BowHunting Buying Tips

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Tips for Buying a Bow

  • Draw weight one of the most important considerations is the draw weight of the bow of your choice and its draw length.
  • Go to a bow shop and have your draw length determined by an experienced pro. Whether you shoot a compound or recurve, your draw length is of critical importance.
  • Select a bow in the weight range that is comfortable for you. Modern bow equipment is incredibly powerful, a modern compound bow drawing not more than 50 pounds will blow a properly placed arrow right through most big game animals up to Elk and Moose.. Don't make the mistake of selecting a bow that is over powered in the hope that you will "grow" into it. Shooting an overpowered bow will result in bad shooting form habits that will be hard to break down the road. One sure way of judging whether or not you are drawing too much weight, is if you have to go through any "unnatural" movements in drawing your bow. If you have to radically shift your shoulder (in order to keep from hurting) you have too much bow! If your arrow is falling off your rest because of your arm movements, look first to reducing your draw weight.
  • The individual "feel" of a bow will make a major difference in the way you shoot it. Pick up and shoot, if possible, a number of different bows, with different weights, lengths etc...
  • If you are going to go either the stick bow, or recurve route, consider a bow within a 50 to 60 pound maximum range. That is more than enough to do the job, and is still within a range one can handle.
  • If you are going to a compound, you might consider a bow in the 60 - 65 pound range, at the very least 45 pounds.. Generally speaking, if you can handle a recurve of a certain weight, your compound should not me more than 15 pounds more weight than a recurve. If you are choosing a compound bow, look for one with a higher brace height. That is the distance from the string to the riser of the bow. A bow with a higher riser will be a more forgiving bow. A higher riser will generally will not be the fastest bow, but for the new archer will be a better place to start from.

The Accessories

  • Arrow speed is often overrated. I'm more concerned with forgiveness and stability. Speed, which creates flatter trajectory, compensates for not knowing distance. Instead of blazing arrow speed, I rely on a laser range-finder. By knowing which pin to use, I take the uncertainty out of shooting.
  • Beginners often overlook the importance of a rest. Your rest should have a simple design because extra screws, springs and movable parts can cause breakdowns. With rests, quiet and reliable are buzz words.
  • Most bow-hunters are more accurate and consistent when using a bow sight. Purchase a sturdy sight, and don't ignore micro-adjustability, which is nice for precise settings. Fiber-optic pins are popular, and rightfully so. In most situations, a three-pin sight is sufficient. Choose a sight that is well camouflaged, has a dull finish, or camouflage it yourself.

Arrow Choice

  • A bow is no better than the arrow it shoots. Arrows must be straight and matched and spined for the bow. Arrow material is a personal choice, but consider these differences: Aluminum is affordable and effective, but it bends easily and is less durable than carbon or carbon-aluminum shafts. Carbon arrows might be more expensive, but they are almost indestructible. Arrows deserve their own page as their are so many variables. You can read more about arrows here...

    • Bow Silence

  • Contrary to the belief of most archery hunters, speed will not compensate for a loud bow.
  • Modern bowhunters are rapidly jumping on the band wagon and buying bows that are fast. Unfortunately, these bowhunters are overlooking the noise factor. Speed versus noise has been one of the many heated topics in the bowhunting world over the past few years. An average whitetail buck has a vital kill zone of eight inches. Therefore the deer needs to move only four inches to put a damper on a successful hunt. Through slow-motion video tape, it has been proved that an alert buck is capable of moving 12 to 24 inches to escape an arrow. Some modern bows are shooting 300 feet per second so an arrow must travel at a velocity of 750 feet per second to make contact before any Big Game animal can jump or twist out of the way of a perfect shot. This popular phenomenon is known in the archery hunting world as "string jumping".
  • Using a good stabilizer is often overlooked. A good rubber-loaded or hydraulic stabilizer system will absorb bow noise drastically. Always make sure a stabilizer is the perfect weight. A stabilizer should cause the bow to sit straight up and down in your extended hand. This will drastically decrease muscle tension. Muscle tension will throw off your accuracy.
  • Make sure sleeves and other clothing are completely out of the way of the bowstring. A string that is intercepted by a sleeve will make a loud whack. The collision of a bowstring and hunting clothes will cause an arrow to hit left or right. An arm guard will often pull a sleeve out of the way.
  • String silencers will also help to dampen the vibration of a bowstring. You should attach string silencers at both ends of the bowstring, about six inches from each end. Keep in mind, the closer to the middle of the string, the more inertia the string must overcome. Silencers made of rubber filaments or fleece will often work well.
  • Always be sure to check arrow rest screws. Coat the prongs of a metal arrow rest, with rubber tubing. Using rubber on a metal arrow rest eliminates the sliding noise that tends to alert everything in the woods of an archers presence. Rubber tubing is put on by melting it around the prongs with a lighter. Shooting will rapidly wear it down so be prepared to reapply it often.
  • Most importantly, always check for loose sight pins or screws. The sound of a loose sight pin will always put a deer's belly to the ground and tail in the air. Screws tend to rattle loose if they are not occasionally tightened. Make sure all quiver attachment's are tight. Use a hip quiver that straps around the tree when in a tree stand.

    • Silencing your hunting bow for the upcoming season is not time consuming, it is smart. A quiet hunting bow consists a of solid noise dampening system. With a quiet and accurate bow you will have one heck of a season!


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