i have helped several people get into archery and bow hunting. here are some of the tips that have helped them.

your darton will work fine. i just bought a new darton as 300. great bow. before that i was shooting a darton that was eight years old. i would not have upgraded except i broke the old one. don't worry about the age of the bow. remember, for years people hunted with long bows and recurves. any compound will shoot arrows faster and more effective than a recurve.

carbon arrows are a good choice. carbons are more durable and faster. however, because your bow is older i would not recommend going with a mechanical broad head. your best bet is always to get a pass through. for your bow (you will probably shoot around 200-220 fps) i would get a replaceable blade or a cut on contact head. g5 montecs or strikers are a great choice (im partial cause i use the strikers).

set ur bow for a release aid. you can shoot with fingers, but that takes more practice and a release will aid you in being a better shot.

practice as ofter as you can. you will read about people taking 30, 40, 50 yard shots. don't worry about that stuff till later on in your hunting career. practice where you are comfortable. that may mean not taking over a 15 yard shot. i have been shooting since i was 7 years old. when i shot competition (age 10-17) i shot 30, 40, 50 yard shots. never have i taken a shot over 30 yards in the deer woods. actually my longest shot was just over 25 yards. i do not feel comfortable shooting at a deer at over 30 yards. remember, shooting at a target and a live animal are completely different. too many variables come into play. a deer can jump the string, you can misjudge the distance, brush is in the way, etc.

every time you go in the woods try to learn something. learn how to read a deer's behavior. over time you will learn how a deer acts when it is calm, excited, spooky, alert. never make something happen when ur hunting. let it happen. i have tried several times to try and make a shot happen on a spooky deer. guess what...i missed or the deer ran off before i got a shot.

the more you do it the more you will learn. it took me six seasons before i finally got a deer with a bow. be patient and it will happen. good luck.