i have been bowhunting for a few years now and i know exactly what kind of confusion your feeling. what i first did was buy a bow from ebay but i would warn you to ask as many questions about the bow your buying and make sure that it is EXACTLY what is described. like they said, a bow that has 60lbs of force is all that you need.

i bought a pse nova for my first bow, but quickly realized that i wanted an upgrade so i bought a martin saber m2 online directly from the dealer. if i could do it again and if i would certainly go to a pro shop and shoot as many bows as you can and let the bow choose you (as corny as it sounds). whatever way you do it, the money spent on a bow is well worth it and i have never regretted spending money on my bow! good luck man!!