Cosmo jk

Soo i'm heading over to texas next week and i plan on going to cabela's for some camping stuff and a bow. I'm fairly new to the bow seen soo i got a few questions for you experts out there. First off since im not a serious hunter i've been debating which kind of bow to buy: a Compound bow or a Re-Curve/Long bow. I understand that the long bows are cheaper but i feel they dont preform as well as a compound bow will, then again no experience with either. I've found both types of bows for my budget(which is around $300-400) I would just like some input on which brands are good and what to look for. Thanks for future replys

JK jeepin

I like and have compound. Compound bows are more compact, also very versatile for puting diffrent parts on them such as sights and etc. After you choose which kind you want then comes the draw wieght, you will have to see what feels more comfortable to pull back. I have a Bear Archery bow with 74lbs. draw wieght. My next bow will cost a few bucks more .... prob. going to get a Hoyt or mathews. Your also going to spend money on a relase,arrows,field tips,broad heads,bow case, bow wax, a better sight....like maybe a five pin instead of the three pin it will come with in a package deal. Whatever your decision , you'll have fun

smitty's surfer

Go with the compound bow, it may cost a little extra money but its totally worth it. i am an avid bowhunter and sportsman. the compound bows perform way better and are way more accurate. i currently shoot a Rytera Triad its made by marting just a different name
my next bow is going to be a matthews though. Martin is a great brand along with matthews, PSE, Hoyt and bear... it al depends on what feels comfortable for you and what you plan on using it for, i also recommend carbon fiber arrows with any bow you wind up purchasing! goodluck love to see pics when you get it

JK jeepin

Ha, compound for sure. I'm waiting for the long bow guys to jump in this . X2 on the carbon arrows

Cosmo jk

Thanks guys that helps a lot i still need to do some more research on them soo would $400 be enough you think for a decent bow and then arrows, a release, and soo on

Super Stroked

It all depends on what you are wanting to do with your bow. They both have pro's and con's. Some people just like the "old school" of the recurve or long bow. I personally like the speed and accuracy of the compound. It'll be hard to find a good bow set up to shoot for under $400. You can find a good "bare" bow for that price, but when you add the extra $200 worth of other stuff to it, your price just went up. You may be able to find a used one for that price that is set up and ready to go. I have a Mission bow for hunting with and love it. For the money, it's hard to beat. It's made by Mathews and is near the same price fully rigged out than the other bare bows out there. The biggest thing is to get the draw length, pull weight and overall comfort right with the bow you choose. I would recommend finding a actual bow shop that will work on finding the right one with you. It's hard for me to trust some of the guys that work at the "chain" stores after some of my experience with them.

Whatever you choose, shoot as often as you can. Start slow and get your muscle's accustomed to shooting. You use more than you think. But be warned, it's addicting.

Dayman

Take my input for what it is. Bow hunting is the next level for me you are some what leveling the playing field. All modern compound bows are somewhat relative, reserve long bows and recurve for the avid shooter, the compound is so much more forgiving. With that said I shoot a 6 year old Fred bear g2 thousands of shots with no failure, can group at 5" from 30 yard consistently. Your bow should match your game, I hunt small eastern deer so my bow speed is fine. The biggest difference I have found so far is in arrows ( buy carbon) rest (wiscker biscut), and sights (toxonics). The best thing to do is go to a pro shop and shoot. Compounds come in may cam configurations, the biggest difference I feel comes in "backwall" how the bow feels at full draw. Don't get fooled by hyped bow speeds as the best. Plus don't over estamate your draw weight as sitting in freezing weather on a tiny ass stand will greatly reduce that.

AK4Dave

Basically what it comes down to is if you want to learn instinctive shooting with a recurve or longbow, or do you want to have sights to use to aim at your target. The best recurve/longbow shooters are deadly with their bows, because they have taken the time to learn instinctive shooting. And that just it, it takes a LOT of time and practice to get really good with a recurve/longbow, where as the technology of the compound can have you shooting pretty well in a relatively short time. I don't shoot a bow now, but I did for awhile. With "stick and string" the idea of instinctive shooting really appealed to me. As it does for many bow hunters, because it's getting back to the basics of what bowhunting was. Some compound shooters like instinctive shooting enough to still shoot fingers instead of a release. And some even go as far as to not have sights on their compound. It's just a matter of what appeals to you. I do know one thing tho.....recurve/longbow are simple.....nothing to worry about. But when you get into all the stuff that goes along with a compound, the more parts and pieces there are the more chances there are for something to get bumped or break.

walynw

I've been shooting most of my life. Started with a hand me down long bow at 8 and got my first compound at 12. I've had many different brands of compounds and currently shooting a Mathews. You really can't go wrong with Mathews bowtech Hoyt or pse. It's my opinion that they have been the leaders for the past decade. If I were you I would search craigslist for a used bow already decked out then take it to a small Hoyt or Mathews shop , cause they don't sell to big box stores, and have them set you up. You should be able to find a used Mathews switchback set up on your price range. It's a little old but an excellent bow. Hope this helps out.

Cosmo jk

Thats alot of info, and you did bring up a good point AK4dave i think it would be best to learn off a long bow at first if i wanna become a good shooter even though it will take longer to use but thats fine with me plus i like the simplicity of them. Now im guessing getting into bows is like everything else we do: Addictive, Expensive, and we are constantly wanting the newer and improved version/Mods of the old stuff. Hmmm sounds like something else i own.....