I'm an avid mountain biker/mechanic...been working on bikes since 1975 and riding mountain bikes since 1989 - there isnt much I dont know about mountain bikes, and bicycles in general, bicycles have probably been one of if not my biggest hobby since 75'. I'm am your goto guy if you want to know anything bike related....but, thats not the point here really, the point is, I need a few goto guys here in the forum who know there bows to give me a little extra hopefully un-biased advice on choosing my first bow?

I know you get what you pay for generally when your buying something - when I buy a bike, I buy the high end race bikes, generally costing anywhere from 2k to 5k, I know at that price point, the bike will last me, I will get more enjoyment out of it, and I know the bike will far outperform a cheaper bike when it comes to honing my skills.

Thusfar, I've been doing my homework for the past month or so and found a wonderful "Compound Bow Selection Guide" on the Hunters Friend website (link provided at the end of my post). Unbeknownced to me, and through a little more research I found out there happens to be a bow shop roughly 2 miles from my house on the same street I live on in fact. Initially I had planned on buying a Bowtech Assasin from Hunters Friend complete w/ the full R.A.K. package and set-up, but, after visiting my local bow shop (link provided at the end of post) the guy at the shop has me interested in a Mission Craze (the bow the owner of the shop recommended) or I have been looking at Mission Endeavor. The shop owner told me the Mission Venture is Missions over all best bow (but I'm sceptical because) - on paper spec wise the Endeavor seems almost the same bow as the Venture minus perhaps a couple higher end parts that come on the Venture, so I chose the Endeavor. So, so far those are a few choices, the Bowtech Assasin, or the Mission Endeavor/Craze bows.

I'm brand new to bowhunting and still having a little trouble deciding what to get. Does anyone have reviews for these bows? Do you own, have shot, or have any experence with any of these bows. Are there any other bows or brands I should consider for my first bow?

My price range or what I'm willing to spend is about 300.00 - 500.00$ for bow only, or roughly 600.00 - 800.00$ for a full package/kit set-up. Also, what about ebay, is ebay a good place to pick up a good deal on a used bow, or are buying used bows not a good idea?

Thanks for your time,

-Jeff


(ssems like a really good begginer guide)
http://www.huntersfriend.com/bowselection.htm
(my local bowshop)
http://www.pergsonsarchery.com/