I want to get into bow hunting, I don't want to spend $1000 dollars for something I might not do a whole lot.

I think every man should have a bow that is capable of hunting with though, so I'm gonna try it out. My dad was a big bow hunter when I was a kid, but as I was really young I never got to carry a bow. As I got older his health declined, so we never went bow hunting again. I have been reading about it (as I don't know anyone who bow hunts), and almost every reading says to go try a bunch of bows out before buying. I would like to give my business to someone local versus a big box store like cabelas or bass pro. I'd like to get an entry level bow around the $200-250 mark if that's possible.

Where do you guys get your bows from locally? Friends shop? Family shop? Any of those here?

I'm in the east valley btw.

Im an avid bowhunter but live up north in Prescott. 200-250 is going to be difficult if not impossible to find a new bow set up and ready to hunt. Several actually pretty much all manufacturers (pse, Hoyt, diamond, bear,etc) make ready to shoot packages that are great for beginners 400-600 range. It seems even down in the valley its difficult to find pro shops that keep a large selection of budget bows I could be wrong though. You may have to go to several shops to shoot them and see what you like. . you could also check on Craigslist for deals on used bows. On the east valley I've been to archery headquarters in Chandler and they had a decent selection.

This. I haven't seen any ready to go hunting rigs in the valley within that price range.

Few places I know of to check out:

AZ Archery Club (N. Phx)
Bear Mtn (Mesa)
Cabelas (Glendale)


There are a few on the East side that I can't remember. Maybe call around and see what you can find.

I recently picked up bow hunting (have yet to go on a hunt) and have a practice bow and now have a really nice Hoyt set at 65 lbs. The practice bow is only at 20-25 lbs, is a compound, but it teaches you form as well as allows you to start to build muscle strength since the muscles you use for a bow aren't muscles you use a lot. From what I found out, going to a regular compound right off the bat would be a bitch, plus you only get a few shots in due to muscle fatigue which lends itself to poor form. Also, you will need someone that knows bows to help you set up the bow so it works for you (draw length, peep hole, etc). Again, I am learning myself but am loving it, so those that know, please correct me.

Thank you for info guys. I might run down to bear mt. This week. The $200-$250 price range was just for the bow (one powerful enough to hunt with). Is it possible to get set up, with everything for around $500 (bow, arrows, target) so I could start practicing?

I figure this is something I can do in my backyard without disturbing the neighbors. Just to practice form and gain muscle strength and memory.

A quick search on backpage and craigslist turned up quite a few rigs that look really nice. Just an FYI, I am not a bowhunter...

If you do this, might be a good idea to get it restrung just to make sure that doesn't fail when you go to shoot it.

Ya, I've read to stay away from those places (craigslist and backpage), just because you never know who has dry fired the bow and damaged it.

The main reason I think this is a good idea is because I wouldn't know what to look for, so buying something new, while its going to cost me more, I guarantee myself a new, undamaged product that is back by the manufacturer or the dealer. Then when I get more knowledgeable and what to upgrade, then I can look for deals at those places.

This was how I went about it when I first got into archery hunting. I wanted a inexpensive bow that can kill everything in AZ. But I was worried about a used bow, since I have no idea how a person was treating the bow and equipment. So I went new a long time ago. I have a Martin Fury II, which I am hopeful to retire this yr and get myself a new Hoyt for archery deer

Corner archery is where I got my last bow. It sucks being a lefty used bows are few and far between plus having a 31.5" draw length. Arghhhh.  

Good luck

I took up archery almost 3 years ago. I don't know why I didn't pick it up any earlier! Archery is all I like to do now! My rifles barely get shot now . You won't regret taking up archery, it's so addicting! Just putting a stalk on an animal is rewarding enough, even if you don't kill.

I upgraded not too long ago and have a bow that might work for you if you're interested? PM me and I can send the details on it...

East Valley, Archery Headquarters, West of Kyrene on Chandler Blvd. Good people, good prices.

It's kind of one of those things that you should realistically be prepared to spend at least $500 to get setup.

I'm going to advise against Cabelas, Basspro, or Sportsmans. They'll get you a bow, but they aren't going to spend the time with you tuning it.

Hey thank you man. When I'm ready to buy I'll let you know. Going out of town this weekend for the 4th.

Sounds good. Thank you. I figured it would cost about as much as a firearm. Package price.

+1 for Archery Headquarters

The initial cost is hard to get past but moving to a new bow is cheaper because you can swap your "parts" over to it.  I've seen some basic Hoyt setups there for about 500ish but I haven't looked in a while.  If you look to buy a used bow the drawbacks are that you'll pay full price for service/setup etc. you'll need to know your draw length and what kind of poundage you can handle and the only thing I know to look for is cracks or fractures in the limbs.... I have bought used bows too but it was always from a buddy wanting to upgrade to something newer so I already knew the bow etc.

It's a great hobby/sport and there are 3D shoots you can do & of course there's hunting.  I shot three Elk over three years in a row but didn't get drawn this year, it's absolutely one of the awesomest (I know that's not a word) things you can do and I dream about it throughout the year.  It's definitely different than rifle hunting and I feel like I work much harder archery huning, I keep a strict scent discipline so a lot of the fun camping stuff like fires, barbecues are skipped when archery hunting... when I hunt with a rifle I could come dressed for a game of golf since I can't seem to find or shoot anything inside of 450yds to save my life.  

I'm rambling, welcome to the club and I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you.

I've got a PSE Stinger 3G that was used for one season..I upgraded to this bow last season and now I don't have time to shoot it/hunt anymore. Let me know if you are interested.  

Well, I'll think about it, but compound bows are pretty badass!

I'll keep this in mind bro, thank you. Send me what you're asking for it.

Traditional is fun, but it's a steep learning curve. You can pick up a compound and shoot it a month before you hunt, and still be good inside 50yds. Longbow/recurve requires a lot more practice, more muscle, and a lot more patience.