Which bow?

Bmcox86

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Sep 26, 2013
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Dubuque, IA
So I'm pretty sure people ask this question all the time but I'm going to ask anyways.
There's a 21 out of 25 chance I move back to the east coast this summer(probally, ky, tn, fl or la) and I will have the chance to start bow hunting again. I havnt bow hunted since 2004. Which bows should I look at? Arrows? Etc.. I will be mainly hunting whitetail from a stand and probally turkeys and pigs at some point.

My budget for everything will be 1k since that's what I lined up to sell my 300wm for it I move.

What would you get if you had that budget, bow, sight, rest, arrows, broad heads, stabilizer etc.

Thanks
 

charvey9

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Hamilton, MT
On that budget I'd go used. Should be able to get a top of the line 2013 of 2014 bow for that price. Check classifieds on here and archerytalk.com, and your local shops.

One question though...why do you have to wait to move back east to start bow hunting? Bow hunting out west is way more fun!
 

husky390

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On that budget I'd go used. Should be able to get a top of the line 2013 of 2014 bow for that price. Check classifieds on here and archerytalk.com, and your local shops.

One question though...why do you have to wait to move back east to start bow hunting? Bow hunting out west is way more fun!

This^^^^^

Start hanging around bow shops and try to shoot everything you can, new and used. One day when I was at a shop a guy came in with an E35, an Answer and a Mathews EZ7 and was kind enough to let me shoot all of them. I also tried some other brands, Hoyt Carbon Spyder and PSE Full Throttle but with my budget I was going to have to buy used. Plus new bow values tank, big time. They do not hold a value like guns. I ended up getting a loaded 2013 Elite Answer off of Archerytalk for a smoking deal around this time last year. Good luck to you.
 
Joined
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The Bluegrass State
Elite Answer. Especially because as a new/returning shooter it is such a smooth, forgiving bow. For arrows, any midrange arrow, is fine, heavier spine the better.
 

Titaniumman

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May 29, 2012
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N.W.Montana
Look at bows with a longer brace height, 7 inches or better. This usually translates into a more forgiving bow. This also means you probably won't be looking at speed bows. I shoot a Bowtech Experience. It has a 7 in brace height and IBO's at 335 fps. I paid $850 for the bow locally. It is the smoothest shooting bow I have owned to date and this is my 5th compound (owned PSE, Xi, Matthews and another Bowtech). I hunt whitetails and elk here.
 

JJHACK

Lil-Rokslider
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Jan 31, 2014
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I live in Wa. State and in Elisrass South Africa
So many great answers and well thought out suggestions

The Brace height is a great one that is often overlooked. For this reason do not use a Whisker Biscuit. They create a Zero Brace height condition!

I have bought several bows from Archery talk classifieds which have tons of great new or very lightly used bows all the time cheaper then anyplace else.

Lastly Regardless of Brand, choose something with a reasonable draw weight. You do not need 70lbs to hunt in North America. What you do need is the ability to draw while sitting in a blind and not raising it above your head. Or to draw slow and straight back while in a tree stand. Get a bow you can shoot 50 plus times for practice comfortably.

I have way to many clients that have much more bow power then they can handle properly. If you can shoot 60lbs with a 400 plus grain arrow you will be set for everything in America and all the plains game of Africa as well.

Some products that have worked really good for me and that I would suggest, QAD rest, Tightspot quiver, Axcel Accutouch( fantastic BTW), and Montana Black gold, sights. Gold tip Arrows, Scott Releases, Slick trick Viper trick broad heads and Rage Hypodermics, Luminocks, I've shot a lot of bows. My clients have brought over bow and piece of gear imaginable, I have shot so many of them. I shot a Mathews Switchback XT for a long long time. I now have a new Elite Energy 32. The feel of the draw curve and ability to draw back with minimal movement is likely at the top of a Bow hunters priority list or should be!

Make certain that a pro helps get this lined up. Even a poorly tuned bow will shoot good groups at 15-20 yards. However arrow wobble in flight will destroy proper penetration and accuracy at 30-40 plus or more.
 

gelton

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As has been already said you have to find the bow that works for you, but I was in the same boat as you just recently and here is what I went with (when I say recently I mean just last week):

1. 2015 Elite Synergy (with your budget you could "compromise" with an Energy 35 or some other brand like Mathews, Hoyt or the like)
2. Tight Spot Quiver.
3. QAD ultra rest (went with the elite version)
4. Bee Stinger Stabalizer.
5. Montana Black Gold Ascent with 4 Inch dovetail.

This is one of the many things that sold me on the elite, as inconsequential as it may be its pretty impressive:

[video=youtube_share;lbijDqHStbI]http://youtu.be/lbijDqHStbI[/video]
 
OP
Bmcox86

Bmcox86

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Dubuque, IA
Thanks for all the advice so far I will take a look at those.

As for not bow hunting out west, I have a heard time finding deer out here, let alone getting close enough with a bow. If I go east I will be able to hunt atleast 2 states with both bow and muzzleloader and fill the freezer with multiple deer.
 

JJHACK

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 31, 2014
Messages
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Location
I live in Wa. State and in Elisrass South Africa
I lived in North Bend for 25 years. It was an Archery paradise in my opinion. I killed elk, deer, 25 bow killed bears, and several mountain lions. Although only 2 lions with a bow, the rest with a gun.

Eastern Oregon and Eastern Wa. are absolute bow hunting paradise!
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image49.jpg


My wife holding my bow killed spring turkey this year
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I Know what you mean though, there are better longer archery seasons in the eastern USA. The bow seasons in Wa. and Or are kind of a joke. I've killed almost all my deer during the designated firearm season using my bow.

I read an article sometime in the last year or so that counted up all the deer seasons by unit for gun hunters and all the seasons for Archery only and they were nearly identical in days. How can that be a fair deal?

I remember hunting in Ill while I was in college. You could hunt with a bow during any legal season, you had like 4 times or more legal hunting days that a gun hunter had.
 

kcm2

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Feb 26, 2012
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We are likely recommending what we use, which is worthless for you. Go shoot a few, and one will pick you. I took a friend to the LBS, and he shot the top of the line Mathews, Elite, Bowtech and Hoyt. What shot best for him? The Bowtech Assassin package bow, intro special. And it wasn't even close. He bought that, and has been happy ever since. You may find the same thing.
 
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