WTB First Bow

[Yellowstoner]

Hey guys/gals - what do you all have for sale as far as bows go? I'm a fairly big dude, so I guess I'll pull 70# at some point, so it would be nice to have a bow that's adjustable up to that poundage. It doesn't need to be fancy, but needs to be capable of killing an elk (a few years from now probably...)

I'm in Livingston, MT if there's any local bozos selling an old bow to get the latest and greatest. I'm definitely not willing to spend more than $500, but even that's pushing my budget. I'd love to keep it in the ~$300 range, but I suppose if you're a good enough salesman you could convince me that I needed something more expensive. I have literally nothing (except boots and stubbornness...) so a package deal would be great too.

I won't pretend to know anything about bow hunting, I just want an excuse to tromp around the woods in September.

 

[CampRipleyLF]

Id check out craiglist or archerytalk.... You could always go to a bow shop and look at used ones or just cheaper brands. It always good to shoot it before buying to see if it fits you well. Every bow feels different!

 

[Gerald Martin]

If you can find someone to help you figure out what draw length you need and make sure your bow is tuned that is going to be worth as much as you are willing to spend on a bow. A good pro-shop can help you get set up. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to buy an $800 bow there but you better figure on dropping a little bit of learning $$$ in the form of buying arrows, broadheads, etc. They might have some good deals or leads on used bows or late model "demos" or unsold inventory.

Once you know what size you need, I've had good luck buying bows from Ebay. If you figure out the gist of tuning and form a lot of models can be adjusted without a bow press, but starting out and getting it all right is a little bit like going to the local shelter, adopting a dog you like the looks of, reading a training book and expecting to get a good duck dog. Mileage may vary and there will be a lot of trial and error.

 

[Dan O]

Go to a archery shop/pro shop and talk to them and get an idea of what's available that would fit you and meet your needs. They sometimes have used bows for sale. Buying a bow off of craigslist or ebay etc is a waste of money unless you know exactly what your looking for. Don't try to cut corners by getting a cheap set up from someone you don't know, it will cost you in the long run.

Good Luck,
Dan

 

[LaSportsman]

Just bought my first bow, a Diamond Edge SB-1. It's adjustable from 7-70 lbs. great reputation as a first bow. It does have a max draw length of 30" so you need to know your draw length first. Easy Google to see how to measure.

You can get a full package for $525 on huntersfriend.com. Tha includes sic arrows, three broadheads, and a release. You can find a bow for less but not with arrows, release, etc. if you buy it from Cabellas it will be in the same ballpark with same components.

For those complaining about buying a bow online, not everyone lives near a pro shop and the ones that were several hours from me didn't have starter bows at value prices. You may get lucky finding a used one but I couldn't.

 

[Festus]

Yellowstoner... I still have this bow...https://onyourownadventures.com/hun...69718-FS-Bowtech-Experience&highlight=Bowtech
Haven't made much attempt to sell it. It's a sweet shooting bow. Make me an offer if you're interested.
I'm not a local, but I am a bozo. I can ship it or if you want to wait, I have friends coming to MT in June (maybe myself also).
I was just telling the wife that I'd like to 'sell it cheap' to someone wanting to get into bow hunting.
PM me if you'd like to talk about it...

 

[JohnCushman]

Yellowstoner... I still have this bow...https://onyourownadventures.com/hun...69718-FS-Bowtech-Experience&highlight=Bowtech
Haven't made much attempt to sell it. It's a sweet shooting bow. Make me an offer if you're interested.
I'm not a local, but I am a bozo. I can ship it or if you want to wait, I have friends coming to MT in June (maybe myself also).
I was just telling the wife that I'd like to 'sell it cheap' to someone wanting to get into bow hunting.
PM me if you'd like to talk about it...

That's a nice bow. I have a buddy who has the same one and loves it. I did the same thing with my Elite I had for sale. I sold it for way less than I asked for it for a guy to get into archery. I don't regret the decision at all.

 

[nhn2a]

I have a Diamond Core as a backup bow that I'm ok parting with. Its a great bow, nothing wrong with it at all. I hunted with it for two seasons. Just put a new 60x custom string on last year. Has 40-70# adjustable draw weight and 25"-30" adjustable draw length. Comes with the following:
-Trophy Ridge React 5pin Sight
-Trophy Ridge Revolution Arrow Rest
-Tubular Peep
-Octane DeadLock Lite Quiver
-Octane Stabilizer
-Plano Bow Protector Series Hard Case

Asking $350. I'm not local but I'm ok shipping it.

 

[406LIFE]

If you are just stepping into archery, it will save you thousands of $ and years of time to get a mentor. There is a steep learning curve, so if you have a buddy draw from his knowledge. The next best is getting into a local shop and saying this is my budget, this is what I want to do and let them help you.

I have bought off of ebay, but again, I was looking for a specific bow. My last one I got from my local shop.

 

[JohnCushman]

To go along with what 406LIFE said, you can usually get lessons at a pro shop. I'd also suggest joining a local archery or 3D league. There's a wealth of information in these and people who are always friendly and willing to help, especially if you say you're new to the sport. If you have a seasoned archer friend, definitely get with them. When I bought my wife her bow I had the shop owner give her lessons since I know I have some bad habits that I didn't want her to have from the get go. My one bit of advice is to start with a lower draw weight than you'd like to. The muscles you use to draw aren't normally used in everyday life, so they need to be built along with the muscle memory of the process. Go up in weight slowly. I've got big fat guy need everything bigger and more powerful syndrome, so I'm all about shooting as much weight as I can possibly get from my bow. But, if you're only up to 50 or 60 pounds by the time archery season starts, don't worry, today's modern bows are amazing and you can kill elk with a 45 or 50 pound draw. Don't rush yourself. Work on form and muscle memory.

 

[maxx]

Go to a local shop and shoot as many of the bows as you can. Try finding last year or a few year old models. Figure out your draw length and then go on archery talk and look at the classifieds. They have some really good deals on there.

Biggest thing is bow are not guns, they are more like cars. They lose a huge percentage of their value when you walk out the store with them.

Getting a full set up for $500 is going to be tough. You are going to want to look used and look at budget bows (this doesn't mean they are bad).

It is similar to putting good glass on a gun. The good accessories are almost as much as the bow itself. The good news is the accessories don't change and you can move them from bow to bow. That is why you see really good sales on bare bows.