Best Beginner Bow for Elk

If you know someone that knows archery at all, then ya, I'd buy used all day long. You'd have to know what your draw length is or at least find a bow with draw mods or adjustable on the cams for length. You definitely don't need a new bow to kill elk. I'm heading back up today and I'm taking my old 2006 Bowtech Old Glory with me. In the used market this bow might be worth $200, but it's just as shootable and deadly as any new bow. The feel is a little different, but the arrows hit behind the pins. And the nice thing is, this bow has been through a lot of really rough hunts and has taken a beating and is still perfect. Some of these new bows almost seem fragile to me. I know I don't have to baby this one. It's taken lots of falls with me and slid down scree slopes etc.
 
For smooth drawin fun, I'd get a used PSE with evolve cams or an elite energy 32 or 35 off the archerytalk classifieds. Might even find one that is nicely outfitted and save money on the sight and rest.
 
Wapiti1 said:
Other have covered the basics. Any mid-level bow of today will work well.

If you think you want to get into tuning it yourself, just go with an Elite with SET or Bowtech with Deadlock. They are very easy to tune. These have been out a while, so new or used is available. Note the comments on used and string/cable set.
Click to expand...

I stopped reading here, this is outstanding advice.

If you want a flagship bow, deadlock and SET should cover you for 5-10 years of bow "innovations".

Otherwise, I'd get a bowtech amplify, hoyt torrex, elite basin.

If I cared about weight, and didn't want a flagship bow, I'd get a bowtech carbon Zion.
 
Getting set up correctly and practicing a lot are the keys.
A good, reputable archery pro shop should be able to get you set up whether you go new or used.
It was mentioned above - Bass Pro, and Dicks Sporting Goods are not pro shops - you typically will get
some pimply faced part-time kid that doesn't know much more than you. Go to a place where archery is all they live and breath.
You definitely don't need the latest hot rod, high buck super bow to kill stuff. My brother bought his Hoyt RazorTech over 20 years ago and continues to kill with it. Every year he gets the itch to buy one of the new models, but he picks up his 'ol trusty, goes out to the back yard target and drives tacks with it. Its had a couple sets of new cables and strings over the years, but it works great.
 
I remember when i first started. I went midrange on price but didnt let the first 2 bows in first 2 years pick me. Then i put my hands on a demo Bowtech D350 in October of 2009 and had my D350 Thanksgiving weekend of that year. And been killing with it ever since. Get your hands on as many as you can until you find the one for you. You will know when you draw it back.
 
Attempted a quick google maps search for a reputable archery shop near you but unfortunately there isn’t much near Port Angeles. There does seem to be a local archery range that goes by the name “Wapiti Bowmen” that may be worth checking out. I couldn’t find a web page otherwise I’d add a link. As a general rule, archers are kind people that love to share their experience with others who are interested. I suspect you could find a great mentor at that archery range if you get in touch with them or start shooting there.

As for Olympia and Portland, there seem to be many options, especially in Portland (10+ by my search). I have no personal experience in that area but do have a fair amount of archery experience. If it was me as a new archer, I’d choose a shop based on the reviews and the brands they carry. Also be sure they have a range on site so you can try shooting the bows you’re interested in. Just be aware that if you need service on your bow in the future, you may need to make the trip to them again or find another authorized dealer so I would buy as close to home as possible. I’ve added a few suggestions below to get you started…

This shop is probably your best option close to home. It has great reviews and stocks many brands previously mentioned including diamond, bowtech and matthews/mission:


There’s also an “Archery World” with great reviews near Olympia based on google maps. They are a national big box archery store and my experiences with them in the past have been positive. There are two archery world locations in Portland as well.

www.archeryworld.net

Archery is a fun hobby and an awesome way to make hunting both more challenging and more rewarding…good luck!

Edit - It seems I was mistaken, Archery World in that region seems to be just 4 stores in Washington and Oregon. I had a brain fart when I mentioned they were a national big box store and had mixed them up with a similar store name that existed all across the Midwest where I grew up. The fact they are a small store makes me want to recommend them even more.
 
ztc92 said:
Attempted a quick google maps search for a reputable archery shop near you but unfortunately there isn’t much near Port Angeles. There does seem to be a local archery range that goes by the name “Wapiti Bowmen” that may be worth checking out. I couldn’t find a web page otherwise I’d add a link. As a general rule, archers are kind people that love to share their experience with others who are interested. I suspect you could find a great mentor at that archery range if you get in touch with them or start shooting there.

As for Olympia and Portland, there seem to be many options, especially in Portland (10+ by my search). I have no personal experience in that area but do have a fair amount of archery experience. If it was me as a new archer, I’d choose a shop based on the reviews and the brands they carry. Also be sure they have a range on site so you can try shooting the bows you’re interested in. Just be aware that if you need service on your bow in the future, you may need to make the trip to them again or find another authorized dealer so I would buy as close to home as possible. I’ve added a few suggestions below to get you started…

This shop is probably your best option close to home. It has great reviews and stocks many brands previously mentioned including diamond, bowtech and matthews/mission:


There’s also an “Archery World” with great reviews near Olympia based on google maps. They are a national big box archery store and my experiences with them in the past have been positive. There are two archery world locations in Portland as well.

www.archeryworld.net

Archery is a fun hobby and an awesome way to make hunting both more challenging and more rewarding…good luck!

Edit - It seems I was mistaken, Archery World in that region seems to be just 4 stores in Washington and Oregon. I had a brain fart when I mentioned they were a national big box store and had mixed them up with a similar store name that existed all across the Midwest where I grew up. The fact they are a small store makes me want to recommend them even more.
Click to expand...
Awesome I’m driving through Olympia today so I’ll see if it works out to stop by
 
I bought a diamond infinite edge for my first bow when I was in the same position you are. Killed an elk with it and decided I wanted to continue archery elk.

The next year I wanted a better bow and went and bought a used flagship bow for almost the same price as the infinite edge. In hindsight I wish I would have just bought the used bow first and saved myself some money and would be my recommendation. The difference is fairly substantial once you've shot the edge and then moved to a better bow. The edge is nice because of the adjust-ability of it though. Just my two cents
 
My first year bow hunting was 1986…..all trial and error and lessons learned on a steep learning curve….go to a bow shop first, get measured for proper draw length, then start shooting some of the major brands and find a bow that fits you and you like….then be realistic about poundage and what you can shoot with proper form and hold…this means slow and relaxed……60 pds is fine….then build a proper shot routine that you can replicate 110% of the time…shoot quality versus quantity….then begin to have fun🤙 good luck
 
How close are you to the Bow Rack? Could even go down to Eugene and directly deal with the Bowtech factory shop.
 
Pacific crest in salem is a great no frills shop. The owner Ray is awesome and can help out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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