Looking at getting into Bow hunting, need help

[bikeoutback]

So I hit 2 stores last night looking at bows, a big box sports store and an archery shop with range. First impression is the box stores customer service left MUCH to be desired and information was good but not great. I got the "better to come when Mr. Archery Pro is here"... of course I can't ever seem to get into these stores when these mythical Pro's are working. So far +1 to the archery shop on service so I'm leaning toward them as I think I'll get more info, practice, and teaching from them in the long run.

The two bows I'm looking at currently in my price range are the BowTech sniper and a Fred Bear Charge. Anyone have either and opinions? The Bear is set up as "Ready to Hunt" the BowTech needs to be equipped. Rough estimate is the BowTech if set up similar to the Bear on apples to apples comparison was about $75-$100 more. I've not shot either, the BowTech I know I could if I asked but wanted to do a little homework before I put them through the process of setting it up. The reading I've done on the Sniper is that it's a great bow and most replace the package components for upgrades... for some reason this one does not have the package components and as such I can set it up upon purchase so maybe slight advantage there also exept I'd probably set it up on the cheap as I have no preferences yet and upgrade later anyways.

Also can someone answer what is single cam vs binary cam? I've read some mixed reviews on binary cams being troublesome to adjust but also read that BowTech doesn't have as much of a problem with their binary cams.

Thanks ahead of time for helping a newbie out.

[bigbucks]

I'm not very technical as a bowhunter. I wouldn't even consider buying one other than from a pro shop, so when I mess something up or start having trouble I've got somewhere to go. If you spend a little more up front it will be worth it. I know a few guys with BowTechs who are very happy with them. I personally have an older Mathews, but it's not like I'm stuck on having one. I just happened to get a decent deal on a hold over model.

[NELS-BELLS]

When it comes to buying a new bow, I definately am for spending the little extra to get some professional help.

I never really thought of Scheels as an archery shop until now. The Tech guy at the St. Cloud store was a huge help with getting my son set up and dialed in with a used bow that he didn't even buy at the store. We did end up buying some arrows, which is what we went there for in the first place. I will definately do business with them again.

[mnguy152]

if you are not far check out mn archery in litchfeild. They will give you the best service and get you shooting right and always willing to help. I would diffenty stay away from the big box stores.

[newfish]

You are on the right track in picking out a few different bows and looking at options. Shoot them, see what feels the best to you. When I got my second bow, I shot many different types and picked the one that felt the best for me. My first bow I just picked off the shelf (didn't get much guidance as to what bow to pick out) and that was a huge mistake. Going with a ready to hunt package will save you money early on, but if the other one feels better to shoot go with what makes you happy. Remember you need to get other things for bowhunting, such as arrows, camo, stands, scents etc. You can always upgrade those pieces on your bow as the years go by.

It is a ton of info but it will help to explain the jargon on the technical stuff on a bow. As far as the cams, shoot both and see which one feels the best to you. One other area to ask is what is the customer service like for that brand of bow. My first bow customer experience from the bow maker company that made the bow was horrendous. Maybe my experience was a rarity for that company but to say the least I will not shoot their bows again.

Hope this helps and good luck

[DonBo]

This may not be what you want to hear, but in my oppinion you are already weeks too late in making these decisions if you plan on hunting this year. It takes a LONG time to become profficient enough with archery tackle to be able to cleanly take an animal with it, especially if you've never shot before.

That being said, the archery pro-shop is a no-brainer. They will be able to set you correctly the first time so that whatever bow you choose will be sure to fit you and you'll be able to handle it comfortably. They will take the time to make sure you understand proper shooting form. No box store can do this for you.

Do not go there with one or two bows in mind. Go there with a budget and they will be able to show you several bows in your price range. Now comes the fun part. Shoot them all. Whichever one feels best to you is the one you should go home with. Don't get caught up in the name brand game.

Good luck and enjoy!

[skolfoppa]

Well I don't want to be the guy to flame a newb...but how have you chosen two bows without having shot either one? If you are seriously intending to hunt whitetail this upcoming season, the clock is ticking. Go shoot a bunch of different bows in all price ranges. Sometimes the less expensive model maybe the one that feels right in your hand and in your head. Don't get caught up in the solo vs binary vs modified slave cams. Feeling comfortable behind the string is all that matters at this point.

Regardless of the setup you choose, the real work begins after you leave the store. Forget about a label that says "ready to hunt". You have to practice. Not for an hour on the weekends, but for hours a week. Practice in low light, bright light, heat, wind, kneeling, from a stand(you have a stand?), in full hunting clothes, etc.

The deal is... you owe it to the game you pursue to be able to make a successful kill shot in any situation you may find yourself. Be competent afield. If that happens before the fast approaching season...kudos. If not, you have a year to figure it out. Either way welcome to the addiction! Skol.

[eyeguy 54]

With the equipment that's out there you can be ready to shoot a deer in a couple days if you have good hand eye coordination. Now nerves may take a little longer :>). Pro Shop!

[deerminator]

IMHO, you still have time to hunt this year by all means! But don't make that your primary objective. Get a bow asap and get to know it and become extremely proficient with it. Then decide if you feel ready to hunt. Only you will know that. Some folks are ready after months. Some after days. I don't care if I get drilled on the last comment because it's true. Some just take to it. But even they still need to practice and practice and practice to be really confident in their shooting abilities.

I have been bowhunting for seven years and would not think of buying a bow from someplace without a reputable pro-shop. I buy my bows and gear from Scheels, yes a "big box" to some degree, but they have a dedicated pro shop within and there are always trained bowtechs on hand to help. You need to have someone help set you up in the beginning and be there for you when you are having issues - and be able to help you fast. As they yelled at me out the door on my latest bow purchase a few weeks ago, "remember, come back if anything is going wrong, service is free!" Down the road, if you feel confident in your bow technician abilities - and quite frankly have the time - you could order bows from the Internet and set them up yourself, but it will lead to a lot of headache and heartache with less than successful results right away.

Back to my point, get to the pro shop, shoot some bows, choose one that works and start shooting, every day if you can where you live. I step into my backyard and loose about a dozen a day every day weather permitting now until I'm done for the season. If you get a bow now, you still have two months til late October when things start heating up. So you may miss the beginning of the season if you don't feel comfortable enough, so what. You still have two to two plus months of good hunting options left.

Get a bow, get comfortable and confident with it and get out there when you're ready. Good luck!!!

P.S. I totally agree with the point that shooting your first deer with a bow is totally different than the target. You may get buck fever on a fawn, so my advice would be to shoot the first deer you'd be happy with - buck or doe to get some experience under your belt with the bow. Then, if you have more than one tag, you'll be ready for that big buck when it comes to nerves. Or not! lol

[goblueM]

imo just get the bow that is in your price range and shoots right. that's the least of your worries.

I'd worry more about locating a good place to put a stand, getting a deer in front of you, and correctly making the shot

[bikeoutback]

Thanks for the info. I know I'm behind the curve and well if I'm not proficient on 9/17 that doesn't mean I won't be by 10/17 and that's still many more weeks of hunting than 2 week rifle season offers right?

My background: I've rifle hunted for 3 years but failed to get a shot at a whitetail yet. I own 40 acres in rural northern MN that I live on also, it's a fortunate set of circumstances in my life. I get really gung ho come firearms season, take days off work hunt as much as possible, in a tree nearly as much as I can the whole time BUT I get wore out and burnt out. I've always been interested in bow hunting and my thoughts are:

1. Major season extension, 3+ months of hunting.

2. Much more leisurly. I can get off work between 3 and 4pm and go sit in a stand during a weeknight if it fancies me as I can be in stand within 5-10 minutes.

3. It can only make me a better hunter overall as it requires more skill.

Maybe I'm crazy to go invest the money when I can't even seem to shoot one with a rifle but I enjoy it either way and have no plans of quitting anytime soon, just haven't had my shot at one yet. Been close, had them in brush very near me but just couldn't get them in the shooting lane.

I have stands, 2 of my 3 rifle stands are high enough for archery and they are all home made wooden ladder stands that have plenty of platform for archery I believe. Got scents, clothing... anything further I need I'll get by or go purchase, I understand the expenses associated with hunting. Much of my clothing if it could be camo it is, I really only have an orange coat and hat, most everything else was camo with the idea of one day it may cross for both rifle and archery hunting.

Onto the bows: Many have said shoot the bows. Well I would if the places I was purchasing offered however most of them don't have the bows in stock. I'm right handed but left eye dominant... I shoot left handed. Been to 5 different stores/locations and they rarely have any left handed bows in to shoot. I got to the 2 I'm looking at simply because they are in my price range and reputable names from talking to various friends that own bows. I'll shoot the bowtech tomorrow and maybe see if they have anything else in left hand in the building to shoot for comparison.

I was simply looking for opinions on them. I assure you if I pick one up I'll be spending a couple hours a night in my front yard slinging arrows into hay bails for the next 3 weeks trying to get proficient enough before archery opener. If I'm not maybe the week after or the week after. It's hard to know what to do when none of it feels comfortable, maybe they will at least have a 2nd bow at the pro shop for comparison... I'm so bad at this the other guy working when they were sizing the bow even said "that just doesn't look right" and then looking at me had to tell me to turn a bit and into more of an archer stance... then the fit also looked better.... definite new guy here.

[DonBo]

Trust the guys at the pro-shop, their reputation rests on how well you do.

Nothing says you can't pull back a right handed bow to see how if feels coming back, at least you'll get some idea. Again, try as many as you can.

[deerminator]

Ditto. When I bought my Diamond Outlaw at Scheel's a few weeks back. They spent several hours on and off with me until I was nailing the bullseye every time, adjusting the draw lenghth, weight, peep and even pins for me several times. Even watched and offered feedback on my form and anchor point. I left confident I was ready to go when I stepped into my backyard range. Investing a couple hours of your time like that pays huge dividends the rest of the season. I noticed a few lefthanded bows there so you might want to give them a ring or any proshop. I would bet they could order what you want to try fairly quickly too, meaning a couple of weeks and they'd just keep it in stock if you didn't buy it. Good luck!

[eyeguy 54]

Get a bow, practice and get out there and hunt. :>) I've chased em for 43 years and what a blast. You can practice till you can hit 1000 bullseyes out of 1000 and still screw up a 20 yard shot on a deer. I've proved that. lol Don't over complicate it I say. Find a bow that feels good and go for it.

[Powerstroke]

Everyone has given you the best advice. Shoot as many bows as you can even if that means you take a day and drive somewhere that has a few more choices for you. Get on the internet and the phone to find a shop that can accommodate you. Once you find out what feels the best you can have your local shop order it or buy it from the place that you shot it at.

If it fits right and feels good you will be shooting well in very little time. After that its just a matter of practice until it feels like an extension of your arm.

DOn't worry too much about the transition from gun hunter to bow hunter. Since bow hunting requires you to get that deer within 30yds, it will make you a better hunter. I have shot more deer with my bow that I ever did with a gun and I've been hunting deer for 16yrs but only using a bow for the last 6yrs. Now when I see a deer at 60yds away I think its too far to shoot. Using a gun almost doesn't seem fair.

I think you'll like it.

[bikeoutback]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I did end up picking up the bowtech. First things is I've got some work to do as first shot was "Ouch!", hit my holding arm with the string, need to bend that arm slightly. Out of 15 shots yesterday I hit the arm a few times. I left the range then, will shoot more when I get home this week in my yard, had a bad range experience due to others. In any case happy with the purchase.

[BoxMN]

I am rookie as well, and having fun shooting my new Diamond Rock 2.0 (new bow, but old discontinued model). Looking forward to my first hunt this fall. Even tried out my new climbing stand last weekend for first time. Easier than I thought, and I was just wearing flip flops even, ha!

One thing that I read, is that if you are stinging your arm, you might have your draw length set too long. I guess that is a classic example... from what I read anyway. I originally set mine a bit to short, and added 1/2" and now at 28.5, even though I measure at a air under 29". Workign for me, though I may still be on the short side a bit. Never stung my arm since getting it in Feb. Good luck!

[DonBo]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I did end up picking up the bowtech. First things is I've got some work to do as first shot was "Ouch!", hit my holding arm with the string, need to bend that arm slightly. Out of 15 shots yesterday I hit the arm a few times. I left the range then, will shoot more when I get home this week in my yard, had a bad range experience due to others. In any case happy with the purchase.

Did you buy it from a pro-shop, or have a pro-shop set it up for you? I only ask because hitting your arm is often a result of a draw length set too long. A good shop should have set your draw length to prevent this.

[Powerstroke]

The two previous guys have hit the nail on the head. There are a couple different ways to measure for draw length, but the only true way is to start shooting. Once you feel comfortable in your shot sequence, if you're still hitting your arm, I would have the draw length shortened. This is the number one problem people have with their bow. It is better to be shorter than longer. If you cannot adjust a 1/2", then adjust down an inch and add a longer string loop.

Good luck with your new bow!!!

[Archerysniper]

Yeah what they said. I'm curious what was your bad range experience?

[jnorm1984]

if you are not far check out mn archery in litchfeild. They will give you the best service and get you shooting right and always willing to help. I would diffenty stay away from the big box stores.

+1 for MN Archery, good guys that really know their stuff

[bikeoutback]

Yeah what they said. I'm curious what was your bad range experience?

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...nt_#Post2649588

Thanks guys for the further advice also. I did buy from the pro shop and I'll be shooting tonight barring any rain and some more this week. I'm not comfortable enough adjusting the draw length yet so if I think it needs to be shortened a half inch I'll take it into the pro shop next time I'm near there. I really want to just get the mechanics down better before I make major adjustments. Seems each shot I forget something so I've got to get the mental checklist going: Push with one arm pull with other to draw, try and get a comfortable resting point for draw arm and then get it there consistently, arm slightly bent, bow level, loosen grip a little the bow isn't going anywhere...

[DonBo]

I really want to just get the mechanics down better before I make major adjustments. Seems each shot I forget something so I've got to get the mental checklist going: Push with one arm pull with other to draw, try and get a comfortable resting point for draw arm and then get it there consistently, arm slightly bent, bow level, loosen grip a little the bow isn't going anywhere...

HA! Been doing this archery thing for over 40 years and don't quite have all that down yet. You'd think it would be easy, but....

[Powerstroke]

The main points to consider in your form are proper hand placement, bow grip, anchor point, smooth release and follow through.

If you don't have a wrist sling you should get one. This will give you confidence that you don't drop your bow while using a loose bow hand grip. It isn't a grip at all. More of having a solid resting place on your palm where the bow sits while you are drawing. You shouldn't be grabbing the bow at all.

Once you draw back, your hand should find an easy to locate spot on the side of your face, but not further back than the corner of your jaw. If you're getting back to your ear or your neck it is too long. Your string loop should fall right near the corner of your mouth. Next you can touch your nose to the string lightly and you should be able to see through your peep. Another way to create a repeatable anchor is by using a kisser button.

I try to do this draw cycle several times with my eyes closed so that it becomes second nature. Now when I do this, I open my eyes and look right through my peep. That is the goal.

Then make a smooth trigger pull. DOn't punch the trigger when the pin crosses the target. And then have a controlled follow through. Don't grab the bow or move it. Also, don't try to watch your arrow. You will almost always move the bow while trying to pull your head out to watch the arrow.

If your bow is too long in the draw length, I wold recommend you get it shorted up as soon as possible. Otherwise you are training your body to use the wrong anchor point and the wrong draw motion. You will learn your "mechanics" based on a bow that is too long for you. It will create bad habits.

[wannafish2]

My first season with a bow was last year and I will attest that the hunters on this forum are the BEST! Great information and always willing to give a tip or three.

My advice to you would be to KEEP IT SIMPLE. 1. When you are deciding on who is gooing to work with you at your pro shop..stick with that person every time. I found that even though coworkers are all knowledgeable, everyone has their own perspective. One may like alot of gadgets, silencers, sights, put on their own flights etc...another may like to hunt with as little added to the bow as necessary. But if one helps you on one trip and the other on the next, you will only end up confused and frustrated and BROKE.

For this year, get your 10 and 20 yard shots down. Spend as much time practicing as you can, and get ready for some fun in the tree stand. I saw more deer my first bow season than I ever saw gun hunting, and they were all really close.

You can easily get addicted to this sport! Just make sure you get a good start and don't get frustrated.

Just my .02 HAVE FUN! I can't wait for the season to start.