New to bow hunting,,advice needed

[RifleSharpShot]

I've been hunting for years but have never even shot a bow.Im looking to get into bow hunting but don't really know were to start!!Any input would be cool!

[RifleSharpShot]

I should have added this but im looking for a bow that has a cool look to it,But can also kill a bear!!

[hunterjohn]

i would go to your local archery shop and that to the guy behind the desk and he will set you up.... there are so many options this would be an endless thread...

[Suilleabhain]

Funny story about archery shops. Guy in work gets his sons on weekends. So, he takes them to an archery range for a shoot. These are newbies and never shot a bow. So teh guy at the counter says ince its their first let's give them a quick lesson. The guy byteh way had just bought the older kid a little compound bow. Guy behind teh counter says yeah yeah but he should have something more like this.here try it....you get the picture. So they shoot and get ready to go and the cash register starts ringing. Lessons, bow rental for the test firing, shooting time, special this, special that. They cleaned his clock.

My suggestion...read and research first. You have all winter. When you go thru the pros & cons and Consumer Reports et al, then start shopping and go to a pro shop to test them.

[hunterjohn]

if you go to a good shop where there is an older gentlemen that is more than willing to share info on archery or just his experiences..... like i shoot a mathews bow great bow will kill a bear for sure....

[dave6x6]

Shooter, If you don't buy a Hoyt your a pansy.. That should stir things up. LOL. By the way, were you really serious about the "cool look to it" part?

[hunterjohn]

lol there are alot of bow companies... but there is only one who invented the solo cam that everyone is now using.... to get back to the post if you want advice you need to be more specific ...

[RifleSharpShot]

Shooter, If you don't buy a Hoyt your a pansy.. That should stir things up. LOL. By the way, were you really serious about the "cool look to it" part?

Very serious i don't like to have the same thing as everybody else.And im going to see about shooting a few types of bow's before i go any buy one!

[RifleSharpShot]

lol there are alot of bow companies... but there is only one who invented the solo cam that everyone is now using.... to get back to the post if you want advice you need to be more specific ...

More specific like??

[Dinsdale]

Very serious i don't like to have the same thing as everybody else.And im going to see about shooting a few types of bow's before i go any buy one!

You could always buy a can of spray paint and get some really cool stickers to put all over it....maybe like some flames. They make everything cool looking.

[hunterjohn]

is there anyone you know that shots a bow? if so start there

[RifleSharpShot]

You could always buy a can of spray paint and get some really cool stickers to put all over it....maybe like some flames. They make everything cool looking.

That almost sounds like a good idea to do to a 5 or 6 hundred dollar bow lol..Im not talking about some crazy gold plated bow just something outside of what you see everybody else walking in the woods with.

[RifleSharpShot]

But I'll do some figuring out im going to try and find out what some of my buddys have and see if i can go from there i guess!Thanks anyway.

[Elmo]

This is what I've been told by someone I believe really knows his stuff.

Handle a couple of bows. Find the one that feels good to you. Get measured at the shop and get measured accurately. Don't equate draw length and draw weight to your manhood. I see some people shaking and trembling while trying to draw their bow back. Imagine them doing that while on the tree stand? Deer would spot all that movement right away.

Pretty much any modern compound bow nowadays can get the job done so anything else is personal preference and looks. I've only started shooting this summer. I have the Bear Charge. Basic low-end "starter" bow. I'm out shooting some people at the range with their $1K+ setups because they feel that spending extra money compensates for less practice. No bow shoots straight. Not even bullets fly straight. Every thing drop. Just adjust your sight to the drop. The difference between 300fps versus 320 fps is a small amount. I don't think a deer is going to jump an arrow flying at 300 fps that it wouldn't have jump at 320 fps.

Essentially, just buy the bow that feels good in your hands, is properly fitted to you, draws back smoothly, comes with a good warranty, looks cool, shoots at least 300 fps or close to it, and then take it to the archery range and practice a ton.

[Deerthug]

This is what I've been told by someone I believe really knows his stuff.

Handle a couple of bows. Find the one that feels good to you. Get measured at the shop and get measured accurately. Don't equate draw length and draw weight to your manhood. I see some people shaking and trembling while trying to draw their bow back. Imagine them doing that while on the tree stand? Deer would spot all that movement right away.

Pretty much any modern compound bow nowadays can get the job done so anything else is personal preference and looks. I've only started shooting this summer. I have the Bear Charge. Basic low-end "starter" bow. I'm out shooting some people at the range with their $1K+ setups because they feel that spending extra money compensates for less practice. No bow shoots straight. Not even bullets fly straight. Every thing drop. Just adjust your sight to the drop. The difference between 300fps versus 320 fps is a small amount. I don't think a deer is going to jump an arrow flying at 300 fps that it wouldn't have jump at 320 fps.

Essentially, just buy the bow that feels good in your hands, is properly fitted to you, draws back smoothly, comes with a good warranty, looks cool, shoots at least 300 fps or close to it, and then take it to the archery range and practice a ton.

I Couldn't have said it better!

[Doewhacker]

You could always buy a can of spray paint and get some really cool stickers to put all over it....maybe like some flames. They make everything cool looking.

Yes and it has to have deer skull stickers to be really cool. Every one knows cool looking bows shoot better and kill way more deer.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

shoots at least 300 fps or close to it

I was with you right up to that point. Quoting speed is really not that accurate. I wouldn't even worry about speed until you have you final set up figured out..if then. Any of the modern bows on the market today will do what he wants. My bow is only shooting 276 pfs but I am throwing a VERY heavy arrow. (don't want to get into the spped vs weight discussion). Bottom line a 50# longbow will kill any north American game. You have to pick one that feels good and you have confidence in shooting.

By the way. you didn't mention price range. With new models going to be coming out and some guys that like to change bows every year a new model might not get you the best bang for your buck.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Yes and it has to have deer skull stickers to be really cool. Every one knows cool looking bows shoot better and kill way more deer.

Absolutely!. I could have bought a stick to keep my hard bow case filled instead of my new bow, would have done the same thing this season and cost a lot less..lol

[RifleSharpShot]

Yes and it has to have deer skull stickers to be really cool. Every one knows cool looking bows shoot better and kill way more deer.

Good way to blow it out of proportion!!

[RifleSharpShot]

Thanks to the guys that gave me a answer that made any sense.I will be doing some looking around and hope to shoot a few of my buddys!If i get something cool I'll post a pic.

[Doewhacker]

If you really want to stand out in a crowd might I recomend a Matthews Passion.

The most important thing to look at being a new shooter will be brace height, the higher the brace height the more forgiving a bow will be. My Parker has a 7 3/4 brace height, Geno's new mattews has a 6 inch brace height. Both can be shot well but mine would be easier to learn on. Anything 7 and above will do just fine for you, and Im sure you can find one the looks cool too.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

But if you realllllllllly want ultimate cool looking...Hoyt Element.

[tughillhunter]

so thats the trick.... custom airbrushing attracts the deer??? lol, j/k. i would like to get into bow hunting myself, so i may just see where this goes...

[5.9cummins]

Like doe says get a larger brace height 7+ inches. They are more forgiving. I would suggest to try and not get caught up on the whole speed craze.

A small brace height, aggressive cams, lots of draw weight all equal a "twitchy bow".

You can get lots of custom stuff done (blacked out limbs - custom dips etc. etc.) I really wouldnt worry about the look of the bow, i would focus on the accuracy aspect. That being said if i had to do something to make it look cool i would get a custom dip in ASAT camo or something along those lines.

Hunters Friend

Take a look at the above site and do a lot of reading (right hand side under buying guides and technical). You will gain a lot.

[RifleSharpShot]

Yes accuracy is the main thing i will pratice all summer long when i do find the right bow for me i love shooting any way,so putting a few thousand arrows threw the bow won't be a problem.But i do like to have something sharp looking,I clearly know that won't have a affect on my hunting results but i have been told that you can trick your bow out if you want.And ive never seen a bow that just sticks out everybody has the same camo looking bow whitch is cool but hey not cool enough lol!!Thanks for the input ive never even shot a bow so im starting to really wish i had got into it a long time ago!!