New bow.

[SCUMFROG]

I will be buying my first bow this spring or sooner. What should I look for in a bow? I don't need to drop 1000.00 bucks, I just want some thing good that will last me a few years.

[onthefly]

I would go to a shop and shoot a bunch of bows... Look for one that feels stable in your hand, is fairly quiet, doesn't have a lot of hand shock, and (most importantly) one that you feel like you shoot well! Brand doesn't really matter - everyone makes good bows these days.

You can probably pick up a high-end used bow on hsolist for around 400-500 dollars with some accessories already on it. Accessories make the $$$ add up fast...

For example, I bought a 2004 Bowtech Liberty for $600 brand new. Then, I bought a sight ($125), arrow rest ($70), quiver ($50), arrows ($40 for 6), broadheads ($30 for 6), release ($50), etc., etc. That's about $350 over the price of the bow.

Just find a bow you like. A little use doesn't really affect the performance, so dont' be afraid of used bows. The best part is, you can benefit from someone's habit of buying a new bow every year and get a heck of a deal on quality equipment!

[metrojoe]

Take a look at the Reflex line of bows. Great value IMHO.

[DooWap]

I'm not gonna rattle off any brands to you, because that's up to you to decide. Some of the features I'd look for though are:

1)Parallel limbs, this will make for a smoother shot with considerably less hand shock, though it's almost impossible to find a bow that isn't this design anymore.

2)Duel or single cam. With duel cam you'll acheive higher arrow speeds but at the cost of smoothness and sound.

3)Size. Do you plan to do a lot of trekking with the bow? If so you might want one with less axle to axle distance, otherwise a longer bow tends to shoot more accurately with more forgiveness. With shorter bows make sure that your brace height is at least 7 inches.

4)Most of all just make sure the bow fits you and feels right. Each of us on the forum has a bow that is near and dear to us, so asking a question on what bow to get will get you a thousand different answers, shoot em all and make sure that it fits you most of all.

[SCUMFROG]

When you say "fits you" how will I know? I know how a harley fits me dang good. But what am I felling for? I've starting looking at them and they fell the same to me.

I don't care about brand, just quality.

[Scoot]

A few things that I look for in a bow that tell me if it "feels right".

1) noise- I insist on a quiet bow. I think this is much more important than speed. It's gotta be quiet or I won't buy it.

2) hand shock- less = better. I like bows with very little hand shock- it lets me follow through with the shot better. I can literally keep my pin on the target until after my arrow hits if I have a bow with little hand shock.

3) ATA- I like a long bow- just feels better to me.

4) handle- I really like the handle of some bows. I don't like some other company's handles. I often end up taking the factory handles off my bows anyway, but I want a bow to fit my hand well.

Lastly, if you shoot a number of bows a little bit you'll start to develop a sense of "that feels good" or "that doesn't feel good". Hard to quantify it, but you'll get the feel for it.

Good luck!

[Grizzy]

I agree. I would shoot the bow that feels most comfortable.

Three points.

Before you start experimenting with bows, I would figure out your correct draw length, approximately. A good, rough estimate is to have someone measure your "wingspan": Standing upright with both arms stretched straight to your sides, measure from the tip of one middle finger to the tip of the other middle finger. Divide this number by 2.5" If you are about 6' tall, it should measure around 29"-29 1/2".

Only test the bows that are close to your draw length or have the shop change the draw lenghth before testing it. For me, the comfort of the bow largely depends on the draw cycle (when the let-off occurs, and when the peak force occurs). If you are drawing a bow that doesn't have close to the right draw length for you, the let-off will seem to come too early or too late. Make sure the bow has approx the right draw length for you to give it a valid evaluaion.

2) How does the handle feel. Some manufactures have very aggressive handles. What I mean by that is the angle of the handle compared to the riser. Myself, I prefer more conservative handles. Also, the width of the handle.

3) Look at the specs, stay with at least a 7-7 1/2" brace height.

[fishermn]

These posts are all right on the money. Buy a bow that fits you properly, and that you feel comfortable and confident with. That being said, for my money I suggest staying with one of the better name brands just because of the customer service and warranty issues if you ever do have any problems. I would also suggest finding a good bow shop to work with (preferably one that carries a number of different brands).

Another thing to keep in mind is that most of the big name manufacturers also have a mid-priced line of bows that provide a great value for the $$. Some examples are Hoyt/Reflex, Bowtech/Diamond, and Mathews/Mission.

[Powerstroke]

Personally I shoot a Darton. They are a bigger name brand that doesn't spend a lot of money on advertising. Kind of a cult following really. They are a high end bow without all the hype. I was one that "fit-me" when I was shopping.

Don't rule out used bows. I picked mine up at Cabin Fever in Victoria. It was being sold on consignment. I got a great deal on my first bow.

[xedge2002]

I just bought a bow last summer so I don't have the experience that the rest of these guys have but from my experience I would definetly shoot a few different bows and make sure you go to a place that is willing to work with you to make sure you are happy with what you are buying.

[Big Pine Walleye]

Have fun buying your new bow--I just started bow hunting last year and I did just what they are saying--I shot a few bows and picked out the one the seemed the best for me. It sounds funny to hear "fits right" but you will now when you are shooting the one that is meant for you. I bought a Hoyt Lasertech and part of the reason was feel--the other part was the cost. I found mine for around $389 and after putting accessories on I had about $675-$700 into it. It was the best money that I have ever spent as I just loved bow hunting. Good luck finding a new bow and have fun!

[huntingmaxima]

I think hsolist is another option. There are alot of really good used bow out there aready set up with all the bells and whistles.

[cliffy]

Scumfrog:

I was in your shoes about this time last year. Man..so much info and so many questions. These guys have given you some great info....I really have nothing much else to add.

What helped me was just taking my time and shooting as many bows as possible and asking as many questions as possible. Dont get stuck on name brands v. other name brands. There are a ton of great bows on the market. Take your time..shoot as many as possible, ask questions...research, buy books or videos...and enjoy yourself. Let us know how things work out for you. Have a good new year.

Cliffy

[96trigger]

When it comes to the feel of the bow, I had to shoot my three final choices, one right after the other to determine which to buy. I was surprised to find out that the bow I thought I'd like the best wasn't the one I ended up picking out. It's hard to determine things like sound and vibration by yourself and shooting one bow at a time. Take a friend, have them listen, or have them shoot while you listen and watch. There is a big difference in sound from when you shoot and when others shoot. You will also notice the subtle differences like hand shock and balance if you shoot them right after another. Good luck.

[almostthere!]

96trigger,

so which bow did you end up purchasing?

Which bow had the least hand shook and noise?

I could never tell between the noise when I shoot. I need a friend...

[96trigger]

almost, I was sold on the Fred Bear Instinct. Then I shot it back to back with the Mission designed and made by Matthews to copete in the midrange bow area. After a half hour of shooting, both bows were nice, but I loved the speed and lack of vibration (hand shock) of the Mission. The Fred Bear had limb savers on it, the Mission had nothing but it still shot smoother than the Bear. I also liked the way it cycled. I did like the let off of the Fred Bear a little bit better but overall the Mission just felt better in my hand. I shot good with it and it didn't even have a sight. The nicest part was that it cost less than the instinct. You can get it for about $300 with a flat black riser, about $430 with a camo riser, and about $500 with the camo riser with more cutouts (machining). I thought I had my mind made up until I went and shot the two together. I also shot the Switchback XT, that was nicer than all of them but also 2X the price. If you're looking for a bow in that price range, don't buy one without shooting the Mission first.

[Scoot]

96's point about shooting them back to back is a good one. I had a similar experience- I was dead set on the new Hoyt Vectrix until I shot the Bowtech Guardian. Shooting them back to back really showed me a difference that I couldn't detect otherwise.

[SCUMFROG]

Thanks for all the suggestion on what to do. I'll be taking my time and finding what's right for me..