New to bow hunting help.

[Fire_Medic890]

I haven’t seriously bow hunted for 16+ years. I retired last July so now I finally have time to get back into it. Been a few times with a crossbow but just not my thing.
So much has changed since the last time I shot a bow so needing help from you experts.

I would rather buy once & cry once so my budget is open.

What bow should I look into? Mathew’s, Hoyt, Prime so many out there.

What sights? I like the idea of the slider, back when I hunted I used a Copper John 5 pin.
Now they have so much out, don’t know where to begin.

Any help & insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Acorn]

Do you have a reputable bow shop nearby? If so, go there and shoot everything they offer. Get whatever feels best that you can shoot repeatedly and consistently.

Regarding the sight—What is your intended use for the bow? Hunting? What type of animals? What type of terrain? How thick is the timber?

 

[JMundy84]

+1 for shooting as many as you can

 

[Unknown]

Agree with above, shoot as many as you can get your hands on. Even if you need to go to several shops. Have an idea of what kind of poundage you are very comfortable pulling and ask the shop to turn the poundage to close to that, otherwise you may not get a true feel for the bow if your straining to draw.
There are a lot of bows out there that are a dream to shoot compared to 18 years ago when you last used a bow.
Good luck!

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Find a reputable shop and have them determine what draw weight and draw length is appropriate for you. Don’t let them just measure your wingspan and call
it good; you need to actually draw with someone knowledgeable watching. Then shoot whatever bows they have on hand adjusted to your DW/DL to see what feels good. The differences between various makes/models are pretty minor/superficial; anything made within the last ≈10 years will be pretty similar performance-wise. Stick with a brand your preferred shop carries and is familiar with working on.

 

[dtrkyman]

If you plan on keeping the same bow a while Mathews is the only company who will keep producing parts and covering warranty, others will offer a discount on a new bow.

Otherwise buy what you like when you shoot a few, I believe Podium archery has a new shop in Nashville?

 

[hiker270]

I've shot Mathew's, Hoyt, PSE and some others over the years, recently have found an affection for Elite. As mentioned above find a reputable shop close by and try some different bows out. I personally prefer a bit longer ATA 32-34 inches and a brace height close to 7 inches for a more forgiving bow.

 

[Skyjacked97ZJ]

I’d second the comment of go shoot everything you can. Bow technology has came a long way over the years. All of the top manufacturers make a good product, that’s going to be personal preference.

I bow hunt for everything that doesn’t fly basically and I like the versatility of a sliding one pin sight. That handles pretty much everything, but the sliders that can swap a cartridge from a single to a multi pin sight also have me intrigued.

In the last 15 years or so I’ve also continually upped my stabilizer game. I used to be a advocate for a shorter limb saver type stabilizer but now I hunt with a 12” stabilizer the arrow is gonna stick out farther than the stabilizer does anyway so why not.

 

[Fire_Medic890]

Great information! I appreciate all the information.
Will mainly be hunting deer here in TN & my farm in AL. Hunting out of a tree stand of some sort.
However, will be going to Kansas and Iowa within the next year or 2 hopefully.

I measured my wingspan last night and it was 31”. Does that sound right? I’m 6’4 if that matters.

Plan to go first of next week to a bow shop near me and see if they will measure me correctly & let me shoot a handful of different bows.

Apparently they have digital bow sights now… Hit a button and it pops up a pin to shoot etc. Sounds like something from the Matrix!
Has anyone tried such a sight? Scared it would be heavy though but that’s completely a guess.

Back when I last bow hunted it was ThunderHead broadheads then Muzzy 3 blade. I’m assuming a mechanical would fly better & faster.
What is everyone using these days?

These “G5” mega meats look pretty deadly with good reviews.

Again, sorry for all the questions but I’d rather buy once and be happy. People at stores will tell you anything for you to drop cash there.

 

[Unknown]

Personally, I can’t justify dropping the coin on an electronic sight. There are so many solid choices when it comes to bow accessories you can get lost in it all. I’ll tell you what my current preferences are, keeping in mind I hunt eastern hardwoods from a treestand. I’ve been happy with Montana Black gold sights. Right now I have the 5 pin gold rush on my hunting bow. I currently shoot a Bowtech SS 34 set at 56 pounds. With a QAD integrated drop away rest. My arrows of choice are Easton FMJ tipped with 125 grain Magnus black hornets. My total arrow weight is about 515 grains. Pretty heavy and a tad slow for 56 pounds but they hit like a hammer and get the job done. Granted 90% of my shots are 20 yards or less.
I’ve owned most brands of bows and have had all kinds of set ups. The sky is the limited.

You don’t need to spend a ton of money to get in the game. Knowing your equipment, plenty of practice,and the ability to consistently hit what you aim at is the key

 

[dreamingWest]

I'm pretty sure Podium Archery opened a new store in Nashville. I'd go check it out and shoot all the top brands. I actually like MFJJ's Podium Archery bow reviews on YouTube. I think they are good information.

I'm guessing you'll have the performance to put G5 Mega Meats through deer without any issues. My preferred fixed blade is QAD Exodus. My preferred mechanical for deer is Rage Trypan. I'll be testing G5 Dead Meats this season. I prefer 5mm Easton arrows with HITs and collars. Until this year, that's always meant Easton Axis. I'm testing Easton 5.0s for whitetail season.

I like 3-pin sliders for a bow sight. Simple sight picture and it lets me practice much further than my hunting ranges. I use a Black Gold as they have my favorite pins. Spot Hogg and Ultraview are the other brands I'd consider. The Garmin Xero is well reviewed. I believe it's legal in most states but definitely check the regs if you go that route.

I prefer a limb driven drop away rest. They are the KISS design for drop-aways. I like Hamskea and Vapor Trail equally and use both on different bows.

The new Tightspot Airlock quiver is great. I'd put this quiver on any bow not named Mathews. If you buy a Mathews, their branded quivers may be worth consideration.

Honestly for archery accessories, if the boys from S&S Archery sell it, it's a solid choice. The best way to learn what you like is to start shooting and hunting.

 

[Taudisio]

Congrats on retirement! A bow is like a pair of boots. What fits me may not fit you, and where/how I intend to use them may be different than what you will be doing. So take anyone’s internet bow recommendation with some salt.

Before you go to a shop, watch some of podium archery videos where guys shoot bows back to back and decide on a bow. A good shop will take their time with you and help you do the same (mine did). The videos will give you an idea of what you should be looking to do for yourself.

Your best plan of action is go to a local shop and see what bows will fit you (because you’re tall and I expect your draw length will be more than most bows can accommodate at 31”+).
Then shoot all of them. Some shops may not have every brand, so you may have to go to multiple shops to get a feel for all of the brands. If podium archery has a local shop, I would start there for sure and I would avoid a “big box store”.

A sliding sight is awesome in general and has extended my range from the ol fixed pins. I would look at the laws in places you want to hunt (now and in the future) to see if you want to get an electronic one.
Broadhead laws can also vary, but in general, most are legal in most places. You will see positive and negative reviews for every broadhead ever. Pick whichever is legal and you want to use and kill stuff.

 

[2Stamp]

Great information! I appreciate all the information.
Will mainly be hunting deer here in TN & my farm in AL. Hunting out of a tree stand of some sort.
However, will be going to Kansas and Iowa within the next year or 2 hopefully.

I measured my wingspan last night and it was 31”. Does that sound right? I’m 6’4 if that matters.

Plan to go first of next week to a bow shop near me and see if they will measure me correctly & let me shoot a handful of different bows.

Be aware, in many shops right now it's very busy! Don't be surprised if they can't get to you "right now". It's always possible you may have to come back or set up an appointment. I'd call them if it were me, to see how busy and if they can get to you that day.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I measured my wingspan last night and it was 31”. Does that sound right? I’m 6’4 if that matters.

31” DL is believable for someone of your height, but have a tech at the shop evaluate your form while actually drawing a bow.

Apparently they have digital bow sights now… Hit a button and it pops up a pin to shoot etc. Sounds like something from the Matrix!
Has anyone tried such a sight? Scared it would be heavy though but that’s completely a guess.

I haven’t tried any electronic sights, but I’m familiar with the concept. They’re not legal where I elk hunt (Colorado), so that’s reason enough for me to pass…not sure I would want one even if they were allowed.

Back when I last bow hunted it was ThunderHead broadheads then Muzzy 3 blade. I’m assuming a mechanical would fly better & faster.
What is everyone using these days?

These “G5” mega meats look pretty deadly with good reviews.

There’s nothing wrong with a 3-blade fixed head (although Thunderhead and Muzzy wouldn’t be at the top of my list). There’s also nothing wrong with mechanical heads if your bow generates enough energy to get reliable deployment and penetration. At your DL and a typical draw weight (60-70 lbs), you’ll have energy to spare. Mechanical heads may fly a bit “better” (i.e., less affected by flaws in bow tuning and shot execution), but they won’t be appreciably faster than fixed heads.

Bow, arrow, broadhead, sight, rest, release, quiver, stabilizer, etc. choices are largely a matter of personal preference. There are dozens of good options for every component; don’t overthink it. Practice (and some good in-person instruction if that’s available to you) is far more important than component choices.

 

[Billy Goat]

The last I played with electronic sights, they had a bit of a delay.

I also like to click the range several times to make sure its accurate, I worry about branches etc giving a false reading.


There's a few scenarios I can see them being beneficial, but I think most times you are better off with a more traditional sight setup. Until you are out past 50 yards, the difference of a few yards isn't really that bad unless you are into the heavy arrow weights, with your wing span you won't be that hindered. Plus it can actually be easier to gap shoot between pins, and you will start to learn some yardage off your pins.


Find a good shop in your area, if they don't seem to want to give you the time, find another. You will benefit more from having a good shop over any bow over another.

 

[Fire_Medic890]

You guys are great! Thank you!