Advice for Newbies Buying a Bow
09-05-2007 | 02:44 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
Advice for Newbies Buying a Bow
Seems that a lot of folks will show up on the boards here and seek advice in buying a new bow – I was one of them very recently. Everyone's advice is good, and will pretty much be the same -- shoot as many bows as possible and pick the one that feels best to you. Some folks may recommend a specific brand, and that’s a place to start. Since I just went through the same process and bought my first compound bow last week, I thought I’d share some knowledge from my personal experience:
1. Set a price range, and be prepared to spend $100 - $150 more than your target.
2. I tried the big box stores locally and the small pro-shops. The big box stores (D*cks Sporting Goods, Gander Mountain) have a decent selection and may or may not have competent staff. For me, it was really hit or miss finding someone who knew more than I did (and I didn't know anything).
3. Shoot as many bows as possible - take a little notebook and write down your opinions on each bow... especially if you are going to shop more than one store. As much as possible, you want to do a side by side comparison, but this doesn't always work if you're going to more than one shop and they don't carry the same brands.
4. Don't be afraid to ask shooting advice -- there's no point in trying to impress the bow shop staff with your knowledge. Be a sponge, ask questions and seek advice. It's one way to learn stuff you don't know, and at the big boxes, it is a way to determine if you have decent help.
5. Compare apples to apples -- if one bow is completely set up (string leeches, stabilizer, etc) and another is not, you're not doing yourself any favors.
6. When you first go in the shop, they'll ask you your draw length - let them measure it each time you go. If you're not used to shooting, the first time you draw back to get measured you'll set your anchor point. Next week in the next shop, you'll probably set another anchor point. The more you test shoot bows, the more comfortable you will be setting your anchor point and finding your natural draw length. When I first went looking, I drew at 29". A week later, I was measured at 29.5". My new bow is set up at a 30" draw - and it's very comfortable.
7. If the draw weight is adjustable, consider buying the heavier bow and having the shop set it on the lighter draw. As you get used to the bow, you can always increase the draw weight.
8. If money is an issue, don't scrimp on the bow. You can always scrimp on arrows or a release -- that you can upgrade later. You can get decent carbon arrows for not a lot of money and hunt them this season, upgrading to better arrows next season. The same is true for broadheads. It's a whole lot easier to justify spending an additional $200 next season than it is to justify buying a different $600 - $800 bow just one or two years later.
9. If money is an issue, consider a used bow. You never know what you are getting (the history of the bow), but if you are buying it from a pro-shop, ask the guys there to check it out. Inspect the limbs yourself for cracks or "lines" that don't belong there. With a used bow, consider buying a new bowstring and cables -- just to be on the safe side.
10. Mail order / catalog order / Internet order -- my advice, if this is your first bow, unless you have a friend who works at an archery shop, don't do mail / internet orders. Until you have some experience with it, you'd be a whole lot better off spending a little extra at the local shop - even one of the big box stores. You're paying for advice and set up that you really can't get at a distance.
11. Don’t overanalyze it. You can spend weeks hemming and hawing between this bow and that. After you’ve given it reasonable thought and tested several bows – and tested your favorites a couple of times – make your decision and buy the damn thing. Don't look back and don't play the "what if" game. Buy the one you like the most and take it to the range. You won't be sorry. It's hard to buy a "bad" bow if you stay within a certain price range and recognized brands.
BTW - once you get your bow, if you aren't going to the range several times a week, it would pay to draw it 10-15 times a day -- you'll be using muscles that you haven't used in a while!
Just my thoughts, and since they're free, that might just be what they're worth!
Good luck![/align]
1. Set a price range, and be prepared to spend $100 - $150 more than your target.
2. I tried the big box stores locally and the small pro-shops. The big box stores (D*cks Sporting Goods, Gander Mountain) have a decent selection and may or may not have competent staff. For me, it was really hit or miss finding someone who knew more than I did (and I didn't know anything).
3. Shoot as many bows as possible - take a little notebook and write down your opinions on each bow... especially if you are going to shop more than one store. As much as possible, you want to do a side by side comparison, but this doesn't always work if you're going to more than one shop and they don't carry the same brands.
4. Don't be afraid to ask shooting advice -- there's no point in trying to impress the bow shop staff with your knowledge. Be a sponge, ask questions and seek advice. It's one way to learn stuff you don't know, and at the big boxes, it is a way to determine if you have decent help.
5. Compare apples to apples -- if one bow is completely set up (string leeches, stabilizer, etc) and another is not, you're not doing yourself any favors.
6. When you first go in the shop, they'll ask you your draw length - let them measure it each time you go. If you're not used to shooting, the first time you draw back to get measured you'll set your anchor point. Next week in the next shop, you'll probably set another anchor point. The more you test shoot bows, the more comfortable you will be setting your anchor point and finding your natural draw length. When I first went looking, I drew at 29". A week later, I was measured at 29.5". My new bow is set up at a 30" draw - and it's very comfortable.
7. If the draw weight is adjustable, consider buying the heavier bow and having the shop set it on the lighter draw. As you get used to the bow, you can always increase the draw weight.
8. If money is an issue, don't scrimp on the bow. You can always scrimp on arrows or a release -- that you can upgrade later. You can get decent carbon arrows for not a lot of money and hunt them this season, upgrading to better arrows next season. The same is true for broadheads. It's a whole lot easier to justify spending an additional $200 next season than it is to justify buying a different $600 - $800 bow just one or two years later.
9. If money is an issue, consider a used bow. You never know what you are getting (the history of the bow), but if you are buying it from a pro-shop, ask the guys there to check it out. Inspect the limbs yourself for cracks or "lines" that don't belong there. With a used bow, consider buying a new bowstring and cables -- just to be on the safe side.
10. Mail order / catalog order / Internet order -- my advice, if this is your first bow, unless you have a friend who works at an archery shop, don't do mail / internet orders. Until you have some experience with it, you'd be a whole lot better off spending a little extra at the local shop - even one of the big box stores. You're paying for advice and set up that you really can't get at a distance.
11. Don’t overanalyze it. You can spend weeks hemming and hawing between this bow and that. After you’ve given it reasonable thought and tested several bows – and tested your favorites a couple of times – make your decision and buy the damn thing. Don't look back and don't play the "what if" game. Buy the one you like the most and take it to the range. You won't be sorry. It's hard to buy a "bad" bow if you stay within a certain price range and recognized brands.
BTW - once you get your bow, if you aren't going to the range several times a week, it would pay to draw it 10-15 times a day -- you'll be using muscles that you haven't used in a while!
Just my thoughts, and since they're free, that might just be what they're worth!
Good luck![/align]
09-06-2007 | 01:31 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,499
Likes: 0
From: Central New York
RE: Advice for Newbies Buying a Bow
Good advice. Also you don't need a new bow every year. Tons of people get wrapped up into what the "pros" useand have to use the same gear. Read reviews and make you own choice. A $800 bow wil kill the same as a $400 bow.
