Hello Texas hunting forum,

I'm actually pretty excited to be here today! My son "Jason" is turning 13 in a month and I am looking into getting him his first bow. Now, in all honesty, I have never owned a bow and I had only used one when I was younger at camps and activity days. This renders me completely useless when it actually comes to purchasing one. Jason has never shot a professionally made bow before only them ones you would make as a child out of tree branches and string, so starting in the beginner section is a must for his safety. He's pretty responsible for his age and will give anything ago. So what kind of bow would you choose for a child?

I have had a look online but before I jumped in and bought a bow I thought it would be better to ask the pros online here. Jason likes the modern metal design with all the visible moving parts (sorry for the lack of terminology) is it possible to get one of this design for a child? And then last but not least, when it comes to maintenance what kind of costs are we looking at monthly and will I be helping him maintain in terms of condition?

Really looking forward to speaking with you guys!

Thanks

Example image of what I mean by "modern metal bow"

Get him a PSE Bruin. I picked one up for my nephew on his birthday. Really good beginner bow, then take it to local bow shop to get it adjusted to fit him, and get all the works done. His dad and I took him to the bow shop and let him shoot and get it adjusted...he was stoked.

I agree. Take him to a local bow shop and let them show him the ropes and get the bow tuned to his needs.

Looks like I have my weekend planned then! I will be getting onto a local store and checking out the PSE Bruin! I will be back with some answers and thoughts soon.

Thanks guys

Happy Birthday, "Jason"!

Don't get set on one kind of bow for your son.
go to a pro shop and let him try different makes of bows, they all have a little different feel.
as far as maintenance goes , keep the string waxed, DO NOT DRY FIRE THE BOW. Forrest

The weekend was a success! He loved going to our "not so local" archery store trying out all the bows and having the gentleman there assisted him along the way and was teaching him a few tricks of the trade. To be honest I loved the fact he was having an awesome time. He has decided on the PSE Bruin so I did a little research and they are a lot cheaper here http://www.used.forsale/pse-bruin than in the store. Apart from being second hand what drops the value of a bow so much?

You don't know if it's been dry fired or not. If it has it could be a danger to your son.

IMO, you should buy from the local shop that provided a memory that will last a lifetime for your son.

Nice bow, Happy Birthday

Agree with Pitchfork Predator, you don't know what has happened to that used bow to make it a potential safety factor for your child or others around.

When I went through this exercise with my son, I got an Diamond Infinite Edge Bow and had the shop continue to make adjustments to draw weight and length as he aged.

Whatever you do, make sure the bow is adjustable because at 13 he is just about to sprout if he hasn't started already

I think you should buy him a more useful gift such as books instead of bows

Get that boy into a pro shop.
Don't buy anything until you see how he can shoot and how much he enjoys it.
Don't be one of these dad's that I get out here that's bought their kid a bow that doesn't fit and they are anchoring way behind their ear. Get a bow that you can make sure it for a them right so they will enjoy the sport and not get hurt and not develop bad habits.

What area of the state are you in and we can hopefully tell you recommendations of an archery shop to visit? Most shops will have a good selection and maybe some good used bows that they can physically look over and tell you if its the right fit and if the condition of the bow is good. There are a few bows put there that are made for the kid to grow with it and increase the pull weight and draw length -two things that are very important to the kid doing well with the bow. I promise you, in the long run that if your kid gets a bow that fits and is a pleasure to shoot, you stand a better chance of them enjoying it and loving the sport as well as the outdoors even more.

Maintenance isn't much. Wax the strings, flex your arrows to look for cracks or bad arrows, looks in the limb pockets and the limbs to make sure there is it cracks. Do not store it in high heat such as the attic or in the cab of your truck in the summer heat. The maintenance questions can be answered so easily once your shown at a pro shop. Probably spend 3 hours there to let the kid shoot various ones, picking one that he likes, and go over how to take car of it. Most bow shops that I go to love to see kids and families there and are very kid/family friendly and very helpful. Archery Country in Austin is who I go to.

My son took his first doe at 13 with a PSE Nova. That was 20 years ago.

Look in the Trading Post at the Velocity Race Youth Bow I have for sale. It is in great shape and fully adjustable to fit any kid up to 14 years old. My grandson is turning 16 this year and he used it for 3 years prior to this. I know this is a shameful plug but its a good bow that is ready to shoot with some really nice added components.