I've been hunting deer for some time now, but I'm down to my senior year in college now and it's looking like I'm going to start having some more free time. I'm wanting to purchase a bow this summer and practice up over summer and fall; any ideas on what I should buy? I've heard Bear is a great starter bow and by what I've seen they are reasonably priced. What would you guys/gals recommend?

Thanks a lot!

I love my bear element. But I have to say you need to hold and shoot as many as you can. Buy the one that feels/fits right. Then practice,practice,practice

Take a hard look at the Mission Archery line-up.

I suggest finding a pro shop near you with a good owner who can help you with your decision and learning to shoot. Trust me it's not as easy as just buying a bow and shooting in the back yard.

Get to a pro shop and shoot a bunch of different bows in your price range. Pick the one that feels the best to you and make sure you get one with the correct draw length. Also, don't get one thats too heavy. You don't want to get tired after just a few shots. 60# is more than enough for any deer out there. Good Luck!

I agree with all thats been said... Ill add,

Check ebay and archery talk for used bows... There are MANY high end bows for sale on the web that are discounted supremely! I buy and trade quite a few bows, and about 500$ is the norm for a one year old top end bow... I'm selling an 09 PSE xforce6 right now and am asking 500. The retail for that bow was over 900 just one year ago...

Im not suggesting to go buy a bow without shooting one or a similar one first, but there are a ton of sweet deals out there that can be had if you look a bit. All of this of course if you dont mind going used...

For new bows in the beginner area, id recommend just about any of them... There arent any bad manufacturers in general(although i havent had great luck with one in particular) so just pick what YOU like.

i have been bowhunting for a few years now and i know exactly what kind of confusion your feeling. what i first did was buy a bow from ebay but i would warn you to ask as many questions about the bow your buying and make sure that it is EXACTLY what is described. like they said, a bow that has 60lbs of force is all that you need.

i bought a pse nova for my first bow, but quickly realized that i wanted an upgrade so i bought a martin saber m2 online directly from the dealer. if i could do it again and if i would certainly go to a pro shop and shoot as many bows as you can and let the bow choose you (as corny as it sounds). whatever way you do it, the money spent on a bow is well worth it and i have never regretted spending money on my bow! good luck man!!

You can get a NIB Ross Cardiac over on Archery Talk for 285

That is the best bang for the buck I know of.

Good Luck.

When getting started, the MOST important thing you can do is get fitted for your proper draw length.

Also 60# is plenty