Bow Hunting

woods

woods

I probably did it wrong.
Joined
May 22, 2020
Member Number
1120
Messages
5,162
Currently hunt with my 30-30. Looking to try out bow hunting since I can do it right from my backyard and the season is a lot longer.

Not really sure what I'm looking for. I've read PSE is a decent brand, but who knows. I also don't really know what I need in addition to the bow. Like, sights, quivers, or whatever. No idea.

Can someone point me in the right direction? Whether it be a good site to use or personal experience. Like to keep the budget under $1500 for everything, which I hope is enough. I wouldn't mind getting something used, but again, I have no idea what to watch out for.

:beer:
 
Go to a pro shop. No box stores or mail order. Being new to it, you need the bow set up properly or you will struggle. With that budget you can get a decent rig set up right.
 
Chzbrgr said:
Go to a pro shop. No box stores or mail order. Being new to it, you need the bow set up properly or you will struggle. With that budget you can get a decent rig set up right.
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There is a bow shop I can go check out. I just don't want to be taken for a ride either. I'll probably just do that then.
 
Check out ArcheryTalk and Texas Bowhunter. Both are excellent resources.

Maybe look at getting a starter bow, or a used one before dumping $1500 into something you may, or may not like. Most bow shops will have consignments that go for less also. There are a lot of people who get a new bow every year as new models are constantly rolling out.

I’m not sure you can really go wrong on brands these days. Everyone seems to have their favorites. I’ve shot mission and obsession bows. Will probably buy a Hoyt or Mathews next time around.
 
I wanted to get into archery but didn't know where to start. Bought a used bow off my friends son for $125, the bow was probably 15 years at that point and I had never shot a compound bow. I didn't know my draw length or what I could pull. I took it to my local bow shop and told them I didn't have an idea what I was doing, but wanted to learn. I didn't even know that you needed a release to shoot, shop owner sold me a used release for cheap and didn't believe me after my first shot was a bullseye that I didn't know there were sights.
Target shot in my yard for awhile, met my now husband and started shooting league with him and his co-workers. Bow hunted for one season and I'm glad that I missed the buck that I had a shot at. I don't remember the weight that I was pulling, but it wasn't much and would have had to have been an absolute perfect shot for it to be ethical with as low as a draw weight I had.

Ended up going back to the bow shop after shooting that bow for a few years and knew I was into it, shot a few different bows and knew which one I liked. I bought a loaded women's Bowtech, about 5 years ago for ~$850. Husband and I bought shoot Bowtech, we each probably shoot a few thousand arrows a year and if/when we upgrade will more than likely be Bowtech. Having a great dealer near by also really helps, if our bow shop went to a different brand, I would probably go with whatever brand he was selling.

Get your draw length measured, especially if you're going to start looking the used route and see what your draw weight should be for what species you're targeting - bows will be adjustable within a certain poundage.
 
YotaRedneckGirl said:
I wanted to get into archery but didn't know where to start. Bought a used bow off my friends son for $125, the bow was probably 15 years at that point and I had never shot a compound bow. I didn't know my draw length or what I could pull. I took it to my local bow shop and told them I didn't have an idea what I was doing, but wanted to learn. I didn't even know that you needed a release to shoot, shop owner sold me a used release for cheap and didn't believe me after my first shot was a bullseye that I didn't know there were sights.
Target shot in my yard for awhile, met my now husband and started shooting league with him and his co-workers. Bow hunted for one season and I'm glad that I missed the buck that I had a shot at. I don't remember the weight that I was pulling, but it wasn't much and would have had to have been an absolute perfect shot for it to be ethical with as low as a draw weight I had.

Ended up going back to the bow shop after shooting that bow for a few years and knew I was into it, shot a few different bows and knew which one I liked. I bought a loaded women's Bowtech, about 5 years ago for ~$850. Husband and I bought shoot Bowtech, we each probably shoot a few thousand arrows a year and if/when we upgrade will more than likely be Bowtech. Having a great dealer near by also really helps, if our bow shop went to a different brand, I would probably go with whatever brand he was selling.

Get your draw length measured, especially if you're going to start looking the used route and see what your draw weight should be for what species you're targeting - bows will be adjustable within a certain poundage.
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Good stuff.

I'm going to have to visit a place not too far away. They have a decent facility with an indoor range. I'll spend half a day there setting myself up.

That's neat that you both are into bows. My wife said she'd like to try. Nothing crazy, but just a simple recurve bow.
 
I was given a Diamond infinity edge pro. Its a great beginner bow as its stupid adjustable, weight and length of draw, for a $300-350 package. But if you have a good bow shop go there. When I finally need/want to upgrade my bow I will buy from my local shop. So easy to have them use their press to adjust or restring it. Many bow shops have indoor ranges if you lack a place to practice.
 
woods said:
Good stuff.

I'm going to have to visit a place not too far away. They have a decent facility with an indoor range. I'll spend half a day there setting myself up.

That's neat that you both are into bows. My wife said she'd like to try. Nothing crazy, but just a simple recurve bow.
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Thanks! We practically have all the same hobbies, although he does not share my love of vehicles. The downfall of this is that all of our hobbies are pretty costly, so times two :)

Obviously it's all in personal preference, but what Thefishguy77 said above makes a lot of sense - Diamond makes HIGHLY adjustable bows for all age ranges/draws. It's a great beginner bow for a great price. It will grow with you and if you decide you want to get more serious about box hunting, you can either hand it down or I believe they hold resale fairly well.

Keep us posted with what you decide!
 
Thefishguy77 said:
I was given a Diamond infinity edge pro. Its a great beginner bow as its stupid adjustable, weight and length of draw, for a $300-350 package. But if you have a good bow shop go there. When I finally need/want to upgrade my bow I will buy from my local shop. So easy to have them use their press to adjust or restring it. Many bow shops have indoor ranges if you lack a place to practice.
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That’s how my mission bow was. Think I paid $500-600 fully outfitted with arrows and broad heads.
 
Get your draw length measured, go to a pro shop and spend some time talking to them. Also check out reviews on the shop first, some suck. Rokslide has a wealth of knowledge. Check out nock on on YouTube, John Dudley is his name. He knows a little bit.
I like my PSE, but you need to try a few different bows, but also remember to consider local support. Don't buy a Matthew's when you local shop sells hoyt and bowtech.
 
Draw length and learning how to set your anchor points, then repetition. We bought our 10 yo a nice bow for Xmas and it has been a blast watching him learn and giving him pointers. I like Hoyts, but am thinking about going to Elite.
 
BUCKLAND said:
Draw length and learning how to set your anchor points, then repetition. We bought our 10 yo a nice bow for Xmas and it has been a blast watching him learn and giving him pointers. I like Hoyts, but am thinking about going to Elite.
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Elite makes nice bows. I strongly considered buy a new one a couple years ago, but found a deal on the obsession I currently have.
 
IMO there isn’t a ton of technological improvement in bows from today vs mid-2000’s. Prior to that, sure, but some guys act like a 5 year old bow is a flintlock.

A lot of it has to do with draw cycle and feel more than actual performance. If you shoot heavier arrows around 500 gr, the shock/noise of older bows isn’t even an issue.

There has been more improvement in arrows than anything else, like front weighted carbon shafts and broadhead options.

I don’t like mechanicals, if you want the “easy button” on a budget just go with slick trick magnums. I also prefer a whisker biscuit rest over a drop away for hunting, and a standard 4 pin sight.

Pay attention to state laws if you think you might travel to hunt, in CO you can’t shoot over 80% let off or use a sight with a light, bow mounted rangefinder, etc.
 
Totally agree with the first half of Gators post.
I have had reliable luck with mechanical heads and prefer adjustable single pin sights
 
I prefer fixed blades over mechanicals,m. Current bow has a single pin slider that I really like. Have used normal 4 pin, multi-pin slider, and single pin slider.
 
Everyone I hunt with that has shot mechanicals has had one fail at some point. Rage, Swacker, etc. Either didn’t open or poor penetration when hitting the front shoulder or similar.

Buddy of mine killed an elk 2 years ago with a slick trick. It lodged in the far side shoulder and sounded like a baseball hitting a wood bat. Blood trail, dead elk, broadhead could have been shot again. I killed a doe with one that went in front of the close shoulder, out through the stomach, and cut through the bone on the back leg where the Achilles’ tendon attaches.

Single pins can be sweet for up close stand hunting, but I would not use one where there’s a higher probability of the animal moving. I’ve been in too many situations where things didn’t go as planned, the deer is blocked by a tree, you miss your first shot and they run 20 yards and stop, etc. Having to dial before making the shot when things change fast isn’t worth it to me.
 
I'm no expert but I shoot Grizzly stick arrows and Broadheads, they are bad ass.
 
Anyone shoot a recurve? I’ve been toying with the idea of picking up a recurve to mess with. I have shot my FILs in the past. It’s a definite learning curve, but seem kind of fun.
 
A lot of good advice so far. Definitely go to a shop and get fitted for a bow. Making sure you have one that fits you will make shooting a hell of a lot more enjoyable.

I used to shoot multiple leagues and 3D weekend shoots with a group of friends. We all shot enough that one of our buddies bought a press and equipment to make arrows, and we'd go to his shop to drink beer and make arrows, re-string bows, paper tune, etc. In our group there was probably 4-5 different brands being shot, all were competitive. It's all about having a bow that fits you and practice, practice, practice... When we were at our buddies house messing with our bows we'd set up a target at 30 yards with small bobbers hanging on fishing line. All of us could hit the bobbers consistently. We made a floating ping pong ball target with pvc pipe that you hooked a shop vac to. That was a lot of fun.

My personal preference is Bowtech. I just really like how they shoot. But, I wouldn't turn down a Matthew's, Hoyt, or any other brand either if it fits and feels good in the hand.

As far as sights, rests, etc. Spend money on good equipment. For hunting I like whisker biscuit rests because it's almost impossible to lose an arrow when you are moving around in a stand prepping for a shot. For pinpoint accuracy shooting and consistency, a good drop-away is the way to go. A good multi-pin sight is a must, but be careful how many pins you have. It can mess you up when hunting and taking a quick shot. I use a 4-pin. 20, 30, 40, 50 yards. The only time I would shoot past 50 was at a couple 3D shoots where they'd have a target out at 80-ish yards. My hunting shots I keep under 30 yards. Get a good stabilizer. You'd be surprised how much that will affect your consistency.
 
Tin Roof said:
As far as sights, rests, etc. Spend money on good equipment. For hunting I like whisker biscuit rests because it's almost impossible to lose an arrow when you are moving around in a stand prepping for a shot. For pinpoint accuracy shooting and consistency, a good drop-away is the way to go. A good multi-pin sight is a must, but be careful how many pins you have. It can mess you up when hunting and taking a quick shot. I use a 4-pin. 20, 30, 40, 50 yards. The only time I would shoot past 50 was at a couple 3D shoots where they'd have a target out at 80-ish yards. My hunting shots I keep under 30 yards. Get a good stabilizer. You'd be surprised how much that will affect your consistency.
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This is my intention. I've got the land. I hunt right off my back porch. Kiddo has their lifetime hunting/fishing license. I've got stands up all over. Deer cam has a few shots of them out back. I shot my deer two years ago - lost if though after trailing it for 2.5 miles through snowbound wilderness :mad3: . So I'm willing to drop a few bucks on a setup. Its like living on a lake, but not owning a boat. I mean, you may as well. Dad wants to get something as well, so maybe we'll take the bikes down to a pro-shop and check it out.
 
Ford/Chevy/Ram. RzR/Can Am. Each brand has positives and negatives. No brand of bow is hands down better than another in every way. Bow Shops will have a favorite brand... if you pick their favorite brand, you will get better service, because you agreed with them. Get what they are most familiar with, you will be happier with the service. My newbie tips off the top of my head...

-50 lbs is enough & 70 lbs is way more than enough. Don't be a tough guy, get a 50-60lb bow. I can kill a deer at 100 yards with a 50lb bow because I can aim.

-practice at 1.5 to double your comfortable kill range. Practice at 35 - 40 to shoot deer at 20.

-learn form, its damn important

-make sure the arrows match the bow.

-use a release

have fun
 
i shot a martin lynx in the early 90s. it was my first compound bow and i can still shoot well with it to this day.
a few years ago i wanted something new since tech has changed SOOOOOOOOOOOO munch since i was 12. went to my pro shop and ended up with a hoyt powermax ld. it fits me better than anything i touched. i 'wanted' a pse brute or stinger based on price. the powermax has a great draw fer me. it was 750 bucks and was a rth bow, granted ive made changes to it over the years diff sight, quiver, ect and if i were to do it again i would of bought a bare bow and put the stuff i wanted on it. the hoyt torrex is the 'new version' of it just like charger was fer mine.

like others have mentioned go to pro shop and find a bow that fits you and not what theyre trying to push on you.
sure i can draw a 70lb bow but with bad shoulders and joints i got a 60 and i can shoot longer and enjoy it more. sure its a few fts less but whatever. everyone is proud that they shoot a 70lb or higher bow. a coworker shoots an 80 and after 5 shots hes done while im still putting accurate shots down range long after hes done.

i shoot a fixed broadhead. magnus stinger or buzzcut. lifetime warrenty, made in :usa:if you bounce them off a rock or bone or whatever and they end up fucked up theyll fix or replace them.

edit: i was wherry to go to a mechanical release. my fingers on the string was it. if i let my fingers go the arrow goes. i tryed a few and those were scary and were a hair trigger, like if you breathed on it it would release. i found one that i actually liked. it was like a truglow or trufire not sure on the model and to lazy to get it. it could switch to have the shaft go up my arm so i have use of my hands. it wasnt a hair trigger and i actually trust it to release when i want it to. i would love to get a new compound that is made fer finger shooters but have fun finding one at a reasonable price.

i hope to put a deer in the freezer this year with it as well

RUGER
 
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woods said:
There is a bow shop I can go check out. I just don't want to be taken for a ride either. I'll probably just do that then.
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Research shops, not bows. Look for reviews on local hunting forums, fb groups, friends. Not all shops are good. Bass pro/cabelas/dicks should be a last choice, most of their bow techs took a couple day class and that's it.

There are good deals on used once you know the size you need, but factor in about 200 bucks for a new string and fitting. Best to meet at a shop and have a tech look over it as part of the transaction. A lot of good shops will do a free or $10-20 safety check. Cheap insurance to not get a bow someone is dumping since the limbs are damaged from dry firing.
 
Aggie06 said:
Anyone shoot a recurve? I’ve been toying with the idea of picking up a recurve to mess with. I have shot my FILs in the past. It’s a definite learning curve, but seem kind of fun.
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I was seeing so many bucks during fall Turkey season last year I decided to try out bow hunting. Told a archery fanatic friend and he sold me a long bow and wood arrows cheap. Its been a blast practicing with it. Feels very primal. Very little cost to get into.
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Took the drive to hunter meca in our state for two reasons. Everyone travels there to hunt, and the owner of the place was the first responder to my motorcycle accident.


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Bowtech Carbon Icon DLX

Yep, I know its the "flagship" and I dove face first into this. But, the guy set me up. Adjusted the bow to my length. Set the peep sight. Fire a few arrows there in the store. Worked with me on stance and how to hold the bow. Says to come back once a year and he'll go through it free of charge to make sure its up to snuff.

First try in the back yard; aiming for a bullseye in each. Set it to the distance that the deer was that I shot two years back:

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Then I doubled it and had at it:

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I've got the vertical down..."decent". But the horizontal I keep going back and forth. I've adjusted the sight a little and I'm getting there.

My left arm is dead though. I was expecting all the work to be on the right arm. Told the wife I need to start using my left to masturbate now. :laughing:

This is neat. Looking forward to deer season again. I'll still do rifle season, but sitting in a tree in single digits for 5h at a time got old quick. At least with bows I get like two months.
 
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Fucker cost me $12!

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Getting a little better. Those four shots are from varying heights and distances. From in the woods and between trees.

Stoked to finally get out there and start hunting.
 
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