New archery hunter ?'s

[RyeGuy74]

I'm looking at buying a bow but since I am new to this, I just need some advice. Should I buy a cheaper bow and look at upgrading in a few years or should I just get a top-of-the-line bow now so that I'll have a fancy piece of equipment for a long time?

 

[Indianajoe]

A decent middle of the road bow will last a very long time.

 

[Dave N]

You can go to an archery shop and find a GOOD used bow for the price of a new middle of the road one. (No offense intended to Indianajoe)

 

[p_ham]

Look for a good used bow. New models will be dropping soon so it'll be a good time to buy.

 

[Indianajoe]

I totally agree. Archery equipment takes a beating on used value. I have had great luck buying good used bows as dave and p ham mentioned. I didnt clearly speak. I would not a flagship bow for a beginner. I would recomend buying a used bow from a reputable bow shop if you aren't experienced with archery equipment.

 

[widnert]

And to weigh in on the above good comments, if you are new to archery, you really do need to go to a reputable bow shop and get the basics down. Any reputable shop will have quality used bows on-hand which you can try right there before buying. Also, if you've not been measured for your draw length, that is critical when purchasing any bow and the shop can measure you. A lot of good info can be gleaned from a good shop.

 

[OtisUntamed]

Agreed, spend time at a reputable bore shop and let them get you squared away in regards to sizing and comfort. A good used bow will more than suffice. I would take the money saved and put it towards a set up for building your own arrows.

 

[Werty]

I agree with what's been said , unfortunately finding a truly knowledgeable archery shop is tougher than you think.

 

[SG25]

I agree with what's been said , unfortunately finding a truly knowledgeable archery shop is tougher than you think.

Yep! That’s why it’s best to learn how to do everything yourself. John Dudley has been great for that.

 

[Redman]

A used bow from a reputable bow dealer is a option. Be aware of string and cable condition. You are looking at additional money if they need replaced which with the price of a used bow + string and cable replacement you will be in the price range of a new middle line bow.

 

[geetar]

Things to look for and ask questions about. Some used bows can be had at a bargain but can be expensive to get set up for you. For instance before you buy do a little research on how the draw length is adjustable. Some bows I’ve had were adjustable by adjusting the cables position in the cam ( Bear Archery Element ) while I had another bow that you had to change cams completely ( Matthews Z7 ). This can make a big difference in how expensive it is to set up for your draw length if it isn’t right at time of purchase. I would avoid the big box stores archery departments and go to a local shop where the guy behind the counter is probably a serious archer himself and knows his stuff.

 

[fmnjr]

Like the OP, the 3 of us are new to archery and are about to use a shop just down the road to get introduced to it all. In our case, one of the owners is also a very serious bow hunter so that's a big plus as well. They have a whole bunch of gear we'll be rotating through during the course of taking lessons so my hope is that by the time we've done several lessons, we will have learned a whole bunch about equipment, too. Thank goodness for this site as we've already gotten prepped pretty well for what to look out for when choosing equipment. We'll be going the used route because it makes sense

 

[TheBenHoyle]

Personally, when I started bow hunting I bought a VERY cheap bow off Craigslist ($80) and used that for the first couple of years. It was a great way to not spend much money while I was learning more about archery and hunting with a bow. I didn't want to drop a whole lot of money and then decide that I didn't like hunting with a bow. Turns out I loved it and also 20+ year old archery equipment was not great for hunting (I had a few missed shots due to a faulty rest design). So eventually (3 years later) I jumped in with both feet and bought a brand new bow from a bow shop. I have been hunting with it for 3 years now and I absolutely love it. I didn't feel bad about spending the money because I knew what I wanted and I knew that I would use it for a long time.

I think if I had spent $500-$600 right out of the gate on a quality used bow, I might have gotten a bow that I wasn't completely happy with and then that would have kept me from spending the money to get a better bow later. But at $80 I was very willing to move on from that investment and get the bow I really wanted. And I knew what bow I wanted by researching and getting into my local bow shop to shoot a bunch of their bows.

I was pretty lucky to find a usable bow so cheaply, but I think if you really want to get into the sport you need to shoot bows and talk to the bow shop staff. Make sure you are going to enjoy hunting with a bow, it is a little different because you have to be much closer than firearm hunting. But if you can afford it and you want to do it, don't feel bad about buying a new bow. Or if the bow you like is used and you can get a deal on it, save the money to spend on tags or camo or arrows. There's no end to the things you can buy.

 

[Ajax2744]

A good used or middle of the line now is more than adequate. They typically are previous years technology repackaged as a “mid level” now even though a lot of those bows outperform some of the last eat and greatest crap companies put out. Your best money spent is on quality accessories such as a good sight, quiver, release, arrows, rest, stabilizers etc. these items are able to be taken off one bow and put on to your next. If you buy high quality accessories they will last many years and good companies offer lifetime warranties that give them all the more bang for your buck.

 

[RMLloyd]

Hey guys thanks for the advice on this thread. I'm looking to get into archery as well. I have some free time to kill tomorrow and plan on hitting up local bow shop.