Its time

[tughillhunter]

I signed myself up for the bow course. I cant wait!! After all the talk on this site, I am gonna do it. Now, I need some help from you all on gettin the right set up. Takin the course in august, so i should be healed up by then.

[Phillygunns]

Tug congradulation on taking the challenge of bow hunting. Caution: Bow Hunting May Become Addictive!

You may not need a middle finger any way.

First thing to do to get the right set up is finding your draw length. This may vary from brand to brand and you may be a 28 inch draw for a Martin and a 27.5 with the Hoyt. Fitting of the bow is crucial for accuracy. Do not worry about speed. All the bows out today have plenty and speed is a luxury. Accuracy is everything and can only be acheived with a properly fitted bow. This is the best advice I can give.

Find a good shop in your area. Take a look at as many bows as you can. Go to the range and speak to other archers about their equipment. Read everything. Magazines, web sites, and product reviews. Decide if you want top of the line fancy, basic and functional or something inbetween. Good luck with the proccess and enjoy.

Phil

[nyslowhand]

Go to an Archery Shop, preferably privately owned. More than one, if convenient!

Act like your going to buy a complete set-up & they'll be more than helpful.

You'll get a lot of basic info from that trip.

Draw length, draw weight, accessories needed & some ideas on $$.

DO NOT BUY DURING THIS 1ST TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Start looking around at different bows, accessories, arrows, broadheads, etc.

Tons of different options available as well as lots of used stuff for sale to get you started with a smaller investment.

Search the web, don't limit your shopping or research only to the local retailers.

Lots of reviews & info on the web form the best bows to what arrows or broadheads to choose.

Try a bow before buying it!!!! Shouldn't be an impulse purchase. Guaranteed, you'll regret it!

My 2¢ worth; Don't let your ego control what draw weight you choose.

55# will kill a deer as well as a 70# draw weight. It's about what you can comfortably hold at full draw for some length of time.

A Kia will kill a deer as dead as a BMW. Those $1500 bows look great, but ......

To get started with the most bang for the buck, a good used fully accessorized bow is the way to enter bowhunting.

FYI - Look at Wynn's string releases. Straps to wrist, you pull with your shoulder & only requires the trigger finger.

But - buy what you find comfortable, shoots well and is within your budget. Lots of time to upgrade later on!

Archery s not a cheap sport to get into. Buying a decent rifle or shotgun is a hell of a lot cheaper.

Edited April 22, 2012 by nyslowhand

[Doc]

Perhaps the first thing you should do is to examine how much of a challenge you are willing to take on. That has to do with motives and internal needs and such and why you want to get into bowhunting in the first place. I am referring to the choices to go "traditional", or "hi-tech", or somewhere in between. That is a choice that is derived from what exactly you individually want to get from your bowhunting. So, the initial question has to be, "How 'techie' do you want to go?" That makes a huge difference in terms of any equipment set-up that should be recommended.

[tughillhunter]

I dont think i wanna go super techie cause I dont know much about the sport. I just want to start out as an amateur for now. I guess, sorta in between for now.

[ny hunter]

Good luck and have fun..........

[Doc]

It sounds like you are not necessarily ready for brand new, top notch equipment, so as has already been suggested, you probably should be looking for a good used bow. That said, it may not really be all that easy. Whatever you buy has to have the proper draw length to fit you exactly. It should also have a reasonable draw weight that you can easily handle (or slightly more so that you can "grow into it"). You will find that even the lightest poundage feels pretty heavy, but withing a very short time, your muscles will be able to handle a reasonable amount more of draw weight. You also may find that your draw length will change slightly too as you continue to hone those muscles. Those are a couple of reasons why I would not suggest spending great gobs of money on your first bow. Also, as you become more proficient, your likes and dislikes will develop and change. So I would suggest that you do this in two stages. First a very cheap starter set-up, and then down the line somewhere, after you have become comfortable with shooting and have developed a few opinions on what you really like, you may then want to step up the quality (and price).

There's been a lot of suggestions already made that I completely agree with. You really do need some one-on-one, in-person, help with whatever set-up you go after as your first bow. The idea of visiting archery shops is a good one. There's a lot of measurements, definitions, advice (careful with that one and remember that they are trying to sell you as much as they can), and education involved. Ask questions. Try out different bows with different draw weights. Take a few notes if necessary as you learn things and begin to figure out what you like and what you don't like. Grill these guys just like you were buying a car from them. Customer instruction is part of their job. Also as has been suggested, resist the pressure to buy from the first dealer. Make it clear that you are on a fact-finding mission and will buy at some later date. The reason I say to visit as many bow shops as possible, is that some of these guys are more willing and better at explaining things than others. Also, some of them are not really interested in your needs, but are more interested in getting into your wallet as deep as possible. Also, the selections will vary and the more bows you "test-drive" the more you will learn what works for you and it all becomes part of the process of developing your own custom likes and needs.

It also would be useful if you know any local friends that are deep into archery. They also can give you a hand. Be careful with that though. Some are quite opinionated and insistant that you buy what would suit their needs and often that can run the price up with over-priced equipment. What I have found is that when somebody is going berserk trying to convince you that you just have to have Brand-X or some kind of contraption, try to pin them down to solid numerical benefits. In other words, "what does that extra 2.5 feet per second really mean at reasonable target distances". I try not to get too impressed by speed and other little features of questionable practical benefit, and way overboard extra price. That's another reason why I am suggesting a cheaper (perhaps used) starter set-up so that you can find out what is important to you and be able to form judgements as to what features are worth how much money. Don't think that this initial set-up is the last bow and set of arrows you will ever buy ..... lol. That first bow is only the beginning for almost all of us.

Once you know things like your required draw length, and what draw weight you can reasonably use for starters, then you are ready to shop for real. At that point, you have enough info to make a purchase. There are a lot of resources for used bows, including Ebay and other on-line resources. Also, you never know, one of the bow shops you visit may have a good deal. They might not offer the best price, but if something goes wrong, at least you have a real person you can go face-to-face with to get it fixed.

Now you get into such things as release or no release, what kind of sight system, wrist straps, stabilizers, arrows and all kinds of other toys and trinkets. If you ask a dozen archers about these things you will get a dozen different answers. Again it might be useful to start with basics and let your own personal needs and preferences guide those kinds of purchase. One word of caution: the decision on the release will affect your draw length, so that may be something you have to decide up front. Personally, I use a release, but I know a lot of people that get along just fine shooting fingers. I probably would advise to set your bow up to shoot a release. Most likely that is what you will eventually wind up with anyway.

So anyway, you will find out that a bow purchase is one of the hardest things to do. A bow is a custom fit piece of equipment that has more controversy over every feature than any kind of a weapon I know of. So good luck with all your research and decisions and the eventual purchase.

One parting piece of advice is that there is no piece of equipment that will make up for a lack of diligent practice. You can not buy accuracy inspite of what a lot of people want to believe. The accuracy and consistancy comes with the archer, not his equipment.

[tughillhunter]

thanks doc, that was great advice. thats what i needed to know. you think i should veer away from places like gander and dicks to buy my first bow?

[Doc]

thanks doc, that was great advice. thats what i needed to know. you think i should veer away from places like gander and dicks to buy my first bow?

Ha-ha .... That would be the start of huge controversy. Everybody has had directly opposing versions of their experiences with those kinds of places. What I have found with our local Gander Mountain is that every time you go in there, there will be a different "expert" behind the archery counter. I have had both good and bad experiences with their people. I haven't done a lot of business at Dicks, but I wouldn't be surprised if it might be the same situation. I have more confidence in listening to a guy that has a bunch of years of experience and the whole future of his business directly at stake and depending on how well he treats his customers or potential customers. I like to hear from the guy who's future in the business relies on straight shooting with people that walk into his store ...... not some guy that may be there for the next few days only to be replaced by some other self appointed expert. That's not to say that there aren't idiots that are owner/operators of their own stores (I've heard a few of those horror stories too). But I just believe that the "mom & pop" style archery store might just take a bit more time and effort to get it right than some guy temporarily standing behind the counter of one of the big-box outdoor stores.

Of course, it all depends on availability. I know there are some places in the state where archery stores aren't exactly on every corner. Then, you do what you have to do and include the "big guys". Just filter what you hear with a critical skepticism ...... not a real bad idea no matter where you go.

[tughillhunter]

theres 2 archery shops around here, one in sandy creek and one in pulaski. Ill start at those spots, and find more as time comes. Thanks for your advice, again.

[nyslowhand]

If looking at used bows be aware - some draw lengths are fully adjustable while other may take modules.

All depends on specific bow &/or mfg. I.E.; Some older models that take modules may be difficult to find.

First assignment - Search the web and be aware of "brace height". It can be a beginner's best friend!!!

I'm assuming your thinking a compound bow for your 1st & not traditional (stick).......?

[nybuckboy]

May I make a few suggestions:

1) Get measured for each bow you shoot and have each one set up perfect for you when you try them out.

2) Once you have decided on the bow and the poundage have your arrows custom fit with the proper Front Of Center (FOC) and weight. I have bought many arrows over the years and will never buy packaged arrows again.

See the tutorial in this forum at http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/5030-how-i-built-my-arrows/

3) Buy a single pin sight and set it for 25 yds. Modern bows shoot flat enough out to 30 yds. You may have to aim slightly high on the deer at the longer distances of 35 - 40 but with practice on a deer target you can get very good out to 40 yds. 1 pin is less confusing at the moment of truth and less clutter in the sight picture as well.

Good Luck and watch out for the addiction!

[tughillhunter]

yes, i am going with a compound

[WNYBuckHunter]

My advice...

1 - Get measured properly by a local bow shop with a good rep. Go to the local ranges and ask who people use. I personally, would avoid big box stores like the plague.

2 - Remember, dont choose a draw weight thats the heaviest you can pull, choose what you can pull as effortlessly as possible, it makes for less movement when the animal is in front of you.

3 - Shoot many different bows, do not buy the first one you shoot. Every bow draws, shoots and feels differently. What some people may like, you may not. Bows are not exactly cheap, and you want to avoid spending a ton of money on something you dont even know if you like yet.

4 - Practice Practice Practice. When you are starting to feel comfortable, practice more. Once you feel good on the ground, get up in the air. Practice from different angles, elevations, body positions, with different clothes on, etc. If you do not feel comfortable with your shooting skills from the ground, as well as from a stand, dont hunt. I shot my bow for over a year before I went out in the woods with it.

5 - Dont be too hard on yourself. You are going to make mistakes, and bad shots. Dont let it get you down, but learn from it.

6 - Study deer anatomy. Archery is not as forgiving as gun hunting. An inch can mean the difference between a dead deer, an extremely long and hard tracking job, and a wounded animal.

[Fantail]

...

Fitting of the bow is crucial for accuracy. Do not worry about speed. All the bows out today have plenty and speed is a luxury. Accuracy is everything and can only be acheived with a properly fitted bow.

...

Phil

True words.

I shoot @ 55#. Last year had my best archery season yet. I've been at it seriously for about 5 years now. Had I known what I know now 5 or so more years before then, oh man. Well as they say you can't turn back time. Best of luck.

One thing I would say that has boosted shot confidence is a 3-D target. And practice time in the back-yard.

[ny hunter]

I would go to an archery shop,Not a Gander Mtn or Dicks for a bow.

[RangerClay]

I see you are from Sandy Creek and being just 5 miles up the road from you I know there are no bow shops in our area. I drive all the way to Ferari's in Carthage because the local Mathews dealer is a con artist. The Watertown Gander Mountain archery department sucks but I have heard ok reviews from the Cicero store.

Edited April 24, 2012 by RangerClay

[landtracdeerhunter]

I agree, a good honest bow shop can be your best friend. Good used equipment too. Much much better than any box store.

[tughillhunter]

jims archery in pulaski and there is one in sandy creek on sand road. go by them everyday.