Affordable bow for hunting?

[Moults]

Hey Guys

I'm pretty new to bowhunting, and I'm looking to buy a bow this year. My buddy tells me that newer ones are far improved on older models, and I should consider a newer one. Any suggestions for how to get a good compound bow without spending an arm and a leg?

Thanks for any recommendations!!

Moults

[TreeGuy]

Moults, I'd hit the shops first and play with as many different brands and models as possible until you find something the you like. Then check out the buy/sell page on this site as well as the many other sites like this one. With a bit of legwork, you might get really lucky. Good luck!

Tree

I agree with Tree Guy. There are some smoking deals on newer bows here. And no worries about the condition it's in.

[Moults]

Sounds great; thanks guys. I'm pumped to get into bowhunting. An entirely new element of challenge from rifle hunting. Talk to you later!

Moults

[6tmile]

My wife picked up a pse firstorm lite for 429 clams off of e bay, it is brand new and came with all accesories, including arrows, It is not the fastest bow, but they are very sweet to shoot, when I first seen it I thought it was a kids bow, it is aprox 30 inch long, weighs in at a wopping 3.3 pounds, It felt diffrent at first but I am used to my old Pearson striker wich I bought new 15 years ago. She bought from american archery, we looked at a bunch of shops in alberta, but I got tired of them trying to sell me a 1000 dollar setup, shop around and make sure you get what you want.

[nekred]

Most of the price of a bow is the accessories.

There are $400 bows and $900 bows. What you get for the money usually is a smoother, quieter, faster bow that has a more refined feel.

Shoot and find what you like and know the model and then watch forums for a deal. The only caveat I have about an online deal is you do not know the histiry and warranty may be an issue.

$1000 dollar setup is very common and will get you into mid-high level equipment. including arrows, case, accessories etc.

[Cowboy Al]

I went to different shops shot many different bows and settled on a Bowtech Tomkat. It comes set up with everything you need to start except release and arrows very reasonably priced (it may even be cheaper now as I bought mine in the fall before our strong dollar would have affected the price). It's smooth enough and fast enough that you won't think your shootting an entery level bow I shot it alongside some of the higher end bows and unless told I wouldn't have been able to pick out the "high end" bows out, they seem to all shoot compareably, my advice would be to get out and shoot as many as possible before you decide.

[mb_hunter]

You should check out the Bear Lights Out. It has a generous brace height of over 8 inches. Comes reasonably priced at $330. I am thinking about buying it and I shoot a Hoyt Ultramag.

If you are a beginner shooter the bigger the brace height the better though you give up speed.

Accuracy kills speed doesn't.

good luck

[Deki10]

for my first bow i picked up a pse trition and i think its a great bow.. that was two seasons ago so i am not sure if that model is still kicking around but it was a reasonable price!

[garrett8000]

i bought a darton vapour last year works great for a starter bow

[Sakoman]

Lot's of good beginner bows to choose from. Best bet is to go try a few and see which one you like best. I will second Cowboy Al's vote for the Tomkat.

[TreeGuy]

Find a used one. Bowhunting is not for everyone and can certainly be frustrating in the first couple of years. My first bow was a left hand shot and I'm a righty. Since it was the first compound I'd ever shot, I didn't know any different, and managed to put some decent 30 yard groups together. When I finally got a bow for myself that was setup for myself, I shot even better.

I guess that my point is, that no matter what you get, if you put enough time in with it you will get accurate. Brand, model, speed, etc is nothing compared to accuracy. If you can hit what you are aiming at, you are a bowhunter my friend!

Tree

[Albertabowhunter]

I would suggest checking outhte local shops for a used bow. There are alot of people out there who upgrade there bows every year. But I do agree you do get what you pay for when it comes to archery.

OBTW, I have a used Hoyt Magnatech for sale if your interested. 29" Draw....

[nekred]

Since it was the first compound I'd ever shot, I didn't know any different,

Lot's of people want to try archery and bowhunting and don't get the information they need to start. So in the end it becomes more expensive. What price do you put on a trophy buck missed because of bad information, or a wounded doe because you unknowingly had a bow problem?

I will use a close relative for an example. 14 years ago his brother worked in an archery shop, belonged to a club, coaches kids, and attended tournaments and is a successful bowhunter. the brother decides to get into archery, sees an ad in the paper and goes and buys the bow with absoultely no info. Whne he brings the bow back the archery brother looks at it and laughs and asks where he got the POS. It was 15 years old, had been modified unsafely, wrong hand, wrong draw, wore out etc. It belonged in a museum. the non-archery brother gets mad throws a fit. Even today in his stubbornness he refuses to upgrade and continues to take low percentage shots and miss deer...

Moral of the story, get some good infomation, talk to people who are successful bow hunters and some of the tournament shooters. Most of us are not arrogant and enjoy helping others.

I learned my lesson, I no longer laugh at uninformed people but work with them to try and help them keeping their pride intact.

When you mean affordable I look at the whole picture. getting a deal on a bow off of ebay and then going into an archery shop to get help on shooting it.. where is the incentive for the shop owner to help you?

So for the most affordable bow I would recommend going into a reputable shop, trying out different bows, ask lots of questions, buy your archery equipment there and in the end you may pay more than the ebay deal.... but you get back information on how to use the equipment, how to maintain it, and you will make friends in the shop as well as you learn to shoot. Then armed with this information you can then make your second bow more affordable.... and you will probably buy it in the shop as well as you will understand the potential pitfalls.

The key is to talk to the right person. I have my biases and preferences but also recognise these and will give good baseline advice to people, and explain differences, and whether certain things have an effect or not.

I have seen people with expensive rigs that are kitted out poorly, arrows not matched to bow, bow not mached to archer. eg a Switchback LD sold to an archer with a 27" draw. he had no performance because bow was designed for a Long Draw archer.

One Caveat about Ebay.... Why is th person selling the bow? because they had a problem wit it or need something better. If you are lucky it is a person who had a misnatched bow like the person in the example above.

So for affordability getting the information to get the right setup for you will take some work on your part, but in the end is most affordable.

[srp71]

Not meaning to hijack here,but between this thread and others I've seen on here,I've only once seen a Bear bow mentioned.Why's this?Are they inferior?Hard to get?Expensive?Or just not the in thing?

[nekred]

I don't get into the brand thing....

I have not seen a bow yet that cannot shoot, if set up properly. The rest is about style, fit and feel. and the WOW! factor.

A 1975 yugo and 2008 Corvette get a person from point A to point B without incident but which one is more fun!...

I have noticed that whatever brand is strongest in an area is due to the service the local dealer provides and what is available. You need a bow and the loacl dealer has a bowtech and hoyt on the shelf there is a good chance you will walk away with one of them because you get to try them.

Bow brand and rfile brand are very similar, small differences that people choose as their preference but someon that can't shoot straight with a Remington will rarely get a magic cure with a Ruger.....

Someone who shoots a remington well, will probably shoot a wetherby, tikka, sako, and ruger... Well.

Same thing with Bows... i have a Hoyt, Bowteck, Mathews, Martin, PSE, Diamond, I can shoot them all the same!.... Some just feel better than others.

[mb_hunter]

To answer the question about why Bear bows aren't talked about here.

I would think people are going for the big names. Another reason could be that Bear doesn't advertise that much in Canada. Bear bows are not inferior to other bows. Like most companies, besides Hoyt and Matthews, they offer economical bows and top end.

It has been said before, try the bow out first before you buy. We all have different preferences.

Though, I must stress this again. Don't buy a bow with a low brace height if you are a beginner. The bigger the brace height, the quicker the arrow is off the string thus it is more forgiving. Yes all the speed fanatics will tell you that they can use one pin out to forty yards. I wonder how many of them can actually hit a dime with that same bow at forty. I dare to say not many.

[Moults]

Hey Fellas

Thanks a bunch for all the input! Sounds like a lot of you guys really know your stuff!

I settled on a used Hoyt Magnatech courtesy of Albertabowhunter. I'm pumped to pick it up and give it a shot!

A summer of practice, and Coulee Mulies here we come!

[Albertabowhunter]

Hope she works well for you! She's shot alot of deer and moose while in my hands...

[Muskeg]

Search E-bay for deals.. I bought a Fred Bear Truth bow for my brother at a "buy now" price of 340$ US and that was when the exchange rate was ideal.. I think it was 370 Can. in total with shipping. I think they were being liquidated for the 08 models.. We haven't set it up yet but it feels like a real good bow.. time will tell. Good luck!

[Cowtown guy]

Hey Moult , I will give you a few pointers so you don't have the same problems I did starting out. I am not trying to sound like a know it all here but I had some problems that took me a couple of years to get through.
I am assuming that people have told you already that the more you practice the more proficient you will become. I would suggest that you get a video or two about shooting form. Remember that practice doesn't make perfect... Perfect practice makes perfect. With a compound bow, bad practice can make you frustrated. Small mistakes can have you wondering why the bow shoots good at 20 or 25 yards but at 40 yards the groups open substantially. A good video will teach you about a consistent anchor, proper draw length which is extremely important, canting the bow, shot placement etc.
Also make sure that you practice different hunting shots. Shoot from funny angles before the season. Shoot from your knees. Shooting down a steep coulee will change your point of impact so be prepared for this. You also shouldn't have the poundage set so high that you have to have the bow pointed at the sky and your having an aneurysm to get it drawn. I have seen this a ton and it isn't great for hunting as the movement must be kept to a minimum. Shoot with your hunting clothes as bulky clothes can get caught in the string and deflect the shot. This cost me a 190 inch mulie in 2006. I borrowed a buddy's jacket and at 20 yards he was dead to rights. The arrow dove straight underneath him when the string hit the sleeve. Missed him by 18 inches.
Shooting a bow is a blast and I am sure you will love it. Just remember that it can be alot of work to get good.

[Albertabowhunter]

My best advice is take the bow to a bow shop with you. Have it fitted for you, everyone has different draw lengths and draw weights they prefer. Learn about your bow. Get your peep sight adjusted for you, and start shooting. Make sure the bow is set up for you. My set up most likely will be different than yours.

Again, hope she works well for ya.

[AlbertaShedHunter]

Package bows would probly be the way to go. As they come set up all you need is arrows and a release. Theres a few goodones such as Reflex Growler (Hoyt's brother company), Bowtech Tomkat, Bear Element and others. Take an afternoon Mostly it's the one that feels the best to you when you shoot it. Ask your local pro shop (I know I am working at one). Most will even put a bare bones bow together as a pkg for a lil better pricing.

[el sparko]

hi moult; i don't know if you are a golfer but golf and archery are a lot alike.
each kind of club feels different to each person who uses it. one guy will say " those cobra irons are the best i've ever used" the next guy will say they just don't feel right. this is the same thing with bows, what works for me may not feel right for you. if you try a variety of different bows sooner or later one will just feel right. one problem is the bows that feels good won't be set up to fit you and if you actually try shooting it you are apt to put an arrow through the stuffed bear in the other room.
have the guy at the store shoot it first and watch the bow do it's thing. now say to yourself " i can afford it, i like the way it feels, it seems to shoot nice." now get the dude to set it up for you. try it and don't expect miracles, (the stuffed bear still may take an arrow) but you should know by now if this piece of equipment is right for you. a good dealer will understand how important this process is and will do this fiddling around for you, now you should remember this when it's time to buy future equipment. good service deserves loyalty.

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by el sparko

(the stuffed bear still may take an arrow)

HA HA HA HA

So true.