# compound bow stupid question



## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

you guys seen non judgemental

I'm on the hunt for a beginners level compound bow, but I have no idea what I'm looking for and since firearm laws are so tight here, and expensive ($1200 for a s&w m&p 9mm) I'm looking at a bow for "first level" protection

any advice from your guys will be welcome 

I'm 30 y.o. average fitness, 6'2 and "lanky" 

I would assume that basic info helps

CHEERS


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

Barnett has some very good beginner bows, both for children and adults. Do a search on these, and you should be able to find something in the $200 U.S. range.


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## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

I agree wit the Barnett recommendation. And BTW the only stupid question is the one you never asked because it may very well leave you ignorant to the answer. As for the rest, you'll never find a better bunch to deal with. These guys can put up with me then your a shew in!

A buddy just bought this one and I am impressed! 
Diamond Infinite Edge Compound Bow Package | Bass Pro Shops


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## sarge1967 (Dec 2, 2013)

PSE is a good company as well.
I would advise finding a pro shop in your area. They will be able to help you find a bow that fits you. Draw length, draw weight are both things that need to be fitted. Once they do that they will be able to find you arrows that are splined to your bow and cut to the correct length. 
If you do not get it fitted correctly you will not be able to hit the broad side of a barn.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

pheniox17 said:


> you guys seen non judgemental
> 
> I'm on the hunt for a beginners level compound bow, but I have no idea what I'm looking for and since firearm laws are so tight here, and expensive ($1200 for a s&w m&p 9mm) I'm looking at a bow for "first level" protection
> 
> ...


Work harder to save the money, budget better, and then figure out a way to get the gun.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

Slippy said:


> Work harder to save the money, budget better, and then figure out a way to get the gun.


would love to, but gun control here is at a extreme, and has the possibility of getting worse...


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Ebay...


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## wesley762 (Oct 23, 2012)

Find a local Archery shop, go in and try some. Most shops that want to help will have a small range and let you try a few to get the feel for it. Now with that My person preferred brand is hands down Bear. once you find one you like than it's all about practice, practice and more practice.


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## nurseholly (Oct 7, 2013)

I have a Matthews craze. It is adjustable in draw length and weight. I am 5'10"and it suits me just fine. It was about 700 with all the bells and arrows. For a beginner bow its extremely accurate. I also recommend going to your local archery shop to get an idea of what your looking for and pick one up on eBay. You will save yourself some money. And you can always customise the bow to your specs.


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

Like the others said,first go to a pro shop and get fitted and shoot some. Do Not buy the first time.Write the measurements down. Sleep on it.Then shop around on the internet using the measurement/specs you wrote down. Get a price,compare it to the pro shops. Maybe you have some room to move on the price. 

Buying from a pro shop is good, since being a newbie you will have concerns after a few weeks and pro shops give preference to the guy who bought hardware from them.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

I would look at the Mission Ballistic (Made by Mathews) set up. It comes with arrow rest, sights (4 pin I think), damper, bow quiver and retails in the US for well under 600 fun dollars. Its adjustable from 50-70 pounds of draw weight and has about 330 IBO speed and is very quiet right out of the box and gives up very little to bows costing twice that much in quality or amenities. Its a damned lot of bow for the money!!!


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

thanks for the info guys, i won't feel like such a dumb arse when I walk into a proshop, now I have some base knowledge, get professionally fitted, and with these suggestions, there is a lot of bang for buck in "middle ranged" priced bows, so the cheap ones are rubbish


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## Gunner's Mate (Aug 13, 2013)

sarge1967 said:


> PSE is a good company as well.
> I would advise finding a pro shop in your area. They will be able to help you find a bow that fits you. Draw length, draw weight are both things that need to be fitted. Once they do that they will be able to find you arrows that are splined to your bow and cut to the correct length.
> If you do not get it fitted correctly you will not be able to hit the broad side of a barn.


What he said


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Cheap bows are rubbish - no matter how much they cost but there are some inexpensive bows that are of good quality. With a compound bow you get to choose your materials and the look. It is, as has been said a few times, to go to a pro shop to be fitted and talk about the construction, let-off, and all the personal things that are fitted to you for the ultimate experience. The accessories can make a difference too. Things like a good release and the type of sight make the bow a lot easier to use.


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## 2000ShadowACE (Jan 14, 2014)

Go to a shop and get measured for draw length. Any competent shop attendant should be able to measure you and be able to recommend a draw weight. Don't fall for all the hype that heavier is better or faster is better. Native americans were killing 1,500 lb buffalo with short bows that averaged about 20 lbs of draw weight and averaged about 135 feet per second. Look for a used bow in your size range. There is usually nothing wrong with a used bow. In most cases the previous owner just upgraded to the latest model with all the new bells and whistles. Also a used bow may come fully dressed with a rest, sights and even a quiver. In some cases that could lead to $100-$200 in savings. Another advatage of going to a shop is that they usually have an indoor range for you to try a few shots to see if you can actually shhot the bow. They may even offer lessons at a nominal fee. Once you make your decision, do not skimp on arrows. Walmart sells carbon shafts for $3.50 each. While these may be good for a beginner who might lose more arrows than they hit the target with, if you are planning on putting meet on the table go with a quality name brand arrow with a good reputation. Practice with these as much as you can because bow hunting is all about muscle memory. If you can't commit to weekly practice, bow hunting may not be for you.


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## XMTG (Jan 28, 2014)

After you get fitted properly from a pro shop hunt online. Every year about this time guys are selling last years latest and greatest bow all decked out for a loss just so they can buy this years latest and greatest. Top end set ups will run you $1200 plus but you can get the same set up used for $400 to $600. You can find some great mid range bows set up for around $300.


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## Conundrum99 (Feb 16, 2014)

Never could get the hang of a bow, takes a lot of practice. Once they started allowing crossbows to hunt in my area I bought a descent compound crossbow for about 300. Very accurate, fairly easy to learn with some practice. I have mounted a red dot on it for fast target accusation. In the end I am going to purchase a compound crossbow has they are much easier to maintain. 

Thought another option might help.


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## Silverback (Jan 20, 2014)

Do yourself a real favor here, find a range that lets you try the bows they carry. Shoot a Bear, Shoot a PSE then after 30 minutes on both move to a Hoyt or Matthews. You will find yourself saving for a good bow. You said you would save for a gun if the gun control laws were not so restrictive a good Hoyt will run about 1000-1200 but it will never let you down and shoots fast and accurate.


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

I bought an old Hoyt mystic rebel off ebay for $50, it has a sight and an arrow rest. I see a lot of these older bows going for cheap and most any name brand bow that is still serviceable will be good enough to hunt with or at least learn with.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

The problem I see with buying a used bow out of a pawn shop or e-bay is the fact that you have no idea how it was stored and cared for. The older bows while they can still be serviceable without question is that after about 15 years getting replacement parts can prove challenging.


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

LunaticFringeInc said:


> The problem I see with buying a used bow out of a pawn shop or e-bay is the fact that you have no idea how it was stored and cared for. The older bows while they can still be serviceable without question is that after about 15 years getting replacement parts can prove challenging.


Good point, I will look for a couple more. I could buy ten used ones for the price of one new and have plenty of spare parts to keep at least a couple running well.


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## randy grider (Nov 2, 2012)

may consider a crossbow. i got one for under $100 from sportsmanguide. its 150 # draw weight, with three bolts. you could easily build ur own bolts from 3/8 dowell rods, and the learning curve for it is alot quicker


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

pheniox17 said:


> you guys seen non judgemental
> 
> I'm on the hunt for a beginners level compound bow, but I have no idea what I'm looking for and since firearm laws are so tight here, and expensive ($1200 for a s&w m&p 9mm) *I'm looking at a bow for "first level" protection*any advice from your guys will be welcome
> 
> ...


IF, . . . all you want is something for protection, . . . I would be very much inclined to think in terms of a fiberglass stick bow, . . . maybe 30 to 35 # draw weight.

It is more than adequate to put the hurt on someone intending to hurt you, . . . it is much faster to deploy than any compound bow, . . . takes much less time to "master" and for the price of them, . . . you can buy it, string it up, . . . stand it in the corner, . . . and leave it.

In a couple or three years when standing has diminished the pull weight substantially, . . . you can afford to buy another easily on what you saved when you bought it the first time instead of the compound.

When you go to the bow shop, . . . make sure you try the stick bow, . . . you will probably be very much impressed.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

A fiberglass bow will not lose its pull weight by being left in a fully stung condition - either will a steel bow. Aluminum and wood, yes but not the other two.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I hunt with a Parker Tornado and have never had a problem with it. I don't know if I would be looking at compound or crossbows as a defensive weapon. Too unwieldy and slow to reload. I guess I'd go back to classic blunt force trauma and edged weapons if I couldn't have guns.


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## pakrat (Nov 18, 2012)

csi-tech said:


> I hunt with a Parker Tornado and have never had a problem with it. I don't know if I would be looking at compound or crossbows as a defensive weapon. Too unwieldy and slow to reload. I guess I'd go back to classic blunt force trauma and edged weapons if I couldn't have guns.


I agree. I own a recurve, compound and crossbow for hunting. If it came to defense, the crossbow would definitely be out as a choice. If I considered the compound bow for defense, I'd learn to shoot it instinctively&#8230; the sights are too vulnerable to impact. My recurve is 62" long. A shorter recurve like some of the Bear hunting bows might be passable as a defensive weapon. Still, when you consider the bulk and the radius of movement necessary for handling the arrows, it's less than ideal.

The American Indians were some of the best guerilla fighters and archers on the planet, but even they couldn't out shoot the Winchester Repeater. Against semi or full auto weapons, a bow doesn't bring much to the table.


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## catfisherman (Jun 9, 2014)

I own 4 bows and if you was closer I would make you a hell of a deal on one , being you are an adult any adult bow will work for you , just make sure you get your draw length correct which I would guess you at around a 30 inch draw , make sure you shoot the correct arrows for your bows draw weight and your draw length . Practice a lot until you find your best range of shot , once you get a bow and start shooting the shit out of it you will quickly graduate to a top of the line bow .

Best advice would be buy a cheap bow off ebay or craigslist or some local archery shop , you may deside bow hunting is not for you , myself it is my favorite way of hunting due to the challenge . I shot a Bear One for years that thing has killed more deer then blue tongue . I just bought a new Hoyt this year and will use it many years to come I am sure . I own a Browning , PSE , Bear and Hoyt and they are all great bows and can and have taken many of deer .

I have 4 adult boys and a son in law who all shoot Hoyt bows any finally talked me into getting a one and I am glad they did that thing is super quiet , set at 70 pounds and 30 1/2 inch draw it shoots 329 feet per second with a drop away rest .

Good luck in your search and hope you enjoy bow hunting as much as my family does .

Last November we had a F4 tornado here right as rut was coming into full swing , it ruined our archery season and both shotgun seasons , none of us got a deer . We never even seen a deer till Feb. so we all have the itch and its been and will be a long wait till Oct.

Check out this video , its one of my favorite songs and makes me wish I was in the stand every time I hear it ...lol


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## Grayfox (Mar 26, 2015)

I got a 45=60lbs compound bow for 150, although i own several long bows, i will def get a crossbow in some future. I can do 300yard accuracy in a long bow and well the compound is a beast. but i recomend u practice alot.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

Update (I forgot about this one) 

Got a 60lb redzone compound bow... Still practicing but at short range (less than 50 yards) I can make a hit... Still learning things.. Its not a big area here...

Crossbows are classed as firearms here and need a license and it needs to be registered... (On their own class of license too...) Stupid but that's what happens when gun grabbing hippies win


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

Congrats on the compound bow, I switched over from compounds to a conventional bow for the simplicity.


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## a father (Sep 16, 2014)

I went to my "local" archery shop and he had old used bows for sale. I got an old Hoyt/Easton Stag compound in damn good shape for 50 bucks. Look for sales and stuff on crigslist and/or ebay amazon is a little steep for bows


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## cognoscenti (Jul 12, 2015)

*It is possible to see pictures of the stag bow ?*



a father said:


> I went to my "local" archery shop and he had old used bows for sale. I got an old Hoyt/Easton Stag compound in damn good shape for 50 bucks. Look for sales and stuff on crigslist and/or ebay amazon is a little steep for bows


I search for this specific hoyt model that my father had back then (simply being nostalgic about it)
Could you do me the pleasure of taking a couples of pictures of you bow and send me the photos here
or directly to me at : [email protected]

Please , its very important to me
(remember taking closeshot picture of the FRONT of the wheels , to show me the cables grooves)

Currently waiting for your help , please
Many thanks
Dan


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## New guy 101 (Dec 17, 2014)

HOLY SHITE...Talking about resurrecting the dead!!! All my old friends!

Where the hell did Phoenix and Lunatic go? Damn...
The good old days of Inor, even ole Jimmy, Maine Marine, Slippy, OSFG, ...
where is friggin Tonto now-adays???

Damn...Good thread.... memories...oh wait....FFAdmin....oh yes..thats right....
what was I saying????

moving on....


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## New guy 101 (Dec 17, 2014)

cognoscenti said:


> I search for this specific hoyt model that my father had back then (simply being nostalgic about it)
> Could you do me the pleasure of taking a couples of pictures of you bow and send me the photos here
> or directly to me at : [email protected]
> 
> ...


and a first post wonder...oh my....lions and Tigers and bears...oh my....


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Hmmm. Don't forget holly. Yes, we have had some great folks come and go here. Things change, but I sure do kiss some of the old crowd. 
Meangreen, Paul S, holly, Phoenix, 
Some of the old crowd are still active at another site. It not to hard to find. Both sites are good. 
Deebo out.


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## keith9365 (Apr 23, 2014)

Before my shoulder crapped out on me I loved traditional archery. I shot competitions with longbow and recurve. With instinctive shooting there are no sights to get knocked off, no cams or pulleys to time, and if something goes wrong with the string just bend it over your knee and ankle and change it. I had the jigs to build my own arrows as well. It was a lot of fun to hunt with. I'm also hardheaded enough to only hunt with a flintlock rifle though. Give traditional archery a try and you will love it!


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