Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting What New Bow for Christmas?

I need some help in picking out a new compound hunting bow for a friend to give to her significant other for Christmas. She came to me for help but I've been into the traditional stuff for about ten years and don't really know what to tell her.

A lot of brands have come to the forefront of the market since then (Mathews, BowTech, ect) as well as the old standard (Bear, Martin, Hoyt) still being available.

The bow will manly be used for Elk hunting. He's a big guy so I'm guessing he will have no issues with a 70lbs class bow.
I'm not sure the exact amount she wants to spend but something in the middle price range would be good.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Get a gift certificate to a pro shop, let him pick out what fits and feels right to him, nobody can possibly do that as a gift. Odds are high what ever is picked out he would return and get something that was his dream bow anyhow.

If you go forth with the purchase, make sure the shop knows it's a gift and make sure they will allow a return to proper fit, or what the guy feels best drawing and shooting.

Just a suggestion, Although a mans size is a good basic idea showing his strength, drawing a bow is technique as much as strength. It can be learned with good coaching, but I have seen some really big guys struggle with 60lbs.

JJHACK you are so far off the money. A guys size has zero to do with what he may or may not be able to draw. In theory a small guy has a better chance to pull more weight as he has less distance to cover. So no a guys size is not a good basic idea.

The rest of your post was on the money. Unless you know what he wants already for a bow, what draw lenght he is, and what poundage he wants you are better off with the gift certificate. I got a new bow from my awesome wife last year (Carbon Matrix) but she knew and the guys at the shop all knew what I would need. No I did not ask for or even want the bow but once I got it, well it was game on.

I am guessing MontanaCreekHunter is a midget. Most of the civilized world knows that big men are usually, but not always stronger than average.

Yup I am a midget and very weak.

I don't care if your a linebacker in the NFL you would be better off with a bow that you can easily pull and shoot for many shots. 35# for a beginner is plenty. Spending a load of money on your first bow is usually not a great idea either. Get a cheapo, shoot it - find out what you really want, then spend the big $. Trad shooting is way to fun to be overbowed and wear out before your ready to stop.

Size doesn't equal strenght look at gymnist and wrestlers (small wrestlers are pound for pound much stronger then their larger counterparts). Not to metion the fact that the muscles used to pull a bow back are not used in a lot of other activities.