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Bow Length

I had the shop measure and they got my wingspan at 78-79 inches so 32.5 will work. The archery shop I went to pretty much directed me to a bow that listed for $1300 outfitted and that was the only option they even discussed. I was not happy with them.

Both of the Bears will go to what I need I think. I just don't think I can pay $1000, or convince my wife to, when I can kill plenty of deer with a $400 model. I killed one Friday with a free 13 year old bow that has a draw length 2.5 inches shorter than I need.

Do you guys think the expensive ones are worth it?

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I have a 31" draw. Shoot a Mathews Chill X. I drive by two archery pro shops to go to a shop where the fellow who owns it and sets up bows also has a 31" Draw.
He gets me.


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I dont mean this to sound negative, but once you get more knowlegable on what you need, you can go on archerytalk and find super deals on used equipment. Staff shooters as well as Joe blow types on there chasing the latest models and selling their hardly used bows. Check which bows can be adjusted(draw length) without needing new modules. Modules can run $50 or more, and finding used ones in your size can be tough. You can kill a deer with a stick and a string, a bow is an extension of you. Some people buy a bow to hunt, other hunt with a bow cause they have one. Will archery be a passion, or just a means to shoot deer? You can spend $2000 on a recurve with no rest or sights, or buy a savage 270 for $349 and kill deer at 300yds. Its all what you want.
 
pokem said:
If you get some time to read you should look up the nuts and bolts of archery lots of good information.

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There's actually a few pictures of me in that book. That was back when I was still figuring out how to shoot right in high school and had N&B fix my technique through pictures on archerytalk.

The main thing that stuck with me is that the best way to determine proper draw length is to have somebody who knows proper form watch you hold at full draw. There will be little cues that will indicate if a draw is too long or short, even if it feels decent to an archer. One very common one is if you see a guy who is leaned back a little from the hips. It can indicate a draw that's too long for example.

Arm span calculations can get you close though, just not exact.

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kenn1320 said:
I dont mean this to sound negative, but once you get more knowlegable on what you need, you can go on archerytalk and find super deals on used equipment. Staff shooters as well as Joe blow types on there chasing the latest models and selling their hardly used bows. Check which bows can be adjusted(draw length) without needing new modules. Modules can run $50 or more, and finding used ones in your size can be tough. You can kill a deer with a stick and a string, a bow is an extension of you. Some people buy a bow to hunt, other hunt with a bow cause they have one. Will archery be a passion, or just a means to shoot deer? You can spend $2000 on a recurve with no rest or sights, or buy a savage 270 for $349 and kill deer at 300yds. Its all what you want.
Click to expand...
It didn't sound negative. Hunting is my passion. I do love bow hunting because of the distance, the plan, and the stealth. I feel pretty confident in what I need. I seem to be 31.5-32". That's what I measure and when I drew back that length it felt good. When they get a 70# in this week I am going to go shoot a few to see how they feel.
I will check out archery talk as well because it would be awesome to get a fancy expensive bow for less money.

Thanks.

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Just found one on AT I am going to inquire about.

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I absolutely agree with going a less expensive route just as long as your getting what you want. Any reputable shop should not steer you to the most expensive model and leave it at that. Those are salesman nothing more and really detract from the sport filling inexperienced minds with spend $1000 and you will shoot better and kill more deer lol.

However i will state that I do spend quite alot on my gear but thats me but i get what I want is all I have to say. Archery is my passion so therefore I put alot into my craft. It does not make a hoot so to say how much it costs as long as your happy with the fit and the total package. At the end of the day its all about fun and developing a skill set.
 
DwadeCham said:
I had the shop measure and they got my wingspan at 78-79 inches so 32.5 will work. The archery shop I went to pretty much directed me to a bow that listed for $1300 outfitted and that was the only option they even discussed. I was not happy with them.

Both of the Bears will go to what I need I think. I just don't think I can pay $1000, or convince my wife to, when I can kill plenty of deer with a $400 model. I killed one Friday with a free 13 year old bow that has a draw length 2.5 inches shorter than I need.

Do you guys think the expensive ones are worth it?

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Click to expand...
Bear is making great bows lately with a lot of them at a great price point. You do not need to spend $1000 on a new bow to find something that you like and works for you. Spending that much money will guarantee that you get the latest and the greatest, but it is not necessary.

The archery market is getting out of hand, just like every other industry in this technological age. Every year the race is on to develop the newest big innovation. Those innovations are great and they are the beauty of our advancing society, but with so many different bow companies out there now the cost of that R&D gets passed down to the consumer.

I have been bow hunting since I was 14, so I've been through 18 seasons now. I've hunted with 2 bows. They certainly do last if you take care of them. I'm looking at upgrading now, and I don't mind spending $1000 bucks on a bow because I know that it will last me the next 10 years. But spending that money is not necessary.
 
Found a Bear B33 that is set up for 32" draw length. Last year's model. $650. They retail for $899 new. Think I am buying that one.

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DwadeCham said:
Found a Bear B33 that is set up for 32" draw length. Last year's model. $650. They retail for $899 new. Think I am buying that one.

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Click to expand...

I find some shops don't know what they're talking about. I bought a bow press and I started doing my own work because of it.

I'm willing to help you if you'd like. I've set up mine and my friends bows all from my house. I don't use wingspan and use John Dudleys method which is outlined in an article on his social media. It was .25" different then what's most comfortable for me to shoot.

I started with a 30" bow and my draw is about a 31.25" so I feel your pain. There are bows in the long draw range for 4-500 outfitted. I can help you with that also if you'd like. They're primarily on archery talk.

I'd go Hoyt because you can get into their entry bow for about $400 new and you can find a 31-32" draw. You can find old Hoyt Chargers outfitted and used on AT for that or less. I had a 2013 Hoyt charger that maxed out at 31". Their charger Long draw maxed out at 32".

If you wanted something made my Matthews you could look at Mission which is their entry level bow. I don't know if they have any that go out to 32" draw.

I owned a bear and they're ok. It was my 30" bow.

With your height I'd look for a bow with a longer axle to axle around 34 if you can swing it. I now own a nitrum 34 and it's going to be my 5-10 year bow.

Message me if you'd like my input. If not that's fine too.

I know what they say about opinions.... lol



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blbloomquist said:
I would go shoot some bows. Everyone wants and likes something different. What one person might love the next person might hate.
Click to expand...

Also good advice! It's hard though when there's one bow shop in town and you come back with a bow you didn't buy from them lol


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As strange as it may sound if you know what you want check eBay. Sometimes a shop will dump their last year's models on there. My current bow I bought brand new off ebay and saved over $200.
 
The wife is adamantly against buying anything right now. Probably more because I have a hog hunt this weekend that is going to cost some money so I guess I have a few more weeks to look.

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Lots of good advice regarding DL here.

I went through a trial and error period about 2 years ago with DL. Long story short I was about 1" too short on my DL, and learned a lot from ArcheryTalk on what my ideal DL should be and how to get it proper for me.

Short answer for you: Sounds like you probably need a Long Draw (LD) bow if you're in excess of 30".

There are two ways you can go about getting setup for the right DL.

1) Visit a REPUTABLE shop in your area run and staffed by people who know what the hell they are doing. Not an easy task IMO, but can be worthwhile if you have neither the time nor wherewithal to do the next option...

2) Visit archerytalk, ask questions, read older threads, download the "Nuts&Bolts guide", start tinkering with your bow, learn how to adjust the DL on your bow, learn how to tie a d-loop, acquire new and different releases to find one that allows you to achieve proper DL without compromising form..

I can't say one path is cheaper than the other, but one is arguably much more rewarding if you're willing to invest the time into learning more about archery equipment and your personal needs as an archer.
 
blbloomquist said:
I would go shoot some bows. Everyone wants and likes something different. What one person might love the next person might hate.
Click to expand...

Solid advice right there. Last new compound I bought I knew what I wanted for the most part. The shop said bow X and bow Y are the same bow, just different cams. He set both up with a rest and had me go shoot each on his range. Basically just get the feel of each. I shot them both for about an hour. lol I ended up buying the slower bow(by like 8fps) which wasnt my intention when I walked in. The draw cycle was night and day smoother. I shot so many arrows I was actually tired. When I grabbed the faster bow I felt like I didnt want to shoot another arrow. Grabbed the slower bow and I felt refreshed like it was easy to draw. Even though there wasnt a sight on either bow, my arrows grouped when using the slower bow. Total eye opener to say the least. I bought a bowtech Airborne used off AT and didnt like the draw cycle and the consistency "for me" was horrible. Back a few years ago when the Bowtech Destroyer was new and popular, I went to the shop to see what all the hype was about. I hated the draw cycle and would never own one. I bought a G5 Centroid used off AT and enjoy it. So as I said earlier, buying without shooting is a crap shoot, unless you know what you want.
 
Yep. So the real problem is a shop, at least the ones here, won't typically have more than one in that draw length to try. And I'm sure they won't order one just for me to try .

But for now, I had to back out of the bear deal anyway. So I have some time.

What are opinions on the best bows? I know everyone has their opinions but I am open to hear them all.

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