Best bow for the money
 

what is the best bow on the market for under 400$ i would like it to come in a package so i wont have to spend the time buying and putting together: rests, sights, arrows, etc. i was looking at a PSE is this a good choice? i am a young hunter and dont have the money for an expensive bow i am 6' 1'' what draw length would be good? thanks

RE: Best bow for the money
 

http://www.bowsales.com/draw_length.htm Here is a link to determine your draw length. Also check out cabelas.com. They have some great packages there. I ordered the PSE Fire Flight 33AC Package and am getting it Friday. It was $300. Remember the more expensive the bow doesn't mean the better it is. Good luck!!

RE: Best bow for the money
 

You sound as if this will be your first bow. If so do not order one from any mail order company until you really know what you are looking at and what all goes into setting them up. Go to a pro shop so that they can fit the bow that you want to you and you can try as many as you can before puting doun your hard earned money. There are a lot of differances between bows like grip designs, how smooth, harsh or soft a draw cycle is, how short or long the let off valley is, how heavy the bow itself is, how it balances in your hand, etc...etc...


After saying all of thet, do you want the bow itself to cost under $400 or the entire package under $400. either way, IMHO, the best package out there that's in this price range is the Parker stealth hunter outfitter and the hunter mag outfitter. These bows are smooth drawing, have a generous valley, good brace height, good wall to draw against, excelent build quality, and great speed.

I don't know of any other bows out there for this price range that are going to give you as much for your money as these two. Heck, with the outfitter deals you even get a hard plastic case for storage and transportation.

http://www.parkerbows.com/index2.html

RE: Best bow for the money
 

You might try the Bowtech Tomcat package. It usually goes for around $450, so a bit over your price range. Although, you might be able to swing some deals with the 2004 bows coming out. My buddy bought this bow last year and it is a very nice bow. Good luck

JMAC

RE: Best bow for the money
 

You really could benefit from the help of a good bow shop. Find out who has the best shop in your area and let them fit a decent bow to you. Far more important then brand, will be proper fit, good bow tuning and good basic instruction to get you started in the right direction. These three things will have you shooting the worst made bow on the planet, better then the best made bow without those three advantages.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

Look into the Hoyt Magnatec (2003) or Hoyt Ultra mag(2004). It fits the price and is a good bow. Well worth the cash. Good luck.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

Look in Cabelas catalog. Any of those bows in that price range are good enough for a first time bow. At your height I would prolly think your around a 29 or 30 inch draw. If your gonna use a release I would say shoot a 29 inch draw. Later you can upgrade your bow by getting a good arrow rest, I like the drop away type rests, and a good set of sights. These two items were upgraded on my bow this year and my groups tightened up quite a bit. good luck and tell us what you end up getting.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

I bought a Pearson Anaconda on Ebay for $300 with LimbSavers, Bodoodle rest, peep, and 3-pin sight. I ended up taking it to the pro shop and re-setting the peep, loop, draw length- waste of money having someone do it not hands on. I changed back to my old Bodoodle pro and also changed the sight to a TRNitro Extreme. Probably totaled a little over $400 with new Kwiki Kwiver and Doinker. I love my bow but have seen some comments that it has a hard cam which might not be good for some. I think I have gotten used to it. I have seen a Fred Bear Vapor 300 on Ebay for <$275. complete package. Looks like a good bow but someone else on here could tell you good or bad. I am a firm believer in supporting your local pro shop but I also have 3 kids and an endless supply of bills, so I would have no problem buying a new bow by mail to get more bang for the buck. Just expect to take it to the pro shop to have it set up. Probably need to know draw length as some require different modules. Also, check out ArcheryWorld.com. I read through their discussions on pros/cons on different bows. Once you get through the "my bow is better than your bow" stuff you can get some good opinions. And obviously, this site can provide you with endless and probably the best quality opinions and info.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

The "best" bow comes down to what suits YOU best. Martin has some nice packages out the door for around $400.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

Santa brought me a 2004 PSE Nova with the new Lightning 3 cam and I love it so far. I bought the bare bow for $199 and then added my own accessories. This is a great bow for the money.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

I'll second Ralphie on the Martins. I love my Panther Mag. Quietest bow you've never heard. Excellent bows for half the cost of a Bowtech or Mathews. They have some expensive ones, too, but they are mainly target bows.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

PSE sells many that are chaeper. I shaot a PSE nova and it worx for me.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

I agree with Buckeye, I had a Magnatec and pulled a few "Robin Hoods" with it. I am not an excellent shooter, my form is not rock solid. What you need to look for is a bow that is forgiving with a modest brace height. Another line is Reflex, I purchased a Buckskin for $400 and will have it set up for less than six. Don't skimp on the arrows though.[8D]

RE: Best bow for the money
 

The "best" bow is the one that fits you perfectly.....physically, mentally, and also fits your budget and hunting needs.

Just about any bow out there will kill a deer. Don't think you have to have a top shelf bow to be able to hunt.

Having said all that........I have experience with 2 middle of the chart bows and they are both very nice. The Fred Bear TRX is a GREAT bow. I can't think of anything I didn't like about it. I owned it for one year and sold it to my brother because he was having some financial trouble. We both killed 6 ptrs with it. In 2 seasons it is 2 for 2. It is smooth, fast enough and very quiet. Great bow. I would go into the woods any day with that bow and be very happy. I replaced it with a 2003 Bowtech Patriot which is a REALLY GREAT bow......and much faster.......and much more money.......The Patriot is 0 for 1 :(

My other brother owns a Martin Tracer Mag. He paid $300 bucks for a complete package and he shoots VERY well with it. Also a very nice bow......small and very light. I don't like the grip very much but it still a great bow for $300.

If I could give you a little advice it would be to just go shoot bows and don't look at price tags. You may be surprised at what you find. That is how I settled on my Fred Bear TRX.......It was the best felling bow to me.

Good Luck

RE: Best bow for the money
 

Atlasman said it all in regards to the "best" bow for you.

As others have said, you should buy your first bow at an archery shop, that way you will know that the bow fits you and is tuned right. The last thing you need to do is try/learn how to shoot a bow that doesn't fit you right. You will pick up some bad habits that will be difficult to get rid of.

I bought a Browning Ambush bow a couple of years ago that was a package deal, I love it. Shop around at archery shops, the bow you want to buy is the one that feels good to you the second you pick it up, if it doesn't feel good, don't buy it.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

Hey! That is the website for the shop I work at sometimes...:D. Small world.;)


I really do not think there are many "bad bows" on the market today. You can get several decent bows fully set up for under $400. To me it would depend on how many "bells and whistles" you want. Ofcourse, individual feel is the most important and heading out to some local shops to get a feel for each bow is very important.

Best value overall? No doubt the PSE Nova. But, if you are looking for something a bit more expensive then the Hoyt Ultramag and Ultrasport would get my vote.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

The Parker Challenger (outfitter) is a nice bow package in your price range.

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RE: Best bow for the money
 

Well said Atlasman.

Make sure to get a bow that fits you properly....that is much more important than what brand it is. I would suggest going to a local (knowledgeable) proshop and get measured up. As far as good bows for the $, I would agree with PA...the PSE Nova is hard to beat. You can get the complete bow kit for around $200.

RE: Best bow for the money
 

The wingspan method is meant to be used as a tool to obtain accurate draw length....not necessarily the deciding factor. Truth be told it puts me about a half inch shy of why I normally measure out and am accustomed to shooting.