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First Bow Advice

I

iamcorey

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2018
Messages
2,716
I’ve had shoulder problems over the past several years (2 surgeries). I’m wanting to transition from a crossbow to either a compound or traditional bow. I’ve been using an Excalibur and it’s heavy and awkward trying to hide behind a tree and shoot a recurve crossbow.

Anyways does anyone have any advice for a vertical bow newbie? Current plan is to sell the crossbow and go to the local archery shop to try out some bows.

I understand that I might not be proficient by opener next month, but I can borrow a crossbow until gun season or I become an effective archer.


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iamcorey said:
Current plan is to sell the crossbow and go to the local archery shop to try out some bows.
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This. Exactly this. You really can't go wrong with most modern compound bows (especially the flagship models). It really comes down to personal preference. If I were you I would shoot as many bows as you can get your hands on. You'll know it when you find the right one.
 
heretic said:
This. Exactly this. You really can't go wrong with most modern compound bows (especially the flagship models). It really comes down to personal preference. If I were you I would shoot as many bows as you can get your hands on. You'll know it when you find the right one.
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And take it easy on the poundage. Modern bows are amazing - take care of your shoulders.
 
heretic said:
This. Exactly this. You really can't go wrong with most modern compound bows (especially the flagship models). It really comes down to personal preference. If I were you I would shoot as many bows as you can get your hands on. You'll know it when you find the right one.
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Would you suggest buying new or used? I'm thinking I should just rely on the archery shop to guide my first purchase since I don't know the details of what I should look for on a used bow purchase.
 
iamcorey said:
Would you suggest buying new or used? I'm thinking I should just rely on the archery shop to guide my first purchase since I don't know the details of what I should look for on a used bow purchase.
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100% if it works for you budget wise find a good shop, compare what fits you best, and support them by getting it there.

Bow feel is personal. Figure out what works best for you.
 
I would recommend 50-pound limbs. With the appropriate arrow set up, you will have no issues. Go get measured at a shop though. Buying used is risky, even for experienced folks. You never know if that bow has been left in a hot car, etc.
 
I've had two shoulder surgery's myself and shot a PSE Nova for years. I had it dialed all the way down to 55lbs and was still good. Slowly moved up my poundage as my strength allowed and I'm back to 70. Currently shoot a triax but pretty much any bow on the market will be limited by the shooter. For us gimped up people a smooth draw cycle and solid back wall is the most important things to look for.
 
It also depends on who’s going to be working on it. It can be tough to press these past parallel limb bows in the field.
 
The new Pse bows are very smooth on the draw. Mine is on 70 and feels like 50. The new Evolve cam is even better than what I have. PSE is fully adjustable on draw length without a bow press. The evolve bows are around $700 new.
 
I’ve got a cheap pse brute with the madness cam. It’s very adjustable without a press but should you need to press it you can’t with a bow master type press. Mine is a 70lb model also but you can back it off to 50 lbs.
 
Lots of pointers.

All bows are good bows. If you like it, buy it. Each brand is pretty comparable if you compare it to others in its price range. No manufacturer has a huge edge over their competition. Anyone who tells you otherwise is pro staff or wants to be pro staff.

Don't be afraid to buy used.

Go lighter on the poundage than you think you should.

Forget about ISO speed.

A solid limb, solo cam bow is stupid simple to tune. Binary cams are too. Cams that are slaved to limbs are not my faves, and neither are aggressive hatchet cams,way beyond parallel limbs, or speed freaks. They can be tuned, and some of them can be tuned quote easily. But they are more apt to make you scratch your head periodically.

Learn. To. Work. On. Your. Own. Stuff. A bowmaster press costs $50. It works ok and is better than nothing. An ezgreen costs $400. It works well, and will do so forever. Buy a used bow and a press instead of dropping $1500 on an all new, flagship bow.

Don't overthink it. If you don't understand it, don't mess with it. It's probably fine.

If you're a hunter, screw 3D and tournament archers and their gadgets. Keep it simple. Rear stabilizers, back tension releases, and sights with 3rd axel adjustments aren't necessary to kill deer.

Archerytalk is cancer mixed with Ebola.

Armchair experts will baffle you with BS, and have a 37 point routine for everything from form to paper tuning. Real experts slash to the essentials.

Archery shops make money on rests, sights, stabilizers, etc. Margin on bows sucks. Do with that what you will.
 
If you have shoulder problems Nothing draws as smooth as an Oneida.I know they aren’t the big name and no I don’t hunt with one.But they are easy to work on without a press and can be made pretty quiet and are fast enough.They also tend to handle heavy arrows exceptionally well.
 
I agree with basically everyone. Most pro shops sell used bows. The main thing I would look for is new/newer strings. My recomendation would be to make sure it's tuned right out of the gate. If the budget allows do your best to get some good arrows, you dont need to go crazy but dont get the bottom tier stuff. An extra $30-50 on a dozen arrows will make a big difference.

Keep it simple, you dont need all the fancy attachments. It's just more garbage to think about. Good luck!
 
Buy new (warranty)
Bow technology is at is best ever.
Get an arrow built on the heavier side.
Even “entry” level bows are outstanding these days.
OGB
 
I generally stay away from used BUT if the archery shop is worth its salt EVERY used bow on the rack will be spruced up or it won’t be on the rack. If they are willing to sell you a dud, don’t buy from that shop. 95% of the shops are selling well-inspected used bows. I unfortunately live near a shop that I wouldn’t buy used OR new from, so I travel 50 miles to go to Lancaster Archery and get **** done right.
As far as poundage, I believe you should find something in the 45-55# range. Most bows within the last 10 years draw smooth and have plenty of penetration with the right arrow setup. Look at the legal minimum poundage for your state (in DE it’s 35# draw) and try to stay above that by at least 5#. That will give you peace of mind that you’re penetrating “ethically” but not ****ing your shoulder all to hell. I’m 5’7” and I am strong enough to pull an 80# bow, but I shoot 57# at 26.5” draw. I passed through a 300lb hog at 20 yards with that setup, and my second arrow went so deep that it was only kept from passing through by the far shoulder. Do with that info as you will.
Sharp broadheads, good heavy arrows, and the CORRECT poundage for your shoulder will NOT let you down. One more thing that Cam Hanes would hate to hear (not that I care): DON’T over-practice, especially if you’re pushing your poundage limits. I’m usually in the dozen-and-under club, and I tend to collect each arrow after each shot. Good practice is better than heavy practice.
 
If I had shoulder issues I'd go with a lower poundage bow. Modern compounds are very quick compared to 10-15 years ago. Depends on your draw length and such I'd think you could get a killer setup.

I'm a 31'' draw and shoot a 30.5 arrow if I had should issues I'd go to this setup...
Elite Synergy 50lbs set to 45lbs with a heavy easton axis 340 spine arrow with 125 grain head and 25 grain break off insert. You could go 400 spine with a lighter head as well. I like heavy arrows.

That Elite is older and very smooth. Ebay still has some new ones selling fairly cheap. The arrow would be heavy, but provide good momentum to get a pass thru. Personally, and its my decision, I would use a fixed blade like a Magnus black hornet. I'm not a huge fan of lower poundage mechanics, again its just my preference.

I would go to a good archery shop and have them walk you thru a papertune (maybe get the arrows there). Getting a bow bare shaft tuned takes a bit of time. The reason I suggest this is the OFTEN OVERLOOKED performance of a properly tuned arrow and bow. An arrow hitting square on target will get you better momentum than an arrow slightly side ways. I think this is the biggest issue with good shots and getting sub par penetration.

Again, this is what I would do. Maybe folks slap everything together and sight in their broadheads and kill deer. I like to put in the extra effort to maximize my chances. Good luck this season. I hope you find the set up of you.
 
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