# A new era



## toymanator (Dec 29, 2010)

I learned first hand this year the benefits to archery hunting. I have always hunted the rifle hunt. This year I had three bucks photographed/video from my scope, I had patterned them, yada, yada, yada. I thought I put in the time this year to have a successful hunt. However I watched two bow hunters packing out two of the three bucks and the third was taken by a muzzleloader. It was fun to meet these guys and share the pictures and video I had taken while out scouting in the hills. However I was disappointed I didn't get a chance at those bucks. 

I have started to look into bow hunting for next year to increase my opportunity. I am starting to realize that archery hunting has a lot of "accessories". I need a new rangefinder, so my funds will be limited. I am hoping to get a set up that will work and allow me to get some of the other necessary things. I have been reading a lot on here and have decided I want to get my hands on a bow and get a lot of time practicing. It's more important to me to be accurate and have a lot of practice than have the nicest bow on the mountain. There a lot of used bows on KSL. I know parts wear out on bows, and you should be leery of buying a bow that is too old. I am going to go to a shop that has been recommended on here and get "fitted" If I end up getting a used bow, should I have the string replaced? Does that defeat the purpose of buying a used bow? Should I just plan to spend more on the bow? What do you recommend for someone just starting out? 

When did all this get so expensive? I would like to get a lot of cheap carbon arrows to target practice and get used to flinging arrows in a variety of circumstances. What pin/peep sight do you recommend? And what release for a beginner? Is there Anything else you suggest I get to help my learning curve and keep me safe?


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Be careful dipping your toes in because you are probably getting wet :grin:. I would be happy to chat with you if you want. you certainly don't need the top end equipment but decent equipment that FITS you will always be better than the best that doesn't. Cheap arrows are okay to start but once you start to get ready to kill something upgrade and learn how to make/buy a good one. arrows are to bows what bullets are to guns. if you want accuracy you don't buy cheap ammo.
I am in west Jordan if you ever want to stop by and chat or feel free to give me a call.


----------



## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

I just started getting into bow hunting two years ago. I had a very tight budget as well, so what I did was, went into multiple stores and shot a lot of different bows. This gave me an idea of what fit for me, and what I was looking for. I ended up getting a bow that was on sale because it was the previous years model. I bought it with just the absolute bare necessities to start shooting. I got a cheap rest, cheap sight and a release. Then as time went, I started building it piece by piece as I had money to do so. I got a stabilizer, better sight, better rest, and eventually I got a range finder. I still do not have the top of the line things, but I am slowly getting there. I think the most important thing is to get shooting. Shoot a lot, and shoot often. I generally have practice arrows that are cheaper, but are the same grain as what I hunt with. As I got better, I lost and broke less arrows, and upgraded to better practice arrows as well. As far as buying a used bow goes, I would make sure to shoot it before I bought it, and would take it to a good archery shop and have them look at it and get it tuned up. It may be just me, but I wouldn't trust a bow I bought used off KSL without have a good shop give it a once over and make sure everything looks good and is in working order. I would look to a lot of the guys on this forum that have a lot of experience. I got some great advice when I started. I am still a beginner too, and have learned a lot on on here. Feel free to message me if you want any info or to talk about it. Archery is a lot of fun, and I think you will really enjoy it.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

I don't know what you are looking to spend, but currently at the Scheel's in Draper they have two used bows for sale on consignment at a very affordable price. There's a fully setup Quest Rogue and a fully setup Bowtech Tomkat. Prices are $200 and $250, but I can't remember which was which. If you are on Facebook get on the page Bowhunters of Utah and there are some used bows for sale on there as well. A Bear Charge with all the accessories for $250 is on there if it hasn't been sold yet. The best used bow out of all the one's I've mentioned and the most modern with probably the best speed is a PSE Brute X that comes with accessories and a case for $450 obo. If you have more money to play with than this, there are some higher end bows for sale as well. I'm sure if you got on either Bowhunters of Utah or Wasatch Front Bowhunters and made a ISO used bow post there would be at least a few guys making you offers. If you are leery of buying used then PSE, Bear, and Diamond all sell quality bows at budget friendly prices. When I got started bow hunting in 2013 I bought a new Diamond Outlaw fully setup for $550 and it has served me very well. I have gradually upgraded the accessories and have no desire to buy another bow for the foreseeable future. 

As far as good quality arrows that won't break the bank I will recommend the Easton Bloodlines. $60 for a half dozen arrows. Whatever you end up buying for arrows make sure you talk with a knowledgeable friend or a tech at a reputable bow shop to help you select arrows of the proper spine for your setup. I'm sure Alpine Bowman could help you make a good choice. Choosing the correct spine is the most important thing.

One more thing: If a guy named Karl comes into this thread and starts offering advice listen very closely. The guy really knows his stuff!


----------



## toymanator (Dec 29, 2010)

alpinebowman said:


> I am in west Jordan if you ever want to stop by and chat or feel free to give me a call.


I will take you up on that and have to stop by sometime.



colorcountrygunner said:


> One more thing: If a guy named Karl comes into this thread and starts offering advice listen very closely. The guy really knows his stuff!


^ Been there, read that...  Thanks for letting me know about those used bows. I will have to check them out. I stopped into Jake's Archery today in Orem and now my wife is wanting to get a bow as well... That's exciting, but means my budget for my bow just went down. They were very helpful in explaining a lot of things to look for in a bow and opened our eyes to all the accessories we will need. I can see this getting expensive quickly.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

toymanator said:


> I will take you up on that and have to stop by sometime.
> 
> ^ Been there, read that...  Thanks for letting me know about those used bows. I will have to check them out. I stopped into Jake's Archery today in Orem and now my wife is wanting to get a bow as well... That's exciting, but means my budget for my bow just went down. They were very helpful in explaining a lot of things to look for in a bow and opened our eyes to all the accessories we will need. I can see this getting expensive quickly.[/QUOTE
> 
> That's EXACTLY how it went down with me. Once I decided I wanted to bow hunt, my wife who also hunts decided if that was the hunt I was going to do that she wanted to bow hunt as well. Now we needed to get two of everything! Went to Sportsman's Warehouse in St. George one day and proceeded to shell out approximately $1,500. I've become hopelessly addicted now. Rifle and muzz hunting is becoming a distant memory as they don't really appeal to me that much anymore. Good luck with your new venture!


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

After reading about you looking around on KSL at used bows I had to go have a look for myself and I saw they had a used Diamond Outlaw from someone in Pleasant Grove.

http://www.ksl.com/classifieds/listing/42349789

This is the bow I started with and continue to use, and one other poster here (I think booya) shoots one as well. This is a GREAT bow. It has a 330 IBO speed which is pretty stellar for a bow in this price range, a modest 7 inch brace height for shootability and forgiveness which is important for a beginning archer, and I think it is aesthetically pleasing as well. The draw length is adjustable from 26.5 to 30.5. It needs to be put in a press to change draw length, but you don't need any mods or new cams or anything to change it which is nice. The guy in the ad is wrong about the draw weight being adjustable from 5 to 70 pounds. The Diamond Infinite Edge has that range of adjustment but the Outlaw has 10 pounds of adjustment. I have mine set at 27.5 inch draw length, 60 pound draw weight, and it will shoot a 400 grain arrow at 264 fps when adjusted to these settings. Definitely worth looking into IMO.


----------



## Boly (Sep 23, 2008)

Welcome to the fun. It's not easy but it is rewarding.


----------



## toymanator (Dec 29, 2010)

Thanks for all of the help in steering me to a few used bows. There are some good deals out there now. I am pretty excited to get a bow and start shooting. I am also excited that my wife is interested in it. After looking at the used bows available I thought I would ask this question. 

How often do you tune your bow? Almost every bow shop has the bow package for around $250 with the purchase of a bow from there store they let you get a sight, release, rest, arrows, etc to get you started. Most of them also throw in lifetime tuning/servicing of the bow and a few range passes.

Where my wife and I are starting out, I realize that you can get used bows for much less than what they are in the stores. But it would be nice to have the range passes to get instruction and know that I could get the bow tuned to our specs as often as we need to. Is this something that is worth the extra money when starting? I am all for supporting local shops and have appreciated the few visits we have had. If I can purchase the two bows and accessories for a significant discount will I regret not being able to go in and get the free tunes etc?


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

toymanator said:


> Thanks for all of the help in steering me to a few used bows. There are some good deals out there now. I am pretty excited to get a bow and start shooting. I am also excited that my wife is interested in it. After looking at the used bows available I thought I would ask this question.
> 
> How often do you tune your bow? Almost every bow shop has the bow package for around $250 with the purchase of a bow from there store they let you get a sight, release, rest, arrows, etc to get you started. Most of them also throw in lifetime tuning/servicing of the bow and a few range passes.
> 
> Where my wife and I are starting out, I realize that you can get used bows for much less than what they are in the stores. But it would be nice to have the range passes to get instruction and know that I could get the bow tuned to our specs as often as we need to. Is this something that is worth the extra money when starting? I am all for supporting local shops and have appreciated the few visits we have had. If I can purchase the two bows and accessories for a significant discount will I regret not being able to go in and get the free tunes etc?


I think that will be up for you to decide. Changing the draw length, switching to a new arrow, adjusting the poundage and other things will affect the tune of the bow. If you buy a new bow, or put new strings on a bow it is wise to shoot a couple hundred shots through the bow before tuning it because a new string will stretch and that is another thing that can change the tune of a bow. Once you have your bow/arrows all set up the way you like it and have it tuned it should stay in tune for quite a long time, but I couldn't really give you a good time frame on it. Some guys never even tune their bows at all, but I wouldn't recommend that. The cost of periodically having your bow tuned will not be a major expense IMO. Especially if you study up and learn how to do a lot of your bow maintenance and tuning yourself.


----------



## bow_dude (Aug 20, 2009)

Put some marks on your cam so you can tell at a glance if anything changes. With todays bow string materials, the shoot in time is considerably less shots. I shoot a bi-nary cam. I haven't had to change things in over two years. Everything stays very constant. Of course, I don't shoot as much as I used to, and I do check things every couple of months, but everything has stayed consistent. I recently purchased a new string from 60X and will be going through the setup process again. Hoping to have it complete prior to the Tooele Big Shoot coming up in 3 weeks.


----------



## toymanator (Dec 29, 2010)

We stopped in at Wilde Arrow this weekend. I can't say enough good things about the shop. We have spent about the same amount of time at each shop we have been to. However at Wilde Arrow we received more hands on practical instruction than any other shop. Jeremiah took a lot of time with us and really helped my wife get excited about the sport. We were able to shoot a few different bows and picked up a few pointers to get us started. The bad part of it all is now my wife is sold and wants a nicer bow. So my budget for my bow keeps decreasing...


----------



## toymanator (Dec 29, 2010)

Tonight I pulled the trigger and got a Hoyt Carbon Element. It came with a CBE 4 pin adjustable sight, beestinger stabilizer, quiver, and a soft case. I need to put a whisker Biscuit rest on it, have the DL changed to my size, get some arrows, and a target. But I might need to get my wife a bow before all of that happens. ;-) 

Any suggestions for womens bows? We were looking at the Hoyt Charger or a Powermax.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

those are both good bows. I have also played with some of the chargers and they have shot very well. Glad your wife wants to join you, I love shooting/hunting with my wife but man it gets expensive to set up both of us. I need to start stockpiling for when my kids are ready to upgrade to the big girl gear.


----------



## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

and congrats on the bow. I think you will really like that bow.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

I feel silly for recommending those $250 bows I did to you earlier. You didn't spare any expenses with your bow selection! Haha good for you. My brother shoots the Hoyt carbon spyder and took his first archery animal with it last year. A nice 5x6 bull elk. Good luck on acquiring the rest of your gear and getting your wife setup. Archery hunting really is pretty awesome! I'm headed out to go shoot my bow riiiiight aboooouuuut......NOW!


----------



## toymanator (Dec 29, 2010)

colorcountrygunner said:


> I feel silly for recommending those $250 bows I did to you earlier. You didn't spare any expenses with your bow selection! Haha good for you. My brother shoots the Hoyt carbon spyder and took his first archery animal with it last year. A nice 5x6 bull elk. Good luck on acquiring the rest of your gear and getting your wife setup. Archery hunting really is pretty awesome! I'm headed out to go shoot my bow riiiiight aboooouuuut......NOW!


I actually really appreciate your suggestions, thanks again. I was going back and forth on whether on two of your suggestions and then the Hoyt Carbon Element popped up and was literally only a few bucks more than those bows you had recommended. It was a deal I didn't want to pass up.

I still need to get it set up for me and get some arrows to practice with.


----------

