Bow Noob

[bigmike]

Hello everyone, I've been rifle hunting for the past 20 years and looking to start bow hunting. I already took my safety course and now looking into bows and gear. What would you recommend as a starter bow or starter pack bow and arrows? Maybe I can find something now around the holidays on sale. Thank you 

[Doebuck1234]

Awesome!Bow season is the best.which I'm sure alot of others will agree with,ull be addicted...IMO there are ALOT of different bows out there and you need to find one ur comfortable with"that feels good".Head to a local shop or sporting goods store,get a feel for what you might want,get fitted correctly for draw length and send a few down range if they have an indoor range.Others may have some suggestions on starter bows to look into,just putting in my 2 cents

[Lawdwaz]

3 hours ago, bigmike said:

Hello everyone, I've been rifle hunting for the past 20 years and looking to start bow hunting. I already took my safety course and now looking into bows and gear. What would you recommend as a starter bow or starter pack bow and arrows? Maybe I can find something now around the holidays on sale. Thank you 

Where are you from BM?

[Robhuntandfish]

My buddy bought a RTH setup from Diamond archery and it's a really nice smooth rig that won't break the bank.  It's prob what I will get for the next bow.  I'm not spending 1k on a bow myself but can get into one of these for 5-600.   The last two weeks of bow season and the first week of gun are by far the best times to be in the woods for me. Good luck with. 

 

[crappyice]

Awesome!! Welcome to the illness and enjoy the ride. With 20 years under your belt you may be amazed how many things you never considered before bow hunting and how different (dare I say better) the deer woods can be during bow season. Shoot as many bows your shop has to offer and don't get sucked into the hype/price of some. I shot the Mission line bow from Matthews as my first bow and loved it. 

[Otto]

Hopefully you can try some traditional bows too.  Very fun to shoot! 

If you are in CNY our Club has several bows for you to try out before you spend a lot of money.  Most decent bow shops will as well.  Personally, I’d avoid places like Bass Pro.  Find a good locally owned bow shop to start out with.   

[2BuckBizCT]

Rather than pick a brand based on online reviews, I would suggest going to a local bow shop and shooting a bunch of different ones. Then buy the one that feels the best for you. It's amazing how they feel so different.

[grampy]

Some solid advice from the members above. The most expensive bow, may not be the best for YOU!

Bowhunting is the very best time to be in the woods. At first you'll be amazed at the number of deer you see just in their normal feeding to bed pattern. You will learn new ways to get closer to deer than gun hunting. Practice out as far as you like. But keep shots on deer close. 

Enjoy the ride. Bowhunting becomes a passion. It will also make you a better hunter.

[Buckmaster7600]

Find your local shops and shoot every manufacturer’s option at your budget. I’ve been shooting bows for nearly 30 years and this is still what I do every few years when Im ready to upgrade. Don’t walk in with a brand in mind because someone online or your buddy said they were the best, everyone is different and there is no bad bows anymore. 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Buckmaster7600

[BowmanMike]

I found it difficult to say what felt good when I purchased my first bow because I knew nothing. I started with a entry level adjustable bow and after a few years upgraded to a used bow from AT. Then after a couple more years I upgraded again to the bow I have now and I plan on keeping this one forever,or at least for a very long time.

 

[Lawdwaz]

Most bow shops are not going to have a bow from each manufacturer set to the op’s draw length and desired poundage, or even multiple bows from the same manufacturer.    
 

Id love to step into a shop and shoot six or eight bows set up for ME but that isn’t happening.   

[Buckmaster7600]

8 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

Most bow shops are not going to have a bow from each manufacturer set to the op’s draw length and desired poundage, or even multiple bows from the same manufacturer.    
 

Id love to step into a shop and shoot six or eight bows set up for ME but that isn’t happening.   

It’s not the 90’s anymore. Unless he’s a lefty or can’t draw 50lbs most shops carry a few different bows from the manufacturers they carry. Draw length is adjusted by mods not entire cams like the old days. When I bought my last bow last year I went to 3 shops and shot 8-10 bows and I’m a lefty. 

[mowin]

1 minute ago, Lawdwaz said:

Most bow shops are not going to have a bow from each manufacturer set to the op’s draw length and desired poundage, or even multiple bows from the same manufacturer.    
 

Id love to step into a shop and shoot six or eight bows set up for ME but that isn’t happening.   

True, a fully set up bow of every make and model is unrealistic. 

Changing draw length is quick and easy.  When I worked as a archery tech, I'd adjust draw length for shoppers to get a proper feel.  I'd add a loop and a rest to there top two for them to try them out. 

90% of the guys, would pick up the bow, draw it back and say I'll take this one.  Lol. 

[Belo]

make sure you get measured. Find a bow shop and try some new and used stuff out. I would not recommend a "starter" bow, but instead find a quality brand and buy one that's a few model years old and save a bunch. They're often already equipped with all the accessories. Now is a great time to buy used too because new models are coming out and guys are trading in their old ones.

I'm  matthews guy, but you can't go wrong with PSE, Hoyt, Elite, Prime to name a few. 

[dbHunterNY]

I'm out. I had a bunch hanging but have scaled back over the years and shot less. solid advice given. over the years I was never brand loyal. Just shot them all and pick the one I shot best regardless of price. In 2007 I think it was, I ended up with a big box store branded bow called Gander Mtn's Techunter Elite. Hoyt, Bowtech, Diamond, Elite, PSE.... didn't matter.
 

unless you've got a very skilled can do it all buddy that tunes and fixes bows, definitely go to a local shop. You pay a touch more than the clearance rack in a big box store or ordering one online but where you going to end up when it needs to be serviced, repaired, or tuned back in over time? the real bow shop.

don't feel you need to pull back 70+ lbs. it looks cool on social media. when you're giving it another 20mins on stand because you're cold with muscles seized up from sitting still over a hot run or food source and that deer finally comes in for you to find out you can't easily get your bow back with slow fluid movement, it won't seem cool.