Things to look for in a new bow: proper tiller; straight, clean glue lines between laminations, with no gaps; smooth rounded string nocks; straight limbs with no twist; comfortable grip sized to your hand; lack of hand shock; quality of finish coat with no runs or drips; degree of centershot; lack of stacking at your draw length; measured weight matches marked weight.

Things to look for in a used bow: all of the above plus, no separation in laminations; cracks in finish; checkering in finish; bowyer still in business.