Hunting Archery

[TimberHunter]

i want to start getting into the archery hunt while i still have the chance for all seasons, in one tag! (junior tag in Nevada) what all should i invest in and what kind, quality, and price?

~818j Amature Rider~
I get enough exercise pushing my luck.

 

[bowhuntwa]

There is a ton of good bows and equipment out there. All of the top of the line bows are pretty close in performance, quality and price. Mathews, Bowtech, Hoyt, Ross,.... but it comes down to how much you want to spend. The mose expensive isnt always the best for you. Go to a archery dealer and have them set up a few bows for you and choose the one that is the most comfortable. This time of year you can get closeout deals on 2007 bows. Send me a PM if you want more info.

 

[canhunter]

I have to go another direction on this one...if you really want to bowhunt and you know it then spend the cash 1200+ to have a top of the line bow set up with top of the line gear. I cheaped out my first year and it cost me a 180+ Mule Deer because the equipment COULD not do a 50yd shot. If you are not sure then at least spend 500+, don't do like I did and buy the cheapest PSE package they offer. PSE makes good bows but any bow company's low end is just that LOW END.

 

[BOHNTR]

Well, I have to respectfully disagree with you canhunter. Now I own and shoot some very high end bows myself, but to suggest that mid-level or lower end bows can not perform well enough to make a 50 yard shot is simply not true. Wouldn't by chance be the archer would it?

Remember one thing, low end bows of today are equivalent to high end bows of 10 years ago......and folks were killing critters with bows then too! JMO

BOHNTR )))---------->

 

[AZWALKER]

I have to agree with BOHNTR on this one. I shoot a Parker Hunter Mag (about $500 fully set up 4 years ago) and I'll stand up and shoot with anyone out to 60 yds. Now, not that canhunter is wrong about his PSE bow, he may have gotten the wrong bow for him! But... I can attest to the fact that you don't need $1200 to shoot 4" groups with 6 arrows at 60 yds because I do it. Its taken me 4 years and thousands of shots but I do it. What I would do is set a price limit you are comfortable with. Then go shopping, shoot every bow in your price range you can get your hands on. If your price range is $1200, look at $1200 bows. I can promise you one thing, if you put forth the effort to learn to shoot the right way, you WILL enjoy it. I have yet to meet anyone that has given archery an honest effort and not enjoyed it. So don't be affraid to spend the money if you have it but don't feel like you need a second mortgage to buy the right bow either.

Donnie

 

[Pahunter106]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-09-07 AT 08:16PM (MST)[p]I guess I would agree with the majority of opinion here in if what they said was basically this...
I started into bowhunting a few years ago with what my dad bought me over 25 years ago. I got adequately good at shooting without a huge investment in equipment. I bought $55.00 in arrows Easton XX78's I think, then a $65.00 Cobra three pin sight, and had to let a 9 point 150 class whitetail go, because I was uncomfortable at shooting at anything over 25 yards and did not know that I was supposed to continue practicing after the season started. It was the closest I had ever been to a deer in a season with the RIGHT to shoot it! It was late in the evening, and I did not want to make a bad shot going into the night. I was hooked right then, but I was miserable for the following weeks.
I went out and bought a discontinued Bowtech Old Glory, from 2005 that still had the as new warranty on it, saved a bunch of money and slowly outfitted it with newer equipment. I passed up the then almost new Bowtech Allegiance that came back into the pro shop on a trade, that I was buying from because Bowtech came out with The Guardian, it was only $10.00 more in price compared with what I was buying, but I really liked the feel of the Old Glory... Later I bought a $120.00 Fuse 5 pin sight, and newer carbon arrows, then newer broadheads MX-3's, but next year I am going to go with either Montec Tekans or Rage two fin slip cams.

Now I shoot and hold a 3 inch group at 45 yards, but it took me a while to get this kind of confidence. I hope to extend my range even further, than that, while still holding my own at shorter ranges. I plan to get added practice in 3D shoots which will be starting soon this winter in my area of PA.
I think what everyone is saying is that you can be lethal for a lot less than $1200.00, and that buying a bow at this time of the year will give you the added benefit of buying off season and saving money.
Scott

 

[swbuckmaster]

Bowhunter is correct on this issue. If it were me I would spend as much as I could afford and have fun with it.

 

[Pahunter106]

Yeah but the fun factor can quickly fade if you really spend money then don't get anything or even have the chance at getting anything. Archery, is a differnet animal altogether. You can be lethal with a string and a stick!! A lot of what they are selling when they sell you a new bow is based on our own insecurities. "You have to have this, in order to get that once in a lifetime bull, or buck.!"
Like for example this year, in our bow season here, we had high heat and low sightings of animals, plusour drought really helped to make our deer herds just hole up out of sight during legal shootiing hours, and only coming out to feed or scent check does when the sun went down. If I had just bought new equipment costing $1200.00, I would be pissed only seeing what I had seen this year. It was a good thing for me that I got into this as easy as I did, otherwise I don't even want to imagine the consequences!! If a 40 lbs recurve will kill, so will any properly tuned bow that is currently produced.
You can rant and rave about how the new bows this coming year are so great, and all, but so were the bows produced just a few years ago. Otherwise, how is it that we were buying the then state of the art back then? I am sure there are guys out there who disagree with me, and trade their equipment in every other year or every year. But mine is clocking at 320 IBO, and will suit me for several years from now, until something really great comes out, I am not willing to drop another 700.00 on what I would lose in depreciation, for something that will neither guarantee, nor attract more meat for my freezer.

 

[coonhound40]

Speaking from my experience only...I get the bug to purchase the latest and greatest equipment just like the next guy. However, when I've fallen to the urge I have always...been somewhat dissapointed, don't get me wrong the new equipment was always nice but in the end it really never helped me be a better shooter.

In MY opinion, it's 75% the guy behind the bow and 25% the equipment. I have shot side by side at 3D shoots with guys that spent 1/2 what I did and they're shooting everybit as good as I am.

The key is to buy something you feel good about and then shoot, shoot and shoot some more. I try to shoot at least 4 times a week, in the summer I shoot everday, I would feel very confident hunting with a $300 - $400 dollar bow.

I would recommend that you find a local bow shop that can help you properly set it up and hopefully give you some good direction.

Coon

 

[BigPig]

Don't overcomplicate the issue. Like any other piece of gear, buy the best you can afford. You won't regret it. You will need to personally shoot as many bows in your price range as possible and buy the one that feels the best to you. Bows are all about personal feel. Don't buy into marketing hype or what your buddy shoots. Try for yourself and make up yourr own mind.



http://www.wildernessathlete.org/ because the most important piece of equipment you own is YOU!