Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Which Bow is Best?

Hey all im a first time poster on the new bowhunting board.. . im looking into getting into the sport of bowhunting and i was wondering if anyone had some advice as to which bow would be best for a beginning bow hunter. Im interested in a compound bow, and a draw weight from 45 to 60lbs.. and i will be hunting whitetail deer, and possibly black bear... well any help is appreciated.<BR>YoungHunter

Younghunter, the most important thing is to get one that fits you and feels best in your hand. I just bought a new Browning Adrenanline because it felt the best to me when I picked it up and when I shot it. I actually thought i would not like it because it seemed like a very radical design, but its all how it shoots. For instance, I think PSE makes a great bow, but I just cant get along with their grip, its that simple. Go out and shoot as many different kinds of bows that are in your range as possible. Most pro shops will let you try out a bow before you buy it, so take advantage of it. Good luck and let us know what you get.

YH, You're sure to get a lot of "answers" here. Here's mine:<P>Mathews MQ32, carbon arrows, no overdraw, single pin sight set to 20 yards (or most probable range. If you're equally likely to have shots at 10 and 40 yards, you may need another pin.) And put some money down for a good release.<P>This bow is light, handy, and feels dreamy. It dosen't weigh much, but still has good heft. I use the 80% letoff draw and set mine at 60 lbs. I don't think I would change anything for elk. There's a significant arrow drop from 20 to 30 yards, and you need to know this if you are going to shoot that far. This bow is expensive by my measure, but nothing else comes close. It was love at first feel. At this point, I am more than happy for this to be the last bow I ever buy.<P>I use the Muzzy 3 blade 100 grain broadheads and usually begin shooting seriously in May. I can see the advantage of mechanicals, but for now I'll use what I have. I have a couple targets that sit in a lane cut into the woods off my deck. Drop a few dozen per week into them and I'm fine by September (obviously, I'm not a competitive 3D shooter!).<P>One note here: if you will be shooting from a stand, it is absolutely necessary for you to practice from it in simulated hunting conditions. And don't forget to practice the "straight down" shot. This is not easy. Don't end up looking as silly as I have!<P>I love this bow. It works for me. It is very handy in a stand or blind or thick cover. I could make mine faster, but the two whitetails that got completely penetrated last year didn't complain! I don't want to trade speed for "forgivability" in my bow.<P>Good luck! The great thing about the bow is that you can hunt before the masses screw everything up, plus in states where you have a draw (as you know) you can get on great hunting.<P>My first love is the bolt action rifle, but I will be the first to tell you that there is NOTHING like trying to keep your stuff wired together while your animal is doing its thing a few feet away. The longest distance in the world is the 29 inches between relaxed and full draw!<P>Good shooting, Talus

Billygoat,<P>I am just starting in bowhunting and just got a PSE Nova, nice economical bow for a beginner. I think I understand your issue with the grip, as I'm having issues with keeping my arm out of the way... but there are so many factors that add up to the total picture that for a beginner selecting a new bow is tuff... as most of the lessons are learned in the feild.<P>I'm still adjusting things, so even my statement about the grip may turn out wrong. Just yesterday I discovered that the dork at the shop I purchased the bow didn't place the peep where it should be, nor told me I had to adjust it... so I was adjusting the site to fit that. Total newbie mistake... Now I have to adjst the peep and start over.<P>The only thing I've accomplished to date is building strength! Oh, I'll add to that... I'm learning that it's a big picture, and that one adjustment here affects another there... and so on and so on!<P>Diana<BR><P>------------------<BR><A HREF="http://huntcentral.com/home.html" TARGET=_blank>My Hunting Site!</A>

Huntress, nice to see you are starting to make the rounds. I am the same BG that is on HA and moderate on Southern Outdoorsman. Anyway, if you are hitting your arm, it sounds like your draw is too long for you. If you research me back a little, I am a bow guy at a archery pro shop, but you can find that stuff out by visiting the past posts that have been made. Not trying to knock another shop, but sounds like the guy didnt do a good job fiting you to your bow. I never tie a peep in until the customer likes where it is. I have retied peeps in 4 times for one guy before. And you are right, the nova is a nice bow. Its nice to hear you are building strength, because bows are wierd in the sense that the only real way to build those muscles is to shoot. There really isnt another exercise that i am aware of that does the same thing. Well, if you have any questions, feel free to post them or email me. My email is posted on all sites, and that goes for anyone. Good luck and let us know how things go.