Im new to the THF, spent years on the TFF though. I was wanting to get a beginer bow to shoot targets with. Any suggestions?

Welcome to the forum...how much are you wanting to spend??

This might sound stupid, probably 300-400

Not stupid.
Check out huntersfriend.com and look at their ready to hunt packages. There on some good bows completely setup with everything you need in that price range.

Also there is some good reading on that site about draw length and stuff like that. You will want to know what your dl is and what poundage you can pull so that you can order the bow to fit you properly.

Not to sound like a xxxxx or anything but in all honesty I could not disagree more.


You want to get a beginner bow, and it sounds like you have never shot before. The last thing you want to do is read up on draw length and draw weight and order a package deal. Go directly to a store that sells bows and have someone help you out. Be unfront with a budget and have them fit you into something that is correct for you. If you just order something from the net, I can almost all but guarantee that you will have a mess on your hands. Get down to a local proshop or heck for that matter a BassPro or Cabelas or Gander etc...Good luck and welcome to the sport!

Brian - Are you related to Mickey?

And I disagree that you would have a mess on your hands by ordering from huntersfriend. Those bows come completely ready to shoot. As long as you order it with the right dl (which is why I said to read up on how you can find out what your dl is) then all you need to do when it comes in is get a target and start flinging arrows. They come tuned and everything.

easy go to basspro have them measure draw length then go to huntersfriend and order one

I'll make an assumption and figure you're going with a compound bow. Traditional equipment is an option but most folks progress up to it after getting tired of the gadgets involved with compounds and are seeking a more enjoyable, spiritual type of hunting.

Once you get your equipment, you need to read as much about form as you can possibly find. If you get a crappy rest or set of sights or release, etc, you can always just go out and buy something else. If you start out learning bad form and technique, you are a #1 candidate for being an ex-archer or worse, you'll leave animals running around with arrows hanging out of them. You can't un-learn bad habits by plunking money down on the counter.

Relative to your equipment, you need to know what makes a compound bow tick or you'll have a devil of a time figuring out why something's not working for you. One of the most important things I learned when I started was how the force draw curve looks on a compound. Besides helping you shoot, it is the most valuable guide you have if you buy another bow. That curve tells you everything about recoil, kinetic energy, rate (and timing) of arrow acceleration, etc of a particular bow. You may not think you need to know (and maybe you don't) but in my opinion, you can never know too much about your equipment.

To correctly quote an often mis-quoted phrase:
"Practice makes permenant, perfect practice makes perfect".

Good post primitive!

Here's my beef with a new guy and buying online.
He isn't saving any money by buying online. Maybe right off, but buying from a proshop pays huge dividends in the long run. From having work done to just getting answers to questions. The knowledge a new guy can gain from spending those first moments with the bow in a proshop is worth any money that might be saved from buying online. The shop sets up the bow, then tunes it, and also sets it up for the individual. The peep will be in the correct place to fit the shooter rather than being setup in a factory far away causing the shooter to have to fit to the bow rather than the bow fitting to the shooter. These little issues form the bad habits. Also, when buying from a proshop the newbie should get at the very least a quick shooting lesson, again helping to avoid the bad habits.

IMHO, supporting the local proshop is the one of the most important things an archer can do. If the guy was experienced then buying online might be a little more logical, but I for one am just totally against it for a first timer. I see guys come in the shop all the time wanting work done on a bow they bought off the net. Most of the time had they bought that bow from the proshop in the first place they would be at the range shooting it rather than at the shop having it fixed. Just my opinion!

Again.....Good luck and welcome to the sport!

For experienced shooters, buying from the net or mail order can work. In my opinion, a new shooter should go with a Pro Shop. If you never go to one again in your life, you need to go for your initial setup. If it's not set up right for you specifically, you'll be fighting your bow when you should be enjoying it.

I've never been to BPS or Cabela's but from what I've read, there seem to be quite a few unhappy customers. I'm sure there are some satisfied guys too but we usually don't hear much from someone unless they have a problem. I don't recall who they are right now but I think there a couple of THFers who own or work at Pro Shops that should be able to get you headed in the right direction.

Brian, Wes 70 on here has a bow shop. He is a good guy and can help yopu get into bow hunting. he has helped me out a bunch on both mine and my wifes bows. I also use North Texas Archery in Farmersville. The guys there are good guys, but geared more towards higher end stuff, that ism't going to fit in your budget. Also there is one particular guy at Gander Mountain that I will use in a pinch. I forget his name, but he is bald headed with a goatee. He is usually in there at night. I think out of all thse choices if you can get hooked up with Wes that would be your best option.

Let me know if I can help in any way, I am just north of you in Anna.

I am going to see Wes 70 to get my bow set-up. He has been very helpful and I am buying my gear from him from now on. I had a $200 gift card from Sportsman's so I had a good reason to buy my Bowtech from them during the closeout sale.

Which bowtech did you get??? I heard they had some great deals going on.

By going to a Pro Shop you will get what you want or can afford. They will set it up to for you and get you started. A lesson or 2 will get you a big jump start. Also look at one of the local archery clubs. I have found most club members are very willing to help out new shooters.
A few clubs are Archers for Christ(Paris) Mesquite Archery Club, Cowtown Bowmen, Irving Bowhunters, and Denton County.

I highly suggest going to a bow shop first and at least trying out a few bows. Don't get pressured into buying any particular brand. Find out what your draw length is exactly at a pro shop first. I started out on a Parker bow years ago and switched to a Hoyt, then a Mathews, back to Hoyt, then to Ross over the last 10 years or so. I never stick with a particular brand. I just go with what feels right to me when I shoot it and what I can shoot the most accurately with.