I'm interested in getting my first ever bow. I've been doing some initial research on the components of bows, but dont know the difference in qualities between different brands. I'm looking for an affordable starter bow. It will be used for deer, hog, and hopefully elk next year. I'd appreciate any thoughts on bow brands, the different price points, and what the major differences are in bows at different price points.

I read an article that talked about several good bang for your buck bows and this was one of them.
http://www.beararchery.com/bows/compound/cruzer-rth

Ultimately, I would like to stay in the $600 range including all components of the bow. However, I dont know if that is a reasonable number. Any specific bows or bow setup recommendations is appreciated. I will drop in to the West Houston Archery shop sometime this week to take a look around as well.

Edit: Compound Bows

Longbow? Recurve? Compound?

will.mcg said:

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Longbow? Recurve? Compound?

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Fair question: Compound

$225 shipped (bow only, not accessories)

Will get you well down the path towards a high quality setup for well under your budget.

I cant tell what the bow is, do you have a link to the stock bow or just give me the name?

tmaggie50 said:

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I'm interested in getting my first ever bow. I've been doing some initial research on the components of bows, but dont know the difference in qualities between different brands. I'm looking for an affordable starter bow. It will be used for deer, hog, and hopefully elk next year. I'd appreciate any thoughts on bow brands, the different price points, and what the major differences are in bows at different price points.

I read an article that talked about several good bang for your buck bows and this was one of them.
http://www.beararchery.com/bows/compound/cruzer-rth

Ultimately, I would like to stay in the $600 range including all components of the bow. However, I dont know if that is a reasonable number. Any specific bows or bow setup recommendations is appreciated. I will drop in to the West Houston Archery shop sometime this week to take a look around as well.

Edit: Compound Bows

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Archerytalk.com is a great source for information and has an awesome classifieds section. Archery is an addiction if you let it become one. The guys on that site are past the point of rehab & you can get like new stuff for pretty cheap.

I traded through Mathews, Elite, Hoyt, Rytera, and PSE before settling with the Mathews. Good luck!

what was it about the Mathews that took you back to it? Any specific good or bad thoughts on the other brands?

tmaggie50 said:

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I cant tell what the bow is, do you have a link to the stock bow or just give me the name?

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Bowtech 82nd Airborne, 29", 60-70 lb.

The bow in ACs pic is a Bowtech 82nd Airborne. Quality bow.

In your price range you are either looking at a cheap bow, cheap accessories, or you're looking used. For me, I would look used.

tmaggie50 said:

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what was it about the Mathews that took you back to it? Any specific good or bad thoughts on the other brands?

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It was the one I could check the most boxes off with accuracy, price, quality, customizability, arrow speed, and SIZE. I was getting faster fps out of the Elites but it felt clunky in the stand. At one point I had 8 fully rigged bows from the Archerytalk classifieds. I now have my trusty Switchback, DXT, and Monster just how I like them.

Please note that arrow choice & proper tuning makes a huge difference in how your bow performs.

will.mcg said:

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Longbow? Recurve? Compound?

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You forgot crossbow.

Gateway Archery has some really decent deals on used bows if you ever make it up to Fort Worth. It looks like they'll ship for $25

OhAggie98 said:

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will.mcg said:

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Longbow? Recurve? Compound?

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You forgot *****bow.

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FIFY

Here's my $0.02 for what it's worth.

Almost any modern compound is a quality option. Some are better, some worse, but they are all light years ahead of what we killed deer with 15-20 years ago.

You need to go and shoot some different models. Different people, of different sizes and strengths will like different bows. They balance different, they're different sizes, different draw cycles, etc., etc., etc. Having a bow that fits you, in terms of draw length, draw weight, and overall general feel will have more to do with how well you shoot than will the brand name on the riser.

I have shot Bear, PSE, Mathews, Hoyt and Bowtech over the years. But even the companies adjust their bows to fit "trends" and if you don't like the trend then you won't like the bow. Speed bows (Bowtech) used to be harsh, and smooth bows (Mathews) used to be slow. That's not the case on either end any more.

The Bear and PSE bows I shot were clearly a step down from my others. I loved my Mathews Drenalin, but subequent Mathews models got very parallel with a deeply set riser and I hated them. So I moved to Bowtech. The Bowtech Destroyer 340 I owned was probably my most favorite bow ever. Unfortunately they have stopped making replacement limbs for them (they had a laminate problem) and I can't shoot it anymore. Meanwhile Bowtech moved to the new "PowerDisc" technology which is a waste of money as far as I'm concerned so I moved to Hoyt and I'll be honest it's not my favorite. It shoots fine, it just doesn't get me all jazzed up.

If I were to look at a new bow this year I'd take some time shooting the mathews and Bowtech. I might also shoot Prime and Elite.

I say all of that not because you want a new bow, but to show you the options are many, and even for a single person the 'right' bow is a moving target as new models roll in/out of production.

Most of the big name bow companies (Hoyt, Mathews, Elite, Bowtech) have entry level bows in the price range you are looking at, if you want a brand new bow. However, archery talk is a great resource to find maybe a year or two old bow that was a flagship the year it came out, and is still a great bow and probably has a little better specs than the new version of those companies "starter" bows.


As for me, I am a Hoyt guy, I have shot everything that comes out every year the past 3 years and I always come back to Hoyt. The Mathews Halon was the closest I came to making the switch, and all of the bows I try out are very nice bows, it just depends on how that particular bow feels and shoots in your hands.

Last piece of advice is to get something you are excited to shoot. If you go with a budget bow and find out you love archery, you will be back in the bowshop for an upgrade in a year or two.

Also, the difference between an entry level bow and a flagship bow will be primarily in draw cycle smoothness, Speed, and vibration/noise. Shoot them side by side and you will see what the differences are.

There is nothing wrong with that starter bow from one of the big bow companies, and it will kill a deer just as dead as the more expensive bow, but it won't have all the bells and whistles.

Imo you would be in better shape the used 82 airborne... it's a fantastic bow, and you can spend the rest of your $ on sight drop away rest and stabilizer and you will be way ahead of the game..
that way if you find out it's not for you you can part it out and get most of your money back!

What about slingshot?

tmaggie50 said:

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I'm interested in getting my first ever bow. I've been doing some initial research on the components of bows, but dont know the difference in qualities between different brands. I'm looking for an affordable starter bow. It will be used for deer, hog, and hopefully elk next year. I'd appreciate any thoughts on bow brands, the different price points, and what the major differences are in bows at different price points.

I read an article that talked about several good bang for your buck bows and this was one of them.
http://www.beararchery.com/bows/compound/cruzer-rth

Ultimately, I would like to stay in the $600 range including all components of the bow. However, I dont know if that is a reasonable number. Any specific bows or bow setup recommendations is appreciated. I will drop in to the West Houston Archery shop sometime this week to take a look around as well.

Edit: Compound Bows

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started bow hunting two years ago and have been happy with the bear cruzer as a starter bow. developed a lot of skill with it, and am starting to think about an upgrade, but also thinking about going with a recurve to 'raise the bar' of hunting challenge again. but i like my cruzer - not fancy but perfectly serviceable package, fwiw.

First time Bow Hunter as well. Would love to know what more experienced bow hunters think about this bow and price...

Diamond Bow
[url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RGAPIYA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3MPBYG0BZ6JVW&coliid=I2LCZQT2BYUU8P&psc=1][/url]
Thanks for any tips!

blockhead said:

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First time Bow Hunter as well. Would love to know what more experienced bow hunters think about this bow and price...

Diamond Bow
[url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RGAPIYA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3MPBYG0BZ6JVW&coliid=I2LCZQT2BYUU8P&psc=1][/url]
Thanks for any tips!

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Great for a kid.

My first "real bow" was a Diamond. I had it until 2 years ago when I got a Bowtech RPM. Killed plenty of animals with the Diamond. I'd go with it if you are wanting to get into bowhunting without spending 1000+

the problem is not that the bow above is a Diamond (which is just the single cam Bowtech line). the issue is that the bow above is made for kids, and highly adjustable as they grow from 8 years old to an adult.

Nothing wrong with a Diamond Bow. But I would not recommend the almost infinitely adjustable bows like the one linked in that post.

If you don't like the 82nd Airborne that AC has, then if this bow is still available you should take a look at it. I contemplated picking it up as a back-up bow. I dont' know if he still has it or not, but there aren't any posts on his thread...

Diamond Blackout SS - TexAgs

Sean98 said:

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the problem is not that the bow above is a Diamond (which is just the single cam Bowtech line). the issue is that the bow above is made for kids, and highly adjustable as they grow from 8 years old to an adult.

Nothing wrong with a Diamond Bow. But I would not recommend the almost infinitely adjustable bows like the one linked in that post.

If you don't like the 82nd Airborne that AC has, then if this bow is still available you should take a look at it. I contemplated picking it up as a back-up bow. I dont' know if he still has it or not, but there aren't any posts on his thread...

Diamond Blackout SS - TexAgs

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Thanks so much for your post! I am learning...

Can you walk me through why the Blackout SS is better than the Amazon post one? I am completely new to this. What is a single cam?

Thanks for help with newbie!

pb

Cams are located at the very top and bottom of the bow and they rotate backwards when you draw. If you look at photos of various bows some cams are more "aggressive" (tear drop shaped) and others are more round in shape. A single cam bow will have a more round cam up top, and an aggressive cam down low like this...

Meanwhile dual cam bows will have the more aggressive cams both top and bottom.

Generalization: Single cam bow - slower and smoother; Dual cam bow - faster but harsher draw

Diamond began as the single cam line for Bowtech, but I think they have dual cam bows now too. Mathews initial flagship bows were all single cam as well, but now they have a lot of dual cam bows. The archery world is moving to dual cam bows for the most part as technology has developed to allow for a smoother drawing dual cam bow.

As for the bow you posted, it is designed to be a kids bow. It is adjustable from a 24" draw length to a 31" draw length, and from a 30# draw to a 70# draw. That is great if you are going to be growing and don't want to buy a new bow for a teenager every time they hit a growth spurt. But it also doesn't operate all that efficiently because it's built to operate acceptably over a wide range of draw lengths/weights... it's NOT designed to operate at optimum capacity at a certain draw length.

So my recommendation if you're an adult is to find a bow that fits your specs (get your draw length measured). For most that will be something between 28" and 30" and then determine what weight your'e comfortable drawing - usually 50# to 70#. Bows in this class will generally perform better, within tighter specs, than will a bow like the Infinite Edge. Think power tools... are you looking for 1 tool that can do a lot of jobs around the house "okay?" Or are you looking for a specific tool that does a specific job perfectly? If you're fully grown then I'd opt for the specific tool in this case.

Sean98 said:

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Cams are located at the very top and bottom of the bow and they rotate backwards when you draw. If you look at photos of various bows some cams are more "aggressive" (tear drop shaped) and others are more round in shape. A single cam bow will have a more round cam up top, and an aggressive cam down low like this...

Meanwhile dual cam bows will have the more aggressive cams both top and bottom.

Generalization: Single cam bow - slower and smoother; Dual cam bow - faster but harsher draw

Diamond began as the single cam line for Bowtech, but I think they have dual cam bows now too. Mathews initial flagship bows were all single cam as well, but now they have a lot of dual cam bows. The archery world is moving to dual cam bows for the most part as technology has developed to allow for a smoother drawing dual cam bow.

As for the bow you posted, it is designed to be a kids bow. It is adjustable from a 24" draw length to a 31" draw length, and from a 30# draw to a 70# draw. That is great if you are going to be growing and don't want to buy a new bow for a teenager every time they hit a growth spurt. But it also doesn't operate all that efficiently because it's built to operate acceptably over a wide range of draw lengths/weights... it's NOT designed to operate at optimum capacity at a certain draw length.

So my recommendation if you're an adult is to find a bow that fits your specs (get your draw length measured). For most that will be something between 28" and 30" and then determine what weight your'e comfortable drawing - usually 50# to 70#. Bows in this class will generally perform better, within tighter specs, than will a bow like the Infinite Edge. Think power tools... are you looking for 1 tool that can do a lot of jobs around the house "okay?" Or are you looking for a specific tool that does a specific job perfectly? If you're fully grown then I'd opt for the specific tool in this case.

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This is one of the main reasons I love the OB!! Thanks for the lesson!

Quick Question - This will be my first season bow hunting in the fall. I also have a 9yo who will start rifle hunting with me this year and bow hunting in years following. Would this be a good bow for me to learn on and then pass to him and my other kids? Looking to not spend a ton of money on me initially till I know what I like.

Thanks!

pb

If you go into it with those expectations, yes, I think it'll be just fine. It won't be an optimum performance bow because it isn't designed for that. But it will shoot, it will kill, and it will be great for a kid. Take good care of it, normal maintenance, and it should be good for him for quite some time.

Just keep in mind you wont' be able to pass it back and forth between you and him. It's very adjustable, but not "instantly" adjustable. It takes quite a bit of work between set-ups. So if you have it at 29" for you, and then he wants to shoot it at 24" you have a lot to do to get it set up for him.

Sean98 said:

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If you go into it with those expectations, yes, I think it'll be just fine. It won't be an optimum performance bow because it isn't designed for that. But it will shoot, it will kill, and it will be great for a kid. Take good care of it, normal maintenance, and it should be good for him for quite some time.

Just keep in mind you wont' be able to pass it back and forth between you and him. It's very adjustable, but not "instantly" adjustable. It takes quite a bit of work between set-ups. So if you have it at 29" for you, and then he wants to shoot it at 24" you have a lot to do to get it set up for him.

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Thanks bub!!

I recently went through the process to pick out my first bow. I really really liked the bowtech carbon icon with the RAK package. I think it is around $550. Of course you still need a release, arrows, and a case though...

Go to Gander Mountain right now and buy whatever's left on the archery rack. They had some fully rigged mid-range setups last week for about 40% off.

Wow Sean,

Great history lesson. I think you bring great points as well. Just want to add that if you are looking at the highly adjustable ones, you should consider a step above the infinite edge pro. There are a couple that would be more suited to a beginner adult.

There are two I would consider (both are dual cam):

Diamond Edge SB-1: This is a a step up from the one mentioned and feels like a larger bow. It also uses the binary cam system usually found on Bowtech bows.

Mission Hype DTX: This is from mission and is a nice starter bow.

You could use either of these as you start and then move up and pass this one along to your son.