Cheap elk hunting bow?

[The Colorado Outdoors]

Does anybody know a good elk hunting bow under $300. I want to start bow hunting and I dont have much money(because im a teen) so im looking for a cheap bow. I need at least 70lb. So yes any good cheap bows out there?

 

[Tkaldahl2000]

Well, that depends. Do you know your draw length? How much archery experience do you have? Two years ago I bought a PSE Vision brand new on Ebay, and put inexpensive sights and a low end arrow rest on it for under $300. Then I spent $65 on a Doinker Dish stabilizer because I was using it for my target bow. It is a very good bow, and I used it to achieve all of the Adult Achievement pins for JOAD/AAA. Your best bet will be to find a used bow with good accessories already attached. The Archery Talk Classifieds are a good place to find what you are looking for. Just be forewarned that the rest of the forum is one of the worlds biggest pissing matches you will find. To be sure there is a lot of good info there, but I got tired of wading through all the crap to find it. If you don't have any experience and you don't know your draw length you will be better off going to an archery pro shop and hoping to find a used bow in your price range. Be careful at some of the bigger retail sporting goods stores, because their archery departments can really be hit or miss when it comes to knowing what they are doing. I have had fairly good luck with Scheels, and not so much with Cabelas. I can't remember if they have Scheels in Colorado. Sportsmen's Warehouse set me up pretty well when I went there before I knew anything about working on bows. I wish you the best of luck with finding a bow, and good luck getting after the elk. Oh yeah, I would hate to carry that PSE up and down the mountains all day. It is a good target bow because it is relatively heavy, and it would be fine if you were sitting in a deer stand or blind all day, but I wouldn't want to pack it all over creation.

 

[Tkaldahl2000]

Here is a place to start. The Stinger is a bit lighter than the Vision. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3809178

 

[Rooster52]

THey are out there and used bows around my area just do not have much resale value.

 

[LCH]

Ask other bow hunters you know if they have any decent used bows they might sell you. Like Rooster said, seems like after most bows get a few years on them you can't hardly give them away.

 

[teej89]

Does anybody know a good elk hunting bow under $300. I want to start bow hunting and I dont have much money(because im a teen) so im looking for a cheap bow. I need at least 70lb. So yes any good cheap bows out there?

best bet would be to go to a bow shop and shoot every bow you can. If they're selling used bows shoot them too. THEN go on AT(archery talk) every day every other hour and score yourself a used bow. Pay via PayPal and when you get the bow take it to the shop and have them "OK" it. I'll never buy new again, got a 2014 Hoyt Vector for $200 and it's been the best bow I've had.

If you like bowtech, I have a bowtech insanity collecting dust I used only for 1yr that I'd be willing to part with, within your price range. Adjustable draw and 60-70#. PS... Killed my bull last year w/ 62# draw at 48yds, 70# isn't a requirement for an elk, confidence, and a well placed shot works wonders.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Check the western slope Craigslist. There are a bunch on there. Also ebay would be pretty good as well. Even cabelas has some entry level packages that are excellent and very affordable. Also, why do you need at least 70lbs? That should probably be a maximum, not a minimum. Make sure what ever lb. you go with you can shoot comfortably.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/hunt..._SEQ_103967280?WTz_st=GuidedNav&WTz_stype=GNU

 

[XXL]

I second the Craigslist suggestion, several for sale in eastern Oregon....

 

[Melman]

i agree used is the way to go. you can buy a high end bow that you will be happier with than a new bargain bow. check craigslist as well. My dad sold his Mathews, ready to hunt with rest, sight, quiver, 4 arrows, 3 broadheads and a hard case for $400. it was a top of the line bow when bought, so someone got a deal.

 

[iHunt]

I bought my first bow used from a shop in MN and I believe I paid right around 300 for it all set up. It was old and a little loud but it worked perfectly and if I would have drawn a license I would have taken it elk hunting easily. One thing to remember is that a brand new $300 bow will cost around $500 by the time you get everything put on it - if it doesn't come with everything.

 

[maxx]

Archery talk classified for the win. I have bought 4 or 5 bows on there. Put a little bio on this page and tell me more about yourself I may be able to help you out. I have a few bows sitting around that are gathering a little dust and I would like to see one of them put to good use.

 

[vanish]

I was about to drop $900 on a bare new bow, then picked up a fully loaded version of a very similar bow less than a year old off Archery Talk classifieds for less than half that.

 

[TRS_Montana]

I wouldn't turn down a good deal on a bow that doesn't have a 70# draw weight...

 

[The Colorado Outdoors]

Thx

 

[Gr8bawana]

Ask other bow hunters you know if they have any decent used bows they might sell you. Like Rooster said, seems like after most bows get a few years on them you can't hardly give them away.

This is very true. There is usually nothing wrong with those bows but for some reason a lot of guys think they just have to have the latest and greatest bow out there. Their cast-offs can often be had very cheaply.

 

[airlocksniffer]

Is this a good bow?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-2015-Be...334667?hash=item48846c4a0b:g:dHAAAOSwVL1WEumJ

That would work great. You could slowly upgrade the components as funds allow if you want. A $300 bow and a $2000 bow will still kill an elk just as dead.

 

[genesis273]

This is very true. There is usually nothing wrong with those bows but for some reason a lot of guys think they just have to have the latest and greatest bow out there. Their cast-offs can often be had very cheaply.

Very true. The main thing is, make sure you can shoot it. And I mean with the utmost confidence and accuracy. I shot the bull in my avitar with a 7 year old Diamond Rock, and he piled up in less than 100 yards.

 

[Irrelevant]

I've had limited success on online forum postings and craigslist, but pawnshops seem to always have used bows and you can usually talk them down to dirt cheap prices.

 

[maxx]

The bow I have is a PSE bow Madness 2012 XS frame it is set at 30" draw and 70lbs but the draw and weight are adjustable.

It has a trophy taker fall away rest, 5 pin site, I think I have a quiver on it and I can throw a bunch of arrows in for you. I don't remember the exact components.

I bought it 3 years ago and I had 400 into it. I will let it all go for 150 bucks I don't mind helping a kid out. If you want pictures of it I will try to get them this weekend. It

 

[iHunt]

I wouldn't suggest buying your first bow off the internet without shooting that bow or a very similar bow (as in same manufacturer and product line) for yourself. As a new archer there are so many things about a bow you may or may not like that you haven't experienced yet. Do you like the grip? Do you like the draw cycle? Are you sure about your draw length? Does the Brace height work for you? etc,.

Personally, I would suggest a bow that has a modest brace height (something around 7") because that will be slightly more forgiving than a short brace height. If you are a tall person, I would lean towards ATA (axle - to - axle) that is slightly longer. Short people seem to not be affect by ATA as much, some tall people aren't either. I would also suggest a modest draw cycle, especially if you are going to be pulling 70lbs - if you can find this information. You may be able to google the draw cycle graph for which ever bow you have in question.

Here is a picture of what a draw cycle graph looks like. The green part is drawing your bow, the pink is when you shoot. The things I look at when I see a graph like this is the main shape of the green side. If that looks like a square, that is a very aggresive draw cycle meaning you are going to get up to 70lbs right away and be pulling 70 lbs throughout the draw until you reach the let off. If this looks more like a rounded hill that means you are going to have more of a smooth draw and the pull force will go up at a steady rate. The next thing I like to look at is the back wall. This refers to the end of your draw cycle where you physically cannot pull any farther and you can see that as the little spike at the end of the green portion. If this spike is very sharp that means you have a solid back wall which many people like. If it is not sharp at all that means a weak back wall.

Those are things you are going to have to decide on your own if you like. I would suggest a modest draw cycle and a good back wall, like this graph represents. What determines how much energy a bow has is the area under the green curve (or technically pink since that is the energy that the bow is outputting into your arrow). So, harsh draw cycles tend to give more energy into your bow and hence more kinetic energy into your arrow. Looking at graphs can only give you so much information however, eventually when you shoot that bow you will be able to tell if you like or dislike a certain bow, and that is what I suggest you do!

Feel free to ask as many questions as you have! I may not have the answer but I'm sure with all the people here we can find something!