I just purchased a new 2011 hoyt alphaburner. This is my first bow and am wondering what all i need to start target shooting and hunting. Arrow rest, sight, etc... I have a limited budget but want to know the best cheap accesories i need to be able to shoot. thanks.

I was in the same boat. Watch this form and archerytalk.com for equipment. (sorry mods for the referral, just trying to help a new guy out) A Octane hostage 3 brush rest would be good and can be found cheap, and won't screw up your arrows. For a site, you can get the bargain bin a Dicks sporting goods and/or academy and probably find a tru glo 3 pin for $10. I found a good deal on the other site for an Axion Edge 4 pin that I really like. Also get a stabilizer locally, found one in Dicks bargain bin for $5. For Arrows, I started out with some Academy bought easton aluminums, but have switched to Cabelas carbon stalkers with blazer vanes. Cabelas will cut and setup the arrows for you for free, just bring in your bow. Bass Pro I believe will do the same, but the reviews I read on Cabelas were a bit better and the price was good. You can even find them in the bargain bin at Cabelas (for cut arrows that were never purchased) and have them recut there for you for even less than uncut ones.

But before you buy a rest, look around at the options. I wouldn't go with a front/rear sight combo, stick to the peep until you get your targeting skills down. Just look at whats available from different manufacturers, see how many pins you want to go with, how big of an aperture, read reviews, and pick out about 6 or so of your favs, then start looking for deals. The sight is very important, that's why I didn't hit the bargain bin for it.

Quick question, did you already get a peep installed? If not its better to find someone who sets up bows and have them install the peep, site and rest for you. If you already got the peep installed, a good bow show can work with it and still get you setup properly.

Thank you so much for your reply it has helped me alot.
No i have nothing installed all bought was the basic bow online. Just got it today and being that I have never shot or owned a bow before, i thought it would be ready to go out of the box.

Just to clarify, I should get a peep sight first so I can get used to the feel of the bow and hone my accuracy. I need to get a stabilizer (not sure what a stabilizer is). The arrows i purchase need to be cut down? I believe my draw weight is 70 pounds and the draw length is 29 or 30 inches. My main question is for all practical purposes i need a peep sight and an arrow rest just to shoot in my backyard to practice? I'm not going hunting anytime soon, so i just want to be able to practice. Thanks again for your helpful reply.

Basically, use a front site first, and get someone to setup the peep for you. They'll provide it, it only costs about a quarter. The peep is the little plastic circle embedded in the string. The setup guy will put one in for you.

The stabilizer is basically something that absorbs vibrations from shooting, makes it easier to control your shot. It just screws on the front of your bow.

For the arrow rest, there's several different types, but the easiest ones are whisker biscuits and hostage rests. The whisker biscuit can warp your fins over time. Google both these terms and look at the images, you'll see why immediately.

One more thing I should mention in case you don't have one, get a release. With a 70 pound pull you won't get an accurate shot using your fingers, and you may draw blood. A $20 or so Tru Fire at Dicks will take care of you.

And after a few months of shooting, you will want to cut your arrows. For the cheapest option right now, you just need to know about how long of an arrow you need to practice with. Get your bow setup first, and get the setup guy to give you maintenance pointers. He'll teach you about waxing the string and whatnot. When he's done and you go to pick it up, bring a wooden dowel rod with you. Ask for his help getting the correct arrow length. He'll have you draw the bow with the dowel as the arrow, and he'll mark the spot for the arrow length. Now you know how long of an arrow you'll need if you get them cut. If you want cheapies to play with, hit Academy with this measurement and round up the length you just measured to the nearest inch. Then you just need field points for the arrow and something to shoot at.

And don't worry about it not being ready to shoot, good bows rarely come all decked out. And that alphaburner will take good care of you for YEARS!

Okay thank you! You answered all my questions. I appreciate it.

Anytime! Welcome to the addiction!

Sent you a PM.

Nice tutorial Scalpel4. Welcome to the addiction Frank.

Thanks. I just remember getting started and just wanted to give him a hand. Its always good to get clean answers from the start, just the facts and without a bias.

Thanks everyone! I can already tell it's an addiction. So i ended up getting the Trophy Ridge Punisher 5 Sight with light a tru fire 360 buckle foldback release and turned my draw weight from 70 pounds to 60. I still haven't decided between a whisker biscuit or a open rest like the octane hostage scalpel4 recommended. I'm wondering what the pros and cons are of these types of rests. Thanks in advance.

Where did you get your bow? Scalpel4 has given you some good pointers, but I think there are some holes. You need to understand that the draw weight that you set your bow to will affect he spine of the arrow that you need. So it is a little more complicated than just knowing what length you need and picking some up at Academy. The rest he suggests are good options. There are more expensive drop away style rests, and some will say those are the only way to go. I shoot a whisker biscuit. For hunting it is very stable and I know my arrow isn't going to fall off the rest. That doesn't mean that someday I wont change to a drop away, but for the beginner I think the WB is just fine. The Octane he mentions is just a different style, but similar in the way it works.

You really need to get your peep set, rest installed, and sight set up before you shoot. This is a powerful weapon and you don't want arrows flying off in unsafe directions. If you have a good bow shop in your area, that is where I would start. They should have an indoor range and once they have the accessories installed will let you try everything out. They may be able top give you some pointers so that you are using proper form and staying safe.

Don't forget, you will need a target, bow case (to keep your accessories from getting messed up) and a release.

I traded a gun for it. The bow was still in original box unopened. So a whisker biscuit is better for beginners?

If anyone has a cheap WB or drop away they're selling let me know.

They're not expensive, really can find one at academy, Dicks, the trading forum here or at archery talk. Here's some good examples of what you're looking for:

http://www.trophyridge.com/arrow-rests/whisker-biscuit/

If you want to see the difference this is what I have, but its all personal preference.

http://www.fuelthehunt.com/hostage.php

And he's right about the arrow spline and that, but look at that before you start thinking about buying broadheads for a hunt.

Ok thanks for all the help.

So it turns out my draw length is 28 and the bow is 29 in. The peep sight doesn't line up and I have to lean backwards to compensate. The cams are fixed and not adjustable. Should I sell the bow and start over or is there something else I can do?

The cams on most Hoyts have a different module for each draw length. Take it to a local bow shop that is a Hoyt dealer (not familiar with any in Houston because im 300 miles north). Most shops will change out for the correct modules for little to no cost.

Already have taken it too 3 shops. They all told me the same thing, these are fixed cams