jeffgothro

I'm an avid mountain biker/mechanic...been working on bikes since 1975 and riding mountain bikes since 1989 - there isnt much I dont know about mountain bikes, and bicycles in general, bicycles have probably been one of if not my biggest hobby since 75'. I'm am your goto guy if you want to know anything bike related....but, thats not the point here really, the point is, I need a few goto guys here in the forum who know there bows to give me a little extra hopefully un-biased advice on choosing my first bow?

I know you get what you pay for generally when your buying something - when I buy a bike, I buy the high end race bikes, generally costing anywhere from 2k to 5k, I know at that price point, the bike will last me, I will get more enjoyment out of it, and I know the bike will far outperform a cheaper bike when it comes to honing my skills.

Thusfar, I've been doing my homework for the past month or so and found a wonderful "Compound Bow Selection Guide" on the Hunters Friend website (link provided at the end of my post). Unbeknownced to me, and through a little more research I found out there happens to be a bow shop roughly 2 miles from my house on the same street I live on in fact. Initially I had planned on buying a Bowtech Assasin from Hunters Friend complete w/ the full R.A.K. package and set-up, but, after visiting my local bow shop (link provided at the end of post) the guy at the shop has me interested in a Mission Craze (the bow the owner of the shop recommended) or I have been looking at Mission Endeavor. The shop owner told me the Mission Venture is Missions over all best bow (but I'm sceptical because) - on paper spec wise the Endeavor seems almost the same bow as the Venture minus perhaps a couple higher end parts that come on the Venture, so I chose the Endeavor. So, so far those are a few choices, the Bowtech Assasin, or the Mission Endeavor/Craze bows.

I'm brand new to bowhunting and still having a little trouble deciding what to get. Does anyone have reviews for these bows? Do you own, have shot, or have any experence with any of these bows. Are there any other bows or brands I should consider for my first bow?

My price range or what I'm willing to spend is about 300.00 - 500.00$ for bow only, or roughly 600.00 - 800.00$ for a full package/kit set-up. Also, what about ebay, is ebay a good place to pick up a good deal on a used bow, or are buying used bows not a good idea?

Thanks for your time,

-Jeff


(ssems like a really good begginer guide)
http://www.huntersfriend.com/bowselection.htm
(my local bowshop)
http://www.pergsonsarchery.com/

RyanVT

Best advice anybody can give you is shoot as money bows as you can and go with what you like

OhioNovice

I agree. I ended up buying a less expensive bow because it felt better to me.

CodyGuess

X2
But I do love the mission series bows

SlowDraw

x3 on the shooting as many as you can. See if you can ask around about the quality of your local pro shop and if there are any others near by that you can handle and shoot some other brands. There are a ton of great bows out there right now. If one of the local pro shops has a good reputation then I would lean that way if they have a bow that feels good to you. With you being new to the soprt having a local pro that can help you set up your bow and give you a few shooting pointers will be a big help. They are going to be more helpful if you buy from them.

halfbakedi420

my buddy got a $400 ready to shoot from bass pro..so far so good..its quiet, fast and has good equipment. no pun , but i think its a kronic.

Beard Buster

Be cautious of a Mathews dealer, as they are completely biased, just like a Hoyt or Bowtech dealer would also be. They will all tell you the other companies are junk, but in all honesty, almost all newer bows are absolutely amazing. When I was a kid, a compound had two wheels and no cams. Times have changed and you must also change. Bows seem to advance at about the same pace as computers and cell phones. I just got a Diamond Dead Eye by Bowtech and it blows my old PSE out of the water. The bow felt just right for me, but it could feel terrible for you. You need to go sample everything you can get your hands on before you buy one. If it is any consolation, Bowtechis BY FAR the most patriotic and military friendly company. They gave me a huge discount since I am currently overseas. Hoyt seems to be exceptionally over priced nowadays, and it was between Bowtech, Mathews, Bear and PSE when making my new bow selection. I could not be happier. Got a doe opening day with it in fact! What a way to start my leave! Good luck on your choice and treat it like a bicycle, just get on that sucker and see what fits.

jeffgothro

Thanks everyone, I think I finally found one I want to buy, I went online and started looking at Parker Red Hawk XP and the G5 Quest QS31 - Hammer (both 2009 for 300.00$ each NEW), and although I havent tried either, I'm really digging the G5 Quest and I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy it, and buy it online, and instead buy all the accessories for it at my local dealer. Also this way I can buy a better bow (I think) for less money, and get nicer accessories, and still be roughly within my budget. I'll also bring my local shop my business for a couple lessons and set up of my bow. And in a year or two when I get better at this and learn a few things I'll think about upgrading to a nicer more professional higher end bow.



DRAW WEIGHTS: 50-, 60-, 70-pound peak
DRAW LENGTHS: 26 to 30 inches in one half-inch increments
RISER: Reflex, 100-percent CNC machined 6061 T6 aluminum
LIMBS: 13.5-inch straight Gordon Glass
STRING: 87.8125 inches Metrao
CABLE: 32.9375 inches Metrao
MASS WEIGHT: 3.9 pounds
LETOFF: 80-percent
GRIP: 2-piece composite
BRACE HEIGHT: 7.5 inches
AXLE-TO-AXLE LENGTH: 31 inches
FINISH: Realtree AP HD
ADVERTISED IBO SPEED: 310 to 314 fps

jeffgothro

I expected that, although my dealer I dont recall ever telling me to shun other brands, on the other hand, he only carrys several other brands including Mission, Mathews, and Martin. I've been watching the Pursuit Channel and I noticed a lot of hunters use Mathews, but, that doesnt mean a lot to me, as of I'm sure Mathews is a fine bow, but I'm also I'm sure they pay a lot of people to use there bows and pay a lot of advertising (bike companys do the same).

"Bowtechis BY FAR the most patriotic and military friendly"

Thats cool, and while I'm fairly patriotic...one small reason or influence on y influence to choose Quest as of its made in my home state Michigan, also I read a couple reviews on the Quest I read mostly good things. As you know, Michigan is a very big hunter state. While I've lived in California since I was 3 years old, I've gone back to vist Michigan quite a few times and have ran into quite a few wild animals most notably deer and turkey. I remember, I was with my Grandpa once, and we were driving through the back country and had to stop the car to let half a dozen or so very, very big turkeys cross the road....it was a very awesome site to see. I guess the point is, since its a state with so much wild game, I'm taking a gamble on the Quest company that they have done there homework both in there test facility and in the field to produce a good product, but more importantly, a product suitable to my needs.


Thanks again, great reply, just what I needed to hear.

-Jeff

fishtaconc

I was going to suggest, finding a bare bow, while the packages are helpful to a newbie, they are most often "outgrown" very quickly. So invest the savings into accessories that will serve you longer. Welcome to this addiction we call bowhunting.