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How to choose my first bow.

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How to choose my first bow.

Old 12-21-2009, 09:08 PM
  #1  
Spike
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Default How to choose my first bow.

I know this is probably a post that is repeated often, but I thought I would post it up anyway.

I am going to get into bowhunting this year. I have not shot a compound bow before.

I am not going to ask which bow to buy, there are too many opinions for that question.

What I would like to know is how to tell that a certain bow fits me good? I mean, I haven't shot one so how will I know if something is good or not good? What should I look for?

Another problem that I will run into stems from the fact that I am left handed. The bow shops in my area have some left handed bows, but not many. They all tell me that when I get ready to just come there and their bow pro will rig me up with the proper bow for me.

Anyway, any advice is appreciated.
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Old 12-22-2009, 02:37 AM
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being left handed is a definite disadvantage. Shops just don't carry as many lefties.

The only way to tell if it "fits" or "feels good to you is shoot it. You'll have to feel the bow and make that call for yourself.

I like a bow to have a very smooth draw, little to no handshock on release (you'll know what this is when you shoot a bow, kinda like a buzz in your hand), and as quiet as possible.

The techs at the shop should be able to guess your draw length pretty close. Get a bow in your hands then let you fling some arrows. After you start shooting you'll know what you like and don't about a particular bow.

Different cam systems will have a differnt feel to them as well. Solo or single cams (mathews) tend to have the smoothes draws, but also tend to be slower than the others. Slaved dual cams (bowtech, most Elite, Athens) have a stouter draw but tend to make better speeds. Most slaved duals build to peak weight quickly and drop abruptly into letoff (also known as the valley). The drop into the valley can be drastic and uncontrollable or very smooth depending on the design of the cam. This is what sets some apart from others. You'll have to experience it to understand what i'm saying. The slaved duals also have a very sold back wall at full draw. They will have drawstops on the cams that contact the limbs with will not allow you to overdraw the bow and give you that mushy feaeling at full draw. I really like this characteristic!

In between slaved duals and solos you'll have hybrids, cam and a halfs and true dual cams.

Obviously I have my preference as far as brands goes, but making a suggestion like that to you at this point in the game would be inappropriate. You have to decide what characteristics you like and what feels good in your hands, then we can start talking brands and models.

Get out there and shoot all the bows you can get your hands on! It's truly an addiction sport!!! I love archery!

Last edited by cartman308; 12-22-2009 at 02:42 AM.
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Old 12-22-2009, 06:34 AM
  #3  
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Thank for the response. Yeah I am gonna just have to go give it a shot and see what they can do for me. The place I went to yesterday carried bowtech/diamond and bear. They said they dropped some lines recently. There is another place that carries other brands (Matthews, Hoyt, Mission, PSE, Bear, Parker (youth), Martin, Horton).

Last edited by chevymanar; 12-22-2009 at 06:37 AM.
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Old 12-22-2009, 06:39 AM
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One more thing.... I'm budgeting around $800 for this bow completely rigged out. Is this a feasible amount?
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Old 12-22-2009, 07:22 AM
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Yes $800 completely rigged is realistic depending on what bow you decide to go with.
I'm in the same boat as you are being left handed, but I have found that if you go to several different bow shops you will probably be able to find a few different models on hand to try. It really does come down to what feels best to you so try out as many as you can.
If you are trying to save a little bit of money once you find the type of bow you like you might try going to archerytalk.com. There are a lot of lightly used bows for sale over there.
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Old 12-22-2009, 02:18 PM
  #6  
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$800 is very doable! The accessories can get ya. I might have as much in stuff as i do my bow But i have a disease

Martin and Mission make good bows at good prices. May check them out. Mission is a division of Mathews. If Mathews bows fell good to you they would be a great choice. My issues is, i've never found Mathews that fit me. I've tried nearly all of them.

Good luck!
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Old 12-25-2009, 08:07 AM
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There are packages that will save you some money. I ordered a 2009 Martin Bengal with quiver, sight and one of the surround rests for $406.00 yesterday (off of Ebay). I'll be dependent on the kindness of the members of this forum for instructions on how to tune and so on. Kinda of taking a risk doing this when I have never set up a bow on my own.

It has a wide adjustability range.

Arrows are an issue. I'm going to shoot what I have and then decide if I need to get a different spine.
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Old 12-26-2009, 03:32 AM
  #8  
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Are you left eye dominant? Just being left handed don't make you shoot left handed,If your left eye dominant than you should shoot left handed,right eye dominant shoot right handed! I know a guy who is right handed but shoots left handed beause he is left eye dominant! IMO you should find out,that way you will get the most out of this addiction.
Other than that I agree with the other guys find what feels good to you,I hate when I see people try and talk someone into a certain brand,we all have our favorites as will you as your addiction grows!
You will also need to decide if you are going to shoot with a release or with fingers,if you go with finger shooting you will want to look at longer axle to axle bows,The one thing that I would recommend, is going with a release due to the fact that most bows are of the shorter style.
You should have no problem finding a good set up in your budget range!
Good luck and agian WELCOME to the addiction!
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Old 12-28-2009, 06:59 PM
  #9  
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I am most definately left eye dominant. I have been shooting guns since I can remember, just now getting into the compound bow world.

I went to a couple bow shops today. One did not have any left handed bows for me to try. The next had a few.

I tried a couple Hoyts, a Matthews and a PSE. The PSE felt horrible and had a bad vibration to me. The Matthews felt good, but at $750 for just the bow I had to pass on it.

I ended up with a Hoyt PowerHawk. I really like it. I am still getting used to things and I am trying to read as much as I can. I am having trouble being consistent with it. I know it is me, because sometimes I can group to the point of hitting one another, then I throw one way off. It is just gonna take some practice. I feel like I am weak or something. They set me up on 45lbs at first and after 20-30 pulls my back began to get a little sore. I still had no problem pulling the bow back, but I started to become unsteady as I held the pin on the target. I hope I will build these muscles up better.

My 14yr old nephew got a new bow also. He got a Diamond Razor's Edge. It seems like a great bow also. He is only able to comfortably pull back around 35lbs at the moment. He too is hoping to get stronger. For him I have no doubt, as he will get stronger due to age.
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Old 12-29-2009, 03:01 AM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by chevymanar
I am most definately left eye dominant. I have been shooting guns since I can remember, just now getting into the compound bow world.

I went to a couple bow shops today. One did not have any left handed bows for me to try. The next had a few.

I tried a couple Hoyts, a Matthews and a PSE. The PSE felt horrible and had a bad vibration to me. The Matthews felt good, but at $750 for just the bow I had to pass on it.

I ended up with a Hoyt PowerHawk. I really like it. I am still getting used to things and I am trying to read as much as I can. I am having trouble being consistent with it. I know it is me, because sometimes I can group to the point of hitting one another, then I throw one way off. It is just gonna take some practice. I feel like I am weak or something. They set me up on 45lbs at first and after 20-30 pulls my back began to get a little sore. I still had no problem pulling the bow back, but I started to become unsteady as I held the pin on the target. I hope I will build these muscles up better.

My 14yr old nephew got a new bow also. He got a Diamond Razor's Edge. It seems like a great bow also. He is only able to comfortably pull back around 35lbs at the moment. He too is hoping to get stronger. For him I have no doubt, as he will get stronger due to age.
The Turbo is a really nice bow from what I read. Basically an AlfphaMax with a magnesium riser rather than machined aluminum. The soreness in you back is you using muscles you've never known you had to draw the bow The more you shoot the less you'll notice this. This is a good thing though. You want to use your back muscles to help you draw and not put all the weight on your elbow and shoulder. Drawing to much weight can cause bad things to your shoulder.

Your inconsistent groups could be a number of things. More than likely fatigue. It would also be you torquing the bow on release. You want to keep a completely relaxed bow hand all the way through release and arrow launch. If you don't have a wrist sling, i highly recommend one. They are cheap insurance against dropping your new toy! Welcome to your new addiction!!!
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