New to bowhunting... need a bow... what to consider?

[ribka]

before you get scared off at the thought of buying a used bow, just know that some of the older used bows are much more forgiving to shoot and more times than not, they will be mechanically sound. just make sure you ask plenty of questions before you buy.

first off, do you want to shoot with a release or fingers? if fingers, i'd not shoot anything under 40" ATA. jmo

look for something that has as little reflex (the riser comes back toward the string in the grip area) as possible...... the more reflexed it is, the more you will have to be shooting with perfect or near perfect form to stay consistently accurate..... i'd imagine that the first time you draw on an animal, your heart will be pounding so hard that you will forget your name, much less be able to keep your form clean. try looking for something with a deflexed riser.... they don't hardly exist in the newest of compounds but they are definately on the used market.

let-off..... the lower the % of let-off (more weight at full draw), the more you can get away with form errors because you will not be able to torque the bow as easy..... if shooting fingers, you can also "get off the string" a little cleaner.

wheels are more forgiving than mild cams, mild cams are more forgiving than radical cams.

the longer the bow, the more stable it will be..... the more stable, the more forgiving it will be when you jack your form up a little in the heat of the moment.


most importantly...... don't get caught up in the speed game. about any 20 year old 50@28" compound can take any animal on the north american continent with ease. a wounded animal doesn't care how fast the arrow was going..... nor does the animal that had a perfectly placed arrow. hit the thicks spot on a bull elk's shoulder blade and many more times than not, it is game over...... even with the fastest bows.

consistent accuracy is the key here and as a new archer, you want as forgiving of a bow as possible...... and there is a BIG difference between the least forgiving and the most forgiving bows.

Good points!!

FPS is way over rated when it comes to hunting and archery. Better to get a smooth ( wheel vs cam) longer forgiving bow.

Have killed many animals with a long bow that shot around 175 fps. Most were pass through shots too.

Many good used  bows out there for under $200

Don't buy into the hype that you have to shoot 300 fps plus and over 50 yds. Spend more time practicing in real hunting type conditions once you are proficient. Practice shooting sitting down, kneeling, behind tree, at unknown yardages. Spend time in the woods practicing getting close to game in the off season. Archery is a completely different game mentally than modern firearms hunting and takes more commitment but you will end up being a much better hunter 

[Sneaky]

diamond iceman FLX is in the bargain cave right now   

[sakoshooter]

Don't listen to these Hoyt guys..you need a Mathews. 

Ok..in all seriousness... get what you can afford and don't worry about much else. The cheapest, crappiest bow will do just fine. Whatever you do find a good archery pro to help you before buying the bow. Nothing sucks more than getting set-up with the wrong equipment.

I'll second this. Getting off on the right track when you're not familar to the equipment is the best way to go. Any bow 40#s and up will kill animals. Learning the correct form and practicing is what's gonna get it done.
I killed two whitetails with a 36# recurve when I was younger in WI.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

All good points here,  if you are going to buy a wheel bow... I would also check out the new Bowtech Assasin,  I think fully setup, sight, rest and quiver it is $599.  Most new bows are that or more just for the bow,  throw in a rest, sight and quiver you can add another $450-500 easily.  Don't shy away from a used bow,  just make sure its been checked out by someone you trust or a quality archery shop.  Almost every bow shop will have a section of used nice bows for sale.  I have bought used bows of archery talk  (www.archerytalk.com) and have never gotten a bad bow. 

[hillbillyhunting]

Thanks ALL!!!  These pointers have been really helpful.  I cant wait to start shooting my first bow... and I cant wait to have the opportunity to hunt sept. 1!