new to bowhunting

**m48goat** · 06-02-2012, 10:13 PM

hey guys, my buddy let me try out his hoyt bow the other day and i couldnt believe i felt almost in love with it. dont get me wrong,i love shooting my rifles especially my 300wsm and honestly i never thought i'd get into bowhunting but i am going to give it a try!

anyways, i come to you guys for opinions on what company or companies i should be looking at..im looking for something not very expensive but i do want quality so if i end up loving bow hunting, i have a good bow/equipment and dont need to upgrade for a while.id appreciate any advice or experience you guys have!thanks!
-goat

**Orygun** · 06-02-2012, 11:41 PM

If you and your bow are in harmony don't worry about anything new or upgrading. Give it a season and see if you really like archery. In a very general description you get low range bows under $300, mid range at around $500 and high end at $800 and up. There should be a cascade of brand loyalists posting up with their favorites. PSE, Bear, Bowtech, Diamond, Hoyt, Martin, Mathews, Parker are major players. Kodiak is a lesser known outfit. Most shops carry multiple brand names.

I think it it is more important to find a good bow shop. I bought a Bear Assault last year. Came with a nice little sight pin, stabilizer, rest, and quiver package. The shop guy set me up and wouldn't let me leave till I had that thing straight lining bullseyes in the shop (20 yds) My dad bought a whisker biscuit from them a couple days later and they had him on the line shooting for a half hour after the installed it. Had to tune my dad's form a little as well. Point is they pay a lot of attention and were very helpful. They will be my bow shop for some time to come.

Finding the right bow for You is a bit like playing King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone. You go to a shop or shops. You test shoot a lot of different bows. At some point you find the ONE. And it is very likely that bow will make you an archery god and it will do everything you ask of it and more. At the same time there will be 10,000 guys who bought and shot that exact bow and will tell you it is a rabid dog and should be shot. That may end up being an $1000 bow or a $250 bow. You may never find the ONE but just about any bow you buy that once it and you are tuned properly can shoot just fine.

All the major companies have great bows at all price ranges. You can make a Pope and Young bull just as dead with a low range bow and a high range one. With price increase you are getting lighter weight, faster speeds, lesser noise. Not so much accuracy. I would look in the mid-range first if you decide on a new bow. I mentioned Kodiak bows. I bought one off a friend who needed the money and I wanted a backup bow. I ended up killing a buck with it a couple months later. It took some work by my shop guy but we got it to work well for me. They have some nice bows in the mid price range.

The nice(bad) things about bows is they don't last like a rifle. I still have and hunt with the Remington model 700 I got as a high school grad gift 25 or more years ago and it will last me as long as I hunt. I hunted with the same Bear/Pearson bow for 14 years. I literally shot it to death as it gave up the ghost after tens of thousands of shots. So, you can always change as long as your pocketbook allows.

Your goal should be the delivery of the best possible flighted arrow to kill the quickest and most humanely way that is legally possible. A quality release, rest, and sight pins should all be considered as well. As far as what kind of those, that's multiple cans of worms.

**solus** · 06-03-2012, 02:07 AM

Like orygun is trying to say is find a good archery shop in your area and try out some of there bows and see which one suits you best. I bought mine 4-5years ago and still like it. But now I'm looking for an upgrade because I'm looking for a lighter quieter bow now that I can afford one. I've always been a fan of hoyt and reflex but mathews makes a good quality bow as well. Good luck in finding a bow and remember the more you cutomize it to your liking the longer you will keep it.

**m48goat** · 06-03-2012, 09:02 AM

thanks orygun and solus! i will go look for a good archery shop around my area and go try some out. and let you guys know later on when i finally decide on what i liked..what about sights pins and releases do you guys recommend or like.would like something quality made

**Where's Bruce?** · 07-01-2012, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by m48goat

thanks orygun and solus! i will go look for a good archery shop around my area and go try some out. and let you guys know later on when i finally decide on what i liked..what about sights pins and releases do you guys recommend or like.would like something quality made

When I determined that my old bow was due for replacement...I did a lot of research and pulled back on every CB on the market. That's how you know what you will love (not just like) and for me, i ended up selecting a

HOYT7.jpg HOYT1.jpg

Hoyt Carbon Element 65lb draw, Spot Hogg Hunter sight, QAD HDX drop-away rest, 8” Axion Gridlock 3D Hunter stabilizer, Archer Xtreme Carbon Vapor (camo dipped) quiver w/ Axis 340 arrows & Montec vented broadheads.

It's working for me.

700lb hog.jpg Ram.jpg

**flingem71** · 07-01-2012, 01:55 PM

Today I use a bowtech vft for my compound. I also own a PSE recurve. I've owned several bows in my time. My fav will always be my old Fred Bear Whitetail hunter. It, by todays standard would be consididered something to bash an animal over the head with. I would own one today if the chance came along. The point is, whatever you like....is what you will shoot best. Do your homework, figure your arrow/weight/speed ect. combinations. Its a bow...it flings arrows....its potential is limited by yours. Happy hunting :)

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