buckmastr229

Well I figure im going to give bowhunting a try, I have been a rifle hunter many of years. If I hunt with bow it gives me another season to hunt! So my question is how much money is it to start bowhunt? I want all decent equiment I can trust.

V8Ranger

Coast wise can be what ever you want it to be and how good of product you want to go with. I got back into it last year and I got a descent PSE on E-Bay for less than $100. Then as far as the rest of the stuff I think I might have spent another $75 not including stands as I use them in shot gun season also. I think it all depends on what you want. If you want the best of every thing I think you could spend a couple of grand easy. I figer I would start out cheaper and can alway up grade later. Good luck.

vte

A new set up can run you as little as around $560 or just a hair more by the time you add in arrows and hunting tips. Since I shoot a lighter poundage it was cheaper than that. My husband's new set up was more like $1000 as he opted to buy a really big name company. One of out local shops has a wide selection of used bows that range from $100-$400.There is nothing wrong with a used bow. And like V8Ranger said, there is always EBay. I just prefer to try my bows out before buying one. If you are trying to save on money, I'd recommend aluminum arrows instead of carbon. Cheaper carbons will not group as well.And good carbons are not cheap. What ever you get just make sure it fits you and you are confident in it. Good luck!!

MichaelT.

Buckmaster229,

Mortgage the house, and get ready to sleep on the couch, if you are married. Just kidding. Listen, there are all kinds of price ranges you can jump into to get started. What I have found is this. How much you spend up front, will decide how much you spend in the long run. You can buy equipment to get by , then decide you want something better and buy a second time. I have seen it happen a lot. The best advice I feel I can give you is this..... If you really feel that this is something you want to do, and that you truely feel like you will enjoy it, then spend the money up front to get good equipment. Now I did not say the best equipment, but do get good equipment.

You can getthe top of the line,really good bows in the 500 - 900.00 range. OR You can get a good bow that will last you forever , but may not be " the best ", for 350.00. A good example of this is like a "package bow " from bass pro shops. You can get a Fred Bear Element package deal for about 360.00. That bow is a good bow, built on modern standards, that is fast enough compared to the other bows out there right now. There are lots of package deals at all kinds of places like Bass pro, cabelas, hunters friend, to name a few, that can save you some money if you do not have to have the biggest and best of everything. And yes, you can find some deals on ebay. I have seen brand new bows like mine, A PSE Firestorm lite, sell for 250.00 or so. That is a good deal. So there are several options out there for you, but remember, you will need a pro shop for things like set up and general maintenance. Some people don't want to work on things they did not sell. So find out what kind of person your local pro shop has running it.


A dozen quality arrows will run you about 80.00 - 130.00. Sights, are about 60.00 - 100.00. Quivers run about 40.00. A release is about 30.00-50.00. A restwill run about 60.00 -80.00. Broadheadsare about 35.00, for 3 or for 6, depending on brand and quality. You needmore than 3 so you can practice with some and hunt with some. Muzzys are around 35.00 for 6, 3 blade B.H.'s. You will need a good target for practice. I would say that will cost you around 75.00.

Now some of these expenses will not matter to you, IMMIDEATLY , if you buy a " package deal ", but a lot of the time, you will most likely decide that you want to change the sights or the rest or even both, with better equipment, once you learn what's what and you have become familiar with your equipment.

But also understand, that a bow is just like a gun. If you get a good piece of equipment, it can be a one time deal, and last you for the rest of your life. So the expense can be justified to get good equipment.

HAve fun , and be safe.

God Bless

isatarak

Before you buy a used bow on e-bay or anywhere else, be advised that bows have different draw lengths and you need to know what yours is before you even look at a bow. It is the most critical thing you need to know before you start looking at bows.

BackwoodsBuck

I was in the same boat as you. I have riffle hunted for years, and wanted to bow hunt. I had an old Bear Whitetail 2, but the draw length was too long, and i couldn't shoot worth a crap with it. I decided long ago that I would not get a new bow until I could get EXACTLY what I wanted. I spent a little over a grand on my set up. I riffle hunted from shooting houses, but I still had a treestand, so that was not a problem. But I also learned that it is colder on a treestand than in a shooting house. I had enough close, but HAD to get new boots. There was another $70 (found them on sale). After getting busted by two does before I saw them, I learned that scent is a bigger factor when you don't have the shooting house to contain your scent. There's another $40-$50 for scent elimination stuff.

I am not trying to deter you, I am just saying that there will probably be hidden costs that you did not account for. So don't bust your budget on just the bow.

buckmastr229

How do i figure out my draw weight? With out going to a shop since there is not any around my area?

JimboHunter1

Do you have a Dick's Sporting Goods or anthing similar near your house? If so, you can pull a few bows there to get a feel for your draw weight. Based on your age and size, I would expect that a 60-70 pound bow would suffice (possibly a 50-60 pound bow) but equally important is the draw length.