Too young for first compound bow?

[hunterbyheart]

My oldest turns 10 in November. He is crazy about hunting and can't get enough of it. I was thinking about getting him a compound bow for his birthday. Is he too young for it?

Any suggestion on what would be a good one for him? We saw one at Wholesale Sport that was 17-22lb draw. Would that be good? (I'm not a bow hunter, so I haven't a clue)

Any advice would be helpful!

[BigRackLover]

Called a bow shop / archery club and find out when the juniors shoot. Usually they have bows to rent/shoot for new comers to try. I'd start with that before making any purchases.

Also, to legally hunt big game you must be able to draw (and hopefully shot accurately) 40 lbs.

[hunterbyheart]

Originally Posted by BigRackLover

Called a bow shop / archery club and find out when the juniors shoot. Usually they have bows to rent/shoot for new comers to try. I'd start with that before making any purchases.

Also, to legally hunt big game you must be able to draw (and hopefully shot accurately) 40 lbs.

Good idea to try out the local club. I'll call them.

As for the hunting, he's still 2 years out from that, so this would be just for fun. But definately something to consider - if he can't use it to hunt in a few years, maybe we'd be better off to invest in one that could eventually be used for hunting.

Legal requirement for bow hunting is the same as rifle, right? 12 years old or better?

[BigRackLover]

Originally Posted by hunterbyheart

Legal requirement for bow hunting is the same as rifle, right? 12 years old or better?

I would assume so but check regs yourself.

[Bullhunter]

Make sure you purchase a bow that the draw legnth can be legnthened so it will grow with your child. There are a few different makes (Mathews Genesis being one). Choose a bow that is easy enough to pull that he will not get fustrated or injured pulling it. This I have learned from experiance with 3 youth bows purchased.

[honda450]

I think my sons first bow was 35 lb pull, at first he had trouble but he learned. Buy cheap arrows to start you will know why, or found out why fast.

[tth_12032]

Here is a chart I found online. It's not going to be accurate for everyone though because I pull 50 lbs and I fit more in the small frame woman category...but I think it is best to start with these ranges and work your way up so you don't get discouraged.

Recommended Draw Weight Ranges (Modern Compound Bows)

Here are some general guidelines for choosing an appropriate draw weight. Of course, each individual is different. You should apply your common sense here and interpret this chart with due respect to your own age, general physical condition, and Body Mass Index (BMI). If you are new to the sport, please read additional discussion article on choosing an appropriate draw length and weight.

Very Small Child (55-70 lbs.) 10-15 lbs.
Small Child (70-100 lbs.) 15-25 lbs.
Larger Child (100-130 lbs.) 25-35 lbs.
Small Frame Women (100-130 lbs.) 25-35 lbs.
Medium Frame Women (130-160 lbs) 30-40 lbs.
Athletic Older Child (Boys 130-150 lbs.) 40-50 lbs.
Small Frame Men (120-150 lbs.) 45-55 lbs.
Large Frame Women (160+ lbs.) 45-55 lbs.
Medium Frame Men (150-180 lbs.) 55-65 lbs.
Large Frame Men (180+ lbs.) 65-75 lbs.

[PSE_Girl]

I spent 3 years coaching junior archery classes, the most important thing to remember is to make sure the bow fits and will grow with your child. Make sure he is able to draw it without hurting himself or struggling too much. As long as he can handle a bow I am of the opinion that nobody is ever too young to shoot a compound bow.

[Renslip]

Your very lucky to be living in Lethbridge. They have a great archery club and they teach their youngsters very, very well. They have some world class archery shooters who are never to busy to lend a hand. Try and get a hold of Jude Hooey. She is very involved in the club and can help you out.

[Trav]

Originally Posted by Renslip

Your very lucky to be living in Lethbridge. They have a great archery club and they teach their youngsters very, very well. They have some world class archery shooters who are never to busy to lend a hand. Try and get a hold of Jude Hooey. She is very involved in the club and can help you out.

X2
Jude, dennis, Shane Olson, The Juhar family they will all help you out and get your little one shooting properly

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Originally Posted by hunterbyheart

My oldest turns 10 in November. He is crazy about hunting and can't get enough of it. I was thinking about getting him a compound bow for his birthday. Is he too young for it?

Any suggestion on what would be a good one for him? We saw one at Wholesale Sport that was 17-22lb draw. Would that be good? (I'm not a bow hunter, so I haven't a clue)

Any advice would be helpful!

I was I think about 8 first time I shot fropm then on in ive been hooked. I was in grade 5 when I started. Every saturday id go down and do my lessons, it was a blast. When I was about 10 my dad bought me my own compound bow . I was drawing about 35 - 40 pounds. As I got older bigger , more experence I got to drawing greater weights. I got so good I was about 11 or so and playing nocks with the older guys and my dad and I was winning. Lol i got into some trick shooting . Like when I shot threw a artificial christmas tree and hitting bullseyes. Lmao funnyest story is when , I shot one in hald busted the thing in half . Then when i was about 15 I got out of it and into football got out of it until I was about 17 . Then got back into it heavily agian ,then this year now im 26 started hunting with my bow.

Like some of the others have said theres some reaslly awesome youth / kid progrms out there. Also theres shops who will train young people. Thats how I learnt.

[PoppaW]

My boys are 4 and 6 and shooting recurves. This was easier to do at this age than compounds for the draw length issues. They grow so fast I can hardly keep up. Its never too late to get them shooting. With some help they love it and it keeps them off the x-box for hours.

[hunterbyheart]

Wow! Thanks for all the great advice! That's the great thing about this board... lots of willing people to share some info.