Buying a bow

[UncleBone]

I am wanting to get into archery and my local shop has a few bows im interested in. One is a used matthews atlas with evrything but a sight and it needs a new string. Price is 600. They have a few other things from bowtech and hoyt on sale from new, with the cheapest being 550 for a bowtech revolt bare bow. I do want to shoot them to see which I like better, but wanted to get some opinions. Would many of you rather get a used bow with most of the accessories already included, or a brand new bare bow for a few hundred bucks more total? Thanks for any input!

 

[ResearchinStuff]

IMO, used bows are for experienced hobbyists, not for beginners. it's real easy to ruin a bow, or to nearly ruin a bow and then pass it off to an unsuspecting buyer. the 2 tries i've made on the used bow market indicate that a big percentage of used bows have been dry fired.

 

[big44a4]

I am wanting to get into archery and my local shop has a few bows im interested in. One is a used matthews atlas with evrything but a sight and it needs a new string. Price is 600. They have a few other things from bowtech and hoyt on sale from new, with the cheapest being 550 for a bowtech revolt bare bow. I do want to shoot them to see which I like better, but wanted to get some opinions. Would many of you rather get a used bow with most of the accessories already included, or a brand new bare bow for a few hundred bucks more total? Thanks for any input!

All in gets you shooting right away then you can upgrade to accessories you learn you like later on. Barebow now you can piece together what you want, but may find you’re still changing things later once you figure out what you like.

It’s what you value more at the moment. If the goal is to get shooting soon as possible for cheapest amount it’s best to find the best deal with accessories included.

 

[UncleBone]

IMO, used bows are for experienced hobbyists, not for beginners. it's real easy to ruin a bow, or to nearly ruin a bow and then pass it off to an unsuspecting buyer. the 2 tries i've made on the used bow market indicate that a big percentage of used bows have been dry fired.

I could understand that. It is at a reputable shop though, and the guy who has it on consignment there is a pretty well known vet that owns the animal hospital here and ai don't think either of them would want to leave a bad taste in anyones mouth.

 

[rickjames80]

I would start by shooting a few and get a feeling for what you like and then go from there.
Everyone has their preferences for bows and accessories. Once you have shot a few it will become more clear what you like. Then decide if a used package will do or if you want to piece it together new. I have had the opposite experience with used bows to the point I may never buy a new bow again.
I would stay away from ebay and pawn shops though.

 

[UncleBone]

All in gets you shooting right away then you can upgrade to accessories you learn you like later on. Barebow now you can piece together what you want, but may find you’re still changing things later once you figure out what you like.

It’s what you value more at the moment. If the goal is to get shooting soon as possible for cheapest amount it’s best to find the best deal with accessories included.

Thats kind of how I was thinking. Plus the atlas seems like it may be a better buy anyways. I know its used, but less than half price with a quiver, rest, and stabilizer from new.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

if he gives you a warranty for a couple days, or lets you shoot it 100 times at the shop first, sure. otherwise, your 1200 dollar new bow might become an $1800 bow. the second used bow i bought lasted zero shots, the axle pulled through the limb on the draw board.

 

[Thinkingman]

I've never owned a new bow.
My current is a 10 yr old Bowtech BTX28 that I got from an employee on Ebay.
Yes, I had to have the limbs replaced after a few years but that isn't because of the seller or Ebay and Bowtech was really good about providing replacements.
I love this bow and it shoots really well for me.
I bought my son a new Diamond beginner bow when he was about 9 or 10.
The bow got upgrades to the sight and rest but it still shot great when he was 20 and 6' 200lbs.
It's lighter than anyone else's 'big boy' bows and slings arrows fast and quiet.
I cannot understand the compulsion to buy alpha bows and pay full price.

 

[UncleBone]

I've never owned a new bow.
My current is a 10 yr old Bowtech BTX28 that I got from an employee on Ebay.
Yes, I had to have the limbs replaced after a few years but that isn't because of the seller or Ebay and Bowtech was really good about providing replacements.
I love this bow and it shoots really well for me.
I bought my son a new Diamond beginner bow when he was about 9 or 10.
The bow got upgrades to the sight and rest but it still shot great when he was 20 and 6' 200lbs.
It's lighter than anyone else's 'big boy' bows and slings arrows fast and quiet.
I cannot understand the compulsion to buy alpha bows and pay full price.

Nice man, I hear plenty of folks with good luck buying used. One reason I may not lean towards the atlas is cams. I would need new cams to adjust the dw and length.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

One reason I may not lean towards the atlas is cams. I would need new cams to adjust the dw and length.

You only need to replace the modules (“mods”) to adjust DW and DL on a Mathews Atlas, not the entire cam. A set of mods costs $60, and any good shop should offer to install whatever set you need at no extra cost when you initially buy the bow.

 

[UncleBone]

You only need to replace the modules (“mods”) to adjust DW and DL on a Mathews Atlas, not the entire cam. A set of mods costs $60, and any good shop should offer to install whatever set you need at no extra cost when you initially buy the bow.

Oh gotcha. I guess I don't know all the terms yet. He did say it would be about 40 to 60 bucks to tune it and get it up to par for me, plus the cost of the new strings. I think a new bow would be a different story than the used though.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

$600 for an Atlas with some accessories sounds like a pretty good deal depending on exactly what accessories are included. A new string/cable set will run you $120-150. New sight could be anywhere from $50 to however much you want to spend. FYI the Atlas is a long ATA (axle-to-axle length) bow designed for shooters with a long draw length. If your DL is under 30”, I would probably look at other makes/models unless you just really like the feel of a long ATA bow.

For a beginner, finding a good shop to work with is very important. Stick with a brand the shop carries and is familiar with working on. If you post your location, someone here may be able to recommend a local shop.

New vs. used is personal preference. I haven’t owned a brand new bow since the Browning Micro Midas my dad started me on at age 13. I’ve bought used bows from shops and from strangers on forums. I may get burned on a used bow someday, but it hasn’t happened yet.

 

[UncleBone]

$600 for an Atlas with some accessories sounds like a pretty good deal depending on exactly what accessories are included. A new string/cable set will run you $120-150. New sight could be anywhere from $50 to however much you want to spend. FYI the Atlas is a long ATA (axle-to-axle length) bow designed for shooters with a long draw length. If your DL is under 30”, I would probably look at other makes/models unless you just really like the feel of a long ATA bow.

For a beginner, finding a good shop to work with is very important. Stick with a brand the shop carries and is familiar with working on. Beyond that, new vs. used is personal preference. I haven’t owned a brand new bow since the Browning Micro Midas my dad started me on at age 13. I’ve bought used bows from shops and from strangers on forums. I may get burned on a used bow someday, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Has one of the matthews quivers, a qad rest (not sure which model) and bee stringer front and rear stabs. I believe I have a 32 inch draw but will need to double check. They do carry new Matthews and hoyts, along with bowtech and pse. I am going to go in tomorrow and see if I can do some shooting and see what feels right. I will check back in and lwt everyone know how things go. Appreciate all the advice!

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Oh gotcha. I guess I don't know all the terms yet.

No worries. With older Mathews bows, the entire cam did have to be replaced to adjust draw length. But their modern lineup uses mods, which are much cheaper and easier to replace than the entire cam.

 

[Axlrod]

Shooting a few bows is the right move. A couple years ago I was replacing a 10 year old bow. I went into the bow shop planning on getting a Hoyt carbon. After shooting a bunch of different makes and models, I left with a Mathews V3. It was very evident after shooting, it was THE bow for me.

So go into it with an open mind, and pick the bow you can shoot the best. They way I looked at the price is divide it by the number of years you will use the bow. If you spend $400 more for a new set up vs. a used one, and plan on keeping it 10 years, that's $40 per year.
On the other hand I understand having a budget. My first compound many years ago, I bought used for $60.

 

[MountainTracker]

1 find a good shop
2 shoot a bunch of bows, new and used. Get an idea of what feels good for you. Ask questions.
3 buy the bow that feels the best and checks off a bunch of boxes.
4 shoot it a lot and enjoy.

Used bows can save a new shooter a ton of money, and if you’re buying from a good shop they should be doing a check over the bow and take care of you if there are issues.

In the future if you get the urge to upgrade now you have a backup.


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[blackveltbowhunter]

If you trust the shop, and have a legit 32 inche DL the atlas sounds like a very fair deal. If they are doing a s/c job for 40 to 60 bucks that's a smoking deal! Mods should be swapped for free or nominal fee. A 32 inch draw will narrow the field of bows anyway and the atlas is an awesome forgiving bow for long draw guys.

 

[kcm2]

Camofire has the Expedition Experience in 20-40 lbs, 19-27" draw for $279 today.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'd shoot as many as you can, and make it part of the deal that it includes whatever correct draw length mods you need.