Compound bow advice

[Lumber_Jack]

Ok, I'm a seasoned hunter but never owned a compound bow. What should I do before buying. Is there places to test shoot bows. Where is the best place to buy? I don't want to sink a fortune but don't want crap either. I can visit any store in the Bristol -Nashville -Clarksville corridor.

Help?

[npgunner]

I'm posting here just to follow the thread ... because I also have been looking at bows a little bit and would value any information others might have.  Good topic!

[ted]

Ck into the pse tactical you can jest buy the upper that will fit your AR-15 or get the whole crossbow that's what I've been looking at lately . http://pse-archery.com/c/crossbow and thay do make a very good compound bow http://pse-archery.com/c/compound-bow Edited August 14, 2013 by ted

[Lumber_Jack]

Ck into the pse tactical you can jest buy the upper that will fit your AR-15 or get the whole crossbow that's what I've been looking at lately . http://pse-archery.com/c/crossbow and thay do make a very good compound bow http://pse-archery.com/c/compound-bow

Those are so awesome it's not even funny. But my wife's gonna have to be out of med school q few years before I can afford that much on a cross bow upper.

[ted]

Craig's list has a good selection I even saw some pse bows for sale cheep last week ck them out see what ya think

[whiskey]

Compound bows, right?

Nothing against crossbows, I just prefer compounds.

I am not sure if CK Outfitters is up and running, but I have bought a couple accessories there and enjoyed the service. They treated customers well while I was there.

The Sportsman in Dickson seems to be a good place.

It's important to find a place you like and spend some time talking with them and other shooters. I had lots of help when I was a new shooter from fellow shooters on the local bow range.

Bass Pro is the last place I would go. Not saying all the folks there are bad, but I have heard some serious BS while shopping their archery section.

Buy a good used bow from a local bow shop and practice a lot. All of them will kill deer. Focus on quite more than fast. Focus on comfortable more than anything. Edited August 14, 2013 by whiskey

[SALK]

Find a good local archery shop, figure ur draw length if you do not know it and go from there. If you are not comfortable with the tool in hand it is worthless. Some newer bows sacrifice comfort and forgivness for speed. Not a goodb trade off in my opinion. I shoot an oldet pse f1 maxxis limited. Practice makesnperdect, even if only at 300 fps. :)

[Slappy]

Trying to find a bow can be an overwhelming task.  Let me break it down for you... Martin, Bowtech, Diamond, Bear, Matthews, PSE, RedHead, G5, Hoyt, LimbSaver, Mission, Parker...the list goes on.  All are very high quality so if someone tells you you should only buy XYZ brand, they dont know what they are talking about.  

 

Back in the day, brands did matter but nowadays, not so much. Also, dont get caught up in IBO speed.  The faster bows get, usually the less comfortable they are to shoot.  IBO speeds also only factor in the lightest acceptable arrow weights (heavier weights are better for hunting/penetration) and the heaviest draw weight with the longest draw length...that criteria may only work for 1% of the population.  Also, the faster the IBO speed, the more expensive the bow.  I would target IBO speeds anywhere from 300-320 or so.  Thats plenty fast and they wont beat you to death either.  

 

So, do yourself a BIG favor and go to a local archery shop.  Not a big box store but an actually archery shop.  The first thing they will do is measure your draw length.  The next thing they should do, is pick out a few bows for you, adjust them and let you shoot them.  Dont be surprised if you get tired quickly.  Bow shooting requires muscles that even the strongest dont typically use!  Pick the bow that is comfortable and you shoot the best.  Also, try and pay some attention to how quiet the bow is.  The reason why is because sound travels faster than an arrow does.  Deer sometimes will "jump the string" meaning the crouch down a few inches in a split second and you often times will shoot over their backs.  The more quiet the bow is, the less likely the deer will be to jump the string.  Don't be too concerned with it either because there are TONS of aftermarket accessories to quiet a bow.   

 

When it comes to budget, the bow is just the first expense.  Then you will need arrows, field tips, broad heads, a case, a release and a target.  Thats assuming the bow you buy is Ready To Hunt (RTH).  

 

It is an AWESOME sport and there is no bigger rush than having an animal within bow range.  Stick with it, practice shooting for your tree stand because its different than shooting from the ground.  Do NOT get discouraged if you miss a deer.  One only needs to watch an afternoon of the Outdoor Channel to figure out that even the best of hunters still miss from time to time.  

 

You may also want to purchase a range finder and that will help your hunting greatly.  Don't be afraid to buy a used bow as well!  There are so many junkies out there that have to have the latest and greatest and will hunt with a bow for 2-3 seasons and then buy the next one.  An archery shop will make sure the bow is in good condition and safe.  That will help you save a lot of money as well!  

 

I hunted the last 10 seasons with an 2001 Martin Cougar Magnum IBO speed of 315.  Back in 01/02, that was one of the most advanced bows made.  Now, I have "upgraded" to a Bear Legion with an IBO speed of 318...so like I said, just because a bow is old/used, doesn't mean its inferior.  

 

Good luck finding a bow!  Keep us updated and post pics when you find one.  

Edited August 14, 2013 by Slappy

[DaveS]

Compound bows, right?

Nothing against crossbows, I just prefer compounds.

I am not sure if CK Outfitters is up and running, but I have bought a couple accessories there and enjoyed the service. They treated customers well while I was there.

The Sportsman in Dickson seems to be a good place.

It's important to find a place you like and spend some time talking with them and other shooters. I had lots of help when I was a new shooter from fellow shooters on the local bow range.

Bass Pro is the last place I would go. Not saying all the folks there are bad, but I have heard some serious BS while shopping their archery section.

Buy a good used bow from a local bow shop and practice a lot. All of them will kill deer. Focus on quite more than fast. Focus on comfortable more than anything.

CK is closed down.

 

Dave

[Dane]

Read about the magical flight of the arrow:
http://sportsmansguide.com/Outdoors/Subject/SubjectRead.aspx?sid=11&aid=170392&type=A




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[whiskey]

CK is closed down.

Dave

I heard they had a fire. So I thought they may not be open. Thanks.

[peejman]

I'm not a bow hunter, though I've been considering it for a while.  I've heard good things about this place here in Maryville...  http://www.bowhuntersproshop.com/

 

The seasoned bow hunters I work with advise that the best value is typically a used bow off Craiglist.  You generally get all the goodies you need at a much reduced price.  I'm told used bows depreciate faster than an 80's Chrysler.

[Spiffy]

Find a good local archery shop, figure ur draw length if you do not know it and go from there. If you are not comfortable with the tool in hand it is worthless. Some newer bows sacrifice comfort and forgivness for speed. Not a goodb trade off in my opinion. I shoot an oldet pse f1 maxxis limited. Practice makesnperdect, even if only at 300 fps. :)

 

 

No matter what you buy or where you buy it you will need to support of a good archery shop. Shafts get bend, strings break or the bug bites you hard and you start shooting more and more a good shop should reward loyalty and answer your questions better than a Google search.

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Some of you guys are good at findin' stuff much quicker than me, soooo.....I got a friend who is gonna give me a compound bow and I wanna set it up for bow fishin'. What's a good "cheap" complete set up for that. One of my favorite fishin' holes has them damn Asian carp (some in the 50lb+ range) in it and they are usually within easy range of a shot from the bank. I'm lookin' to clean a few out.

[whiskey]

Some of you guys are good at findin' stuff much quicker than me, soooo.....I got a friend who is gonna give me a compound bow and I wanna set it up for bow fishin'. What's a good "cheap" complete set up for that. One of my favorite fishin' holes has them damn Asian carp (some in the 50lb+ range) in it and they are usually within easy range of a shot from the bank. I'm lookin' to clean a few out.

Any of the kits should work. I used a Zebco 301 pipe clamped to a steel stabilizer when I was a kid. The new spider wire line should work well.

[Hozzie]

If you ever get around Franklin, there is a good shop called the Archery Den off of Peystonsville Rd near the Williamson County Ag Expo.  I am not an expert bow hunter, but I have a buddy who is huge into it and he gets all of his stuff there.

 

http://www.thearcheryden.net