Good Budget For A First Bow

[wolf2202]

I have a very limited knowledge of archery hunting, but I am looking at getting my first bow. I don't need anything super nice, just something that will do the job and won't break after a couple years. What is a good budget to find a bow(and all the accessories) with these needs? Additionally, what should I do to find stuff in this price range? If you have any recommendations those would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[KChunter71]

What do you want to spend?

 

[Mtn_Nomad]

Ill start with a recommendation... Bear makes several great bows on a budget. The Legit and Species both are fantastic bows that come in ready to hunt packages minus the arrows for well under 500 bucks.

I did a little testing myself this year with the Species and honestly fell in love with the money saved and the way the bow shoots and feels. It also went 3/3 on whitetail this year

 

[Planopurist]

I sold a completely setup 2017 Elite Option 6 for $550. Everything (including 9 arrows with field points) except a release aid and Broadheads. I’d say $600-$700. Elite’s new entry price point bow is the Terrain. It’s $700 in a ready to shoot package. You’d still need arrows, points, broadheads, and a release.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ramsdude47]

Join Archerytalk, great classifieds over there. There are a ton of Facebook groups as well.

You should be able to find a pretty sweet used setup for $500-$600 loaded. That should get you a 4-8 year old bow that originally retailed for $800-$1000, with above average accessories.

That’s about the same $ that you would spend for an acceptable (but marginal) RTS new package. Now while the budget new bow won’t break in a few years, you will want to upgrade after you shoot some higher $ bows. Accessories are all just personal preference. I don’t really see any point to spending more than a basic wrist release, whisker biscuit, and basic 3 pin site but others spend as much as their bow cost.

 

[sndmn11]

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/pse-stinger-3g-rts-package.247150/ <$500
https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/bowtech-realm-x.245177/#post-2388204 <$1k

 

[ramsdude47]

You will find considerably better deals on AT, FB, and EBay. You do have to be cautious but it’s fairly easy to spot a bad seller.

 

[JeffRaines]

My recommendation is what it always is - as a beginner, meaning you have zero experience, I would do the following:

Pick a bow online. Any bow from the "big name" manufacturers will do. Bear, PSE, Diamond are decent choices(more on the Bowtech/Hoyt/Mathews in a bit). Honestly, pick whichever one you think looks cool or draws you to it.

I know what you're thinking now:

"...but wait a minute, every website says that I should go to a bow shop, shoot every bow, and buy the one that feels best!"

This had to have been written by an archery shop proprietor - I've seen it repeated a thousand times on the internet and otherwise... for a person with experience, sure, I can see where it makes sorta makes sense... but for a complete newbie... no.

You have zero frame of reference for what "feels good" vs what doesn't. Shooting a bow as a beginner is uncomfortable, not unlike starting to play a music instrument or picking up another new hobby. I'm sure in most of these scenarios, the brand new guy shooting all the bows falls prey to the power of suggestion by the so-called "professional":

"That's the best bow they make right now - I know its $1200 but its the last bow you'll ever need!"

Contrary to what you hear online and otherwise, I'd guess more than 60% of the dedicated archery shops out there are run by idiots and absolute crooks. I've had numerous ones suggested to me in my area that turned out to be just that - and these came highly praised by what I can only assume are idiots and people that love to burn money. One of my last forays into getting strings changed at a shop(and my last because it drove me to buy a press) resulted in me bringing home a bow that was "tuned" without me present(strike one), the peep tied in without me present(strike two), and the new string had been nicked where they tied the peep sight in(strike three). When I brought this to their attention - how the nicked string had been caked with wax to prevent it from being noticed, I was told there's no way that was the case because they don't use razor blades near the string(I watched them setting up another bow using razor blades to cut serving while I was picking mine up) and that they don't even have string wax on the benches(and there's a package of wax by every press)... but I digress...

On the flip side, the guys who work on bows at places like Bass Pro or Cabelas are absolute goons. They won't take you to the cleaners like the archery shops will, but they'll likely make your bow worse(or just destroy it altogether - I watched a tech in BPS dry fire a bow). With this said, archery shops are a necessary evil. However, you picking a bow before you go in puts the power in your hands, and really says a lot about the shop if they're pushing you to try out bows you didn't ask for - even worse if they're trying to hand you a flagship "for comparison"

With that out of the way, you should now have a nice bow picked out. You should know that any of the bows made by the bigger manufactures over the last 5 years, even if they're considered a "beginner" bow, are more than adequate to kill anything(within reason considering poundage). They will be more accurate than you're capable of shooting... and no, animals aren't going to look at the "PSE Stinger" on your bow and walk the shot off. These bows, if you're happy with it, can realistically last you your entire hunting "career".

You're on Rokslide though, and I'd imagine you probably like to tinker and research. In a year or so when you have a season under your belt(and thousands of shots) you'll have developed preferences... its at this point you can go to the shop and "shoot every bow and pick the one that speaks to you"... or you can keep shooting what you got.

If you really want to splurge, do so on accessories. Buy a nice rest, a nice sight, a nice quiver. These are things you can take with you when you upgrade.

On the bigger name bows - they all make a mid-line bow of some sort... some under different brands(Mission comes to mind). IMO these bows are overpriced because of the names attached to them. This isn't saying they're bad/inaccurate/not durable/whatever, just that you're paying for the name.

I wish I was told this stuff when I was first starting out.

 

[Dylan Sluis]

I shoot the hoyt torrex and you can get that bow in a ready to hunt package for about $700. I didn't get the package just because I wanted to customize it and get the accessories I wanted(I ended up spending $1600 for everything compared to the $700 package) but the package that comes with it is very nice. It is a little better performing bow then some of your comparable ready to hunt bows on the market which I like. Though bear also makes some really nice bows that come ready to hunt minus arrows. If you are just getting into it I would recommend a good single cam bow( like the bear species mentioned above). The single cam has a smoother draw cycle and will be easier on the shoulders when you are starting. And when you are just starting you aren't looking for and extremely fast bow, you are going to want something more forgiving and easy to shoot.

 

[svivian]

My First Bow was a Mathews Switchback XT that I bought used fully setup for $450. Then I upgraded in 2016 to a Hoyt Nitrum Turbo for $650 and havent changed yet. For this reason I would look for a used one that is setup which has been said already. The accessories on bow packages are sub par compared to what you can find on the used market.

Some things to know when looking.
1. know your draw length or make sure you are buying a bow that is fully adjustable without having to buy different modules.
2. research, research research. some bows are finicky some are not.
3. if you buy a used bow/ or a new one online instead of one off the rack, you will most likely be paying for work to be done at the shop every time you go.
4. you get no warranty with a used bow.
5. A used bow may need new strings right away which will run $100 plus not including shop fees.

 

[RC_]

My recommendation, as with everything whether archery, golf, shooting, etc. is that the money spent on learning right from the start is worth way more than having better equipment and not knowing how to use it. So with that said, I would allocate some money towards taking some lessons from a GOOD coach, not just some tech at a bow shop, but someone who really knows what they're talking about. If possible, I know not everyone has access to that and if that's the case then use Youtube and watch Dudley, George Ryals, and Levi.

With regards to equipment and tying into the comment above about learning proper execution, I would get a good release (as someone who's struggled with target panic, I'd recommend a tension or hinge release but up to you, if you go wrist strap still get a good one). I would spend money on a good sight that you can grow with over time if you switch bows. IMO the rest is where you could save money and go with a whisker biscuit. It's a can of worms, but the biscuit can be shot very accurately and is dummy proof, you can upgrade to a dropaway down the line.

You could go without a stabilizer or get one to help with vibration. Once you understand how bars and weight help you hold better you can upgrade. I wouldn't buy a quiver to start, since you won't know if you plan on hunting with it on your bow, you could defer the purchase bc you could get a cheaper one to stick on your pack if you go that route. Buy quality arrows, but starting out you don't really need to splurge on expensive .001 shafts.

As for the bow, I'd look for a solid used bow in the 4-5 year old range from a better known manufacturer. The caveat to this is that there are some smaller companies that make great bows like Athens, Xpedition, Darton, etc. These often depreciate a lot faster since the secondary market is small so you could get a great deal on a newer bow but there will likely be a smaller dealer network and support if you run into trouble so you'd have to make that tradeoff.

I would look to buy pretty much everything used as you can save money and get the same performance. I know I didn't give a hard dollar value for a budget but this is how I would strategize purchases.

 

[doc holiday13]

I would look to buy pretty much everything used as you can save money and get the same performance. I know I didn't give a hard dollar value for a budget but this is how I would strategize purchases.

x2

also a 3-10 year old mathews flagship bow will last you a long time and shoot really well

 

[BigFootWa]

you can buy a Diamond infinite Edge Pro complete package for $400 on eBay. The bow is carbon and very light and you can't go wrong with it. You should also look at PSE and Bear, they make great entry-level bows.

 

[Bump79]

I would recommend getting a leftover Prime Black from either Mountain Archery or Solo Hnter. A 2 year old flagship for 1/2 price BUT with FREE strings every 2 years for life.

 

[Outdoorsman43]

Buying used bows is the best way to get a bow that performs great on a budget. With around $1,000 you can find high end fully set up bows from a few years ago that will perform better than a brand new bow that will cost the same after you get it set up.