[oklahoma caveman]

i just really got into bow hunting. killed my first a two weeks ago:D got more thrill outa that than i ever have gunhunting. im definatly hooked on it. never will retire the guns tho. something i love bout guns. but im lookin for a new/ used bow but its hard to deside which brand etc. i welcome any and all opinions

[WAID]

The best advice I could give you is get out and try as many new bows as possible. Compound bows have been making leaps and bounds over the years and even some of the cheaper ones shoot nicer than a lot of the higher end bows a few years ago. Archerytalk.com is probably a good place to look around and they have some reviews too.

[WAID]

double tap

[simpleguy]

I have a BowTech Tomcat......... It was the least expensive middle of the road bow I could buy for a left hander. They are made locally from me.....it's fast, really fast, compact and quiet. I think it was $500-600 as a package. Whisker Biscuit, quiver, sights. Check www.craigslist.org and www.archerytalk.com and you can get some great deals on pre-owned stuff. I would suggest you get to know your local archery shop and have them go over whatever bow you buy and have them set the draw length on your bow and match your arrows to your bow and draw length. It will make a world of difference.

[nmlongbow]

What are you looking for, compound or traditional? What weight, draw length etc. Do you shoot sights, or instinctive, release, fingers, tab or even thumbring?
Every year the wheel bows get a little faster and with more gadgets.

For traditional, there's great production bows by Martin, PSE and Bear.
Lot's of custom curves and longbows by Schaefer, Black Widow, Robertson Stykbow, Great Plains as well as a whole lot more.

Good info for wheelie bows can be found at bowsite.com. Traditional at tradgang.com and stickbow.com

[oklahoma caveman]

i shoot traditional and compound. i have couple good recurves but cedar shafts are outrageously priced. im looking for a left handed compound with a 30" draw, around 60lbs, shoot with a release, and sights. also the big prob is my budget is kinda low as i am a full time college student

[marksman13]

I just recently bought an Alpine Archery Silverado Sabre and love it. I have shot an awful lot of bows and this one stands out because of its smoothness and consitency. It's fast (325 IBO), quiet, and the back wall is very solid. Recoil and vibration are almost non-existent. Also if you are a veteran, Alpine will make you a terriffic deal on this bow. PM me if you are interested in the specifics on the deal for veterans. By the way, my second favorite bow is the Bow tech Guardian, followed by the Matthews Switchback. Good luck with your search.

[Triple S]

The "nice" difference between buying a gun and a bow, is that most bow shops will allow you to try the various bows out before you buy it at their range. I ended up buying a Mathew's LX a few years back becuase I got to shoot it first and compare it with other brands. Now, I did not go into the shop hell bent on buying a Mathew's, but after I shot it, it felt like it was worth the extra money (too me). The point is, try multiple bows in your price range and pick out the one you like the best! Shop around and look at the options.

[skidooman]

I have an older Matthews LX handed down to me, but its a right handed bow, and oddly enough I shoot a gun right handed throw right, write right, but cant shoot a bow right handed to save my life. My uncle has a new lefty Matthews LX and let me shoot it. wow, leaps and bounds ahead of my few year old bow. I do shoot that lefty bow very well too. I think my best to date with it is, 5 arrows touching at 40 yards. Got 3 out of 5 to touch at 50, but can never get all 5.
Matthews is the only thing I'll shoot.

[nmlongbow]

Good cedar arrows are easily had, fletched and point tapered for half the price of good carbons and they can be shot with compounds as well. If you decidedto make them yourself you can spend less $40.00 a dozen including all materials. There's nothing like watching a self made cedar arrow fly through an animal shot out of a trad bow.

I've shot wheelie bows for over 25 years but choose traditional only now.

[gunmn74]

HOYT

Reflex is there generic and they are both great.

I had to post the HOYT just make all the
Mathews guys nuts (some are like the Glock fan-boys):D

[oklahoma caveman]

man u gota give me sum info on cedar shafts that cheap. i dnt mind flething an knocking them. iv made my own outa dowels before but i want good cedar to hunt with. problem is they been quoted to me at 120 a dz for bare shafts.

[nmlongbow]

Check out Rosecity archery. They have premium cedars fletched and crested for about $68.00 shipped. Bareshafts are much cheaper. 3riversarchery also has similar pricing, just slightly more expensive.

[john1911]

Head to the local archery pro-shop. Shoot as many bows as you can.

[oklahoma caveman]

thx xd 460. il definately look into that. i had asked at my local bow shop bcause at the time i was planning on going entirely traditional, as i enjoy shooting my recurve so much but the best price they could get me was way to high. i could get a dz carbon for less

[oklahoma caveman]

i shoot lefty so its not that simple. local bow shop has very few if any lefty bows

[nmlongbow]

3riversarchery has 100 bare Port Orford Cedar shafts right now for $191.00 per 100.

[Kimber1911_06238]

I have a black widow traditional and a bowtech allegiance. The traditional is much harder to hunt with IMO.

absolutely love the bowtech and have taken several deer with it. both bows are a bit pricey, but i shoot them a lot so they are worth it to me

[nmlongbow]

Kimber1911,

I agree with you. Traditional bows are much harder to hunt with but for me they're also that much more rewarding.
There's just some primal instinct that really comes out when hunting with a simple trad bow.

[oklahoma caveman]

i feel same. when i do get a chance to shoot my recurve and i make a good shot its so much more rewarding simply because i am relying less on technology and more on instinct

[T.R.]

Amazingly, the best bows of 1990's are selling on eBay for tiny fraction of what new-at-the-shop bows sell for these days.

Browning X-Cellerator, Martin Cougar & Warthog, Bear Whitetail II and others can be purchased in "as new" condition for about $100. These bows may not have the glamour or speed of 2007 bows but it still comes down to the 30 yard shot. Attempting longer shots is foolish for vast majority of archers.

Good hunting to you.
TR

[hobbeeman]

I purchased a Mathews bow at a pawn shop with a case and a dozen aluminum shaft arrows with broadheads for $45. Didn't really know what a good deal I was getting at the time, it was the only one that my son could pull :)

Check the pawn shops!

[oklahoma caveman]

man that is a great deal. wish i could find something like that