New bow hunter

[slopmaster]

This year i took my girlfriend out bow hunting for the first time. She has had the urge to try bow hunting but had never gone deer hunting to see what it was like. She has been with hunting for smaller game like ducks, geese, pheasants. To make a long and interesting story short i ended up shooting a doe that night and she was BY FAR more excited than i was and i was one happy man! for her to see a deer up that close and personal 10 yards and be able to harvest it she was blown away and was shaking the whole time. She really wants to start bow hunting next year and i told her im all for it and would help her get started. We talked about it a while and she said she would spend around 400 to 500$ on the bow and acessories combined. any of you guys have a good set up for around that price? or would recommend a certain bow and set up fiting that category? I will take her to the bow shop in parkers prarie and let her shoot some bows to see what she likes before she makes any purchase. just curious to see what you guys think. any input is appreciated!

[Deitz Dittrich]

If it were me, I would get her fitted at a shop.. then keep my eye open for a used outfit..

Congrats on getting someone hooked on bowhunting! Wish my wife would get into it, she target shoots with me, but doesnt hunt.

fyi- I sent you an e-mail.

[96trigger]

In that price range, I'd look at the mission bows by matthews, and the fred Bear bows. Those are the only two that I really have any experience with. I shot them both before I bought a Switchback and liked them.

You are doing the right thing by taking her to a proshop. Get her all measured up and a bow that fits and feels right to her. Shoot as many bows as she can within your price range and find one that she likes.

[mrklean]

There are a lot of bows in that range, you can always hit the archery shops up and look for a last years model for cheap

[Doug Smotherman]

Diamond makes a great starter bow the edge. Its small, light, fast and shoots great I bought my girl friend one last year she shoots 48 pounds and she shoots good to about 35 yards.

[camdu7]

I had the same experience three years ago. Only it started with her interested in just shooting with me. But, when it came time to buy the bow she did not want the target color she wanted the camo bow!!!! She has a hoyt rintec. It has been a great bow and has made two complete pass throughs on does at 45 lbs and 25" draw. Go to a good pro shop get her fitted right and shoot a few bows. In your price range you should have no problem finding a bow. What I did for my wife right off the bat was to get her some lessons with a certified coach. We used Linda Beck, and she did a great job. Trust me, get her lessons right away. It will make her a better archer and will be easier on you and her.

[Bear55]

I would look for a high quality used bow, you can save a lot of $$$ on bows that are 3-5 years old and they are still excellent bows and may even come fully loaded.

[slopmaster]

hey deitz that is my old email could you re send it to [email protected] sorry about that. thanks!

[crazyice]

I would second the recommendation of getting her fitted at a pro shop, then looking for something used. That is how I got started, and I fell right in that same price range that you mentioned. Plus, I got a dozen arrows, rest, sight, peep, quiver, etc... pretty much ready to take to the field. It was a great bow, I shot my first deer with it, and numerous deer after that, before I upgraded to a new Vortec.

[vister]

i'd opt for the edge from diamond. definetely in your range also. the only prob with prairie archery that i have heard is to not go in there with the season around the corner. they get swamped with customers, as they are the only pro shop in quite a radius. but, alot of my friends use them and have no complaints on the quality of the work done.

[koonie]

Bear Lights Out package. One of the best reasonably priced setups out there.

[slopmaster]

I hear you there vister i went just this past august and it was very packed. I was very pleased with there service and have been there a couple times and its by far the closest place so thats where i will be heading. Im thinking about going in march or april to maybe find a carry over bow for her and im also in the market for one this year so i'll have to check out the new lineup for 09. thanks for all the info and sugestions from all!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Slop- I sent you a second e-mail at the new addy!

[BLACKJACK]

For that price range you should be able to get a pretty good new setup, don't screw around by getting her fitted at a pro shop and then 'waiting' until you find a good used bow. A girlfriend/wife that hunts is a plus plus plus!!! Get her started!!! Throw in some of your own money, buy her the sights or quiver or arrows for a present!!

[mrklean]

You could always give her your bow and buy yourself a new one its win win, thats what i might do if my gf really gets into bowhunting

[Cheetah]

Unless you are a good bow mechanic on your own, I too would suggest going to a shop to at least find some models and sizes that would work for her. Most important being the draw weight and draw length, as well as the hand grip style/size.

If you are comfortable building up the bow on your own and doing all the tuning, then online auctions (can't say the name here apparently...) are actually a pretty good resource for used bows. There are also a lot of guys buying/selling over on hso_archery_forum.com forums. If you go this route though, you need to do a lot of reading and research to make sure you get exactly what you need, otherwise buying new cams and parts will add up quickly. Also be sure to actually call the seller and talk on the phone, it is very easy to get screwed buying via the internet if you aren't careful.

[Cheetah]

Oh, and I do agree with Blackjack that getting her in the woods this fall is still very possible if you are fine with paying retail for the full kit.

So really, it's up to you and her. If you have the cash, go for it. If not, do the research and save some money and plan for next fall or maybe even turkey hunting in the spring.

[slopmaster]

that is all great advice i was just wondering when is the best time to go into a bow shop and look to see what they have for carry overs? Are we talking soon as the 09 bows come out in november or december or will it take awhile for the prices to drop and i should wait until january or later?

[mrklean]

i would wait until jan and feb

[Shack]

I would keep an eye out in the next couple weeks or so for used bows. I was told a couple weeks back at a local shop, some new models from Bow-tech, Hoyt and Diamond are coming out and trade in's and used bows should start to show up at shops and on-line. (Just called and Bow-tech's new models are in now)

Plus, then you could look at non-current stuff/leftovers.

I am close to buying a bow for next year. I have looked on-line at used ones and just wonder what I would be getting into when purchasing a used bow. Most time, unless it is a screaming deal on a used bow, you can drop an extra $150.00 or so at a shop get a new set (all you need for now) and have a brand new bow. Plus have shop loyalty and precedence if and when a repair is needed before a hunt.

I do not know if you are like me, but if anything should fail it is right before I need it. Having a bow back in a couple days, verses having it back in a couple weeks could be worth any difference in price buying new or used at a shop or from a privet party in the paper or on-line.

Good luck and have fun!

[SpecialK]

Gander has a few Diamond bows at decent prices (I paid 399 for 'the rock') they are bare bones so you still need all the add-ons but still a good quiet bow. They measured me, set the draw weight and let me shoot it and I was only there looking around. Good peeps.