RE: What are 5 tops things I should know before I buy a bow?
1 - Shoot all the bows in your price range and get what feels most comfortable to you
2 - Get your bow at a pro shop. They can measure you and make sure your bow fits you. Proper draw length is EXTREMELY important.
3 - Don't over bow, if you're not comfortable drawing straight back and need to point the bow to the ceiling to draw it, its too heavy (a little heavy is ok, practicing will develop your shooting muscles)
4 - Consider a bow with a longer brace height (7" or better), it will be more forgiving
5 - Have fun