Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Brian Splash on December 5, 2012 at 3:10am

l have a compound bow i bought when l was 16 , at the time it was a mid range alloy chassis with timber laminated limbs , l used it most weekends and for bush comps for about three years . Earlier this year l had a spring clean in my garage to make room for another bike when l found it in , all the fletchings had come off the arrows but the bow was still ok , the string was still in tact , l want to my local archery store and got a new string and a hand full of new arrows and she is good for another twenty years or the impending zombi outbreak .

Not sure what your state law is but we can't walk around with anything with a trigger but the bow over your shoulder is fine , the reality is the bow has better accuracy better distance and is very powerful compared to the crossbow .

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Permalink Reply by J. Hughes on December 5, 2012 at 6:57am

I would agree with Brian, I have 3 recurve, one long and a compound bow it's a PSE that is a little dated now but still shoots really good, I would suggest the compound bow.

If you are wanting some great bang for your buck, every couple of years a new bow is introduced and lots of really good bows come on the market cheep and often include the case, sights, trigger and some arrows. I would spend some time looking at reviews from one or two years ago and then find the bow you are looking for and purchase it used. If possible have the seller meet you at a Archery Shop and have the ranger master check it out for you to verify it is in proper working order.

Also you need to go and pull a few back bows come in various sizes and depending on you and your comfort level you may shoot a 50 to 75 lb draw. Here in the DFW area there are three places just near me that rent bows and provide basic instruction for 20 bucks for the lane and minimal rental prices.

My 10 year old son and I go often and have a blast he has 2 bows and is really pretty good so it allows for some great father son time.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Poe on December 5, 2012 at 9:47am

I'll second going to a range where you can try out some bows. Like many things (firearm, car, underwear) a bow won't be satisfying if it's not comfortable. Around here, alot of guys liike Bow-tech compound bows. Only thing crossbow can be used for in my state is carp, so there isn't much interest in them amongst people I know.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel G. on December 5, 2012 at 9:46am

I personally prefer the Medieval goodness that is the longbow.  Just feels right.  No sight, no space-age plastics, no fancy release or any of that.  Just you and the bow.  But that's just me.

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Permalink Reply by Hampton Kennedy on December 5, 2012 at 11:43am

I'm an avid bowhunter, and I use a Bear Strike compound bow. My hunting buddy uses a Matthews Z7 compound bow, which is a sweet, sweet bow. Another older man I hunt with has a Scorpyd crossbow, and it is deadly. But the Scorpyd crossbows are expensive. All three of us have killed many deer, and a few turkeys, with these bows. They are all durable, quality, long lasting bows, and very trustworthy brands. I have no experience with recurve or longbows. PSE, Hoyt, Bear, and Matthews are compound bow brands I would recommend. A lot of people at my local archery shop have been buying Mission Craze Bows, and I think they would be a good beginner bow, but I am not sure how much they cost. The mission Craze has a very adjustable draw length and weight, which is great. You mentioned Horton and Barnett, I have heard good things about both brands, but I have only seen the Scorpyd in action, so its the only one I can review, and I really like it.
All these would be fine for target practice, and fine for bow hunting as well. Look on some online archery forums and maybe even go to a Bass Pro shops or archery store to learn more, but those are my recommendations. I hope it helps. Archery and Bowhunting are super fun hobbies to get into, I'm glad there will be another AoM Archer out there!

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Permalink Reply by Karl Helweg on December 5, 2012 at 12:16pm

You caught a good wife.

Both Barnett and Horton make good crossbows.  See if you can find a shop that will let you try them out first.  I have owned a Horton Stag for years.  You might want to stick to a pulley-free bow at least to start with.  Some archery shops can tune the trigger and shim the prod for you but it is even better if they will teach you how.  A good simple tuned crossbow will allow you to focus on just learning to shoot it well.   You might find some useful information at: http://www.horizontalbowhunter.com/

IF you want something more traditional check out: http://www.crossbows.net/

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Permalink Reply by Jack Bauer on December 10, 2012 at 11:36am

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

Went looking around a bit this weekend while we were finishing up Christmas shopping for the kids.  Bass Pro had a Barnett Penetrator XBow that I really liked (and my wife appreciated the manly double entendre of the title.  Heh.)  Heavy duty crossbow.  Scope.  I think it has a crank for cocking.  Shoots at 350 fps.  Accurate well past 60 yards, according to reviews (Saw a video of a guy hit a small target at 100 yards ... I think it may have been with a Barnett DOA, not a Penetrator, though)

 

 

I was impressed.  Haven't gotten a chance to shoot one.  Just messed around with it off the rack.  Looked at a few compound bows as well.  Honestly, felt a bit in over-my-head with the compounds.  I wasn't always sure what I was looking at.  Lots of cool looking gizmos on them ... only some of which I could identify.

 

Still, either way, its bound to be the manliest anniversary gift ever given.

 

JB

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