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

[hillbillyhunting]

Due to the insane amount of hunters in the field with rifles and due to the lack of common sense and consideration of many of those hunters I think that I am going to be forced to turn to archery next season.  I wanted to wait until I could consistently kill mature bucks with a rifle before I made the switch, but my three hunting partners aren't going to wait any longer.  I am not going to have much cash but want to buy a bow before next season.  What do you all think the most important things are when buying a bow?  I figured that since I am low on cash I should probably look for a used bow that is set up and might even come with some arrows, but another thing to consider is that I shoot left handed so it seems to be a little harder to find a good deal on a left handed bow on craigslist.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[hughjorgan]

Try looking on archerytalk.com... always lots of bows for sale on there.

[Wa hunter]

Hillbilly
What is your approx location?

[hillbillyhunting]

Olympia area

[Wa hunter]

Capital city bowman is a first class club there is a shoot Jan 15-16th called the wooly bugger check it out.  Being left handed you might find some good deals in pawn shops for a starter bow. 

[patton1]

Most important thing is that you are comfortable shooting it.  You can find good, new bows for a couple hundred if that's within your budget.  I have a Hoyt Powerhawk that I love.  It's nothing too special.  Just one of their middle line bows and it's all I need. I was actually looking to spend more money on a bow this time around but I wasn't overly comfortable with any that I shot except this one.  It just felt right when I shot it.  I don't look a ton into FPS, or hype or any of that.  I've actually shot nothing but Jennings my entire life until this new bow just because I've always liked the way a Jennings felt when I was shooting it. I don't know if this much of help but I would go to several different archery shops and shoot as many bows as you can until one "just fits."  That's just me though.

[grousetracker]

go to a pro shop and find out what your draw length is,then just shoot some bows to see which you like. they might have some on consignment.

[Everett]

I'd have to agree with Patton1.  Hoyt is a great brand and they're really not that expensive.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

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.

[hillbillyhunting]

Thanks all!  I will definitely go take advantage of the cabelas bow shop one of these days.  So I dont need to be worried about the condition of the limbs in a used bow?  What about the string?

[blackveltbowhunter]

To answer a couple of your question... YES the condition of BOTH limbs and strings and cables is important. Especially if buying used. Heres my Go to a pro shop and get fitted first and foremost along with figuring out a comfortable poundage. I have heard mixed reviews on cabelas service, but have no firsthand experience with their shop.
   Second - if your serious about buying used, do your best to enlist the service of a knowledgable friend or experienced person to take a look at the bow prior to your purchase. Limbs can weaken with time, strings and cable stretch, and servings wear. cam lean and tuning issues may be huge. All of that takes money to fix and could cut into what you think your saving.
   Third- As has been said, if your going to buy new shoot as many as you can in the same price range prior to purchase. I personally dont see a compelling reason to shoot a bunch of new models if your pretty set on buying used. You already are limiting your selection being a lefty, then to try to factor in a certain brand and model, ( and you may not have even shot that model instore, since they usually only carry bows that are last year models or newer. ) it can be done, but may be a daunting task.
   Theres a ton of info out there and some great shops as well, I bought my first bow on consignment from a pro shop and still have it today, its outdated but still a shooter. Good luck and Feel free to PM with questions.

[bearpaw]

Used left handed hoyt, "you will need to know your draw length and weight that you can comfortably shoot before buying a bow". You can find lots of used bows cheap everywhere, people always want the latest greatest but don't forget that used bows were once the latest greatest when they first came out.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Hoyt-ZR200-LH-Compond-Bow-Soft-Case-/300511853730?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f7e6fca2

[DBHAWTHORNE]

To answer a couple of your question... YES the condition of BOTH limbs and strings and cables is important. Especially if buying used. Heres my Go to a pro shop and get fitted first and foremost along with figuring out a comfortable poundage. I have heard mixed reviews on cabelas service, but have no firsthand experience with their shop.
   Second - if your serious about buying used, do your best to enlist the service of a knowledgable friend or experienced person to take a look at the bow prior to your purchase. Limbs can weaken with time, strings and cable stretch, and servings wear. cam lean and tuning issues may be huge. All of that takes money to fix and could cut into what you think your saving.
   Third- As has been said, if your going to buy new shoot as many as you can in the same price range prior to purchase. I personally dont see a compelling reason to shoot a bunch of new models if your pretty set on buying used. You already are limiting your selection being a lefty, then to try to factor in a certain brand and model, ( and you may not have even shot that model instore, since they usually only carry bows that are last year models or newer. ) it can be done, but may be a daunting task.
   Theres a ton of info out there and some great shops as well, I bought my first bow on consignment from a pro shop and still have it today, its outdated but still a shooter. Good luck and Feel free to PM with questions.

I would definitely be careful purchasing used bows. You can get a good deal but if the bow is a few years old you can likely get a current low end model that has the same bells and whistles as the older bow for about the same price. It all comes down to preference when you shoot it but again the most important thing is being set up right the first time. Just about any bow will do the job you want it to do just fine. You just have to do your part and make sure you are set up correctly and then practice, practice, practice.

[bearpaw]

If you don't have knowledgeable friends to help you, you probably need the expertise of a bow shop. They too should have trade-in bows that are just fine.

[gjbruny]

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 won't remember 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.