Cursed rifle shooter here

[BananaPudding]

Hey folks!

I'm pretty new to the hunting scene and I've been using rifles because I'm pretty comfortable and competent with them. For a few reasons, I've considered getting into archery, but I have some doubts. From what I've seen, bowhunters are more willing than JWs to talk to unbelievers, so I was hoping y'all could help me out. =D

Background: My ultimate goal is a bull elk hunt, but until then it'll be whitetails and feral hogs.

1) If I bought all used equipment, how much money are we talking to get a solid bow hunting setup? I don't want stuff that I'll want to upgrade ASAP, but I also don't want to pay for more than I'll be able to appreciate.

2) Like I said, I'm comfortable with rifles. Will this translate to shooting a bow? How much practice and time will it take before I'm competent enough to shoot a hog at 25 yards? For context, I'd have to be self-coached because I can't afford to hire someone and none of my bowhunter friends live near me.

3) I'm kinda a bad hunter and I have limited experience and opportunities. Bowhunting is a lot less forgiving than rifle hunting, so should I probably get better at rifle hunting first?

Thanks ahead of time for any advice y'all have!

 

[Dave N]

Welcome aboard!

1. You can PROBABLY get set up for $250 or so going used if you look around. May be different in Texas.

2. Not too much like rifle. Your time involved until hunting depends on your practice regimen as well as the area you will hunt. Thick cover keeping your shots close will differ from open areas where your targets can see you move.

3. No reason you can't learn how to shoot a bow and still go rifle hunting. Do what you like and keep practicing! Both!

 

[Pucky Freak]

1. Archery requires quite a bit more equipment than rifle hunting. I’d say $500 is the absolute bare minimum without making serious compromises, $750 gives you a fair amount of wiggle room if you’re willing to shop around, and and $900 is a more forgiving beginner budget.
Here’s a few ideas to get you thinking.

A little fun (bow setup)

Saw something like this somewhere else once. Anyways basically what it is is you pretend your friend walks up to you and gives you $600 and says get me a bow and Everything I need to hunt elk in the fall (just the archery stuff, not tags or boots, camo etc). Might be a fun thing to do here...

www.hunttalk.com

Buy an A-list release. There’s a lot of junk in the $50-$100 range. There are decent budget/used options for just about every other piece of equipment.

Archery is a different style of hunting that appeals to some people. If you like lots of practice, troubleshooting, close encounters, stealth, understanding working wind/thermals, and fooling an animal’s senses, then you might enjoy bow hunting. Get comfortable with having a LOT of close encounters (10-25 yards) with animals you’d be happy to take, but chose not to shoot at due to to an alert animal, animal walking too fast, no good shot angle, and shot obstructions. This happens more often than not. I consider 50% of bow hunting success to be getting an animal in range.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Being a bowhunter demands you to hold up your end of the bargain more so than rifle. As it is less forgiving than hunting with a rifle. Otherwise, you will injure or maim the animal. You owe it to yourself and your prey to put in the time to master the craft.

Good news is, with discipline and a good work ethic you can be a successful bowhunter.

Welcome aboard!

 

[LaSportsman]

You can be good enough to shoot hogs at 25 yards in a couple months. Truth in advertising, I haven't killed elk with my bow yet but I felt comfortable enough with my accuracy and consistency within a few months of practice. The last month before my hunts, I was shooting at least 5 days per week. I had more fun on blown stalks in two archery hunts than I would ever imagine. And I think there is no way to develop instincts other than making stalks. It happens so fast and there are so many little decisions that affect success or failure. I never got a shot off because of the failures but I learned with each one and I have an archery cow tag for this November to try again.

I agree $500 is the minimum and $750 is more likely. You need a bow, rest, sight, quiver, dozen arrows, release, and a range finder for minimum equipment. I still use my golf range finder and it's fine for flat hunting or target shooting but it's bulky on a hunt and doesn't adjust for incline which can be a problem depending on distance and terrain.

I'm two years into my starter bow and it's fine. It's a Diamond SB Edge. It was $550 for bow, sight, rest, quiver, and a dozen arrows. I've since changed my stabilizer ($100). I will upgrade my quiver and sight soon but those will move to a new bow when I upgrade so no loss. I now fletch my own arrows but have a shot cut them for me for now.

If you are looking used, Bowtech, Mathews, and Hoyt all have great bows. My next bow will probably be a Bowtech (Revolt or Realm SR6) or a Mathews Vertix.

I disagree on $100 for good release. There are definitely cheap releases to avoid but I use a Scott Little Goose and it's great. I got it for around $50. It's $58 on Amazon right now. I may switch to a thumb release and the price goes up substantially for a thumb or hinge release but many hunters shoot a wrist release.

Check out John Dudley from Nock On Archery for great free instructional videos. https://www.youtube.com/user/nockonarchery

 

[SAJ-99]

Thanks ahead of time for any advice y'all have!

Welcome.

1) I am terrible estimating cost. My first thought was $500, but I always underestimate by 2x, so maybe $1000.

2) Starting from scratch, the time depends on how often you shoot. I would say you need 500-1000 shots to build muscle memory, comfort, and confidence. Time would depend on how often you are able to shoot. Fewer shots more often is better than 50 shots a session, IMO.

3) I am would like to ask why you think you are a bad rifle hunter? Is it finding game, shooting accuracy, or something else? You are correct in that bow hunting is less forgiving, but being an archery hunter makes you a better rifle hunter. I don't recommend archery hunting if killing game is how you judge your enjoyment of the sport.

 

[RG_Adult_Onset_Hunter]

If you shoot iron sights than the sight picture of a compound bow will translate for you. Learning how to shoot consistently will help you do the same with archery, though the two disciplines are VERY different.

Rule 1: Your bow has to fit you or it will shoot like crap. Go to your local pro shop and get measured, tell them what you want to hunt and be honest about your budget and experience level. In my experience these shops want to treat their customers right every time, because that archer is going to keep coming back. Even if you buy used, take the bow in to get yourself fitted, you will not regret getting that done.

Rule 2: Don't skimp on your gear. Getting a budget bow, release, or rest is just going to make you want to upgrade it later. Better buy once and cry once, than buy twice and pay more. The Hoyt Powermax is a pretty solid bow that comes with different poundages (don't think you need max poundage to get the job done either, that additional poundage comes at the price of fatigue at full draw).

Rule 3: PRACTICE A LOT. Shoot more arrows in a summer than you shoot bullets in 5 years.

Rule 4: Buy more arrows than you think you will need. Arrow loss, and breakage are inevitable, it's best to have a few dozen to work with so you are not scrambling to get new ones as the season comes on because your supply dwindled to nothing.

When you look at arrows, a fully set up bow, targets and miscelanious gear, I'd say $1400 would be a good budget to set aside. If you can find a good used bow it'll come down from there, but it's best to budget high and see where you can save money here and there. Good luck.

 

[BananaPudding]

Thanks to everyone for their advice! For now, I'm gonna be saving up money, but I'm looking forward to entering the bowhunting world.

 

[Gary]

For used equipment, consider checking the "Items for sale" posts on local hunting forums. Craig's List is another place to watch for used gear.

 

[azelkhntr]

Find a good archery shop. They'll have entire setups that they're familiar with and have worked on and/or sold. Usually they are on consignment so you have wiggle room to haggle. Its amazing the number of archery hunters who pick up new outfits every year of so.

 

[LaSportsman]

I generally agree with buy once cry once but the technology in archery is evolving so fast that first, a starter bow is pretty darn good and mostly limited by the rest or sight which can be moved and 2. Even if you buy a top bow, it will be old technology in a couple years. A solid $1,000 rifle bought today will last a lifetime. A $1,000 bow will last ten years but be woefully outdated. I never intend to upgrade every year - I'm going in to my third year with a starter bow - but I can see a new bow every 5-8 years compared to buying a rifle for the remainder of my lifetime.

The starter bow may be a used high end bow that's a couple years old if you can find one. Another forum always complains how bows don't hold their value and yet they ask 90% of new cost for 2 year old bows in the classifieds.

 

[BananaPudding]

I generally agree with buy once cry once but the technology in archery is evolving so fast that first, a starter bow is pretty darn good and mostly limited by the rest or sight which can be moved and 2. Even if you buy a top bow, it will be old technology in a couple years. A solid $1,000 rifle bought today will last a lifetime. A $1,000 bow will last ten years but be woefully outdated. I never intend to upgrade every year - I'm going in to my third year with a starter bow - but I can see a new bow every 5-8 years compared to buying a rifle for the remainder of my lifetime.

The starter bow may be a used high end bow that's a couple years old if you can find one. Another forum always complains how bows don't hold their value and yet they ask 90% of new cost for 2 year old bows in the classifieds.

That's good to know, thanks! Kinda discouraging that it won't last a lifetime, but then again it's encouraging that it sounds like the used bow market is buyer friendly

 

[Dave N]

You would be surprised about bows. I bought my first about 20 years ago. After 1 or 2 years I decided I wanted to continue bow hunting and upgraded bows. That would make my current bow 18 years old or so. Kills deer when I do my part. All I've done is replace the string and cable. Is it the latest and greatest? No. Do I care? No. It's not even made any more. So, maintenance can make a bow last a while.

A used bow at an archery shop will probably have been checked over. They can also get you fit to one. Private sales should let you have it looked over before buying. One advantage to buying used is if you decide to sell later you won't lose as much if any money. Then you can upgrade to whatever new-fangled whiz-bang bow you want. Lots of used ones even have some accessories included.

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

Hey folks!

I'm pretty new to the hunting scene and I've been using rifles because I'm pretty comfortable and competent with them. For a few reasons, I've considered getting into archery, but I have some doubts. From what I've seen, bowhunters are more willing than JWs to talk to unbelievers, so I was hoping y'all could help me out. =D

Background: My ultimate goal is a bull elk hunt, but until then it'll be whitetails and feral hogs.

1) If I bought all used equipment, how much money are we talking to get a solid bow hunting setup? I don't want stuff that I'll want to upgrade ASAP, but I also don't want to pay for more than I'll be able to appreciate.

2) Like I said, I'm comfortable with rifles. Will this translate to shooting a bow? How much practice and time will it take before I'm competent enough to shoot a hog at 25 yards? For context, I'd have to be self-coached because I can't afford to hire someone and none of my bowhunter friends live near me.

3) I'm kinda a bad hunter and I have limited experience and opportunities. Bowhunting is a lot less forgiving than rifle hunting, so should I probably get better at rifle hunting first?

Thanks ahead of time for any advice y'all have!

1) I'd say you'd be looking at somewhere in the $400-600 range for all used complete setup. You can get steals on bows if you frequent the classified sections of some popular archery forum sites. I've seen and sold some for <$200 just to move them quickly. If it were me though I'd go buy used from a pro shop for my first one. That should give you confidence that you're getting the appropriate thing that fits you. Plus, they should allow you to try them out before buying.

2) Not long. Most compounds can have a person hitting a paper plate pretty quickly. Dialing it in and getting super comfortable will take time and practice. Unlike a lot of rifle hunters - myself included, unfortunately - you can't take a bow out the day before season and check the sights and call it good. You've got to dedicate time to get proficient. I don't think it's out of the question to be bow hunting this season for you if you can shoot a few times a week.

3) Absolutely not. If anything, bowhunting will help to hone those skills as you have to get closer to your quarry. I would not wait at all!

 

[Hunt West]

Get with someone who knows archery and how to execute shots properly if at all possible. You will be far ahead of the curve if you start out correctly rather than developing a bunch of bad habits, getting frustrated, and then trying to learn a better way.

 

[seeth07]

You guys are hilarious about the cost of a bow setup and where this fella should begin.

To start off, he shouldn't even be thinking hunting and just archery as a sport and passion. That requires a stick and string at the local archery range. I started off at a very young age (think I was 7 or 8) but my Dad took me to the local indoor range and I shot one of the unfitted way to big for an 8 year old recurves hanging on the wall of the range. After a few trips, I signed up for the youth Saturday morning shoot and my Dad took me every week over the season where I wanted to be early to get the best recurve on the wall!

Idk what my first compound cost my Dad for me a year later but I do know that I still have it and still shoot it for old times sake as it has dropped me many memories in the form of whitetails. It's now pushing 23 years. That Christmas all I wanted was a release before the next youth league that winter and my uncle delievered.

The bow I do use for most trips is an old 2000 Matthews Q2XL I bought around 2012 off Craigslist for 100 bucks. Still zips em dead to this day with ease and I think it's on its 4th string.

I will agree that the one item to not go cheap on is the release. I still have my fletch hunter from Christmas thanks to my uncle. I swear it's built of steel and can't be broke.

 

[LaSportsman]

Where you are matters for availability and price of used bows. I struggle to find local deals and they have seemed overpriced on forums. I don't live near a city so I don't have a local shop other than one that is part of a gun shop. I do have a local archery club that has been invaluable for progressing in skill level.

 

[pojoaque40]

I'd put more money into Cory's elk101 class and Paul Medel's teachings than i would a bow (having paid for both). You can pick up recurves for much less than a compound. A fancy bow won't do you any good if you can't get close. Invest in yourself, not your gear.

 

[BananaPudding]

I'd put more money into Cory's elk101 class and Paul Medel's teachings than i would a bow (having paid for both). You can pick up recurves for much less than a compound. A fancy bow won't do you any good if you can't get close. Invest in yourself, not your gear.

Sounds like good advice!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Sounds like good advice!

Maybe...

Recurve is simple and cheaper, but hard to become proficient in, and takes a lot more time to learn. It can be made easier by adding various gadgets, but at that point you might as well get a compound anyways. I shot a recurve for 17 years and killed a handful of squirrels, and 3 deer, only 1 of which I recovered. It’s a very close range game, it’s very hard to draw without being detected by game, and the twang when you shoot is loud, startling game before the slow arrow arrives. More rewarding when you pull it all together, but lots of challenges.

My new $350 compound and $120 worth of arrows I was hitting a beverage coaster-sized target at 25 yards the first day of shooting it, having never shot compound before. I never got close to that accuracy with a recurve, and my effective hunting range was 15 yards. I still plan to hunt with both, but they’re two very different pieces of equipment.

I’m not contesting the truth in good training and investing in yourself. Most people over-emphasize gear, and neglect knowledge and skills. No substitute for the latter two. Just good to know what you’re getting into with the old stick and string.