[AvengersAssembled]

Hi everyone! So I would love to get a decent, beginners compound bow. I shot a little archery as a young kid, but would love to get into it again, this time a little more seriously. I have no idea where to start looking, though. I'd prefer a kinda inexpensive bow, maybe $200 tops. Also, something with a lower draw weight and length (I am a 20 year old, 5' 3" woman). I would not be opposed to getting a youth model, if just to learn from and get comfortable with. If anyone has any advice or recommendations, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

Well while the Mission Ballistic (Made by Mathews) is a bit beyond your price range it might be something that would be worth saving up for, a while. Its been getting rave reveiws and many are bettng it will be the Compound Bow of the year. Its a feature packed bow that is hot on the heels of models costing twice as much, yet gives up very little in performance and quality.

Ballistic | Mission Archery

I think this bow has a lot to offer you especially as a woman if you have a 26 inch or longer draw length. It has a 30.5 inch axel to axel length, adjustable draw weight from 50-70 lbs, and a bow speed of about 300 fps in the real world. The fact that it can be adjusted from 50-70 lbs allow it to be a bow you can crank up the draw weight on as ou progress and get stronger and better able to draw a heavier draw weight if you desire. The 80% let off at full draw should be very easy fo you to handle as well. Do shoot it at a pro shop before you buy as its a bit sensitive to draw creep once your set. There are several reveiws on this bow on You tube.

I was very impressed with this bow when I was at the Pro Shop the other day and even had them set it up for 29 inch draw length and took a few shots at 20 yard. Love it in no uncertian terms and just as soon as the "Ways and Means Committee" can cough up 659.00 fun dollars for the "whole set up" as tested at the shop, its a done deal. How Mathews can offer a bow this sweet at 499.00 MSRP is beyond me.

I really cant suggest a low draw weight bow with a draw length less than 26 inches as I have never looked at bows in that range. I think its gonna be a little tough to find a decent bow thats not a straight up toy for all intents and purposes as far as coupounds go or less than about 300.00 or so. Im sure there are a couple and someone here can put you on a hot lead, but I cant. What is good is I see that the Archery manufactures are starting to pay a lot more attention to women shooters and starting to make a lot more gear oriented specificaly towards women.

 

[countdown]

The best advice I can give you is to go to a few pro shops and shoot a few within your price range. They have new bows set up for just this purpose, and if not, they normally don't have a problem setting up any bow you'd like to shoot. Mathews makes an awesome bow (and is what I shoot), but the price generally keeps a lot of people away. You won't need top-shelf equipment to have fun, but if the archery bug grows enough, you'll end up there eventually. One good/bad thing about bows is that they don't hold their resale value very well (unlike firearms, for example). If a new bow costs $900 (bare) this year, it can probably be found next year for around $600-700 or less, and it will continue to get cheaper as time progresses.

For example, the last bow I purchased was a 2005 Mathews Switchback. New, it retailed for around $800, and I picked it up in 2008 for $400 shipped...and that included a decent arrow rest and some usable sights. If you already have a brand or model of bow in mind, a good place to shop for a used bow is archerytalk.com. There's TONS of great deals in their classified section. Sponsored archers generally get their bows for free, and sometimes they even get more than one per season. Those bows often end up for sale if they like the bow they currently shoot versus a new one. Also, a lot of people think that they need the latest and greatest. So, when the bow companies release their new models (once per year), they'll sell off their like-new bow from last season to get the new model; often at a substantial loss.

 

[Fuzzee]

You might read this thread and give a recurve some thought.

http://www.prepperforums.net/forum/...ft-slings-blowguns/2073-longbow-thoughts.html

There are lots of nice one's out there with Bear, Martin, Hoyt, Samick being some popular brands. You just need to figure what you're comfortable draw weight would be and buy a bow with a suitable length for your height.

Traditional Bows - Bows

Maybe something like the Samick,

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/samick-little-fox-48-takedown-bow.html

 

[AquaHull]

A lot of compound bows have been traded in on Crossbows these last few years . I would think a bow shop in your area may have a used but not abused one in your size.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

Yeah thats a good idea Fuzzee. There are quiet a few low/moderate poundage Recurves and Traditional bows out there that would fit in the 200 dollar range plus a couple of accessories. The Martin Jaguar and the Samick are a couple I was looking into before seeing the Mission Ballistic Compound bow for something to mess around with. Both have some pretty decent reviews as well and are pretty tough to beat for the price. I have also herd some pretty good reviews on the newer manufactured PSE Coyote 40# and up on draw weights. It cost a little more than the other two but looks to be a really nice recurve. What I find really appealing is the fact that on the three take down recurves I have mentioned you can get replacement limbs for them at very reasonable prices. That way if you start out with a 40# and get really comfortable with it and decide you want a little more performance you can order a set of 45, 50 and 55# replacement limbs and bolt them right on for a instant upgrade in a matter of minutes. There is definitely a lot less moving parts to break or malfunction on the Recurves as well which also makes them very appealing potentially. So this might be something the OP might want to look into a bit per chance this is a suitable alternative to a Compound bow and still take them where they wanna go. No matter the type bow you choose, archery is a blast and a hobby I am glad I took a chance on!

 

[Fuzzee]

I think you'll enjoy a good recurve bow more AvengersAssembled. It's going to be a lot more like what you did when you were younger also I think, just at a higher quality level.

 

[countdown]

One of these days, in my "free time," I'd like to try making my own long bow. The next time I'm in IL, I'm going to bring back a long piece of hedge apple tree (osage orange).

 

[pakrat]

Regrettably, your price range probably won’t get you into a compound bow that’s worth owning unless you buy from someone who isn’t trying to get top dollar. There are a lot of abused compounds out there that aren’t worth $100.00 and can even be dangerous to shoot. Check around the local shops, clubs and State bowhunting forums. A lot of good youth bows were sold over the last 4-5 years. Sometimes sportsmen will sell low to someone just starting up.

Recurve bows exert a sustained draw weight at full draw while the sustained draw weight of most compound bows drops dramatically by 60% to 80%... much easier for a novice archer to handle while learning and developing muscle control. My compound bow set at 50lbs has a sustained draw weight of only 10lbs. If it were a recurve, I’d be holding the full 50lbs while sighting. While this is OK for a seasoned archer, it’s hardly recommended for a novice.

Most women starting in archery can only sustain 20lbs – 25lbs at full draw. Obviously they can build up from there, but if you buy a recurve that you can handle at the start, you’ll out grow it before long and be back looking for another deal. Many takedown bows have a range of limbs/weights, but finding replacement limbs to fit (particularly used) can be a challenge. The manufacturers frequently change limb mounting configurations and discontinue older (2 years or more) models. New limbs can be pricey.

Bowtech makes the Soldier in two weight ranges… one adjusts between 25lbs - 45 lbs (recommended for small framed beginners) and the other between 40lbs - 65lbs… adequate for required hunting weights in most states.

You also might want to post on one or more compound bow forums (typically very supportive of female beginners) where most responders are trained, licensed and experienced bow hunters.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

Very good points made pakrat.

I shoot a 70# compound with 70% let off and if I were going to get a recurve I doubt I would go any heavier than 40# and I would definitely have to change my shooting style a bit to accomadate a recurve or long bow since they have no let off and your holding the full weight of the draw. One great thing though is a lot of take down recurves offer you the option to start out with a fairly light draw weight and up grade to a heaveir set of limbs later. That can be a definite advantage and possible consideration. But you do make a good point too about manufactures making small changes fequently to their line ups that would make a spare set of limbs potentially hard to come by later down the road. Thats something that many times when making a purchase we forget to consider.

I agree too that finding a new compound for 200 ish thats anything more than a novelty quality wise would be tough to do. This pretty much puts one in the used bow market which can be a pretty iffy propisition. There are some fabulous deals on used bows of great quality but there can also be a lot of neglected and abused bows out there too! I wouldnt wanna buy a used bow unless it was coming from a user that I knew took very good care of it.

 

[AvengersAssembled]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I figured finding something decent for $200 seemed pretty hard, and just like a good gun, I think you pay for quality. I will definitely save up for a while longer, to make sure I get something that will last. My town doesn't have a dedicated archery store anymore, besides for the local sporting goods store, but the next town over has a shop that has some pretty good reviews. I would insist on trying out some bows before purchasing one, it would sure stink to buy something only to find out it's not a good match for me. A recurve bow would definitely be more close to what I used as a kid, I may look into getting a beginners one just to get started with, while saving up/researching for a good compound bow. I would probably buy those new, unless they were in very good used condition, since I would (hopefully) be using it myself very frequently. I hope I didn't come across as some weakling or idiot here, I've been treated like that in the past with questions like this one, so I really thank everyone for not tearing me down a notch or two!

 

[Fuzzee]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I figured finding something decent for $200 seemed pretty hard, and just like a good gun, I think you pay for quality. I will definitely save up for a while longer, to make sure I get something that will last. My town doesn't have a dedicated archery store anymore, besides for the local sporting goods store, but the next town over has a shop that has some pretty good reviews. I would insist on trying out some bows before purchasing one, it would sure stink to buy something only to find out it's not a good match for me. A recurve bow would definitely be more close to what I used as a kid, I may look into getting a beginners one just to get started with, while saving up/researching for a good compound bow. I would probably buy those new, unless they were in very good used condition, since I would (hopefully) be using it myself very frequently. I hope I didn't come across as some weakling or idiot here, I've been treated like that in the past with questions like this one, so I really thank everyone for not tearing me down a notch or two!

I don't think anyone here sees, or would treat you as a weakling or idiot. You had a solid question and were looking for a solid answer. You got various opinions and I hope you find what's good for you. It's my opinion that even with a harder to pull recurve, you'll get used to it in no time and than be working on becoming as good a shooter as you can be.

 

[FLPrepper]

Has anyone here ever purchased from Southern Crossbow?

 

[essdub]

Within your price range, and to give a lot of draw weight adjustability as well as draw length in case you decide to sell, I'd recommend a Bear Apprentice 3.
I've bought several for nieces nephews girlfriends, and they shoot great and are relatively inexpensive. Check auction on eBay to find one used or new for cheap.
I shoot mostly long bows these days, but a recurve or long bow takes more time and practice to become sufficiently accurate and consistent.
But for a beginner, I don't think you can beat the little bear. I've shot a couple of deer with one (even though it's pink camo) and they're reliable with a single cam and shoot pretty fast

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Has anyone here ever purchased from Southern Crossbow?

I have not...I have however purchased from Lancaster Archery quite a bit lately with great success and satisfaction.

 

[FLPrepper]

Thank you, I will check them out

 

[Jakthesoldier]

Bear makes decent bows. They have a few in your price range. Once you get started you may want to upgrade, but they aren't a bad way to get started.

 

[essdub]

This one (bear apprentice 3 he said girlfriend barely shot)is for sale on another forum right now with stuff for $325. Just an idea of what you can find. This is a 2015 model I think. But the new ones are very close to same price

 

[SurvivingPrepper]

$200 is not much of an budget for a new bow. Either a recurve or a compound. If you could manage to go up a $100, then I would recommend the Diamond (budget company of Bowtech) Infinite Edge Pro. Suggest retail price for the bow is $380. But we found it on sale at Gander Mountain. My son is 13 and put it on layaway to pay for it. What is nice is that it is very adjustable and the draw weight can go from 5-70 pounds and the draw length can go from 13-31 inches. So he can shot this one bow years from know when he is older. The bow comes ready to hunt. It is light and fun to shoot.

 

[Surviveageddon]

up your ante to 300 and get a diamond infinite edge new on ebay you can adjust your own draw length yourself, You can adjust your own draw weight your self.. 305fps at 70lbs no slouch