Posted: 12/12/2011 11:46:08 AM EDT
I know this is a firearms forum but you guys are very crafty and have a breadth of knowlege 
Few questions about Archery. I have never shot a bow of any type but am very interested in getting into it. I was wondering what type of compound bow that would be good for a beginner and would be cheap. I don't want to get anything wicked expensive for obvious reasons. I'm large framed and about 6'1. I don't know about draw length or strength or anything else associated with the bow. I inevitably want to use it for fishing and don't want to dish out a ton of money for something I know nothing about. Also, there aren't any stores nearby except the Bass Pro shop about 45 min away(very inconvenient). So if anyone can help me out with reputable sites or info I'd greatly appreciate it! And for your time! 
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Don't max out your poundage on a fishing setup. You only need about 25-35 lbs of draw weight. Anything more and you'll just lose your arrow/break the string every time. Personally, I prefer a recurve for fishing.
For hunting, it's different as you want the max poundage you can comfortably pull back and hold. Compounds are awesome here as they have let-off (peaks at 80 lbs but you might only hold 50 lbs at full draw). |
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After hunting with a long bow for a while I decided to move to a compound
went to a quality shop - they measured me up, set up a rig and took me out back and taught me how to shoot it. I got a PSA bow with a dozen arrows, release, some hunting points, practice points, case and a practice cube all for around $650. Been several years though. I was hunting by that evening. Lots to learn about getting close and drawing with not scaring the animals away. Huge rush the first time you stick something other than the practice cube! I shot this hog from about thirty feet away and he went apeshit, then died. 
Bows are just like everything else these days, you can spend whatever money you want on it. Just get a nice medium priced bow and go have fun. |
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Ha! I don't get down to the range much anymore as it is. Work and school has me tied down and I didn't even mention the gf.
Besides using it for fishing I have plenty of pesky varmints around my neck of the woods that need to be quietly dispatched. And ya know, the inevitable Zombie Swarms
So for fishing and varmint control 25-35 draw weight would be sufficient? Not sure if my concern is just ignorance or not so correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm very strong (no e-stats) and would be scared I'd break the damn thing. That's another reason I'm looking for a modestly cheap bow for a starter. |
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Go to a Pro Shop, skip retailers, eBay, and used. Ignore the speedbow hype, you want a long draw length and ATA for a nice forgiving bow. A Pro Shop will get you set up properly for what you are and what you want to do. There is a LOT to getting the bow set up right and starting to learn the basics.
Hoyt is the brand I shoot.....an Alpha Max 32. They are known to be cutting edge but not so much that they sacrifice durability. Welcome to your new money pit!
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Quoted:
Go to a Pro Shop, skip retailers, eBay, and used. Ignore the speedbow hype, you want a long draw length and ATA for a nice forgiving bow. A Pro Shop will get you set up properly for what you are and what you want to do. There is a LOT to getting the bow set up right and starting to learn the basics. Hoyt is the brand I shoot.....an Alpha Max 32. They are known to be cutting edge but not so much that they sacrifice durability. Welcome to your new money pit! I might just have to suck it up and run down to Bass Pro and see what they can do for me. I hope its not as big a money pit as rifles. Lol I'll be bankrupt in no time. I tend to overdo it when I get into new hobbies or sports 
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Quoted:
Go to a Pro Shop, skip retailers, eBay, and used. Ignore the speedbow hype, you want a long draw length and ATA for a nice forgiving bow. A Pro Shop will get you set up properly for what you are and what you want to do. There is a LOT to getting the bow set up right and starting to learn the basics. Hoyt is the brand I shoot.....an Alpha Max 32. They are known to be cutting edge but not so much that they sacrifice durability. Welcome to your new money pit! All good words except that Hoyt deal, I mean we all know Mathews is the way to roll. Oh, OP, welcome to your new money pit/endless harassment by the owners of the "insert brand here" bows. Hoyt.... Really? Hoyt? |
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Go to a Pro Shop, skip retailers, eBay, and used. Ignore the speedbow hype, you want a long draw length and ATA for a nice forgiving bow. A Pro Shop will get you set up properly for what you are and what you want to do. There is a LOT to getting the bow set up right and starting to learn the basics. Hoyt is the brand I shoot.....an Alpha Max 32. They are known to be cutting edge but not so much that they sacrifice durability. Welcome to your new money pit! All good words except that Hoyt deal, I mean we all know Mathews is the way to roll. Oh, OP, welcome to your new money pit/endless harassment by the owners of the "insert brand here" bows. Hoyt.... Really? Hoyt? For a first time user any bow is acceptable. Let them learn the basics and whether this is something they want to persue. Once they determine they want to go further then he can listen to the gear queers praise why one is better than the other. OP, the key is to make sure that whatever you buy is set up properly for you. Try to find a archery store in your area, ask others archers where they go, try to find someone who can show you the basics. |
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Go to a Pro Shop, skip retailers, eBay, and used. Ignore the speedbow hype, you want a long draw length and ATA for a nice forgiving bow. A Pro Shop will get you set up properly for what you are and what you want to do. There is a LOT to getting the bow set up right and starting to learn the basics. Hoyt is the brand I shoot.....an Alpha Max 32. They are known to be cutting edge but not so much that they sacrifice durability. Welcome to your new money pit! All good words except that Hoyt deal, I mean we all know Mathews is the way to roll. Oh, OP, welcome to your new money pit/endless harassment by the owners of the "insert brand here" bows. Hoyt.... Really? Hoyt? Hey now, we both know Hoyt and Mathews make excellent bows............it's Blowtech fanboys that get all the ribbing.
Archery shooters make AR15 shooters look civilized, you have been warned! 
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Haha..you will love/hate archery. It will slowly draw you away from rifles.... Or at least some of the time you would normally spend at the range. Lol. good luck in finding the right setup!  I'm having this problem right now! I want to get back into archery, and someday bowhunting, but.... my mind is like: GUNZ / BOW, GUNZ / BOW, GUNZ / BOW !
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Archerytalk.com
Very active forum and very friendly folks there who are incredibly helpful and open to newbies. No questions too dumb. Trust me; I knew NOTHING about archery when I first went there, and they talked me through even the most basic aspects of gear and shooting. |
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If you are a complete newb you can go to Bass Pro and they'll size you for draw length, adjust poundage and let you shoot a few bows (they should have an indoor range). Get the one that feels the best to you. Then they'll set up the peep sight height and do a half assed attempt at tuning it.
Once you get to shooting, then the real learning begins. So start off on a cheap one, start figuring out what you like, then get a real nice bow. If you start practicing now, you might be ready for hunting next fall. |
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I bought a bow last year before I deployed. I LOVE IT!!!!
I shoot in my apartment almost every other night. And the first time I shot an animal (pig at 8 yards from a tree stand), it pretty much changed my life. I can't wait to do it again, and don't want to hunt with anything but a bow now. |
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Go to a Pro Shop, skip retailers, eBay, and used. Ignore the speedbow hype, you want a long draw length and ATA for a nice forgiving bow. A Pro Shop will get you set up properly for what you are and what you want to do. There is a LOT to getting the bow set up right and starting to learn the basics. Hoyt is the brand I shoot.....an Alpha Max 32. They are known to be cutting edge but not so much that they sacrifice durability. Welcome to your new money pit! All good words except that Hoyt deal, I mean we all know Mathews is the way to roll. Oh, OP, welcome to your new money pit/endless harassment by the owners of the "insert brand here" bows. Hoyt.... Really? Hoyt? Hey now, we both know Hoyt and Mathews make excellent bows............it's Blowtech fanboys that get all the ribbing.
Archery shooters make AR15 shooters look civilized, you have been warned! So much truth to all of this! Lol.
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