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Starter Bow

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802flyfish

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
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607
Location
SW Montana
I'd like to get into bow hunting here in Montana. However, I don't want to spend a fortune on my first set up. I plan on visiting a few stores in the Bozeman area and trying Matthews, Hoyte and PSE. I have a 31 inch draw. Currently I've been looking at the Hoyt PowerMax LD and the PSE Drive XL. Has anyone used either bow or know which one is of better value ?


Thanks,
 
Have you tried any Bear Archery bows? That's what I started with because of the price point and that's what I still hunt with 10 years later.
 
Your best bet would be to find a used setup that can be adjusted to you. A ready to hunt bow would be around $3-500. Check CL and FB and then take someone experienced in archery with you to look at it. I wouldn't worry too much about brands at this point, get into a bow and start shooting and find out what you like. Then after a season or two, get into some money with one you really like.
 
Or just get this one here on HT, I just saw...

Mathews Halon 32 - 29" draw length, 70 lbs. in Subalpine, - SOLD

I have a very lightly used Mathews Halon 32 for sale, 2017 vintage. It comes with a Black Gold Ascent Verdict four pin slider, and a Mathews six arrow quiver. I will also throw in 18 (at least 18) mostly new Easton FMJ arrows (a 340 and 300 spine mixture, most unshot). I haven't used this...
www.hunttalk.com www.hunttalk.com
 
406LIFE said:
Or just get this one here on HT, I just saw...

Mathews Halon 32 - 29" draw length, 70 lbs. in Subalpine, - SOLD

I have a very lightly used Mathews Halon 32 for sale, 2017 vintage. It comes with a Black Gold Ascent Verdict four pin slider, and a Mathews six arrow quiver. I will also throw in 18 (at least 18) mostly new Easton FMJ arrows (a 340 and 300 spine mixture, most unshot). I haven't used this...
www.hunttalk.com www.hunttalk.com
Click to expand...

Just sent him a PM.


Thanks!
 
I spent $80 on my first bow off of craigslist. It wasn't exactly my draw length and as it was 20 years old I couldn't even get a module from the manufacturer to adjust it (I called them and they were surprised that any of those bows were still being used). But I was able to adjust my release to kind of make up for the draw length issue.

It wasn't perfect, but it let me get into archery hunting for dirt cheap. After two seasons, I decided to spend the money I got from a bonus at work on a new bow and I have since taken 2 deer with it. The bow I have now is perfect and I couldn't be happier with it. I think it helped that I gave myself a couple of years to learn about archery and shooting a bow before I invested in something nice. If I had spent $500 on an introductory bow, I might have bought something I wasn't happy with in the long run, but couldn't justify getting out of. BY spending so little money on the outset I didn't have to justify that expense when I bought a new bow.

As it was, I sold it to a buddy of mine who was just getting in to archery for the same amount that I spent on it.

Whatever you do, if you are investing in a bow you plan on using for a while make sure you shoot whatever bow you buy as well as a few others to see if you like the feel of it.

Good luck.
 
I would suggest going to one of the two pro-shops in Bozeman and having them help you into a used bow that will actually fit you. Be careful about buying anything off of CL or FB, especially if you aren't sure about all the variables. Not sure how the shop on the East side of town handles things but I can recommend Big Sky Archery in Four Corners. They have a rack of used/consignment bows and will work with you on one of those, just like they're selling you a new one. Very knowledgeable owners and most of their help knows what they are talking about. Ask questions and plan to spend some time there. They will talk your ear off but, good folks.
 
I think PSEs make great starter bows. My first real bow I hunted with was a PSE Beast I got for 100 bucks. I learned to shoot with that bow and then eventually upgraded to a PSE Bow Madness 30, which I still shoot. If you know you're gonna stick with it, Id go with a new or lightly used bow. There's lots of guys that get a new bow darn near every year and you pick up their old setup at a reasonable price. One thing that really upped my accuracy as I was coming along in archery was getting a sight that made fine adjustments easy. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to make an adjustment with a cheap sight and ending up further off than where you were. I like the trophy ridge fix because I was able to finally make fine adjustments both left to right with the sight and up and down with the pins.

All that being said, there's never been a better time to get into archery in an affirdable manner. There's lots of good companies to buy bows and accessories from, theres a ton of reviews you can watch on youtube with instructional videos and I'm sure with a little research you'll find something you like.

Good luck!
 
I’m new to Bowhunting as well. Just purchased my first bow a couple months ago. If....I had $2500 to blow I would’ve purchased a Hoyt Helix or PSE Evolve and build with the exact sight, rest, etc. But..I don’t have those type of funds right now. I found a great guy at a shop in Napa that recommended the PSE Drive 3B package $700. I love it. Absolute tack driver. Im gonna upgrade the sight to a Black Mountain Gold Ascent Verdict for Christmas present to myself.
I’m now absolutely hooked, obsessed, fell down the rabbit hole etc...
 
I picked up a mission switch setup this year to get started in bow hunting. It’s comfortable to shoot and feels like a solid bow for the money. I think I have $650 into it for the full setup.
 
I have the standard Hoyt Powermax and I love it.

Best advice is to shoot all the bows you're interested in and buy the one that feels best to you. What works for oje guy might not feel right to the next.
 
FI460 said:
I have the standard Hoyt Powermax and I love it.

Best advice is to shoot all the bows you're interested in and buy the one that feels best to you. What works for oje guy might not feel right to the next.
Click to expand...
I also have the Powermax. It was my 2nd bow and, for me, shot better than the mor expensive bows. Shoot them all first to know, especially with those pro shops near by.
 
COEngineer said:
Have you tried any Bear Archery bows? That's what I started with because of the price point and that's what I still hunt with 10 years later.
Click to expand...

I second this. That bear Approach HC is reasonable in price and is a hell of a bow. Be hard pressed to find anything better at that price. I hunt with the Obsession Turmoil and that is a mid priced bow, very high quality if you ask me.
 
Well long story short, I visited our local Matthews dealer and walked out with a deposit on a VXR 31.5” in Ambush green with Sub alpine limbs.

It was $1,200 but included the string, 1 hr private lesson, 5 day pass to their indoor archery range, and a bow tune. Thought I made off pretty well. Any recommendations on sights?
 
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