Looking for a bow for targets

You will need to decide if you will shoot left or right hand before buying a bow.

Anything worth buying will have an arrow shelf cut-out, or arrow rest on one side or the other of the handle. A right hand bow will not work for a left hand shooter.

Good re-curves are getting hard to find anymore.

Compound bows have almost totally taken over archery, for both hunting and target shooting.

I would suggest you find a good archery shop in your area and take a look at what folks are using on the target range in the back.

They will probably let you try some different bows.
And they can measure & fit you with the proper draw length, draw weight, and correct arrows stiffness after you get all that sorted out.

rc

You could try a Martin X200 recurve.

I've been shooting one for the past 15 years, and I settled on it after going through many recurves. It's smooth release with no recoil vibration, no stacking, and light and easy handling. I shoot it off the shelf for instinctive shooting. Martin bows are very good values for the buck.

Carl.

"Anything worth buying will have an arrow shelf cut-out, or arrow rest on one side or the other of the handle.

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I know several people, myself included, who prefer to shoot bare knuckle.

mole

+1 ON THE RECURVE,
I have a nice compound, but the recurve is the essence of bowhunting for me.
Do some research, and go to some archery shops....keep the draw weight low...#45 is nice to shoot. Ebay, Craig's List for used bows.

Good re-curves are getting hard to find anymore.

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Well, in stores this is true. I read Traditional Archer magazine, and there are no shortages of people making excellent traditional bows. Plus, Bear still carries like 7 or 8 traditional models, as does PSE.

Dude, if your interested in traditional, 3 rivers archer is pretty much the place to go on the internet, plus you can get a catalog from them and it is awesome.

If you want to shoot traditional style - get a longbow. BTW, compound bows are for sissies. Get Byron Ferguson's book Become the Arrow.

Samick makes good entry level recurve target bows, they make the Bows for the Korean Olympic team. Hoyt makes the US Olympic bows


http://www.traditionalarcheryusa.com/bows.aspx


http://www.hoytrecurve.com/recurve_bows/

There has never been more offerings of traditional bows as there are today.

Martin and Bear still have several models to choose from off the rack or they will build one to your specs.

Samick has a huge lineup of low priced bows that are good value for the money if you don't mind buying something made oversea's. Their low priced bows won't compare to their Oly bows though.

If you're looking to buy new, Lancaster Archery has a much better selection than 3Rivers and they can help you out with whatever you need.

Old Martin, Howatt or Bear bows can be found on ebay all of the time and are still great shooters. I would look into a 62"+ recurve drawing the mid 30#'s to get started with.

Vermonter
Looking for a bow for targets
I'm interested in finding a decent bow for shooting targets and learning the fundamentals. Probably just a traditional recurve or something similar. I know very little about bows. I'd likely shoot it left-handed.

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If you're going with recurve, get one with at least 35# draw weight so that you can hit a 20 yard target, which is pretty much the standard. Most guys can usually start with a 45# to 50# draw weight.

Also, don't rule out the compound. Lot's more options. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference - art -vs- machine.

One more thing. You said you'll likely shoot left handed... Are you left eye dominant? Usually the dominant eye determines right or left hand.

Make sure you are left eye dominent before getting into a new bow purchase, if not, buy a righty bow. I highly suggest going to a local bow shop, have them set up a demo recurve in your price range, then shoot it on their range for a while and (caps going on in 3,2,1) DO NOT TRY TO GET THEM DOWN TO INTERNET PRICES SINCE YOU CAN'T DEMO A BOW ON THE INTERNET!.

Then buy the bow and accessories from the bow shop and have a lifetime of fun!

Suggestion, buy a target bow in 35lbs or so, 45lbs or more is too hard to hold for long for targets until you are pretty seasoned.

Also, don't rule out the compound. Lot's more options. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference - art -vs- machine.

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Good attitude! I prefer traditional archery over compound bows, but I have shot and will continue to shoot compound bows happily.

For whatever reason, there is this big division in the archery world between traditional and compound. In some cases, it boils down to hunting ethics, concepts of fair chase, an adherence to the old ways, and so on, but for me it has never really been an issue. I enjoy launching arrows, and while I happen to derive more enjoyment from older, traditional bows, I also enjoy doing it from modern bows. Practically, should I ever start hunting with a bow, it will be with a compound. I have a bad shoulder, and the ability to only hold a percentage of my draw weight over the full value of that draw weight simply makes more sense to me from an ethical standpoint. In other words, I don't have to rush shots with a compound.

Still, there is something very satisfying and fun about shooting with a simple stick and string. I personally have no qualms, ethical or otherwise, about enjoying both platforms.

So if one is left eye dominant then they should get a left handed bow? Even if they are right handed?

TimboKhan
Good attitude! I prefer traditional archery over compound bows, but I have shot and will continue to shoot compound bows happily.

For whatever reason, there is this big division in the archery world between traditional and compound. In some cases, it boils down to hunting ethics, concepts of fair chase, an adherence to the old ways, and so on, but for me it has never really been an issue. I enjoy launching arrows, and while I happen to derive more enjoyment from older, traditional bows, I also enjoy doing it from modern bows. Practically, should I ever start hunting with a bow, it will be with a compound. I have a bad shoulder, and the ability to only hold a percentage of my draw weight over the full value of that draw weight simply makes more sense to me from an ethical standpoint. In other words, I don't have to rush shots with a compound.

Still, there is something very satisfying and fun about shooting with a simple stick and string. I personally have no qualms, ethical or otherwise, about enjoying both platforms.

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I'm relatively new to archery, only having been shooting for about 1 1/2 years, but I started with a recurve with no sights I might add! It was probably one of the hardest things I had to learn/do in my life. You shoot the arrow to the target by "feel". It's kind of like point shooting. It still amazes me that my instructor was able to hit the gold from 20 yards w/o anything but his "senses".

I now opt for a compound with a peep and a front sight (yeah - wimp...) . It's still exhausting shooting for an afternoon with a bow set at 55# that has a 65% let-off. Due to starting out with a recurve, I still opt for finger -vs- release, however.

mdThanatos
So if one is left eye dominant then they should get a left handed bow? Even if they are right handed?

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Generally yes. However, you still can use a right-hand bow if you're left eye dominant. I've seen people do this, but....it looks really strange!

Keep in mind - you hold a left handed bow with your right hand and draw with your left arm and vice-versa. I think there's actually an advantage in archery for folks who are cross-eyed dominant.

Go here for more info...
http://www.archerytalk.com

I have a nice Mathews Solo Cam compound bow that's around a decade old. Compounds with sights and mechanical releases are as accurate (more accurate?) as pistols.

Silent w/o emissions makes them perfect for shooting in the basement, down a long hallway, backyard etc. Infinitely reusable ammo and no cleaning afterward also has it advantages. Concealment... quick follow-up shots.... well, ya can't have everything .