One of the first things you might want to consider is where you plan to hunt before choosing a weapon. You may already know this but I thought that I'd throw it out there. Hunting with a rifle you'll need to be able to have some open areas or at least some good long shooting lanes. If your in brush I'd suggest a shot gun. With bow hunting you'll definetly have to have good shooting lanes. There's alot more to bow hunting so I'd suggest going to a good pro shop and let them set you up. It's a great sport and I'm sure you'll find a couple of friends to show you the ropes. Oh and don't exspect it to happen like it does on the TV shows lol. Good luck to you and be safe.