Buying a new bow

[Kingpuck]

So after my first season I have decided that this sport is a new passion. Even over fishing. Obummer is giving me enough money back on my taxes to buy a bow and part of a sidearm. Would like to go to a bow shop that selling all brands, can try out some different bows and find one that I like. Would like to stay in the $600-700 range.

Any recommendations for bow shops with a variety of brands or a bow in particular? Looking for a compound.

[coachcw]

the nockpoint is close if you wanna try out hoyt ( just be carefull that they dont sell you what they have vrs what you want ) rock creek in Enumclaw sells bow tech wich wil be my next bow . I'd try to bump your budget just a bit you will get much more bow .

[carpsniperg2]

Really look into bear. They have a lot of nice bows in your price range. As far as a shop I don't know the area.

[Crunchy]

You get what you pay for when it comes to bows.  Im a hoyt or mathews guy myself.

[coachcw]

You get what you pay for when it comes to bows.  Im a hoyt or mathews guy myself.

thats like being a ford and chevrolet guy !

[romaknows]

What do you shoot now?   It is my opinion that most upper end bows built after 2006 are going to be all about the same , with the only difference being axle to axle length, brace height, and what kind of cams.

If I was going to get my first bow i would look for a used one with 7"+ of brace, and an ATA of 34"+and probably a single cam .

[coachcw]

I shoot a g5 primal , love the bow but it's very hard on bus cables , back up bow is a hoyt pro tech/ turbo tech hi bred . I used to shoot martin furys back in the day they we the bad boy on the block , still have a limbsaver dz30 and a liberty compact and a strait protech target bow . I really like the way the new bow tech destroyer draws and shoots its abot 10 fps faster than my g5 with a better wall, 7 plus inch brace hieght and 34 axle to axle is a good bet for a all around bow .the bears i have shot feel cheap to me .

[carpsniperg2]

You get what you pay for when it comes to bows.  Im a hoyt or mathews guy myself.

thats like being a ford and chevrolet guy !

Hahaha funny stuff. I own 9 different bow brands they are all good. Some bows are better in each price group but all make pretty decent bows. Some companies have more problems then others but most are making quality bows and all have bows in your price point.

[Mudman]

 :yeah:Apart from one which I will not mention anymore(customer service was horrible) I think they all make good bows and not so good bows.  I would think 600 will get you a large choice of good bows to choose from.  Try em all out then decide.  More $ just gets ya faster quieter better sites rest strings.

[Bean Counter]

You get what you pay for when it comes to bows.  Im a hoyt or mathews guy myself.

I respectfully disagree. I believe that bows are like guns and guns are like cameras. If you aren't getting good results, its usually not the object that is to blame--its your bad technique. Thinking that price dictates quality and that therefore quality will ensure results becomes a downward spiral that will drain your wallet in a hurry and leave you no better a shooter in the mean time. Sure, when you're good, you know a little more about what you want.  But IMHO when starting out, its  better to buy a used $300 complete bow setup and make sure you have enough money left over for a nice rangefinder, a few dozen arrows, a target, etc.

Me? I shoot one hunting rifle, and one bow. I bought my setup used a few years ago, and it was one of the first that I looked at. My bow was a complete setup, a PSE Mach X with two sets of Winners Choice strings, a release, a quiver, rest, sights, case, a few arrows all for $400. I haven't entered any competitions but several guys at my church, all whom own one or more $700-900 bows, can't outshoot me on a regular basis. YMMV.

[browney5er]

 I'm brand new to shooting bows but I bought mine on ebay, 2012 PSE evo 7 for $599.00 plus $20.00 shipping. The guy is still selling them in packages all set up for $699.00. I didn't want a package so I called him and he sold me the bare bow for$599.00 with warranty. 34.5" ata and a 7" brace height. Sweet shooting bow.

[coyotehunter]

There are a ton of great bows out on the market. Try and find a shop that has a wide selection and try them out. I don't go to nock point anymore because they have poor service! Outdoor Emporium and Sportco have better service and wider selection. If you go to Sportco ask Andy. Cabels probably has the widest selection but I've also had poor service there too.

The point I'm trying to make is a bow is a personnel preference. If you are going to spend that much money you should get what you want. Try out several bows over a few visits, get a feel for the bows and ask tons of questions. There are tons of options, double cams, single cams, speed bows, smooth bows, etc.

Welcome to the insanity! And enjoy the sport!

[demontang]

The primal is a great bow, the diamomd outlaw is a good one. Bear has a few out that fit the bill. Find some shops and shoot some bows is the best option. Ive been busting my chops to get the shop service the best I can where I work, I do tell people to shoot everything but most are brand loyal, I shoot a bowtech now but have owned lots of brands but never a mattews or hoyt.

[JLS]

Me? I shoot one hunting rifle, and one bow.

How incredibly boring

I do the same thing
One bow.
One shotgun
Mostly one rifle (both Model 70s)

When I bought my first bow, I bought a PSE package deal that was okay.  I shot if for three years, then upgraded to a Mathews.  If I had it to do over, I probably would do it the same way.  Shoot for a while, and shoot some other bows.  You'll learn what you like and don't like.

If and when you do upgrade, take the time to look for used bows.  Just like cars, you can save a lot of money by doing so.

Or, if budget isn't that big of an issue shoot a bunch and buy exactly what you want now.  Lots of good bows out there these days.

[Bean Counter]

How incredibly boring

Yup.. and you can say that again 

Finally, I'm "low maintenance" in one area of my life 

[jnevs23]

I bought the quest g5 primal for $729 about a year and  a half ago.  Great bow, very smooth no complaints.  I saw a month or so ago Cabela's (post falls) had it around $575 bare if i remember right.  I dont put much stock into the archery guys at cabelas but for the price its a great bow

[mikelonsford]

I bought a Mathews off Ebay earlier this week, got it yesterday.  I was going to use it as back up to my other Mathews which is maybe 7 years old.  The one I just got is a Reezen.  I shot it today....it'll probably be the starter.  I hate to put the other one down as it was my first bow and I have killed some animals with it including a nice bull a year ago, but man the new one hits hard and is easy to pull and hold.  My first bow is a Switchback and is a crazy smooth bow to shoot, just doesn't have quite the oomph of the Reezen......Maybe I can take turns with them. 

When getting my first bow, I did some research about what to look for in a bow (huntersfriend.com does an excellent tutorial on everything related to bow/archery101) then I went to some shops and shot everything that interested me and make sure what felt good to me.  When I knew what I wanted, I bought it.  It has been AWESOME! 

Since then I have bought three used bows from Ebay, 2 for me as back ups and 1 for my Dad for his main bow.  The price is definitely right, you just need to make sure what you want beforehand and make sure all the bow specific details meet your needs (draw length, poundage, brace height, etc).  I have had great results from that as well.  Always good to have a local pro shop where you can buy new or work on any bow for you.

Good Luck
Mike

Mike

[Kingpuck]

Always surprised at the good responses from everyone on here. Should learn to accept that as the norm. Thank you all. The reason for the price point is that I am trying to keep to a budget and want to spend some of the tax return on a side arm. Walked up on one too many steaming piles last year and simply don't like the feeling of being out and not having a gun.

So the money is being split between a gun and a bow. I like the idea of shooting a lot of different bows and finding out what works best for me. The struggle is finding the shops with a lot of variety. The guys at Nock have been good to me so far so no complaints. Would like to find some shops with real variety. Any thoughts?

Hoping to buy in the next month or so to give me plenty of time to get dialed in before the season. Want to be fluid and comfortable. Have plans for a deer and elk in the freezer this year.