Life long rifle hunter--going archery!

Good choice, I like this site check it out...

http://huntersfriend.com/

Brett

Some guy has one for sale in the classifieds section also, PM him to see what it is.

Thanks Bret,

Cool Site. I will have to check it out.

Gregg

Gregg,
good luck i switched last year and have not taken an animal yet. I could have shot a Doe but Naahh not unless its the last day. I bought a Hyot for 250 and seems like every thing else i bet i'm up to 600.00 now and every year i buy a new something or other to put on it. :-k maybe i should have stuck to rifle i never put this much time or money with it. I love it though.

HEY..SEE MY ADD IN THE CLASSIFIEDS

Welcome to the wild side. I must warn you though........this stick and string stuff is addicting! I've been hunting with a bow exclusively for 31 consecutive hunting seasons.....and it's just as fun now as the first one.

Here's a suggestion.......if you're dead set on buying a high end bow a few years old to save some money there's a few things you'll need to do. Go to a pro-shop and get everything checked beforehand. (ie., draw length with or without release, comfortable draw weight, type of grip you like on the riser, etc.) Once you've done that you'll know exactly what type of bow you're looking for. There are a few archery only type websites that sell A LOT of bows......you can pm me for those specific sites.

For $500.00-$700.00 you could actually buy a pretty good new bow with accessories from Reflex or Diamond. BOTH manufacturer's make high quality equipment, IMO. Plus, the folks at the pro-shop can order the absolute correct bow in terms of draw length, poundage, arrows, broadheads, etc. Just something to think about.

Either way, welcome to the bowhunting world.......before long we'll be seeing some field photos I'm sure. :thumb

You'll love archery hunting. The seasons are longer and the weather is nicer. Beautiful time to be camping. Also the bucks you scouted all summer will probably still be bached up with their buddies and on the summer range. You can get a nice bow kit for $400.00 dollars or less from most of the major manufacturers. PSE, Bear, Martin, Browning, Parker to name a few. Check out http://www.basspro.com or http://www.cabelas.com to compare some. Add $40.00 for some arrows and you are set. Forty more for a target if you don't live close to a range. Light boots you probably already own. Running shoes if you want to be quiet. Cotton clothes. Learning to move and hide well are more important than the latest camo fashions. A rangefinder isn't a necessity. Learn how to measure the chest of an average buck in your area by bracketing him with your pins. Old trick from a long time ago.
Good luck.
Mark

Great choice bowhunting is a blast expecially when you stick something as big as an elk at close range. As far as a bow goes in that range you will be able to get a pretty decent bow i would say to go to your local archery shop and shoot a bunch of different bows and find the one you want. Good luck

Oh man are you in for a treat. I started bow hunting a couple of years ago, and last year was the first year that I was able to arrow an animal, what a rush, it was not my biggest buck but I would dare say it was the most exciting animal I have taken to date.

I would second the statement by BOHNTR with that price range you can get into a brand new setup that is really good. And make sure you shoot a lot of different bows to find the one that is for you. Good luck to you and we can not wait to see your field photos. Let us know what bow you with.

I just had my first Ebay experience and came away with a new PSE Mossy Oak X for $280.00. It's about twice that retail. I wanted a cheap backup and couldn't pass it up. Maybe you should check that avenue out. Only bid Pay Pal items and you're safe.

Mark

I have to agree with you on the Huntersfriend.com. I bought my first bow on there and it had everything ready to shoot right out of the case. I love the combo they put together for me. They even paper shoot it for you. The sight will also educate you on the different bows. I know we all want to say we own the best bow that there is, but the truth is they are all pretty good. They all will atleast get the job done. Good luck this year on your hunt and with the new kid.

Archery hunting will get into your blood. I haven't taken my rifle or muzzleloader out in so long, because the same thrill is not there. If I were you I would try to buy the best you can afford. The buying of cheap gear will only frustrate you and make your transition take longer. Go to a local pro shop and quiz them on your correct draw length, poundage that you can handle, correct spine for your arrows along with the correct length. Once you have your specs down check out one to two year old models of high quality gear like the Hoyt vectrix or the Mathews Switchback. Like someone said E-bay is great for this and it will give you some idea what this type of item costs. Good Luck. And as Uncle Ted says enjoy the mystical flight of the arrow.

6x6 Bull is right, Archery Hunting definetly gets in your blood!As far as a bow goes, if you're still looking for one, you'll definetly want to shoot alot of bows and find one that is comfortable to you. you could even get a brand new package deal from manufacturers like Reflex, Diamond, Bowtech, etc. or you could get a top notch used bow a couple of years old. But like 6x6 Bull mentioned, go to your local pro shop get measured and fitted so you don't end up buying a bow that doesn't fit you, and stay away from cheap gear.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I will make a trip to the pro shop and see what they suggest for me. Then I will get serious about finding a bow by the end of the month so that I will have time to get comfortable with it.

I will probably shoot it everyday once I get one so that i can be sure I will be ready!

GPWDEER

Hey guys...I passed the "strenuous" bowhunter education field day saturday. It was the biggest waste of time ever. They had us sit through the 3 hours of hunters education where they talk about animal identification and then safety and survival. Then we had to listen to a bunch of stats about the declining numbers of hunters and the whole be respectful speech. Then we had to take ANOTHER written test and then we headed out to the range where I assumed we would be shooting bows to show our mastery of archery equipment. Nope, they had us track a fake blood trail for about 30 yards (UP HILL), anyone every tracked a mortally wounded animal that went up hill away from water? Anyway, it was a straight line and the end of the trail were dum dum suckers which were there to represent the animal...LAME!

Anyway, I am official now. I have been looking at bows and I shot a few different ones this weekend. I am going to shoot a few more tonight. So far I like the Diamond "Rock" which I found in a package deal for $499, and I really like (but probably can't afford) the Diamond "Black Ice" which comes equiped with exactly nothing for $649.

Tough to convince the wife to let me spend $1000 on a package when I can get one for 1/2 that, but the black ice is very nice.

I hope to shoot some mathews and hoyt bows tonight at the pro shop.

I need to buy a bow this week so I can make sure I get a month of shooting under my belt (daily).

GPWDEER

Welcome to the dark side... :)) Just kidding.... Good luck with your season. I think everyone has steered you in the right direction, so I'm just gonna say good luck and call in a big one! :thumb

So, I have shot quite a few bows in the past week. I am currently leaning toward the Diamond "Black Ice" because of its size, weight and feel. It feels good, balanced, and light. It shoots pretty quiet and I think it would do the job. The other one that I am considering is the Bowtech Allegiance. It shot very smooth and seemed perfectly balanced. Does anyone have any pros/cons on these two bows?

I am probably going to buy one tomorrow so I can get in a month long cram session.

Thanks.

GPWDeer