IMO the Showdown would be a very good bow for someone new to the sport. We sell a ton of them at the shop, mostly to guys like yourself that are looking for their first bow or to guys that want a good hunting bow without dropping $1000 for a setup. The bow is very quiet and easy to shoot. It is not the fastest bow on the market, but I would assume you would expect that based on the price tag. I believe it is one of the better choices out there for a guys looking to get into archery, he does not have to spend a bunch of money, but he still gets a great shooting bow. Once you have it and have hunted with it for a few years you might want to decide to upgrade then, but the Showdown is a great hunting bow and there would really not be a reason to upgrade later unless you just really wanted to get into one of the high end bows. Great choice!