RE: beginning hog bow
duke, I'm probably not going to answer your question, but rather just give a little advice. If you are new to Trad, you really need to start with a lower or moderate pound bow. The reason is that you are going to use some different muscles then the compound. What you don't want to do is start heavy and develope some bad habits or form. Once you get the form down, then you can move to something heavier. I'd suggest getting something in the 40-45 pound range at your draw. You can expect to loose about an inch or so draw from the compound. And yes, you can get something in the $$$ range stated. Look for something used.
Carbons to me anyway are a bit finicky. Don't get me wrong, I still use them. But starting out, I'd say go with the aluminums.