What kind of bow should I get?

Question

I'm thinking about getting into archery and bow hunting. I haven't shot an arrow since I was a Boy Scout over a decade ago, so I'm not really sure where to start. What kind of bow and arrows should I get? I'll probably just be doing target practice at first, but would eventually want to hunt deer from a stand.

Answer 1

The kind of bow depends on what you like, and also how much time you're willing to spend practicing.  If you don't want to spend much time practicing then you can go with a compound.  It's much easier to get into hunting shape with a compound than say with a longbow.  If you can and will spend quite a fair bit of time practicing, like at least 3 times a week about 2 hours per day.  Then it boils down to what you like.  Do you like tinkering with gadgets or do you like to keep things simple.  If you like gadgets, compound is the answer, if you like simple then a one piece recurve or longbow is the one.

Another factor is money.  Compound is much more expensive compared to a longbow or one piece traditional recurve.  If you add up all the knick knacks, compound is even more expensive than an olympic recurve.  And yes, I know some people who hunts using olympic recurve bows.

But since you're pretty much starting from scratch, unless you go with a compound, you'll need to start with a light bow and work your way up.  About 30lbs is the max I would start with, then you can go from there.  

Answer 2

archerytalk is a great forum to learn the ropes

i started with a martin x-200 40lb, it was too heavy to start with, so i read some stuff on archertalk about making your own bow out of a tree, and ended up making serveral longbows in different weights.  its very easy with the help of 'kegan' on archerytalk.  even make your own arrows!  theyre surprisingly accurate and powerful.  very satisfying and inexpensive, give it a try!

Answer 3

compound bows are much easier to shoot. look for a good used one at your local archery shop or check with local clubs, someone might be getting rid of one to up grade.once you get the bug you can up grade.

Answer 4

I've always been very partial to recurves. But you'll want to buy a REALLY good one later on. But you should start with a recurve around 30 lb draw.  

Answer 5

If you do look into a recurve, I would recommend a "take-down" design over a single piece. Take-downs are much easier to transport, that's helpful if you're driving around to hunting sites.

Answer 6

Join us we can help

Answer 7

buy a compound with adjustable weight and draw length