Compound bow selection on a beginner's budget

Haven't had one of those yet, tho I looked at them. What stopped me was the short axel to axel length.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FATX878/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_bYcIFb2ZSQ30S
Is a bow I have had, and been very happy with.

One thing with any of the cheaper bows is your likely to need some, to extensive, tuning to get the best out of them. I had a new set of strings made immediately, and completely retuned the one I had.

In the end it shot as well as the Infinite Edge, and pretty close to the Lithium ltd, I had at the same time.

I don't have any compounds right now (tho I'm considering getting another one like the outrage), I've been shooting my recurves again tho and that's alot of fun. There are some pretty decent ones available now for low costs.

Buy used.

Compound bows depreciate....fast.

I just saw in a local classifieds a PSE Nova like I had when I was younger for $150 for the full setup. Yes, it’s an entry level bow but it hit what I was aiming at.

I see Bowtechs and Matthews from 5+ years ago in the $250-300 range frequently. Sometimes include accessories and sometimes not. A 5 year old bow, if taken care of, is pretty well identical to a brand new bow. It may not even need strings.

That is how I buy all my archery gear. CL and even eBay have been good to me. It is harder for me too because I am a lefty.

I have a 25 year old compound bow that my uncle gave me. I dont hunt, so it's just for target shooting. Its ok, but it seems more purpose driven for hunting than for plinking. Kinda like a dedicated hunting rifle that only gets shot to dial in the zero and to take an animal.

I have a lot more fun with my recurves. They take a bit more skill as they will actually wear you out since their is no left off. I shoot a 50lb bow and get good results from about 20-25 yards in the backyard.

If you are looking for what I consider the .22 plinker of backyard bows, don't look past the Genesis line. Yes they are a a jack of trades and low powered, but they are great for the whole family and easy to shoot. I have on numerous occasions started shooting my compound, got tired of how violent it threw the arrows, moved on to my recurve and got tired after 10 or 20 shots and then spent another hour just flinging arrows at dinky speeds from my wife's Genesis. You can shoot the little thing all day, and if you get down to it, the small size would make for a handy food-getter as it will easily dispatch a squirrel or rabbit. I love shooting it.

I have had both compounds and traditional bows.
I became so frustrated with all the gadgets that rattle and fail...get lost, forgotten, or need adjustment...I just gave it all up. I gave my compound to my youngest son who immediately traded it for the newest and bestest....

I went to my beloved recurve, and got back to the enjoyment of archery.

My range is cut in half, but my enjoyment has doubled.

My choice of recurve would be a hoyt.
Bow and quiver. Carbon arrows wont bend. I will check my arrows for certainty of gpi.
No release.
No sights.
Had i known the satisfaction of traditional bows, I would never have bought a compound. I do acknowledge that the compound is superior, however, more reliant on gadgets such as a release.
Once upon a time, I missed a big tom Turkey with my compound because I couldn't reach the trigger on my release.(long story).The range was three feet.
That was the last time I hunted with a copmpound.

As an aside, I do have a crossbow with all the bells, should I choose to use it.

For a starter/cheap practice now, I'd probably look at a samik sage, or any of the other similar bows. I've actually still got my Sage, tho it's been converted to ILF fittings.

It's funny, I actually switched to compounds (hadn't shot since highschool) because I didn't have to practice as much with them to stay proficient.....after I didn't have to practice as much, I pretty well quite archery.

I don’t know of anything that loses value faster than a new compound bow. You can probably buy a three or four-year-old compound for less than the price of the accessories that are on it.

Check out ArcheryTalk they have an active forum and classifieds.

Cabelas and Bass Pro both have packages around $200 might be worth a second look there to get the support if needed.

If you are buying from somewhere like Archery Talk watch for a seller with an established history on the site and hope that they wouldn’t wreck their reputation for a $300 sale.

milemaker13 said:

I've been told one dryfire and the bow is garbage.

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By someone trying to sell a new bow?
In any case it's pure Barbra Streisand.

I have a Samick Sage takedown recurve with two sets of limbs, 25# and 45#. It works for me.

Mine is a Bear Grizzly 52#

My buddy bought a Hoyt and liked it better, so he sold me his lightly used Bear.
His Hoyt is extremely smooth and shoots tight. I like it. I hosted a weekly recurve league shoot in my shed for a year, and I participated for four years. During that time we talked, reviewed, and shot several bows. I like the Hoyt best.

I’m also a user of a Bear recurve. A recently manufactured Super Kodiak. I also have a crossbow with all the bells just like @Armored farmer.

I think if I could have any recurve it woulda also be a Hoyt. One of those Fred Eichler ones. They are darn hard to find in lefty.

As to dry firing compounds, more modern ones (last 20 years) can take it. Hoyt, Bowtech, Dayton, and a few others have all advertised dry fire torture tests in the past. 100 or 1000. I can’t remember. So no, one dry fire will not do it.

I've got compound bows, ranging back to some of the earliest ones, that I use as backyard toys.
Average cost is about $20.00.
I had a recurve until I drove it home with the A/C off and it de-laminated. It didn't last long in the south Texas heat.
So I made a canvas-backed red oak long bow.
Another back yard toy.
That reminds me. I need to oil it again... .

milemaker13 said:

Yes.

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I would shop elsewhere.

Fiv3r said:

If you are looking for what I consider the .22 plinker of backyard bows, don't look past the Genesis line. Yes they are a a jack of trades and low powered, but they are great for the whole family and easy to shoot. I have on numerous occasions started shooting my compound, got tired of how violent it threw the arrows, moved on to my recurve and got tired after 10 or 20 shots and then spent another hour just flinging arrows at dinky speeds from my wife's Genesis. You can shoot the little thing all day, and if you get down to it, the small size would make for a handy food-getter as it will easily dispatch a squirrel or rabbit. I love shooting it.

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I think everyone should have one if they shoot bows. My daughter had to get one for competition, and there is a lot to say about a 5'0 girl handing a bow to her 6'5 dad, and both can shoot comfortably. They do not have a set LOP like other compounds, it shoots like a hybrid recurve/compound. They are used for competition, inexpensive, and fun to shoot.
15# is not much, but if you want to shoot all day, it is just the thing.

If you decide to go with a compound bow I would recommend shopping at a decent store like bass pro or field and stream if you can't go to an actual bow shop. They will do the preliminary fitting for you as part of the cost of the bow. Tasks like adjusting the draw length and tying in a peep sight can require special tools depending on the bow and would be difficult to do at home.

For an entry level compound I have been very impressed with the Bear Cruzer that my brother in law bought. The draw length maxes out an inch short for me, but if it fits you it has a super wide range of adjustment and it is pretty fast and smooth for a bow in its price range. It comes as a package deal and his included a pretty good quiver, stabilizer, whisker biscuit and peep sight. All good enough to go right to the range and shoot forever, but also easy to change if you like to tinker.

Fine Figure of a Man said:

I would shop elsewhere.

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To be fair, while a single dry fire hasnt exploded any bow that I know of, it CAN cause damage (or more likely exacerbate an existing issue). While it might simply be someone trying to scare a person into a purchase of a new bow, its something to be aware of when buying a bow.
Another issue is derailing caused by folks hand drawing modern bows to test them and torquing strings off the cams at let down. Again unlikely to damage a bow but may, and may cause ware to the string. Ive never seen anyone do it with a release, but its probably possible if drawing a bow way to heavy for the shooter. Thats likely to happen almost Immediately, and ive seen that done at least twice that I can think of. One kid almost did it with my Lithium.

End of the day, especially as a NEW archer who may not know what to look for, its really on the seller to be upfront and honest about what they are selling and its condition. One of the reasons I suggest anyone either buy from a reputable shop, or take someone whos been around bows for a while with them when buying any bow from a private party.

milemaker13 said:

Ok, then, lets discuss traditional gear vs. modern stuff. Sights? Release? Um... anything else?

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I keep thinking I want a compound and then get bored just researching them.

I like my recurves. I have two Samick Sages (one for fishing) and had a nice older Bear (bought used) that failed on me. My fault; do not use fast flight strings on an older bow.

For entry level, the Sage is pretty good for the money. The newer model is the Spyder, sometimes called the Sage 2 as it was developed by the same people. I have both the new and old risers and the newer model is quieter than my older one, which might or might not be related to the model at all. https://www.southwestarcheryusa.com/collections/risers

I’d like to replace my Bear with another Bear, or maybe a Black Widow, or a traditional longbow, or a horse bow.

I like the simplicity of traditional archery and that what little set up and maintenance it needs I can do myself with minimal investment. No sights. No release. I do use a flipper rest but have shot off the shelf as well.

I’m also fortunate to live near an excellent traditional archery shop, https://rmsgear.com/ and the guy who introduced me to archery was passionate about traditional, which definitely colored my interests.