RE: Buddy needs some help.
For a newbie to trad I would suggest no more than 40-45lb draw weight at their draw lenght, stay away from short bows (no shorter than 64" for a long bow 60" for a recurve), long bow or recurve is a personal choice.
Get form down first before worrying about anything else.
Check out Ebay, tradgang classifieds for good used bows.