Is Archery an expensive hobby or a cheap one?

Question

And can you please tell me the price for a Recurve Bow?

Answer 1

Archery can be expensive, the initial set-up definitely is.  My advice to see if you're into it, is to find a used bow, preferably someone who's selling everything all at once.  I would take the bow to an expert who specializes in Archery, not some crappy sports shop, such as d**k's.  Get the used bow checked, get the draw length and pull pefectly set up for you.  I found that I liked it wityh a Fred Bear Bow $300. used and last year I purchase a Reflex Bow and a Matthews.  To tell you the truth, I like the Bear the best!!!  

Answer 2

Relatively speaking it's not expensive, let's compare it to shooting.  When you shoot guns, you have the initial cost of the gun, can be anywhere from $500 to the sky's the limit, then you have cost of ammo.  Every shot you make will cost you anywhere from $.01 to over $1.  

Now take archery, sure you spend money buying the equipment, top end recurve equipment, look to spend around $2000.  Compound, even more than that, that is if you count all the accessories, tabs, releases, guards, quivers, etc.  But then, you'd probably only buy a set of arrows once a year, maybe even once every two years.  I've been going on my current set of arrows now for 1.5 years.  So, I'd say it's not expensive at all.

Price of a recurve, anywhere from $100 for a bullseye by Internature, to $1200 for a Win&Win Inno Carbon($700 for the riser, $500 for the limbs).

When you want to get started though, I do suggest you find a range.  Some ranges will let you use their equipment for free.  That way you don't have to waste money while you climb the poundage ladder.

Answer 3

Like others have said it depends. Recurve bows such as the junior takedown wood finish bows cost around 200 for a kit, but if your serious and want something more suitable for target shooting such as KAP or Hoyt Bows, your looking for a bow kit to start from about $300 and can reach up to about $1000 for a kit with usually the riser (handle) contributing to over half the total cost of the kit.

So i guess you could say it is to an extent an expensive hobby, however if you look after your kit you can have a bow retain its strength and max potential for years and years; and you would usually only have to change the string and arrows every couple of years.

P.s Recurves kick ***!  

Answer 4

  Here's the deal- you can start out on a shoestring budget- buy a used bow setup with a few arrows included. And that's fine! But here is what will happen in real life-You start shooting, enjoying it more and more, then you start upgrading your equipment, as you learn and get better and start enjoying it more and more. After awhile, you become a fanatic, wanting better and better equipment, so you can improve more and more. Then you start buying the latest gadgets that will improve your shooting, your scores, your hunting! You make your wife get a second job, so you can buy more equipment, You've already quit your job to have more time to shoot and hunt.But what the heck,look at all the fun you're having.- the price of a recurve in the bass pro catalog starts at $219 and up- It's a great sport- Go for it!

Answer 5

Archery can be as expensive -- or inexspensive -- as you want to make it...

My first bow was a used (slightly abused) Bear recurve I found at a local flea-market; purchase price was $50. My second bow, the one I have been using for the past eleven years, is a Martin (Howatt) longbow, purchased new; price was approx $250. Arrows cost me approx $50/dozen, since I build them myself, but I have spent over $70/dozen in the past for custom-made arrows.

Today, a new Bear recurve would cost approx $400-$900, depending on the model, etc. Martin bows are about the same. In fact, the price depends entirely on who makes the bow and how much "goes into it". (I know where to get "custom-made" English-style Longbows for less than $100, but they aren't really worth even that much)

Go to an archery store, if you can find one. Not Cabela's, Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, or any of those other Big-Box "sporting-goods" stores -- an ARCHERY store. Ask to see some used bows, and then try some out to find one you like. I can just about guarantee you will find a real bargain in a bow. (Hint: Even though you can find some outstanding deals, you just cannot get a "feel" for a bow when you purchase through E-Bay...)

By the way...I wear an arm-guard, not to look "cool", but to protect my arm from the occasional slap from the string -- yeah, it hurts like "hello" -- and to keep my shirt sleeve out of the bowstring. As for quivers, you ain't gonna be carrying a box of arrows to/from the target or out in the field, and you DO need to have somewhere to put those arrows while shooting (and picking them up out of the box is going to get really old, really fast - and I can get 30 arrows in my "field" quiver). randkl apparently has problems with us "freaks" who prefer to do things safely, instead of being "macho" like him.

Answer 6

It can be quite expensive, but doesn't have to be.  I've been a successful bow hunter for about ten years, and have owned 3 different bows.  I've never paid more than $100 for a complete used set-up.  Most compound bows made in the last ten years are perfectly adequate for hunting.  It isn't necessary to get the "latest" most modern weapon.  Heck, I'm certain I could make a home made bow, chip my own arrowheads, and still kill deer.   EDIT>  EDIT  I'm sorry, I re-read your question, and realized you weren't really speaking about hunting.  As just a hobby, archery isn't expensive at all.  I haven't hunted in a few years, but still shoot every week.  I go 3d shooting.  It's a course laid out in a small woods.  Each week, 20 different shots, and life like animals from turkey to bear and elk.  Stands on the ground, and SAFE raised platforms, so your shot is from above.  From 10 yards, to 75 yards.  Each shot is scored.  There are 6 of us that go every week.  Costs $20.  There are also indoor ranges, where you shoot real arrows, at animals projected on a screen, and the shots are scored automatically.  And of course, many of us can shoot in our own back yard.  I use carbon arrows, and haven't had to buy an arrow on three years.  BUT, if you hunt, you WILL lose arrows.  Bottom line.  Bowling is probably more expensive.

Answer 7

dumdum is right, you can start off fairly cheap but if you get really into archery you will probably end up spending a lot as time goes by.  You can buy a brand new 50lb bear recurve bow online at Cabela's for $299 and you can get a target, a dozen arrows, field points, a fore-arm guard, and a quiver by shopping around for $100-200 total.  The initial investment of $500 or less will give you many, many hours of fun.

Over time, if you shoot a lot, archery can be a cheaper shooting sport than shooting centerfire cartridiges from guns since the arrows can be reused over and over (though you can't beat .22lr's at about $.03 shot - the occasional lost or broken arrow outweighs the price of .22lr ammo).

Answer 8

"Archery" is cheap.  "Buy all the latest Rambo c**p so I can look cool even if I can't shoot for sh*t" isn't "archery".

If you want to try your hand at "archery", head to Ebay and buy yourself a cheapo 25-30 pound Bear or Ben Pearson fiberglass recurve for $20 and a set of used aluminum arrows.  That's all you need to buy.  Nothing else.

Armguards are for teenagers who want to look cool and freaks who never learned how to properly shoot a bow.  Same goes for quivers.  If you aren't carrying your arrows around with you as you play Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest or maneuvering en masse on a Middle Ages battle field, then store and carry your arrows in a cardboard box.  It carries more, it carries better, and it carries arrows far safer.  Finger tabs, the same way.  If you need one, you can cut one from an old boot in two minutes time.  As far as strings go, regular old 550 paracord makes the *best* bowstring you'll ever find.  It's cheap, it's indestructable, and it's infinitly adjustable to suit your bow and your shooting style.  Once you learn to shoot properly with your bow, you can make your own string of whatever design you want....but paracord is the best to start.

Answer 9

It all depends, are you an impulse buyer or can you shop around? A good used bow as said before is the way to go. If you have or can save $275. PSC has a very good 64lb, outfitted compound. I bought it for my wife and i am very pleased with it. I shoot several Matthews bows but they are not in the "cheap" category. Ebay has very good deals on new and used equipment, look in your local Craig's List too. Let me warn you though,.....Bowing (Archery), if you are not very careful can easily become an obsession.