed it over. When I grabbed it, it felt just like putting on a pair of socks that fit just perfect. It became part of me, and I of it. I could feel my blood pump, and I got excited just holding it. For the first time I felt completely confident holding a bow. I knew then and there that I had to have it. Thinking it was probably WAY out of my price range I asked, “How much more is the Endeavor?” The clerk responded with “$100 more than the Craze." With a telephone call in mind I said “Perfect, I have an extra $100, I’ll take it!”
For the next month I must have shot that thing 1000 times. The guys I hunt with commented that I had never shot that good. I felt much more confident, and knew I had picked the right bow. The best part is when I went to Dad's house to pay him back after the wedding, He said " Keep your money, Happy Wedding, and bring me some jerky when you get one."
If you're in the market for a new bow, then head down to Whitetails Plus in Mooresville, IN. Try out a Mission, and you may just end up with it in your treestand. As long as Mission is making bows, they have a customer in me. -Joey Buttram (Willowpine Outdoors)
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