Quality mid-range bow?

[VT Sasquatch]

Hi guys: I switched to crossbow in my home state several years ago and have not bought a compound bow in 20 years. My last was a Golden Eagle that I shot with my fingers! I don't think they make them anymore but I got a few deer with it.

I am interested in getting a bow. I think it is time to switch to a release since just about all of the compounds seem to be built for them now. I want to get something that is somewhat forgiving and is decent quality for the price.

In my experience, there is a sweet spot for most equipment where you get good features and quality for a certain price. Beyond that, there are somewhat diminishing returns. For example, I have a full suspension aluminum mountain bike. I could have spent twice as much for carbon fiber but it would have performed about the same and only saved me a few pounds. Another example would be 800 fill down vs. 1000 fill. I'll take the good rather than pay a fortune for the best.

So my question is, where is the sweet spot for bows? I know a $1,200 Mathews is great but is there a reasonable compromise for less money? I don't want a piece of junk but I also don't need the lightest or fastest bow made. Any suggestions on what to look at?

[WapitiTalk1]

VT, you'll get a lot of recommendations from folks and most of the bow manufacturers have good products with good warranties. I've owned an Alpine Archery F1 Fireball for four years now and really like it. Alpine is made in Idaho and they make a solid hunting bow, price point is well below the bigger marketed name brands, and, their warranty is very good! I also didn't change from shooting fingers to a release till I bought the Alpine; prior to that, I shot fingers with a string of Darton bows dating back to the mid 80s . I'm trying to get Alpine Archery to be one of the Wapti Talk Forum sponsors... that's how much I think of them. Good luck with your shopping but don't sleep on the Alpine lineup. RJ

http://alpinearchery.com/

[VT Sasquatch]

Thanks, RJ, I'll check them out.

[six]

Lots of bows on craigslist right now. Hunting seasons are winding down and guys are ditching last years model. Personally I have a Matthews Z7. Its about 6 years old and I love it. Why not see about picking up a good used bow a couple years old. This past years I bought my boy a Mission bow, 8 arrows, quiver, hard case, and sight for $275. It was 2 years old. The bow alone new is over $300.

[Osprey]

Got any bowshops near you that you can go to and try some out? When I looked for a new bow a few years back I had about 10 i wanted to check out I went to a shop that had all them and shot them to my suprise some were not what I expected others were better. I ended up with a Bowtech experience which has been awesome probably last bow I will buy at least for a long time. I shot some diamond bows which I believe is also made by bowtech and they seemed like a solid choice for guys not wanting to spend over $700. Also for a forgiving bow you want a brace height around 7" which means the arrow spends less time on the string you loose some speed but in hunting I'd rather have a more forgiving bow as shots can be at weird positions.

[VT Sasquatch]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think craigslist is a good idea since I am not looking to spend a fortune. I have pretty much decided that the September archery season in Colorado fits into my schedule much better than the rifle season next year. That's why I need a bow. In a lot of eastern states, archery season allows crossbows so I switched for the easier accuracy. I'll probably still use a crossbow out here so I don't want to go crazy with money. Plus I'm a working stiff.

I found a well-outfitted PSE Drive LT for $300 in my area. I'm going to do some research and this one might fill my need.

[WapitiTalk1]

VT, good recommendation by six to browse around at pre-owned bows. Probably a great way to get a quality bow at a reasonable price. I would recommend having a bow technician in a shop take a look at whatever you're buying to make sure it's in good shape.

[baddaddy]

I'll second what six said about the used bows. I have gotten several great bows over the years that were used. Check the classifieds on this forum and other archery or hunting forums as well as craig's list. Do your homework on the seller as well so you don't end up getting scammed. Check the local archery shops for used bows as well. Just my .02.

[husky390]

Great advice all around. When I decided to upgrade I went to a couple bow shops and shot everything I could get my hands on to find out which models I liked. Just keep an open mind and ignore the static, i.e. fanboys pushing this or that bow on you because that's what they shoot. After shooting a lot of bows it was a tough call between finding a Mathews EZ 7, Elite E35 or an Elite Answer as they all shot about the same for me. In the end, I went with the Elite Answer due to their warranty and especially since I had found a smoking deal on a year old loaded bow that had barely been used. Lot's of deals out there right now, so much so that I've been tempted to get a 4th.

Also, today's bows have come a very long way and you may find that a 60# bow is more than adequate. Good luck and have fun.

[CurlyTail]

Wyoming allows the use of crossbows for Archery Elk. Wyoming is somewhat less crowded than Colorado for elk hunting. Permits are not too hard to come by. Food for thought.

[Backyard]

VT, a couple years ago I decided it was time to finally upgrade (10 yr old Darton) but couldn't bring myself to drink the top of the line kool-aid. So I went mid-grade and picked up a Mission Balistic. Holy crap! All the speed and technology and smoothness of the Mathews but almost half the price. I couldn't go wrong I thought, and I'm very happy with it. I bought new but I see these on CL all the time for less than $300 also.

[VT Sasquatch]

Thanks guys. I crossed Wyoming off because they didn't have OTC tags. I also couldn't really understand their lottery system. Maybe I'll take another look.

Anyway, I took a chance and bought a used Bowtech Admiral off of ebay. It's a 70 lb max draw weight and looks to be in good shape. I'll have it next week. I'll have some time to get my archery skills up to par. Now I have to figure out arrows. When I used to archery hunt carbon arrows were small diameter an you needed a special rest. That's not true anymore, is it?

[WapitiTalk1]

Cool, congrats! What comes with the bow you bought? Rest, quiver, sights? Your arrows will be sized to your draw length and draw weight (a pro shop can help you with those measurements and they have the bow scale to check draw weight). Most any of the new fall away rests will work fine for you and your new carbon arrows. A lot of hunters go with the simplicity of the whisker biscuit but more lean towards a fall away rest. I'm partial to the Trophy Taker rests.. not too expensive and very reliable. I'm not a fan of the Ripcord Code Reds.. (have seen a few fail including one on my bow). I would recommend a trip to your local bow shop not only to ensure you end up with the correct arrow length/spine, but, to quite possibly get a new string put on.. Just a few thoughts. Again, congrats on re-entering the world of stick and string!

[VT Sasquatch]

It comes with a Vapor Trail LimbDriver rest, an IQ sight, quiver, peep sight, half dozen arrows, a Readhead release and stabilizer. I'm not too familiar with the components/accessories but if I don't like them, I'll switch them. Thanks

[VT Sasquatch]

Okay, I finally shot my new bow. It was my first time shooting one in at least ten years. My initial impression is good. I bought the used Bowtech Admiral and wasn't sure what to expect.

It hurt and I learned a lesson. I live in an urban area and have no range nearby. I was out of work because of strep throat so I decided to give things a try in my basement. I was concerned that I'd miss the 18" target and have an arrow ricochet off the stone foundation. But, being home and bored was too much.

My first impression, other than getting whacked in the forearm, was that the thing is surprisingly quiet and vibration free. I am limited to 10 yards in the basement but I was able to get my top pin dead on at that range. I have a lot of practice ahead of me but right now I am deadly from 10 yards. Thanks for all the pointers.

[husky390]

If you have a nice raspberry on the forearm of your bow hand, your draw length might be too long. I did that once shooting a buddy's bow and it was a lesson that only took me once to learn.

[VT Sasquatch]

Yeah, it's pretty bruised up but no big deal. I have done it before. I don't really think it was a draw length issue. I think I had my elbow too stiffed and my wrist cocked a little. I took about 10 more shots with no issue.

[lamrith]

Welcome to the fun!!

As mentioned you should check your draw length versus what the bow is set at. It is not uncommon for people to be setup a bit too long. This link talks a good bit about it.
http://www.huntersfriend.com/bow_sizing ... guide.html

There are of course (like anything) different ways people like to setup based on your arms span measurement, but that page should give you a nice safe (less painful) setup.

Other than that just practice practice practice. Since you are new back to bow shooting start slow and with low draw weight with only a few shots per day/session. You want to focus on quality starting out, get a comfortable and consistent anchor point. You feel tired stop and take a break. Just shoot some every day, then you can start adding number of shots and draw weight. You will build up quickly if you just stay consistent and shoot a little every day. Then when you get to your target draw weight you start taking more shots per session.. Starting no come Aug you will be drawing 70#, holding it for 2minutes and shooting a handsized group @ 70yrds! DEAD ELK!

[VT Sasquatch]

Thanks for the tips. I have never even attempted a shot at a target over 50 yards. I guess I need to work on that.

[lamrith]

Thanks for the tips. I have never even attempted a shot at a target over 50 yards. I guess I need to work on that.

Good point on yardage. Start short. 20yrds, get comfortable and consistent up close. Success will breed the desire to get better, and push the envelope. If you try to just go straight to 30, 40, 50yrds you will ave big groups or miss the target and become frustrated... Arrows also burrow thru even grass a long ways and are difficult to find which gets expensive... For me, when I was hitting arrows and consistently in a fist sized group I started adding distance. 30, then when that group was tight added 40 to the daily routine, etc.. Keep practicing at all distances too.

Once you start grouping well you can start doing "cold bore" shots too, this would be more useful closer to the hunt season though, not so much now starting out. Make your 1st shot randomly at one of the distances you are shooting at. This is how you can simulate your hunting situation. Just like you have been walking around all morning during a hunt, no practice inthe morning... Cold, no warm up, just pickup the bow and shoot. Then go back to your normal practice routine..

[VT Sasquatch]

I finally got to shoot the bow over the weekend. I got my first pin on target then worked my way out to 50 yards. The bow worked great. I was using a 16" x 16" cube shaped target and was a bit worried about losing arrows at 50 yards but it was no problem. I can consistently hit a paper plate anywhere within 50 yards now. I'll work in tightening up the group.

I was really impressed by the bow. I have never even attempted a shot that far before and this bow was right on target. I also started liking the release and I think helped my accuracy a lot compared to finger shooting that I always did in the past. In fact, I think the bow might be more accurate than my crossbow at 50 yards although I have never shot my crossbow that far.

It may sound weird to people out west but in the thick woods here, I never had the need to shoot far. The farthest I have ever shot a deer was at about 60 yards with a .30-06. Even with my rifle, most of my shots have been within 40 yards. I do tend to hunt somewhat thicker cover though. Thanks for the tips.

[VT Sasquatch]

Update:

I took my bow with me on a turkey hunt over the weekend just to shoot it some more. I have to say that I am really impressed by this Bowtech. I am already far more accurate with it than I was with my old bow that I used to shoot all the time. Bows seem to have come a long way in the last 20 years since I bought my last.

I measure off shooting distances with strides rather than yards. That way I can pace it off anywhere without any measuring device. Here is my consistent accuracy at 50 paces (probably about 50-55 yards)(shooting from on the porch). I know I am not setting any records but I think I could hit a deer/elk under good conditions without a problem. This bow is fun and I will probably use it for whitetails in PA instead of my crossbow this year.




I am going to keep trying to tighten it up and work on shooting from random distances to get better at judging range. I may end up getting a range finder but I'm trying to save some money.

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

A range finder will save you a few heart aches. Paces will really only be effective at the range. In the woods walking all over your setup to find out ranges will just spook game. If that's your only method come hunting season I would do that early and hang ribbons of different colors to mark the yardage. 5 yards on a whitetail is the difference between a good and bad shot.

[VT Sasquatch]

That's probably good advice. For deer hunting I am almost always in a tree stand. I normally pick which pin I will use depending on what tree the deem in closest to. Rangefinders were illegal in PA until just recently from what I understand. I may have to invest in one. Any recommendation for an inexpensive model?

[Mathewsz7-elkridge]

With today's technology I would say any model will be good enough. It just depends on how much you want to spend. A couple things that you would want is a minimal range under 20 yards which most have these days and water resistant.

[VT Sasquatch]

Thanks for the suggestion. I ordered a Bushnell ARC 4 x 20mm. I can't afford a high end model right now (saving for a dirt bike). Once it is delivered I will start working on judging random distances and checking them with the rangefinder. I doubt I would use it with game present but I figure I can use it to work on my ranging skills and to measure likely approaches while waiting on stationary hunts. Thanks. I'll let you know how it works.

[N&N Waterfowl]

You may or may not be aware that not all rangefinders are as accurate as others, and with optics you usually get what you pay for; however, what is important with rangefinders is that you make sure to sight in your bow to your rangefinder. By that I mean...range your target butt at 20 yards with YOUR rangefinder then sight in. Do NOT rely on someone elses ranged distance. Some of the less expensive range finders can be off by as much as a couple yards, but by sighting your bow in with your own range finder this is not an issue.

The only recommendation that I would have is try and find a rangefinder that has a red readout (getting a red readout usually comes with a higher price tag). Black can be hard to see in low light conditions. But if you range prior to your hunt and mark the trees with some sort of marker then even a black read out will be more than functional.