First time bow buyer. Any advice?

[MidCoast]

Hey guys,

I would like to purchase a bow for the first time.  I am looking into buying a Matthew bow. How does this buying process work and how long would it take for me to receive the bow?  Do I just walk into the store, get measured, pick out  my bow, and walk out with it?

Is it difficult to install the accessories for the bow as well as sight it?

Any advice would be much appreciated.  Thanks.

[nofishfisherman]

I think pretty much everyone will tell you the same thing and the process is pretty simple.

Step 1: Find a local bow/archery shop in your area 

Step 2: Drive to the shop and walk in the front door

Step 3: Go to the counter and tell the first guy you see that you are looking to buy your first bow and need a little help with the process.  The tricky part is to make sure the guy you ask is actually an employee.  The customers that hang out in archery shops would probably be just as willing to answer your questions as the shop owner would be.

Step 4: Let the pros take it from there.

They may ask if there is particular brand of bow you had been thinking about but make sure you are open to other brands or models as you may find one bow will fit you better than others.  They'll likely have you shoot several different bows in your price range so you can get a feel for them.  They will also make sure the bow fits you properly so I won't worry about draw length and all that stuff, they'll get it taken care of.

Once you have the bow they can help get you set up with any accessories that you may need and they can get them all installed for you.

Depending on how busy the shop is and what you pick out you may be able to walk out with a fully set up bow the same day. If it needs a lot of accessories and they are swamped then maybe you'd have to go back and pick it up later once they've had time to get everything installed.

Personally the shop I go to is Bwana near 35E and 694 but I've heard good things about other bow shops as well so you should be able to find a good one near you.

[sportfish]

Shoot a lot of different bows to see what you like . Make sure the draw weight is not to much and the draw length is the right length to fit you . Don't get cot up in a speed or brand names ! Get comfort first . 

Now is a great time to look at bows , don't wait tel a week befor season 

[Scoot]

PM sent.

[SmellEsox]

I'll give you my opinion.  I'm sure some will disagree with me.  If you are a first time bow buyer, I'd recommend getting as forgiving a bow as possible (if you are learning to shoot).  To me that is a bow that is a little longer in axle to axle in length, say 33" or longer.  This is especially true if you are taller and have a longer draw length (say over 29").  I would also recommend a bow with a higher brace height of 7" or more.  I would choose a bow that IBOs at 340 fps or lower.  I think 320-330 fps are the most smooth drawing bows and are plenty fast to kill anything.  I would also recommend a 50-60 pound bow as that will be easier to learn on and easier to shoot a lot of shots w/o fatigue.  There are many bows from many manufacturers out there that fit this bill.  Personally I like Elites and Hoyts and would love to shoot Prime, Xpedition, and Obsession bows as I've heard great things from these.  Mathews bows are great quality but I just think they are too short axle to axle and I personally don't like bows that are that short.  The only Mathews I'd consider buying would be the HTR.  Good luck and have fun!

[Scoot]

SmellEsox, I PM'd Midcoast with about 90% of the same info you put in your post.  We are definitely on the same page...

[mnguy152]

All I can shay shoot a lot of bows before you buy. I did that ended up with one I love to shoot. I think I shot like 20 diffent ones that day so a bit of a work out lol. Plus if u take a day off from work go during the weekwhile everyone else is working you do get better one on one service