I want to give archery a try this year. I'm tired of my brother being out in the woods weeks ahead of me. I've shot a bow a few times so I'm very amateur. I would like to have a decent setup. I've looked through the classifieds here and only found one I liked but it was already sold. Thinking about going to h&h and heartland outdoors for a test drive or two. Anybody have any recommendations or anything to definitely stay away from? I really don't know how much a great setup would cost but I don't mind spending $300. Not much more than $300 though. Anything decent I could get for that?
your not going to get much in a complete setup for $300
if your looking for used try bows like the
mathews switchback and the switchback xt u can pick them up pretty decent and they are a great bow the drenalin is another good mathews choice
hoyt alphamax is another one to look at
there are tons of good bows u can find used for a reasonable price... go to archerytalk.com and look in there classifieds there is a whole world of bows and bow knoledge on that site.
before u by any bow u need to know your draw length and what draw weight u can comfortably pull back!
if your looking for used try bows like the
mathews switchback and the switchback xt u can pick them up pretty decent and they are a great bow the drenalin is another good mathews choice
hoyt alphamax is another one to look at
there are tons of good bows u can find used for a reasonable price... go to archerytalk.com and look in there classifieds there is a whole world of bows and bow knoledge on that site.
before u by any bow u need to know your draw length and what draw weight u can comfortably pull back!
Matthews all the way, I shoot a feather lite. But your going to need to come off of more than 300 for a complete set up.
I bought a HCA 4 Runner a few years back for $300 for a complete setup less arrows. With the proper length gold tip arrows it shot 300fps consistently in their shooting bay. I shot the pants off of it for about a year. I really like the bow. Sure it isn't a Mathews, but for what I have in it you can't beat it.
Picked it up used from the archery shop in Stillwater. I forget what it's called.
Both of the guys I shot with at work every day shot Mathews. One was a few years old and the other guy had a brand new Mathews. I liked my bow better than the older one, but the new one was sick. Quiet, fast and light. I had envy, but not enough to spend the extra money.
Picked it up used from the archery shop in Stillwater. I forget what it's called.
Both of the guys I shot with at work every day shot Mathews. One was a few years old and the other guy had a brand new Mathews. I liked my bow better than the older one, but the new one was sick. Quiet, fast and light. I had envy, but not enough to spend the extra money.
Generally, Liberty or PSE is the way to go. A really small & light bow is easier to pack a long ways, shoot from the ground on your butt or kneeling, and easier to shoot from a tree usually.
Liberty I
PSE Bow Madness XS
PSE X-Force Super-Short
But you're gonna need more money.
Matthews are really good too, but also pricey. Many other bows are quite good/fine and will suit your needs, be it Hoyt or younameit.
Have you considered going the crossbow route, or are you wanting to to a vertical / standard bow?
This year, I'm going to use a little Hoyt or my PSE Tac 10 X-bow, but I will get another Liberty one of these days. The one I had was too long on the draw length (it was 28", and I'm more like 27 or 27.5"), and was 60-70, whereas now I like to use a 50-60, as I'm older and 50-55 lb is plenty to do the job, and more fun to practice with.
Make sure that you get one that fits your draw length, or is adjustable, from 26-29 or 27-30, in that range. A lot of used bows are NOT adjustable, so beware - it has to exactly fit you WITH the type of shooting you're going to do (release or fingers - probably release), and with the release that you're going to use, and after you've decided tru-nock/loop, or NO tru-nock/loop.
Liberty I
PSE Bow Madness XS
PSE X-Force Super-Short
But you're gonna need more money.
Matthews are really good too, but also pricey. Many other bows are quite good/fine and will suit your needs, be it Hoyt or younameit.
Have you considered going the crossbow route, or are you wanting to to a vertical / standard bow?
This year, I'm going to use a little Hoyt or my PSE Tac 10 X-bow, but I will get another Liberty one of these days. The one I had was too long on the draw length (it was 28", and I'm more like 27 or 27.5"), and was 60-70, whereas now I like to use a 50-60, as I'm older and 50-55 lb is plenty to do the job, and more fun to practice with.
Make sure that you get one that fits your draw length, or is adjustable, from 26-29 or 27-30, in that range. A lot of used bows are NOT adjustable, so beware - it has to exactly fit you WITH the type of shooting you're going to do (release or fingers - probably release), and with the release that you're going to use, and after you've decided tru-nock/loop, or NO tru-nock/loop.
the alphamax is a great bow. But the turbohawk is the same bow only with a cast magnesium riser instead of machined. and is about $200 cheaper. Plus hoyt has a $50 rebate on all Hawk series bows right now. I know because I just bought one. I have to tell you though. I reccomend getting a good bow from the start. I tried doing the budget thing and was not happy with the results. Plus when you think about what we spend on a gun and compare it to a rigged out bow there is not a whole lot of difference, And the Bow opens up another month and a half of hunting to you. Anyways that is just my experience on the whole deal. I figured since you helped me when I was looking at acogs I would throw in my .02
My advice... don't listen to anyone in here or any other forum on what to get, including me. Get what you want to get, and get what fits you. Go to a bow dealer (not Bass Pro) and just go through and hold every bow. Pull a few back, swing them around, whatever. Just get a good feel for them all, then pick the one that feels best for you.
I went to Bass Pro and looked at them a few weeks ago. It was horrible. I had some pushy salesman that just wanted to tell me about his bow hunting experience. I could absolutely have cared less. I don't care what anyone else shoots or what they've killed with it, and I sure don't want you to break out your photo album from behind the counter to show me the pics of your kills. I walked out of there disgusted and went to HL's in McAlester. The guys in there are superb. No high pressure sales or any of that. If I asked the salesman his opinion, he would tell me what he thought, but only if I asked. I ended up getting a Hoyt UltraHawk fully rigged out for under $1000. Don't buy a Mathews just cause its a "Mathews". Name does mean crap. I looked at them and they looked great on paper, but to me, it didn't feel good in my hand.
If you are looking to buy a used one, or one for under $300.... you are going to be quite limited. Get on craigslist and look around, there are a few on there. You may be able to find something that fits your needs. I have been shooting a bow that is 20 years old and kill deer every year, so you don't have to have the latest and greatest to kill something.... but it doesn't hurt! Good luck with your shopping!
I went to Bass Pro and looked at them a few weeks ago. It was horrible. I had some pushy salesman that just wanted to tell me about his bow hunting experience. I could absolutely have cared less. I don't care what anyone else shoots or what they've killed with it, and I sure don't want you to break out your photo album from behind the counter to show me the pics of your kills. I walked out of there disgusted and went to HL's in McAlester. The guys in there are superb. No high pressure sales or any of that. If I asked the salesman his opinion, he would tell me what he thought, but only if I asked. I ended up getting a Hoyt UltraHawk fully rigged out for under $1000. Don't buy a Mathews just cause its a "Mathews". Name does mean crap. I looked at them and they looked great on paper, but to me, it didn't feel good in my hand.
If you are looking to buy a used one, or one for under $300.... you are going to be quite limited. Get on craigslist and look around, there are a few on there. You may be able to find something that fits your needs. I have been shooting a bow that is 20 years old and kill deer every year, so you don't have to have the latest and greatest to kill something.... but it doesn't hurt! Good luck with your shopping!
When I'm asked this question in hunter safety, I recommend "go to Mitchell's."
If you're not near Altus, this translates to "go to a pro, buy from him, and he will set it up for you. Plus probably do an annual checkup and fix it when needed, for a reasonable fee."
If you know how to set up a bow and can buy it discount somewhere, that's great. Otherwise, you are going to pay extra when you want a pro to set up a bow you bought from somebody else. And make no mistake, an improperly set up bow for YOUR body is a misery you don't need.
If you're not near Altus, this translates to "go to a pro, buy from him, and he will set it up for you. Plus probably do an annual checkup and fix it when needed, for a reasonable fee."
If you know how to set up a bow and can buy it discount somewhere, that's great. Otherwise, you are going to pay extra when you want a pro to set up a bow you bought from somebody else. And make no mistake, an improperly set up bow for YOUR body is a misery you don't need.
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