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
