# Newbie needing advice



## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

First, aside from my beginners bear bow I had when I was young (over 20 years ago), I have never shot a bow. I've looked into it many times and done a bit of research but never even came close to buying. 

A coworker of mine has a Mathews Monster McPherson bow (not sure which model) with stabilizer, Cobra sight, and Tru Fire release he's looking to sell. He got it from a relative for $400, never shot it, and is just looking to recoup his costs. He also said he'd throw in the 6 gold tip arrows with field tips he bought and a target bag for no cost. He said he thinks the bow is set at 60 lb. My draw length is probably going to be around 26 -26.5 and this bow is probably set up for around 29-30. 

So here are my questions. 

Is this a good bow or at least a workable bow for a true beginner? 

About how much will it cost to get the draw length shortened? 

Can the arrows he has be cut down and used with the shorter draw length? 

Are there other considerations I need to take into account for setting the bow up for me?

From what little research I've done, it looks like this bow is about 5-7 years old. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been shot too much in the last 3ish years though. Will it need new strings, and if so about what would that cost? I've heard anything from $50 to $150.

Money is always tight, so if I'm going to have to spend another $150-200 to get it set up for me to use, I'll probably pass. BUT, if this is really too good of a deal to pass up, I could be convinced to make a little room in the budget. I'm not going to be hunting with it this year anyway so I could always buy it now and spend the money to get it set up for me later. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

A lot of options on a brand new, recent model bow for the same price, an example is the Hoyt Powermax. Plus you have the benefit of going to an archery shop that specializes in getting you setup right. If the shop is worth a darn, tuning will be thrown in for free.

That's where I'd start.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm not exactly sure, but I think Monsters are 6 inch brace height speed bows. If that is the case, it is not a good beginners bow. Bows like this achieve great speeds, but require much more exactness on form and can be tricky for beginners to shoot accurately. Look for bows with a 7ish inch brace height.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Yeah you will be close to $150 just for cams to change your draw length unless you can find some used ones. I would go and shoot a bunch of different bows and see what brands fit you the best. The handle is a huge part of how well you will shoot a bow. I Would never own a Mathews with the big blocky wood handle as I can't shoot them consistently to save my life. Even on my hoyts I take the handle off and shoot off of the riser. Thinner is almost always better. You also need to find a draw cycle you like and don't go too short on the axle to axle. Even at 26" draw length I would try to stick to 32" and bigger. also a 7" brace height will help as well. But at a 26" DL a 6" BH is not that terrible. 
I will say the lower end hoyts have been very good. The ones I have played with have tuned and shot very well. Plenty of good bows for all people out there. Hoyt, elite, obsession, xpedition, prime and even bear makes so good bows.


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## Bowhunter50 (Oct 14, 2014)

colorcountrygunner said:


> I'm not exactly sure, but I think Monsters are 6 inch brace height speed bows. If that is the case, it is not a good beginners bow. Bows like this achieve great speeds, but require much more exactness on form and can be tricky for beginners to shoot accurately. Look for bows with a 7ish inch brace height.


I agree. In my opinion, I don't believe a short brace height bow is the best option for a beginner. Early on I shot a short brace height bow and found that I enjoy shooting bows with a decent brace height. To me they seem more forgiving and easy and fun to shoot.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## OldRookie (Jun 30, 2016)

For what it's worth- I just got into archery last year. Did a lot of research and ended up buying a Bear Cruzer $399.00.
Ready to hunt, once you adjust draw length/weight and sight in. I have had several experienced archery friends tell me that it is one of the best beginner bows they have seen.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

I just got into it last year and Shoot a Monster ChillR... Short brace height but I have never had issues.. shoots great. With a 26" draw I don't know how 6" would really be an issue for you. 

Regardless, the cams will be expensive, and the arrows aren't going to be cut to your length. Figure out exactly what model it is, and what cams would run, as well as install.. Maybe get a new string as well. Depending on model, you may have a $1200-$1500 setup for half the price with brand new cams and string... So look at all options. Chances are, if it was your draw it would be a good deal, but once you factor in the necessary costs, it won't. So new or a different used might be best bet. With snow coming and new model releases, KSL will be packed full of bows. 

Go to the bow shop and shoot some other bows. Don't be intimidated, most the shops are great and will make you feel comfortable. Be honest and say I don't know what I am doing, can you help me out?


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the input. I've got the bow now to "try out." Not sure how I'd do that since the DL is most likely way off, AND being a total nube, I don't even have anything to shoot at. 

I did a little more research, and apparently this bow has a modular cam system, so I wouldn't have to buy new cams just modules. Guess I'll do a little more research before I make a decision, but it sounds like I might be better off saving up and buying a new bow. 

My biggest thing is that I don't know for sure if I'll like bow hunting. So I figured if I buy a used bow and don't like it, I should be able to sell it for about what I paid, especially if this is a good deal. But, if I buy new, I'm surely not going to get what I paid new when selling used. Decisions....


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## NVDuckin (Apr 18, 2016)

I would run down to an archery shop and at least get measured. And have them show you some entry level bows. I was in your same position 2 weeks ago.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Draw length is just about the most critical element to being a good archer. I would always err on the shorter side. Easy way to get that measurement is to measure you wingspan and divide it by 2.5. round down to the nearest 1/2' to account for the D-loop and that should get you pretty dang close. Don't go by the measurement they give you if they use the little "draw length" bow.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

Now that you have the bow, what kind is it? Should say on the limbs.... pics?


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## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

The weird thing is, it doesn't say anywhere on it which monster model it is. Through a lot of searching though I determined its the Monster 7.0. The bow is a 2010 model with the following specs.

Brace height 7 "
Ata length 33.5 "
Draw length 26 " - 31 " 
Draw weight 40 lbs - 80 lbs 
IBO speed 342 fps
Mass weight 4.35 lbs
Let-off 65% or 80% 

Specifics on THIS bow. It's currently set up for 28.5" DL. I can get the modules for 26 or 26.5. My wing span is 66" I'll probably go with 26" DL when I buy a bow (regardless of new or used) unless a 26.5 feel better. I can get 26" DL modules for either 65% or 80% let off. I've heard 65% is smoother, but 80% is nicer if you have to hold full draw while waiting for a shot. The limbs on it right now are 60-70lb I think. whoever set the bow up put a decal on it that said 60lb and the limbs are backed off the riser (is that the right way to say it?) a little so I imagine if you tightened it up all the way it would be 70lb...

I've also read several reviews where people say this grip is much narrower than most Mathews grips. I don't know much about anything but it felt okay in my hand; admittedly I don't know how it should feel or how it will affect my shooting at all. Overall the bow looks to be in good condition. The strings/cables look good, but I'm not sure how old they are and there are no nicks or scratches anywhere on the bow. 

I also found the same model bow bare on Ebay for around 585. This bow comes with sight, stabilizer, drop away rest, release, arrows, and target bag. The guy that owned this bow originally is a big bow hunter and competition shooter, so the components are probably pretty good. I'm pretty sure it's a good deal for someone, I'm just trying to figure out if it will be a good deal for me. 

I'll take and post up some pictures tonight.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

willfish4food said:


> The weird thing is, it doesn't say anywhere on it which monster model it is. Through a lot of searching though I determined its the Monster 7.0. The bow is a 2010 model with the following specs.
> 
> Brace height 7 "
> Ata length 33.5 "
> ...


First, Mathews seem to run about .5" long if I remember correctly. So a 26" would be between a 26 and 26.5... Could be wrong but its something like that. So just go with 26 and you should be good. I have 2 mod options and own them both, 75% and 85%. I shoot the 85% and love it. With that bow you can sacrafice some speed to have thenice let off. So if I were in your shoes I would go 80%. I have had to hold for a long while already and it sure makes a difference when you have 70lb draw....

Did you have your draw measured at a shop? Double check.. I thought 66 was shorter than 26". Regardless, shooting a bow set at your length will tell you if you like the length. It isn't a perfect science from what I have seen...


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

26 sounds good. As random mentioned Mathews tend to run longer than most. My buddies dxt ran 3/4" long. somewhere between 25-1/2 and 26 is where you will probably be but I don't know if it will go down that low. Sounds like you have a pretty good starting point though. I would certainly recommend some instruction by someone with some know how. I am still fighting habits I "taught" myself when I jumped in. Archery is easy right.-O,-


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