bn2hunt

I am going to try bow hunting next year and have been looking at purchasing a new bow next year. I have a few questions since I havn't shot a bow for about 15 years and that was a youth recurve. I plan on using carbon arrows and a release. I will be using the bow for whitetail deer hunting from a tree stand and a ground blind.

1 How fast of a bow should I be looking at, is a 285 IBO bow fast enough or should I limit it to 300 plus?

2 What is the difference between ABO std and IBO?

3 Are the split limb bows better in anyway than non-split limb?

4 I have also been looking at the hind site sighting system and it looks like it might be easier for a newby to pick up and keep my form better and info people have on this product will also be appreciated.

5 Any suggestions on a good brand moderatly priced for a beginner. I have been looking at Fred Bear and PSE in the cabelas catalog but I am open to suggestions.

Thanks in advance

gromage1

IMO you should get to a pro shop and have someone help you out, the most important thing for you to do is get a bow that fits you. Don't get to caught up in the speed issue ecspecially if you are just getting back into it, many of the faster bows out there are alot less forgiving to shoot ( not all but many), many deer are taken every year with long bows and recurves and they are generally much slower than even the slowest compounds. As far as bow brands go PSE and Fred Bear are both good bow makers but the best thing for you to do is go shoot as many different makes as you can and choose the one that feels the best, I would suggest taking a hard look at the Reflex line thay are a heck of bow and reasonably priced. I happen to own both split limb and solid limb bows and both work great for me so I really couldn't recommend one or the other, I think it really comes down to getting a bow whatever brand it might be that feels the best to you. I've never used the Hindsight but those who do seem to like it, I personally use a No-peep and love it.

Arthur P

People have been killing deer with bows and arrows for at least 50,000 years and it's only been within the past 10 years that bows capable of 300 fps have been available. Do the math. Actually, in this day and age, very few compounds are out there that don't carry a 300 fps IBO rating. Don't be overly taken in by the speed rating. How the bow feels in your hand and how quietly and accurately a bow shoots for you are far more important than just speed.

The AMO standard IS a standard, listed with the American Society of Testing and Materials in ASTM1544-99, and yields reliable results. The IBO rating is nothing more than a marketing ploy and, as such, can be manipulated to obtain numbers to WOW the consumer.

In my opinion, NO.

I've never used the hind sight, so I have nothing to say about it. I will say that millions of newbies started out without it and have done perfectly well.

I would highly recommend going to an archery pro shop for your first bow. You'll actually be able to put your hands on a variety of bows, get a bow accurately fitted to you and set up, and, usually, try before you buy.

bn2hunt

Thanks for the info. I was planning on going to a proshop to buy the bow just looking online to get a feel for what was available and getting a little overwhelmed by all the technology available and looking to get informed before going to buy the bow. I like to know if I'm being fed a line by someone trying to sell a bow or if it is someone that actually knows what they are talking about.

One of the reasons I was looking at the hind site was I have heard of people having a hard time finding the site pins in low light situation using a peep, but from what I have been able to find there a lot of diffenent types of peep sights. Are some better than others?

As far as the different speed ratings I kind of figured one was a standard and one was a fuzzy math marketing tool just wanted clarification.

A couple of guys at work just bought some reflex bows and they also recommended them so I will have to take a look at them as well. At least I know they are sold locally.

Thanks for the info

Arthur P

People who can't see their pins in low light because of the peep? They are not using the correct peep to begin with. With peeps, the smaller diameter the hole is, the more precise the aim point but the less light gets through to the eye. The less light getting thru, the less you can see. Small hole peeps are great for target shooting under bright sunlight, but they will blind you in low light. For hunting, you want a peep with a large diameter hole, like 3/16" to 1/4".

Of course, using any peep will cut down on the amount of light getting to your eye, so shooting a hunting bow without a peep is great if you can learn how to do it. Shooting without any sights at all is even better... Again, if you can learn how to do it.