bow for noob

[jackh]

id really like to get into bow hunting but i dont have the first clue what to look for. ive looked at the proshop at gander mtn. the guy measured me out and said i need a 29" draw length and one that shoots 60-70lbs. i guess cost is the main factor, but id like to get a quality bow and not have to change out later on if that makes sense. id like to spend no more than like $500 on everything i need to hunt. ppl have told me that some serious bowhunters get a new bow every year, so i can sometimes find really nice bows slightly used for pretty cheap. the guy at gander mtn was telling me about a bow made buy diamond called the techunter or something like that, he said its a great entry level bow. yall have any recommendations on a good bow for me? biggest thing ill be shooting is deer/hogs. thanks

[Davik]

Every bow manufacturer makes an entry level bow for your price range...and there aren't any that are bad bows...make sure you can pull 60-70 pounds if that's what you want...make sure the bow has a variable draw length so you can have it adjusted simply and cheaply...you may find the guy at Gander was off on your draw length and you don't want to have to buy more cams or modules to compensate for his crooked eye. Make sure the bow has a moderate cam on it...you can get bows that are wicked fast, like the Mathews Monster, but those bows are NOT for beginners...you want something with a milder cam and a smooth draw cycle. Most "package" bows come with sights, peep, quiver, and some even have arrows to match the setup...almost ANY archery shop will have what you're looking for, and so will the big box stores. Try to shoot several bows before you buy one, and buy one you like, not one on sale. Good luck...I'm sure you'll get alot of help on here, but remember, this is your bow...YOU have to like how it holds, fits, and feels.

[DeadlyDiamondShooter]

What the guy at Gander is true!Theres a tech hunter fs on another website AT that is real cheap!I shot a buddies tech hunter and was impressed!That being said The Tech hunter is made by Diamond for Gander Mountain so thats why he was trying to push it!Diamond also makes the Red Head bran of bows for BPS to sell!Like the previos post said shoot as many as you can before you decide!

[jackh]

my buddy shoots a red head. he likes it but i dont think hes had experience with much else. so should i just go to gander mtn and try to shoot different bows to see how they feel and stuff?

he actually didn't mention the techunter until i told him a few of the ones they had were way out of my price range. will something like the techunter be enough for hogs and deer and such? i just dont wanna spend all that money and then find out its not enough bow for me

[stan]

You can actually upgrade your bow choice if you are willing to buy a used bow. Several sites carry them, but as a first time shooter you might be better off going with a local bow shop which can make sure you are outfitted properly. Good luck.

[jackh]

ya thats what im concerned about. if i go to the proshop i will have someone answering all my questions and outfitting me properly whereas if i go with a used setup ill have to figure everything out myself

idk ive been watching bowhunting vids on youtube and im having second thoughts. i love hunting but i dont like killing. a perfect hunt imo is one where the animal is drt, no kicking and screaming if you know what i mean. ive seen many bow hunts where the hunter drops the animal right there but it will kick for a while or it will just run off squirting blood. i would rather shoot something and have it drop from the impact and die after a few seconds rather than run off to bleed out if that makes sense. i saw a vid where a guy had to stick a big boar with 3 different arrows, made me sick.

really makes me want to go shoot something with a bow to make sure i like it enough before dropping $$$ on a setup. only thing is id need my own bow to practice a ton before hunting with it. i think what appeals to me most about bow hunting is having to get real close to the animals to make a good shot, there are no 100-200 yd shots in bowhunting. however, i can still do close range hunting by throwing an eotech on my ar... $500 for a bowhunting setup or $500 for an eotech, choices choices....

[Eagles1181]

I know where you are. I was there about this time last year. I ended up buying a complete set up bow used here on the classifieds. Paid $400 for it, but the down side is that I only just found out that it was to short for me. Changed a mod last night and it shoots MUCH better now. Price I pay for trying to save some money. I don't regret the decision, but to each his own.

There are bows from the 70 and 80 that are loud, and slow compaired to modern bows. However, they do have one thing in common with modern bow, the animal still ends up dead if you do your part. Yes, anything you are looking at is more than enough to handle pigs and deer.

Bows kill by cutting and bleeding. They do not provide the shock wave that a gun does so yes you are more likely to have to trail an animal. That being said you hunt long enough with anything short of a RPG, you are going to have to trail an animal at some point.

If you are looking for the getting close aspect of bows, but what the quicker kills of a gun, you might want to look at hunting with a handgun.

[sharkhunter]

[QUOTE=jackh;1912259]
idk "ive been watching bowhunting vids on youtube and im having second thoughts. i love hunting but i dont like killing. a perfect hunt imo is one where the animal is drt, no kicking and screaming if you know what i mean. ive seen many bow hunts where the hunter drops the animal right there but it will kick for a while or it will just run off squirting blood. i would rather shoot something and have it drop from the impact and die after a few seconds rather than run off to bleed out if that makes sense. i saw a vid where a guy had to stick a big boar with 3 different arrows, made me sick."

This is not a perfect world butterflies get squashed, puppies get ran over, It hurts going to the dentist, Shots at the doctors office still hurt like you know what.... A vast amount of our food comes from the death of another creature. I have a guy at work who thinks everything must die without any pain. Well this is not a perfect world.. They spend millions to find out the best way to kill people via lethal injections and you know what there is still some pain.... It is a natural thing we as hunter try and minimize it when taking an animal but again the world is not as in the fairytails.