Beginner bow - compound or traditional?

[SAFalconer]

Ok. From what I've seen Mathews are quite expensive. I'm looking for something a bit cheaper. In like the R7000 and lower price bracket.

 

[bluey]

a lot of people ,only shoot mahews , down here too , jon.
ive never shot one myself.
I like the bowtec kit.
or hoyt,as a close second.

 

[SAFalconer]

Which Bowtech would you recommend?

 

[bluey]

maybe an invasion cpx,you could get one second hand in plenty good condition , for that budget.
ready to hunt. and get many years enjoyment out of it .
my favourite bowtec bow , is the old guardian ,its still my favourite bow ,and takes pole position over the bench ,in the pool room .
I got that in 2007 .
nowdays im hunting with my hoyt maxxiss 32 ,with dg limbs .which now an old bow itself , I got that in 2011.

but there many good bows popping up for sale younger than my two , at some good prices.
is there an online bowhunting forum in south Africa?
theres usually some bargains to be had on them for second hand bows .
check out some other brands as well , bear, diamond, martin

 

[Bullthrower338]

http://missionarchery.com/product/craze/
Check this bow out, I bought one for my GF and one for my son. They are an excellent bow and very reasonably priced. It has a wide range in weight of pull and draw length. Great starter bow! Mission is a Mathews Company. Alright Mathews where is my dam hat for plugging y'all again!LOL
I shoot a Mathews Heli m with a trijicon bow site, love it! Most of the bows on the market make it hard to say what is the best, I believe it is so close these days that it all boils down to personal preference and what you shoot the best. When I started shooting a bow it was a Browning Delux Nomad. It resembled a polished piece of driftwood and was slooooow, todays bows are unbelievable when I look back at where I started. With that being said, buy the best bow that you can afford, shoot it, get your fundamentals down and enjoy yourself. There is no feeling like watching your fletching disappear through a rib cage on a perfectly shot animal that you have painstakingly stalked.

 

[SAFalconer]

Thanks guys. I'll look into both of your suggestions.

 

[jeff]

I think the Bowtech Assasin is a extreme value and competes with more expensive bows.

 

[Norwegianwoods]

Which Bowtech would you recommend?

First of all you need to measure your draw length properly.
Since you are 6'3" it is a good chance you will have a draw length more than 30" and that limits your options.
Specially if your draw length is more than 31".

I am 6'2" myself and my draw length is very close to 32"(broad shoulders and long arms).

If you have a draw length more than 31" your only Bowtech option is the Insanity CPXL.

Hoyt has some very good bows up to 32" draw length as well.
I have just ordered a Hoyt Nitrum 34 LD with a draw length of 31.5-32" and with 80 lbs limbs.

Hoyt Carbon Spyder ZT LD is also a very good but more expensive option for a 31.5-32" draw length .
If your draw length is even more than 32", then the PSE Freak SP that goes up to a 33" draw length might be a good choice.

If your draw length is 30" and shorter there are lots of high quality bows to choose from.

 

[Petrus Geldenhuys]

Slowly but surely. I have found a bow shop in PMB and will check it out asap. Do you have any brand suggestions (ie Hoyt, Bowtech, Bear etc)?

Keep your eyes open on the second hand bow market on Guntree, OLX, Junkmail as well, good bargains every day! Id rather buy a expensive second hand bow that is well priced than buying a new bow that is cheap. just bare in mind that you want to buy something in your draw length range and poundage

A word of advice to what make you should buy, i suggest you stick to the top brands, Mathews, Hoyt and Bowtech there are many other but those are the leaders in the market and you will get a bow that will last forever. go to a bow shop and try and shoot all of them! bare in mind that the shop must set up each bow for your specific draw length and preferences as that is the only way you can compare the bows to each other.

Ive been bow hunting for many years and can give you allot of solid advice if you need it.

 

[SAFalconer]

OK. Thanks for the advice. If I need any more info I'll be sure to ask you.

 

[INGOZI]

Two very different disciplines and shooting styles, trying both at the same time is not advised as the one technique will interfere with the other. Choose one and concentrate all your time and effort to becoming as proficient and accurate as possible.

 

[SAFalconer]

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought of that before.

 

[Bsums]

I'm relatively new to bow hunting but couldn't be happier with the Bowtech Carbon Knight. Its insanely light and shoots perfect.

 

[jeff]

I shoot both regularly and think a good illustration is tradtional is like a shot gun , it's pointed and a compound is carefuly aimed. It doesn't bother me to switch back and forth just like shooting the two different guns. I agree with Ingozi that the two are very different, but thats what I think makes it easy to alternate.

 

[SAFalconer]

I just had a quick look at guntree and have one question. If I find a bow I like but the draw length is either to long or to short can I have it lengthened or shortened to fit me?

 

[Sable123]

Yes you can. Unfortunately most of the second hand bows on sites such as guntree etc...are sold from private guys that may not necessarily know how to change the draw length. And by all means do not buy a bow without firing it first!! If you interested in a bow and the guy doesn't know how to change the draw length then ask him if he wouldn't going with you to a local bow store and having it done there. It may cost a couple of R, but will save you alot more if you buy it without firing it and find out its not your style! One piece of advice, keep that front arm slightly bent. You want to be comfortable in your draw and a straight stiff front arm often puts strain on your muscles meaning you can't "hold draw" for a while, I practise holding draw for atleast 3 minutes and I am shooting around 75-80LBS. Plus you minimize the risk of the string running down your arm when you release and that is kak sore my friend!!
I know bows are expensive and are really a long term investment so go with quality, make sure you are comfortable and if there is even the slightest thing you not happy about with the bow, say "Cheers" and walk away.

Keep us posted and send a few pics if you can.

All the best
Jono

 

[SAFalconer]

Thanks for the advice Jono. I've been looking at new bows like the Bowtech Fuel, G5 Quest and Hoyt Ignite. Are these are good choices for a beginner?

 

[Sable123]

To be honest I'd be happy with either of them. Read a couple of reviews on each and they got some positive feedback. All the bows seem to be "entry level" bows which means they are easily adjustable, very forgiving and tend to provide a lot of assistance in the draw, which for someone starting out is a great thing. Can't say I have heard about the G5 before but I certainly know the Hoyt and Bowtech. Both are adjustable from 14-70LBS and can get you a draw length of 30" with a speed of around 300-330fps, with those figures your good to go on most plains game species! Its up to you to get within range
So it seems price will be your major factor here but also what accessories come with the bow? Does the price include a couple of arrows, a bag, a fitted sight, arrow rest. release trigger, stabilizers, a peep sight? Often the price you see is just for the bow itself and unfortunately a bare bow (one without all the accessories) simply isn't enough.

Exciting times.

 

[SAFalconer]

I'm not sure if they come with all the stuff you mentioned. But I think it is optional. Aside from the bow what other stuff do I need?

 

[Sable123]

Best to chat to the guy in the bow store about that. But a few obvious accessories is a trigger or release which is attached to your arm,arrows of course (save the broadheads until you ready to hunt) an arrow rest is always good as is a stabiliser and a sight. 99% of the time if you buying second hand, they should have all these things. There is plenty other accessories but those would be my must haves. Most guys will try and sell you all kinds of fluffy and wierd things to attach to your string to "make it quieter"but I never bought into that, it was my personal preference.