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Best bow?

montrose818

Banned
Joined
May 26, 2020
Member Number
1416
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Looking for a bow to play around with. Guys got me a crossbow, but that shit takes way too long to reload. Not fun.

Anythinf 200-300 range? With enough punch to knock down a deer or something?

Thanks boys.
 
Parker bows are a poor mans Mathews. Good bows and great customer service. We are talking compound though.

when it comes to the funnies bow to shoot, hands down a recurve. You can pick those up decently cheap. Good for a lot of things. More of a reactive shot which I enjoy. I bowfish with them but they can hunt a lot of game like bird, squirrel, deer, bear, etc. Probably the most versatile in my opinion.

PS. - if after a compound, you can pick up a Mathews DXT set up to shoot for that range and is one of the best bows built. Older technology, but still a great bow.
 
Years ago (high school?) I bought a Eaton(?) compound bow. I never hunted, I just found some kind of solace in spending a hour or two target shooting after school. I really regret selling it, I’m in a perfect place for a bow now.

*Off to search Craig’s list
 
I have no idea what is good and what is bad whem shooting. I rather buy one recommended and go from there
 
Go to a shop with an indoor range and try out different types and brands.
Stop shooting when you get tired and go back a different day to finish testing.
Take notes about what you like. It’s easy to forget which models you prefer.
This is probably the best advice so far. My local shop has a ton of shit on consignment as well. Tuned setups for a good price. Honestly if it doesnt feel good to shoot your not going to shoot it
 
To play with, go for a simple recurve. It’s not intimidating for others when you want to share.
 
Since you're not looking for top end, try a big box outdoor store, Cabela's, sportsman's warehouse, etc. They should be able to give you good direction. Usually there's a complete bow setup combo for under $500, but you'll still need arrows and broadheads. Depending on your draw weight and length, arrows can get expensive. Bottom line, expect to be into it $600-$700.
 
I'm a fan of my Bowtech Carbon ICON.

It wasn't $300 though. :homer:
 
If only we had a forum for shit like this.
Maybe someone can create an Outdoor Sports and Recreation type forum were people could post about guns, bows, hunting kinda stuff?
 
I've been out of it for awhile and all my stuff burned, but I stumbled across Nock on Archery. He'll answer a lot of your questions and provides a ton of information. Worth checking out.

He used to do a lot with Hoyt and is now working with PSE
 
I'm a fan of my Bowtech Carbon ICON.

It wasn't $300 though. :homer:

Most people that had their bowtech limbs delaminate are not fans anymore.

Our local shop had them blowing up in the box before they were even unpacked. It was about 30% returned as soon as they opened the box. Can't blame the customer when they are fucked from the factory.


Bowtech, Matthews, Hoyt, PSE. All big brands with big marketing budgets.
You can get a nicer bow for less money if you look at xpedition, obsession, new breed.

Find a pro shop, not a big box store. Find someone to teach you.
It's one of those things that you can pick up and do, but it's 100% easier if you start out with correct form. I've seen guys struggle for years to fix flaws in their form, and get pissed when the next guy hired an instructor and can shoot way tighter groups in a week.

Tuning is huge. I made a side hustle fixing bows out of the box stores for awhile. Adjusting cam lean, cam timing, etc. The big stores typically slap a rest and sight on and leave it to you. This doesn't work because the factory just tossed them together at a baseline, that may not be tuned.


Target guys doubt necessarily hunt, and hunters can't necessarily target shoot. I've seen guys that will shoot 300/300, but have never killed anything. Super successful hunters that would struggle to shoot 200/300.
So, depending on your wants and needs, taper your research accordingly.
 
Find a pro shop, not a big box store. Find someone to teach you.
It's one of those things that you can pick up and do, but it's 100% easier if you start out with correct form. I've seen guys struggle for years to fix flaws in their form, and get pissed when the next guy hired an instructor and can shoot way tighter groups in a week.

This is exactly what I did. Went to the hunting mecca of New Hampshire. LL Cotes is an outdoor store you could spend days in. Guy asked me budget and set me up with my Bowtech. Took my measurements, taught me posture, who to hold the bow, cut my arrows, etc. Set me up at 80lbs. I must had been in there for three hours. I put a few dozen arrows through it. Fit me great. I love the thing.
 
That fancy bow didn't help your hunting game, now did it? You could probably get away with a toy store set with the suction cup tips and have the same luck.... :laughing:

:flipoff2:
I've got four turkeys with it. This'll be my second season for deer archery. So no, my very first season of archery deer hunting I had no luck.
 
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