bow question

falconman

New member
im looking for my first bow . i am 13 years old and am looking for a descent compound bow with around a 40lb draw weight and a 25 in draw length. moneys tight around here so i need something under 300$. any help on where to look?
 
falconman- try a local bow shop. They can answer a lot of your questions, actually help you get a bow that "fits" you and give you some pointers.

If nothing is close by, then I would look at Cabela's or somewhere like that.

Quote:
with around a 40lb draw weight and a 25 in draw length.



That is not a very good set up. Some states require at least 40 pounds to legally hunt big game.

40 pounds should be the lower end.
 
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falconman,

At your age, I would suggest something in an adjustable draw length as well as what Yellowhammer said. You certainly aren't through growing yet, and an adjustable draw length will grow with you.

Good luck.
 
I'd suggest looking around for a recurve that draws in the 45 to 50 lb range at 28 inches. That will have you drawing in the neighborhood of the 40 pounds and as you grow it will approach it's true draw weight. If you watch flea markets and garage sales you will find one for around 10 to 30 dollars. I buy these bows at every opportunity. last friday I picked up a bear 48# 58 inche recurve that is as straight and sound as the day it was finished for the grand total of fifteen bucks.

I know that sticks are not popular in the high tech world of bowhunting, but I'll tell you for an absolute fact that an experienced well practiced stick bow shooter is more versatile in the field than a wheel bow hunter. It does take practice and dedication but it's well worth your time.
 
bah. Easy question. Look into the Parker Buckshot. MY wife shoots one. she has a 25in draw as well. If you purchase on in the 30-40lb dray weight, you can sign up for the grow up with parker program and they will send you 40-50lb limbs for the bow when you are ready. My wife shoots hers set at 48lbs and has harvested hogs up to 200lbs with it. Every animal she has shot has been a complete passthrough. You can get the fully rigged outfitter kit with everything you need except arrows and release for 299 at most stores. Check out the parker bow homepage. You will love this little bow, and it will do everythign you need and then some. Oh and if you can pull the 40lb ok, go ahead and get it in 40-50 so you can hunt with it. If you have any questions feel free to send me a PM. The stick bows are not as accurate in general as a compound, and you can not get the range or speed (which is forgivving if you misjudge your yardage) out of a traditional bow. If you start out on a stick bow, as I did, it generally will lead to frustration, where if you start out on a compound as I started my wife, you could be hunting with it in a matter of a couple weeks.
 
i shot a browning micro adrenaline when i was younger 40-50lbs and 18"-28"
that was a great bow and i still shoot it today i think it was like $289 when i bought it
 
+1 on the Parker.I just ordered my son the sidekick because of the grow with Parker program.He is only 11yrs old and has to wait 3 more years to bowhunt.
 
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The stick bows are not as accurate in general as a compound, and you can not get the range or speed (which is forgivving if you misjudge your yardage) out of a traditional bow. If you start out on a stick bow, as I did, it generally will lead to frustration, where if you start out on a compound as I started my wife, you could be hunting with it in a matter of a couple weeks.



Well, there is no doubt that one can become an accurate shooter very quickly with a wheel bow. In fact, I created an *instant bowhunter* myself just in the past two weeks. At this point he is good to go up to 25 yards.

As far as "range" is concerned, both stick and wheel bows will shoot far beyond the ability of 99.999 percent of the shooters in the world.

Having started several kids with bows though I assure you that at age 13 our poster would become proficient pretty quickly with a stick. there's just something about it that is easier for young people. My fourteen year old grandson started at age six with sticks and became very proficient in a very short time.

But, in the end, the bow you recommend is probably a good choice for a young guy just starting out.
 
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That is not a very good set up. Some states require at least 40 pounds to legally hunt big game.

40 pounds should be the lower end.



Come on man...He's 13yrs old. I'm sure it is hard for him to shoot more than 40lbs. An adjustable one is probably better so he can work his way up.

Also, beginners should start out with less poundage and work on form, etc. and get used to shooting before beefing it up. You don't want this up and comer to injure himself getting to know the sport. It could ruine a great thing for this kid.

Don't mean to sound negative, only want him to enjoy the great experiences archery can bring.
 
It's easy for us to get off on tangents when answering a new guys questions. He never said anything about hunting!

I too assumed that he would hunt and therefore recommended a stick bow that would draw to about 40 pounds at his 25 inch draw. OTOH, if he does not plan to hunt big game with it I'd revise down to something that would draw about 20 pounds at his draw length. That would help develop form as mentioned by bigjim
 
Look into the Browning, Alpine and Bear brands. These all have models specific to growing folks (lots of length/weight adjustment). A 40-50lb bow will be fine for your teenage years, and you will probably end up setting it at the high end for hunting. Starting at 40 is not a bad idea though.

P.S. I forgot to include Diamond, made by Bowtech. If you have a bowshop close, go shoot several different bows, over several different trips to the store. Find the bow that fits your hand the best and feels the smoothest to you when you draw it and when you release the string. Good luck.
 
Defiantly go to a bow shop and have them fit you and teach you proper form. Any archery shop that I know of will gladly spend the time to teach you proper form and give you all the advice you can take. Also, don't pick a bow the first trip in, try them all several times. Plus, once you figure out your measurements, don't be afraid to check ebay and used online sources to save money.

Also, if you can't draw back 40 lbs the first time you try, don't give it up! The first time I picked my bow up it took me 4 tries to finally pull it back, but after I finally got it back, I could pull it back all day long with no problems. Some of it is just not understanding how the muscles are supposed to pull it back. However, if you consistently still have problems pulling it back, don't be embarrassed to have to start with a lower weight. It is better to learn the proper form at a lower draw weight, your accuracy and form will feel much better, increasing your comfort and ability with a bow.

My last piece of advice is... Once you get somewhat comfortable with your bow start to practice at longer ranges. I like to practice at 50 yards and can consistently hit pretty decent at those ranges. In a hunting situation however, I don't feel comfortable over 30 yards so as not to risk a animal jump or poor shot. Practicing at long ranges however forces you to perfect your form and concentration. Making the short shots much easier and natural. Practice everyday if possible.
 
If you go to a pro shop, just be carefull not to let them push you into a bow that they are just trying to sell. What mason said about not purchasing a bow on the first trip is very sound advice.
 


Quote:
That is not a very good set up. Some states require at least 40 pounds to legally hunt big game.

40 pounds should be the lower end.

Come on man...He's 13yrs old. I'm sure it is hard for him to shoot more than 40lbs. An adjustable one is probably better so he can work his way up.




in missouri that aint the law you can hunt any poundage. i also just got tested and could pull 45 comfortably
 
LOL, I would hit up the Parker suggestion. Browning makes good adjustable youth bows too, I think I had a micro midas when I was a lil fart and It took some bambies too. I assume ur gana be hunting since ur on the big game post section, and dont worrie about the draw weight of 40 pounds thing, according to many arcticals ive read the reccomended minimum kinetic energy is like 25 foot pounds which you can attain from a 30 pound draw weight with little light arrows no problem so you'll be golden out to probley like 35-40 yards on bambies.

Kill em all and good luck
 
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