What do I need to know?

[MrSmallington]

Contemplating picking up and working on bow hunting for next season. how do i choose a bow? what gear besides a bow is needed or commonly used? I do not have deep pockets but do have a year to collect.  Now realize I know no terms and or lingo. treat me like a wicked smart 5th grader.    what do you look for when buying a new bow? I'm a bargain shopper and do not need a new waive high tech bow. just comfort and easy pull and hold.

[treeclimber2852]

Go to a good bow shop and let them school you on draw length, weight, sites, anchor points, etc.  Be humble and ask lots of questions.  Once you have a comfortable set up, and you can find bargain beginner setups, practice, practice, and practice some more.  It's all about muscle memory.  Get a membership at a range (Tacoma Sportsman's is where I go) and do the walk throughs, and practice some more.  You'll find out what works for you.  Did I mention practice? 

[pianoman9701]

OK, so "wicked smart" immediately identifies you from the Northeast part of the country, right off the bat! 
You're going to need to go to a bow shop and shoot some different bows. Some of the other guys in your area will know where to go. Buy your bow there if possible and develop a relationship with the shop. Believe me, having a relationship with a local shop will reap benefits in the long run. Since you're not Bill Gates, remember that bow season normally is fairly warm on the west side and you don't need to dump a pile of money on expensive hunting clothes, with the exception of good quality raingear. Immediately go to www.camofire.com for good pricing on a wide range of hunting clothes and accessories. To save money, concentrate first on the right bow with the right sight, rest, quiver, and release. Next, get the best quality boots you can afford. Next, get the highest quality glass you can afford - binos or spotter. Everything else can follow along as you can afford or as you need it. Good luck!

[MrSmallington]

I rifle hunt so I have my rain gear, boots, glass ect.  just curious as to some of the main things to look for in bow gear.  how to find draw length... weight.  in Tacoma only place i know of is bass pro that has bows. my wicked dumb self just bought a new stock for my 30-06 so i don't know why i'm trying to move away from rifle. i guess maybe the season.

[JDHasty]

I rifle hunt so I have my rain gear, boots, glass ect.  just curious as to some of the main things to look for in bow gear.  how to find draw length... weight.  in Tacoma only place i know of is bass pro that has bows. my wicked dumb self just bought a new stock for my 30-06 so i don't know why i'm trying to move away from rifle. i guess maybe the season.

SPORTCO will hook ya' up.  If I were in your situation I might start w/a package bow and shoot it a bit before changing out the rest and sight. 

"What do I need to know?"  Slick Trick 100 gr standard broadheads are economical, easy to tune, fly straight and kill deer well. 

[MrSmallington]

nice. sportco isnt too far from me... and ive never been. im a bass pro guy.

[Milkman]

Don't buy a bow from BPS, please.

Hit up the local PRO shops...
Great NW Archery in Puyallup
Rock Creek Archery in Enamclaw (Denton is super nice dude)
Sportco,  as mentioned in Fife....there a Mathews dealers tho  lol
Up north there's Nock point, never been but heardgood things.
As other guys said just go and shoot a few different bows. Now that the 2018s are out you can get a good deal on last year's model.
Try and look online for a bow too once you know what you want. You don't have to buy it brand new. You can save a ton by having it restrung, 130$, and tuned at a local shop.

[JDHasty]

SPORTCO has a number of brands.  Don't get too hung up on brand names.  I used to shoot a 1984 Ben Pearson Spoiler and now I shoot a 2015 Diamond Carbon Cure and both have served me well. 

Since you don't know what accessories you want to throw away money in $250 increments on yet, why not buy a decent bow that is on season end sale that comes with a package and learn how to shoot it.  After a few months you will not like the rest it comes with or the sight, but you also are not in position today to know what you do want. 

By next May or June you will have a good idea of what you want in a rest and sight and why.  You could ask fifteen different people here to recommend a sight and rest and get close to 100 different combinations recommended by people who are 100% competent to make a recommendation as well as those who have no business recommending anything to anyone.  Get something solid and learn to shoot and become familiar enough that you can figure out what you want.   

[slowhand]

You need a mentor. I started as a bow hunter with My Dad at age 10 and continued until 26 then moved on to Modern and learned from My Grandpa and Uncle. Lastly My Dad and I learned Black powder from one of My Dad's work friends.
The learning curve will be much easier with a mentor. Bow hunting is by far the hardest and most frustrating of all of the hunting options. I would say that it is By far My favorite.
Also agree with practice practice then practice more. I wish You the best of luck.

[Stalkin Prey]

I've had great service at Lucky Shot Archery in Chehalis WA. Being new to archery last yr they have always been extremely helpful. I don't have a mentor or any archery buddies so it was all a learning experience for me. Like others have said, get into a setup and practice a ton. Extremely important-PRACTICE. Don't worry about all the upgraded accessories and all that until you really have a handle on your technique. John Dudley has some good videos on technique and all sorts of things related to archery. Hope this helps.


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[N7XW]

Here's a copy and paste post I made some time ago on a similar thread -

Nothing wrong with buying a used bow.  With many peoples insistence on buying a new bow every year (crazy if you ask me), you can pick up a very lightly used recent model for about half the cost of new.  Check the classifieds on archery talk.  You'll be amazed at how many are listed there.  Just make sure the string is in good shape and bow fits you (draw length, draw weight, desired brace height, etc.)  Make sure there are no flaws in the limbs (cracks, splinters).  A little flaking usually is not a problem depending on the history of the manufacturer.  You can probably find a good used bow completely setup too - sight, stab, rest, etc. for a good price.

50-60 lbs is all you need for hunting.  Go higher than 60 lbs if you want but your accuracy may suffer and shoulder, elbow, wrist may sustain damage in the long run.  You're not going to sacrifice anything in terms of accuracy or consistency with an adjustable bow.  Most hunting bows are fully adjustable these days.

When I first got into bow hunting all I wanted was high draw weight and high arrow speed.  Boy was I wrong.  Now with experience under my belt, all I want out of my bows is consistent accuracy and forgiveness.  I'd recommend no shorter than a 7" brace height especially if this is your first bow.  Tuning, patience and practice are key.  If you can't/don't do your own tuning, find a reputable shop or someone that has the knowledge to do it.  I don't recommend Cabelas or any of the other big box stores.  It's been my experience that those guys typically know just enough to put a package together and send you out the door.  It's then up to you to figure out why your shots are not consistent at distance.

Don't get a bow that is too much draw weight and make sure your draw length is right on.  If either are off, bad shooting form will follow.

Arrows will be key also.  Make sure you don't go less than 6 grains per pound of draw weight, even though 5gpp is the safe minimum.  Make sure your arrows are properly sized and your points are properly sized (dynamic spine) for your setup.

I know it sounds like a lot and it is but I've found that if you want to get proficient at archery you need to dig into the technical details of the equipment and the mechanics of good form.  I'm not one to go out and fling a few arrows and call it good.  I want near perfection and with time (and money) spent I hope to achieve that.

Good luck.  Stick with it.  Chances are you'll be hooked.  There is nothing quite like seeing an arrow dropping into the 10 ring from long distance, very satisfying.

[doubletall]

SPORTCO will hook ya' up.  If I were in your situation I might start w/a package bow and shoot it a bit before changing out the rest and sight. 

"What do I need to know?"  Slick Trick 100 gr standard broadheads are economical, easy to tune, fly straight and kill deer well.
[/quote] The guys at Sportco will treat you right.

[Special T]

If your going to go the used bow route do some you tube searches to figure out what your draw lengths is. Don't get a heavy bow 60-65 is plenty. On a used bow it's better to buy what fits then buy and need to change draw lengthy as some require cam and or cable changes.

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[Blacktail Sniper]

Hit some of the shops/stores and ask questions, pick-up several different brands of bows, see what fits you, get measured for draw length, maybe shoot a few if possible.

As for pull weight, the State has minimum of 40 lbs draw weight at 28" of draw, so that is where you would start. 

Like any activity, it takes time to build the muscles up that you use to draw a bow, so start light and work up to what is comfortable to draw back without having to point the bow towards the moon.

After you have done some hands-on research and settled on one, keep in mind that Black Friday is coming up and all the big sales that come with it.

That is, if you don't mind dealing with some of the people that brings out.  Some things are just worth paying a few bucks more to avoid...

[JDHasty]

Down the road yu are going to put broadheads on your arrows and want to go hunting.  If your vision is good, and you follow through you will probably see your arrows fishtailing before they settle down. 

You may not be concerned because most of them still group as well as your field tips.   

Take the time to either tune the bow yourself by moving the rest slightly (very, very slightly) until your broadheads group where your field tips group or paper tune it before you go hunting.  You never know when that once in a lifetime opportunity will come along and the last thing you need is doubt about the arrow going into exactly where your sight pin was when you released it. 

If you used a bow square when you set up your rest and knocking point (D-loop) you are probable looking at east-west deviation on target at 20 yards of just a couple inches from where your broadheads group and where your field tips group.  once it is tuned both will not fishtail before settling down.