game4lunch

You should concentrate on a used rig in the $350.00 range. My first bow rig was from the Cabella's bargain basement and it did me well for 10 years! Enough time to know what features I wanted in a new bow which I shoot today.

PreacherTony

M77 ..... Welcome to the best sport in the world!!! You will love it!
I think I still have my Bear Whitetail around somewhere [&:]...... I'll sell it to ya for a snickers bar!

grizzly_hackle36

M77, welcome to the fold. I think you'll really like bowhunting. Absolutely nothing is like the close encounters with wildlife you get while hunting with a bow. The Fred BearElement is right in the price range you were wanting and if it comes from Fred Bear it will be quality all the way. That said, if you have an archery shop nearby it is definately worth your time to try a few different bows to see what you are most comfortable with. Reflex, PSE, Diamond and Browning all have bows in the price range you are looking at. I shoot the PSE Typhoon, you can get it at Bass Pro Shops, and it is an excellent single cam bow at a low price. With the Reflex you get Hoyt technology, without the Hoyt price, and the Cam and a 1/2 rocks! Same with Diamond, which are essentially midprice Bowtech bows. PSE and Browning are members of the same corporation, along with Archery Research, and you can count on quality products from the two of them as long as you don't go too cheap.

I really am a firm believer in shooting as many different bows as you can prior to buying. Wheels, hatchet cams, single cams, and hybrid cams all have different strengths and weaknesses, and I cannot say enough about choosing an axle-to-axle length that is right for you and the way you hunt. If you do have to order through Cabela's or Bass Pro or someone else, research, research, research. All the companies listed above have excellent websites, as do most of the popular bowhunting magazines where you can find product reviews.

Good luck and Happy Hunting!

southern_hunter194

get u a good climber