beginner bow

[mille lacs muskie bum]

What are some of your favorite beginner bows for deer hunting? I am willing to spend some money on one.

[Deitz Dittrich]

This would probably get more attention in the archery forum...Any of the top line bows, Hoyt, Bowtec, Mathews, Martin, PSE all have very good bows.. the best advise to give you would be to go out and shoot them.. The grips are all different, find one that fits your hand and give it a shot. Good luck!!!

[jbjr]

The best advise is to go to an archery shop that has the knowledge to set you up with good equipment right away.

They can measure your draw length, and set you up with properly matched and tuned equipment.

Usually with tuned equipment and a little instruction even a novice can produce some consistancy in shooting.

Good Luck and have fun. it's a sport that can last a lifetime.

jbjr

p.s. Practice, Practice, Practice.

[Iceman77]

You really don't need to spend a lot of money on a bow for it to shoot well. I shot very competetive scores in tournaments with a $50.00 XI Silverhawk when I was in high school. The advantages to a higher priced bow really only come out when the shooter learns how to shoot(i.e. repetetive form, correct form, correct draw length...etc.).

A couple of points to note:

1) Shoot as many bows as possible and choose the one that feels best to you.

2) Beware of too short of an axle to axle. This has been one of the latest marketing crazes to get people to sell their old equipment and buy new. This has proven to be the number 1 cause of archer form flaws since they don't truly fit all but the shortest draw length individuals.

3) Beware of people who say Matthews is the best... Hoyt's the best etc. I chose to ultimately shoot for Hoyt because their equipment shoots best for me. Again choose the bow that works best for you as all of the top manufacturers build high quality equipment.

4) Personally I would initially spend a little less on a bow and pay more for arrow rests, sight, and arrows. Cheaper arrows use a different material and have a tendency to bend easily for aluminums. Cheaper carbons are generally more picky too shoot and tune correctly. A sight and arrow rest with easy adjustability can really go a long ways.

In summary pick the equipment you feel most comfortable with and that will likely work the best for you. If you have any further questions just ask.

[ghotierman]

As a pro shop owner, I'll second Icemans points, and stress the quality accessories. You can keep the sights and rests and install them on the next bow when you upgrade.

Best advice is to try it out...find what fits you. Archery is a very individual specific sport.

Good point on short axle to axle bows. very handy in tight stand quarters...but long draw lengths, or beginner shooters...they're not as forgiving...

good luck and good shooting!

[Dan Wood]

Great advice give above by everyone. My best advice to you is to find a good archery shop that you are comfortable with and that can spend some time with you. Shoot as many bows as you can. With beginner bows in particular a good shop is invaluable. The advice given and expert help with set-up for a beginner is very important.

[Captain B.R.K]

I'm not going to plug one particular archery shop, BUT I do recommend that you find a shop that has some experts that know what they are doing. Many shops will carry your Mathews, Hoyt, PSE, etc. but the bigger companies compete against each other so you won't find Mathews being sold with Hoyt, etc.

Figure out a price you want to spend and then go from there.

[TomBow]

Watch the quality of the accessories if you buy a bow kit (bow, sight, rest together), some companies shortchange things a bit so you may be better off spending a few bucks to get the quality. Warning: Plastic parts are bad.

When getting your first bow, I would suggest getting the proper fit and don't worry about how much draw weight you pull, get a comfortable weight to pull, not the maximum. Your shoulder muscles need to be trained and you don't want to get an injury from pulling too much weight.

Don't worry about the brand name, the quality of most bows on the market are great, regardless of brand. Buy the bow that feels right when you shoot it.

[Captain B.R.K]

Speaking of draw weight, don't get suckered into the old addage- "Well all the men that have bought new bows from me this year have been buy XX lb bows". Pulling the bow back with a higher poundage in the summer or early fall- no problem. When you are pulling back the bow late fall, it's a little tougher.

Like TomBow said, you will have to spend some time practicing to work up those shoulder muscles.

REMEMBER - FPS in a bow doesn't mean EVERYTHING.

[Royce Aardahl]

One other thing to remember is to check to see which eye is dominant. A pro shop should be able to check it for you.