Okay guys, I'm looking at getting back into bowhunting (after a 12 year absence) and before I go and drop a ton of dough on a new bow I'm thinking used may be my route to get my feel again. I've got a good friend that runs the gun/bow section of a pawn shop that has an inventory that puts many of our LGS to shame. I trust him and he knows his stuff without being a know it all. They have a Matthews Outback with fiber optic sight, whisker biscuit, & quiver for $329. I'm sure the bow itself was $6-700 new so is the price typical for used bows or should one of these command more? Possible it's been mistreated? It looks to be in great shape. What signs should I look for before I take the plunge? Thanks for any help.

Do you trust him????? Is he that knowledgeable?????

Seems if that were all true you wouldn't be asking here.

I do trust him but haven't had the chance to speak to him yet. He was out yesterday. I was just curious about the values of these bows on the used market. Thanks so much for the help.

It is hard for anyone to give an accurate value without seeing the bow.

In my area a used bow is at best going to get 60% of retail. Of course there are exceptions and condition is a major factor as well.

I appreciate your two most recent posts. I haven't looked seriously at bows in more than a decade and had no clue about used bow values. I was curious about how bows held value compared to guns. Also I mentioned my confidence in the owner because if something is not up to snuff he won't price it comparatively with similar items of higher condition. With its lower price than I first expected I wondered if these bows usually went for more used and if the price would usually indicate a red flag and to keep away or if this was the norm. Since he wasn't in the shop yesterday I hoped some of you guys that have bought bows in the past couple of years could shed some light, especially if someone had sold one or bought used. Thanks again.

Compared to guns I would say bows suck as far as retaining value goes. The used bow market is a gem for guys looking to save some money and buy a year or two old bow.

If I were you I would tap out both sides of each limb to insure the limbs are not delaminated.

Okay, splain yourself, what do you mean tap out both sides of the limbs? And thanks for the help on used bows.

Take a quarter and tap on the faces of the limbs if you hear a dead sound means the limb has a delamination. If you can get the bow in a press even better to tap it out with the limbs relaxed.

Gotcha. Correct me if I'm wrong, but delaminating can occur from dry firing or continuous firing with too light arrows?

correct

Thanks for the tips. Maybe this fall I will get in some bow hunting. It'll be fun to get back into it. Thanks again!!

No worries and good luck. Just a little suggestion. If I were you I would go shoot as many bows as I could to see what feels best to you. Then look for that bow for sale in your draw length.

I will probably do that. There is so much new stuff available that wasn't even a consideration when I first started. Luckily there is a good pro shop about 5 min down the road and I'm pretty sure they have an indoor range and sampler bows. Thanks!!

The new tech is much different than what you were probably used to, I was out for over ten years as well.

Easiest tell on an older Mathews is the area around the grip. Bows with high usage tend to show white through the camo finish. It's usally on the high edges of the metal around the grp, and spreads as the grip area wears. High use bows will be almost white.

Also, keep in mind that the Outback has been ot of production for at least seven years (2004-07 production) by Mathews. So, you are probably going to have to hunt the ued parts market if you have an issue. Not saying you have to buy new, but I'd buy "newer". The bow is probably valued at $150-200, the WB is about $30, the quiver is about $30-50, so it needs to be a damn good sight to make the $350 mark. JMHO

I don't know if you have tried the bow for draw length, but if it doesn't fit, it's going to be a search for a new cam in the correct draw, these models change the whole lower unit instead of a simple module.

The other limb killer is heat, leaving bows in the case in the truck in the summer will cause limb de-lam issues as well. Watch out for a used bow that has been stored in the truck instead of the house. Watch out for Bubba and his rolling archery supply store...

Creek is right, used-bow value dives after one year, and I'd argue 50% of value at best if it's over two years old, and 20-25% at the five year mark.

OBTW, you going to need arrows for the bow, don't trust any hand-me-downs with the bow, which will add another $120-150 on top of the bow for a dozen good quality properly spined arrows.

I'm not bashing your buddy, I've had friends with shops that took care of me as well, but at the end of the day, they are in business to make money. I personally think for the $500 minumum you are going to invest to get the package right, you could do better with newer bows for similiar or close-to the price point.

Thanks AH. Especially for the tips regarding the whitening near the grip. Makes sense. I was hesitant to pull the trigger without drawing or shooting. Agree on the heat issues and arrow point as well. After posting I did some research on the interweb and saw its years of production. I would like to get one of the newer production bear bows with the RTH kits maybe a year or two old and possibly a year end close out. Thanks again!!

I'll play devil's advocate and say, if that bow fits, buy it. Like AH said though, if it doesn't you'll be chasing down used cams on Archery Talk, so that makes it much less of a deal. I'd also add that odds are, if it has 60-70# limbs, and you are not retard strong, you'd be better off with lighter limbs. Most folks are "over-bowed".

Take a look at huntersfriend.com and their ready to hunt packages. I have bought several from them and they were great to deal with

I like that website pacecars. Tons of information. Thanks!! And the package prices aren't bad either.

Go to Ebay they have a chit load of Bows for Auction , New and Used

Used bows are a great bargain - like golf clubs they lose about 40% of their value in a short time and most have lots of life yet - owners of good bows tend to take good care of them. Find your proper draw length and pull a few different weights to see what is manageable. If you are small framed or older 50-60lbs might be where you need to be. Most adult men can pull 60 lbs untilthe let-off is reduced with some practice. Just because your bow can be set to 70 doesn't mean you have to have it there. If you pay attention to your bow, wax the string often and replace it every few years you can use a good bow like a Mathews or Bowtech for many years.

I'm currently gathering funds for a Diamond Core. bowhunterssuperstore.com has a package similar to the Bear/PSE packages for $376. Hunters friend has that bow in a package for $555. I know hunters friend includes arrows, tips, release, etc but for now I think I'm going to go that route. Thanks for all of the help guys.

There's no way I would ever buy a new bow knowing that you can get 1-2 year old bows at half of their original cost simply by searching the internet.

ArcheryTalk is your friend.

The outback was \ is a very good bow when it was released. I have since upgraded to a DXT a few years ago, but wouldnt have any issue hunting with an outback. Price seems reasonable with the quiver, sight, and biscuit.

I will add to what's already been said that you should look at the sights and arrow rest that come with a used matthews and research what that sight costs new. When I bought my first Matthews new, the arrow rest and sight cost nearly as much as the bow itself. I later upgraded to a newer Matthews and transferred the old sight and rest. If you buy a bow without a good sight/rest you may end spending big $$$ on outfitting it.

I shoot an Outback and bought mine used a two year old bow. It was like new for under half the price of a new one. It was all set up with sight rest quiver and 12 arrows. It was a great deal I have not updated but have replaced cables and string through the years. Since then I picked up the same bow for little or nothing for a spare bow. It was almost new and paid less then a 1/4 of what it cost new and it was also all set up. It has been a great bow and yes you can get a good bow if you go looking.

Agreed, but.....make sure you know what draw length and weight you want. Changing cams on a Mathews is a $100 deal to change draw length. And if you did not buy the bow from the dealer there will probably not be any deals on the service costs.

There are some very nice bows in the $500 price range new. The Hoyt Charger comes to mind - with one of those you get a new bow, service, warranty a shop not poed because you brought in something bought elsewhere, etc. Something to think about.

that's what I did, I bought a new old stock bow that was a left over from the previous year. saved me about 25% of brand new cost and was still a new bow.
I went with a PSE stinger and love it. very reasonable and perfect to get back into archery hunting. in a year or two I might pop for a new high end bow, but if this thing keeps shooting as good as it does, I might not!

I've purchased two bows used off of archerytalk. Paid about $200 each and neither had much use. I knew my draw length and what weight I wanted and seached until I find that bow. Lots of people want the latest and buy and sell one every year. I doubt I will every buy one neww again. Make sure the seller has good feedback, though.