Beginner Bow Questions

Hey guys, just starting to think about getting into archery a bit, I think it would be a great activity to get me and my wife out of the house a bit.

Can someone give me a bit of info on what you are paying for when you buy a bow? I’m familiar with fishing rods for instance, more money can get you more sensitivity, lighter weight, etc.

As you go from entry level to flagship level bows, what are you getting for your money?

My father in law gave me his old PSE Mohave which is probably 15 years old or so, I know that any entry level bow is going to be much better than that. I would have to replace strings, sight and adjust draw length on that bow, so I’m thinking it would make more sense for me to just buy a newer bow. I’ve been shooting his bow a fair amount though and I have a bit of a knack for it, although I’m far from great.

I don’t mind spending a little bit extra if I’m getting a noticeably better product in return. So what am I getting if I step up from a $300 bow to a $400 bow? $500? Etc. Probably wouldn’t go above an entry/mid to mid level bow at this point in time. I shot a Bear Attitude at the local archery shop yesterday and honestly it felt awesome compared to the old Mohave.

We will probably just do mostly target / 3d shooting, but there’s a chance I do a bit of turkey hunting in the future.

The newer and more expensive, the faster, lighter and more accurate the bow will be (in general). Any bow will need to be made to fit you. I started shooting my dad’s Jennings from the 70’s, and killed my first deer with it. However I wasn’t confident with it beyond 20 yards, so that (among other things like speed) motivated an upgrade. I now shoot a Hoyt that’s a few years old, and it is dialed in out to 40-50 yards so I doubt I will be upgrading again soon. I would go to an archery specific shop and shoot a bunch until you find the right price point on a bow you enjoy shooting. I bought mine used, but it ended up costing about the same as new due to restringing it to fit me right away, and getting the additions (rest, sight, and quiver) I wanted on it.

I wouldn’t break the bank. There are many fine used bows out there. If you know your draw length, search craigslist until you find something that fits you. Look for something without a radical cam (one with a cam shaped more round than oval). I suggest something like a Mathews Legacy, Outback, or Switchback. The only reason I only mention Mathews is because I have shot all of them and know they are effortless. I am sure PSE, Hoyt, Bear, Bowtech, Elite, G5, Martin, etc all have smooth cams as well. Accessories shouldn’t be a factor. 3D/target shooting wouldn’t require an attached bow quiver and you can pick up a quality rest and sight for good prices. People get caught up in having the latest and greatest, especially hunters. If we think it improves our odds we will buy it. Same reason guys buy every new grunt tube, camo pattern, or cover scent to hit the market.

Bear makes a great entry level bows for the $. They also sell (RTH) package bows that are set up already and (READY TO HUNT). Takes all the guess work out of accessories and things for beginners. Also really nice single cam bows for starting out, all the way up to top of the line. Bear was the first bow I bought and I used it for 8 years before I upgraded.

Here’s a question for some of the more seasoned archers:
Is brace height a valid consideration for the novice archer? Meaning: try to stay away from brace heights less than 7″ or is this overrated? My understanding is the shorter brace heights are less forgiving to less than perfect form.

Interesting post from Phil. I’m in a similar boat, I’ve been thinking about getting a bow, mainly so I can shoot with my son.

Was thinking about a Bear Cruzer RTH package as I like the almost infinite adjustments. Wonder if any of you have experience with this bow or Phil, have you looked at this package?

Good thread.

Grouse

The girlfriend and I were in the same spot back in August. She ended up going with a Diamond infinite edge and I picked up a Bowtech carbon knight. After shooting a couple times a week since we picked them up I do plan on changing sights to a more adjustable and something with smaller diameter pins. If it was a bow I was only using at the range I would change to a drop away rest.

Or, you could try shooting traditional tackle! Far less expensive, more challenging (and thus rewarding), and you don’t have to buy all sorts of gizmos and gadgetry. I wouldn’t trade my longbow for nuthin!

Thanks for the info guys. I went back to the shop and shot a few more bows, along with the Attitude I shot the Crux, one PSE model and a Hoyt. I couldn’t tell a difference between the Attitude and the Crux besides the Crux looking a bit cooler.

I think I’m going to go with the Attitude! $400 package deal and the accessories on it actually look decent. I’ll have to pick up a release and will probably swap out the rest at some point, but should be good enough to get me started.

I’m hoping someone buys my rod for sale in the classifieds so I can pick this up on payday tomorrow!

I went into the shop yesterday with every intention of buying a Bear Attitude and actually walked out with something else.

I told the guy there that I wanted to pick up an Attitude(they had about 6 of them on the rack) and he said, “Sure thing, although you might want to look at the Wild, it’s the 2016 version and I just got one in”

Looks like a few updates, but otherwise a pretty similar bow. Exact same price though, so I went with the new one :).

I felt a little bit bad, about fifteen minutes later while I was getting fitted and setup, another guy came in asking if they had any of the new Wilds in stock…