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I bought my almost 5yo a starter Bear compound bow set from cabelas that he's been wanting for Christmas. I shot a bow for a year or 2 as a teen but never got in to it. I'd like to get back at it as something we can do together. What would be a recommendation for a start bow? Package? By items separate? How does weight come in to play? Too light a bad thing? I like the feel of a barrel heavy rifle and shoot it better. Any help on rec's getting me going appreciated.

Diamond prism. Great youth bow.

Season's Greetings Mgw619,

I am far from a professional bow seller, but I have been bow hunting successfully since 1984, and have learn quit a bit in the process.

A couple of questions before I give you some helpful tips and my 2 cents worth.

Do you Plan on going from shooting with your son to hunting with him with the bow?

Do you know your draw length?

I mis read the op. You want a bow for yourself. I thought your boy grew out of his bear. Sorry. I bought my son, who's 10 that diamond. I mess with it here and there and it will go to 50 pounds. Great bow for a rookie as well. I would look at something inexpensive and already outfitted with accessories. Most bows will accommodate draw lengths from 20" to 31" and vary from 20 to 60 or even 70 pounds. If you really want a challenge that is very fun as well, try a recurve. Fun watching an arrow hit its mark.

Evening,
I most likely will hunt a little with it. I'm going to be at the shorter end of the draw length range. Im 5'8.

Go to a pro shop, get your draw length measured. Shoot some bows, new and used. Then decide which bow to buy. And don’t over bow, meaning draw weight. A 60 pound compound bow will kill anything on the planet except African dangerous game.

Merry Christmas everyone,

Dale is right about having your draw length measured as it is the first thing you should do!

When I started bow hunting I had a bow given to me, I didn't know a thing about bows and the draw length on it was way too short for me!

I look at bows no different than the way I look at rifles, if they did not fit, I would never buy it. I am currently shooting a Darton Vapor, it fits me perfectly, another important component that is a must for me is that it feels good in my hands, so the type of hand grip is important to me.

Another important criterion I have is a quality string, which most local bow ranges/stores will make for you, I always have them made for me, instead of buying them off the shelf.

Sights are very important, I do not like sights with multiple color pins, I use an Ascent Black Gold 1-pin adjustable site, so when I am hunting, I range the animal and dial in the sight to match the range.



Arrow rests are really important as well, I use a Trophy Ridge Revolution, it really holds your arrows in place especially when you are sitting in a tree stand and have it hanging on the tree so it will not fall off the rest when you grab your bow from the tree to shoot. 1 less thing to worry about!

You want an great, worry free rest with the clearance to elinimate "Friction" to maintan arrow speed and not to ijterfer with the flight path.

Speed, look for a bow that offers flight speed over 280 FPS, animals have great ears, and you want your arrow in them before they jump the string!



Weight, I prefer lighter bows, had a Hoyt Super Slam Supreme once, what a tank and a pain to carry all day long on Elk Hunts.

Buying used can be a great option, going to different bow ranges and KIJIJI, you may get a smoking deal on one that fits you and is completely set up with the right accessories, saving you $$$.

For Arrowheads I use Slick Tricks, they are IMO the deadliest, very Accurate and lethal.

For arrows, I use Gold Tip Kinetic XT 300, they are tough and small in diameter.

This is my bow and a picture of a Monster Manitoba Black bear I killed with my Hoyt.

Bottom Line, if you are going to get set up for having fun practicing with a bow, that you will eventually take hunting, you may as do it right on the first purchase. That way you do not have to upgrade cheap equipment and accessories for proper equipment, which are truly designed for hunting, I wish I had someone giving me that advice when I started.

You will get familiar with the bow, without having to change parts/accessories and re-educate yourself. That process is time-consuming and can be expensive! It was for me.

Thanks for the in detailed Info, Killer. I appreciate it. Thoughts on stabilizers? Single cam vs dual?

Amen to what Dale said! The biggest mistake I made when getting into archery was buying a bow off the internet instead of from a dealer. At the range I see guys who've done the same thing: wrong draw length, wrong poundage, wrong brace height, even wrong-handed!

If you are not too far away to get to Snellville visit Archery Learning Center and see George and his staff.
Starting off on the right path is a wise move.

To be honest I have only owned 3 bows, the first was a Browning Bear as old as the hills bow, the second was a Hoyt Supreme Super Slam ( I hated it) the 3rd is my Darton Vapor I bought in 2005. So I am not up on the latest technology or what is available these days, but I am sure they are lightyears ahead in technology, way beyond what I am shooting.

As for Stabilizers, I bought one years ago and did not like it, it added weight so and I did not see any benefits to it, so I got rid of it immediately. I like everything light when I hunt and I do not do any competitive shooting, where I see most people using them.

I did add Limbsavers to my bow, which reduced vibration big time and dampened the noise, which is great if you hunt, and all I use my bow for is hunting. I highly recommend them, picture below.

With my, by now, ancient Darton lol, I can put arrows inside a 3" diameter target at 80 yards and it's all I will ever need. I have killed deer, moose, and bears with it.

In my view, if you want to be a good shot with a bow, you have to put in the time to practice, which is more important than the type of bow you use (IMO).

If I were you, I would buy the latest technology that falls into my budget, if budget constraints aren't an issue, I would do a lot of research and buy the best bow with the latest technology on the market today and designed for the purpose you intend to use it for.

Most of my bow kills have been under <20 yards.

I badly injured my shoulder two years ago, so I am thinking of buying a crossbow, I will be doing lots of research on them before I do! I have always considered a Crossbow "Cheating" lol, but my Darton is set at 74lbs, and with my shoulder, it's painful to pull.

Thanks guys.

I want to commend you on asking the questions you have, good decision!

When you narrow down your search, watch the YouTube review videos and read as many reviews as you can. As I mentioned, nothing beats the fit and feel in your hands.

Bow hunting is so much fun and rewarding. When you hunt with a bow, you are truly Hunting, which is why it is called Bowhunting.

Wishing you and your son many years of happy shooting and hunting.

Happy New Year

I see where there is a range of different axle to axle lengths. Shorter vs longer have any pros and cons other than just what feels right to one person or another? I also see bows with short frames and long limbs and long fra.es and short almost parallel limbs. Any pros or cons on that subject?

When I was a young lad……

I shot a bear recurve…..lil cub I believe.

If I wanted to have fun with a 5 year old…..I’d start there.

I was so small, my dad would string it backwards so I could pull it back.

I have shot longbows, recurves, compounds, cross bow.

My favorite shooting hands down is a recurve.

Bow fishing was a favorite activity when I was a skipper.

Yes. I agree.

Stabilizers can help balance a bow. They can also reduce shock and noise. And.....they can help stabilize the bow through the shot.

Yes you can shoot decent without a stabilizer. But most folks do better with one.

Some models are kinda worthless though.

Ive shot flagship bows for decades, but have come to the conclusion that since I dont shoot indoors or 3d anymore, blowing 1500 or so on a bare bow aint worth it.

My 2024 Hoyt Torrex should be in soon

But I did drop a chunk for a new Blackwidow recurve a yr ago. Thats different as I wanted it built to a certain spec.

I dont see my arrow unless its past 20 yards and barely then as im target focused.

Plus my stuff is tuned so theres not much to see.

Bad flight is very visible.