newbie with lots of questions

[Mark44]

big time bird hunter - dogs, shotguns, quail, pheasant, ducks, etc.

gonna try this bow thing. many questions:

1. good site for basic deer hunting tactics? my tactic so far is too look at them through binocs and say "wish they'd quit eating the corn the quail need." that probably won't get me a deer.

2. I can tell you the difference in a Winchester pump shotgun from Academy that costs $199 and a Benelli SBE II that costs $1500 and what you'll get if you buy that SBE. what about the world of bows? what's the big difference in a Martin bow at Academy for $299 (with a ton of accessories already on it) and a Matthews Drenalin for $799 (bare)?

3. I hate having to upgrade equipment. that involves explaining to The Wife why I need more money, selling old equipment, etc. after reading the classifieds and ebay I think I can get to a used Drenalin for somewhere in the neighborhood of $600-$750. should I do that or just start small - say $250-$300 and see how this goes?

4. used versus new?

5. my buddies who deer hunt recommend Matthews and the Drenalin. other bows that are considered equal or almost as good?

6. what about that Bowtech TomKat - it comes fully outfitted. I like that because then I'm not having to spend more money to get the access needed.

7. do I need to take lessons to learn to shoot the bow so I'm not learning bad habits, etc? or can I pretty much figure this out, go home and start shooting stray cats, er, targets in my back yard?

okay, that's a lot of questions. any and all help would be really appreciated.

mark

[Joey~AP]

There are a lot of bows on the market that are very affordable and on the same playing field as Mathews.

I wont go into any bashing , or 1 is better than the other. These days, just about any bow will suit your needs. Oncet you learn the ropes.....then you can upgrade to a top shelf bow if you like.

You can get a good Martin, Alpine, Pse or several others for around $400, bare. Then you can get whatever accessories you want.

I would suggest going to the nearest Pro Shop, before buying anything from Academy.

A Pro Shop will get you fitted to a bow, set you up and give you shooting tips.

Good luck!

Archery is a disease......for which there is no cure!

[Dr. D]

What Joey said. Shoot what makes you smile.Welcome to the fire.

[TXJon]

Two years ago I was where you are at right now. I second the pro shop suggestion. You might spend a little more upfront (but probably not too much more) but you will get to test drive a lot of bows, and you'll get competent help setting up your rig.

I figured there was no sense buying top shelf stuff for my first bow, without knowing how much I'd like the sport. I think I ended spending right around $800 for a bow, rest, release, sight, stabilizer, strap, and a half dozen arrows.

Diamond makes a lot of mid range bows, and from my experience they are a quality product.

Doing it on your own will end up taking longer and costing more, IMO. Pay the man at the pro shop, at least the first time.

[Richard M.]

The most important is probably getting a bow that fits you and is tuned correctly, that's were a good pro shop comes in.

[HEARTBUSTER]

First Welcome To The Fire....hope You Enjoy Your Stay

Same Thing Buddy, Get What Makes You Smile And Say "i Like" I My Self Shot A Pse For 19 Yrs And Love It And Spent About 2000 On The Whole Set Up I Got Now But Spent Abou 500 On My First Years Ago

I Would Go For Something Used At First Till You Know Its "your Thing"

I Dont Know About Other Bows To Much But Go Test Drive Some At A Pro Shop....you'll Know When You Shoot The One You Want

Happy Huntin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[trophy8]

whatever is comfortable to you like everyone else said. i bought the drenalin for my first bow and spent well over 1000 getting it rigged out. it was i like it but my dad bought the tomkat and he likes it also. depends on what you like i guess. i would not trade mine for anything though

[Roy D Mercer]

Good advise so far. As far as shotgun preference the Benelli is the best autoloader shotgun there is. IMHO. It is very light and points very well. It is also easy to take apart and clean. You said you were a big time bird hunter so to me you need a benelli. Any shotgun will kill just like any bow will kill, it just boils down to what you want.

[ShockValue]

I suggest the pro shop route also. That's what I did. Post up what area you are from and folks on here can tell you where to go and who to talk to.

Most pro shops will help you get everything set up and even give you the basic Archery 101 if you are buying the equipment from them. I think most will also do follow up lessons for fairly reasonable price if needed.

[Blood Trail]

Welcome to the forum, Mark! I have a bow for sale that is ready to hunt. Great bow starting out or for the experince archer. Check it out:

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30419

If you're around Fort Worth, give me a call. I'll let ya shoot it and give ya pointers along the way even if you don't buy the bow.

[Mark44]

Good advise so far. As far as shotgun preference the Benelli is the best autoloader shotgun there is. IMHO. It is very light and points very well. It is also easy to take apart and clean. You said you were a big time bird hunter so to me you need a benelli. Any shotgun will kill just like any bow will kill, it just boils down to what you want.

I own the SBE II and you are dead right: it's a great great gun. in some ways I wish I'd started hunting with it. would've made learning a little easier.

that's kind of why I'm wondering if I should just sink a bunch of bucks in a high dollar bow. sometimes lesser equipment makes learning harder.

am in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. got Bass Pro (their shop any good?) and Cabelas (I find them to be pricey and proud of their stuff). other suggestions?

[Roy D Mercer]

NO! Do not go to Bass Pro or Cabelas to buy a bow. It would be rare to find a good bow tech at either of those places. Go to a real bow shop. Maybe someone here could recommend one.

[Roy D Mercer]

TBH has a wealth on information reguarding bows and bowhunting. Dont be afraid to ask question. There will be someone here that can answer any question. There is definately a learning curve but all the effort is well worth it. The first time you send a perfectly placed arrow thru a deer you my friend will be hooked with this dreaded bow disease for a lifetime.

[Blood Trail]

email sent

[lbbf]

I got my bow at Cabela's. They were very helpful to me there but they didn't know a whole lot about setting up a bow. I then had difficulty getting a pro shop to work on my bow since I didn't buy from them. I learned how to do the work myself. I have an 05 reflex and love it. I've shot lots of other much more expensive bows and this one still just feels right. Shoot as many as you can and the you'll know when you find the one. Let the price be what it will be.