Best Bow for a beginner Archer? Recurve/Compound Bow Tips?

Joined
Jul 7, 2017
Messages
320
Likes
251
Feedback: 0 / 0 / 0
Hello folks!


For the past few weeks I have been contemplating what type of gun I wanted next, when the familiar feeling of wanting to buy one came over. I went over plenty of options. From Civil War era revolvers to Bolt Actions and such. Until I decided the unconventional route. And now I am very interested in bows. An ideal SHTF weapon for hunting, stealth, and for simply having fun hitting targets in the woods. Quiet, simple and awesome for hunting the red squirrels.


A compound bow.

z_33111_0_0_530x.jpg



Or a Traditional Recurve Bow

20740_270x500_2.jpg



Now if it's anyone who doesn't know their ass from their elbow when it comes to bows and arrows, it's me. But I would like to change that. I have always loved the art of hunting with arrows. And while I am not one of those nuts who equates a bow to a finely tuned gun, I just think they are cool and want to have one for squirrels and for a stealth option for SHTF. It's something I don't have but i'm not knowledgeable enough to make that leap. So that's why I am asking here.



Now my first question is, what brand and what type?


Honestly i'm leaning towards Recurve Bow. It's just simple in design, easy to maintnance and less string bullshit then the compound bow. Crossbow is out of my realm because it's basically a gun that shoots arrows and i'm more leaning for the simplistic, old fashioned style. And I think crossbows may be illegal in MA. But I forget.



Where do I start. What should I know? Any Archers on here willing to lend some advice?


Thank you for any tips.


My budget will be about 600-1000 dollars btw. Most important is durability.


Thanks everyone.
 
Trader Jans in Fall River or Ace in Foxboro.

Bought a couple compound bows from Trader and was treated very well. They have an indoor range to practice and rent as well.

Or, you can buy my old ladys compound since she hasnt used it.
 
I too am a beginner archer. I made a few mistakes at first and I hope I can help you avoid them too. I now own a compound and my girl friend owns a recurve.

1. Realistically what are you going to use it for? Do you have any designs on legally hunting before the end of days? If the answer is yes then you’ll want a compound bow. To legally hunt deer in MA your bow has to pull at least 40lbs. Almost every adult compound bow will make this happen. I caution you though: most advertise what their top end of the draw weight range is. Drawing 65-70lbs doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is, especially if you’re a smaller guy (like me). I bought a diamond infinite edge pro, which can be adjusted from 5lbs up to 65.

2. Have your compound bow fitted to you at a real archery shop. If a bow isn’t fitted to you it’ll never work. It’s not like a gun where you can make a short or long rifle stock work.

3. If you just want to have fun, a recurve might be best. A samick sage lives with me and is a nice piece of kit.

4. Good luck hunting squirrel with a bow. Not saying it can’t be done, but they never sit still. Sometimes it’s even tough to catch them at a run with a 12ga.

5. Within your price range you’ll get a bitchin’ setup, but you would probably be served well enough spending half of that on a compound, and 10-20% on.a recurve. Allot money for arrows and possibly a release, and a few other knick knacks that may come up. With the savings, you can also buy a gun!
 
Last edited:
IMO Recurve’s are fun, compound bows are for more serious business. If you’re really looking to kill game there’s no comparison. As far as brands Mathews bows in my opinion are the top dog. Crossbows are not totally illegal in MA provided you have a doctors note explaining the need for one , then I believe you can hunt with one. And they are a whole other level above recurve and even compound bows in speed and power. Good luck.
 
Last edited:
Trader Jans in Fall River or Ace in Foxboro.

Bought a couple compound bows from Trader and was treated very well. They have an indoor range to practice and rent as well.

Or, you can buy my old ladys compound since she hasnt used it.

Wow, talk about convenient lol. I actually live in Fall River. Never knew we had an archery shop. Establishing an awesome place right in my hometown will be very cool. :) Thank you very much for turning me on to them. Once I have my funds in order after this big trip i'm going on, i'm going go down there and see what I come up with. Pretty excited about it. And based on what a lot of you folks are saying. My budget might even be a tad high for a begginer bow. I don't mind paying but I sure love saving more lol.
 
I too am a beginner archer. I made a few mistakes at first and I hope I can help you avoid them too. I now own a compound and my girl friend owns a recurve.

1. Realistically what are you going to use it for? Do you have any designs on legally hunting before the end of days? If the answer is yes then you’ll want a compound bow. To legally hunt deer in MA your bow has to pull at least 40lbs. Almost every adult compound bow will make this happen. I caution you though: most advertise what their top end of the draw weight range is. Drawing 65-70lbs doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is, especially if you’re a smaller guy (like me). I bought a diamond infinite edge pro, which can be adjusted from 5lbs up to 65.

2. Have your compound bow fitted to you at a real archery shop. If a bow isn’t fitted to you it’ll never work. It’s not like a gun where you can make a short or long rifle stock work.

3. If you just want to have fun, a recurve might be best. A samick sage lives with me and is a nice piece of kit.

4. Good luck hunting squirrel with a bow. Not saying it can’t be done, but they never sit still. Sometimes it’s even tough to catch them at a run with a 12ga.

5. Within your price range you’ll get a bitchin’ setup, but you would probably be served well enough spending half of that on a compound, and 10-20% on.a recurve. Allot money for arrows and possibly a release, and a few other knick knacks that may come up. With the savings, you can also buy a gun!


Thank you for all the advice!

1. I'm definitely more in it for recreation and having fun I must say. Which is why I might be leaning towards a Recurve. I love that it's more simplistic and traditional. I really just want something quiet that I can shoot targets on my land without having the Bernie lovers calling cops. It's really my dream to just be able to shoot stuff in my yard and not have to go to the range every 2 days. At the very most I might mess with small to medium sized game. But it's not as much likely as it is that i'll be shooting wooden archery targets and trying to get invested in the target archery aspect of it. I can see myself getting very addicted to bettering my aim with target practice and having fun since I can do it on my land without having to travel to a range. I really do get invested with things like that.

I do loathe the Squirrels chewing my damn house up though lol. And I can't shoot them with the shotgun because MA laws. The exterminator was useless. But they do stay very still on this fence I have. I have even hit them with rocks because they take naps. I can get one to stay a good 5 minutes and it's so close. So I'm going to at least try to peg a few of the ignorant red bastards. Maybe make a stew.

My second reasoning is for a SHTF weapon. And I think having a stealth option is something I simply don't have. I think not only having a bow but becoming masterful with one would be a good idea for hunting in a survivalist situation.



One question I wanted to ask is. What size do you folks suggest I get for my use? I see they range anywhere from 30'' to over 70''. I'm thinking more compact the better but I don't want a little kids bow either. Maybe the 50'' range?


I will most likely be stopping into Trader Jans after my Trip to Texas in Nov. This trip has been taking all my funds and i'm very excited to be able to buy things again lol.


Hope everyone has a blessed week.
 
If you want to have some fun with a recurve bow rock on. I think I may like traditional better too.

I don’t know exactly how you measure for a recurve, but as long as you know your draw length that’s a good place to start. A good way to estimate is to divide your height by 2.5, but that won’t be exact. You should still be measured. The samick sage linked below is good quality and will work for you if your draw is under 29”, which is pretty long.

https://www.amazon.com/Samick-Sage-Takedown-Recurve-Bow/dp/B01F6HVJ4C?th=1&psc=1
 
for hunting, or for fun?

It is easier to hit game with the compound bow (sights available, let off when it is drawn which gives you time to sight in or let the game move a little for a better shot), so if you are a beginning bow hunter, it would be more humane to hunt compound.

for fun...the recurve is the way to go.
 
and you said "beginner"?
No wood arrows in a compound bow...too much force--they can snap in half and impale your arm
 
Thank you for all the advice!

1. I'm definitely more in it for recreation and having fun I must say. Which is why I might be leaning towards a Recurve. I love that it's more simplistic and traditional. I really just want something quiet that I can shoot targets on my land without having the Bernie lovers calling cops. It's really my dream to just be able to shoot stuff in my yard and not have to go to the range every 2 days. At the very most I might mess with small to medium sized game. But it's not as much likely as it is that i'll be shooting wooden archery targets and trying to get invested in the target archery aspect of it. I can see myself getting very addicted to bettering my aim with target practice and having fun since I can do it on my land without having to travel to a range. I really do get invested with things like that.

Some cities/towns have arrow discharge ordnance’s so you should check.

Make sure that you have a good backstop for when you miss the target.

Lessons are worthwhile. Repeatable technique is everything.

I do loathe the Squirrels chewing my damn house up though lol. And I can't shoot them with the shotgun because MA laws. The exterminator was useless. But they do stay very still on this fence I have. I have even hit them with rocks because they take naps. I can get one to stay a good 5 minutes and it's so close. So I'm going to at least try to peg a few of the ignorant red bastards. Maybe make a stew.

Squirrels are a self leveling population. They love to run fences the most effective solution is snares on the fence but they are illegal.

You will have to kill a bunch to make a difference.

My second reasoning is for a SHTF weapon. And I think having a stealth option is something I simply don't have. I think not only having a bow but becoming masterful with one would be a good idea for hunting in a survivalist situation.

You will need to learn how to make arrows as well.

One question I wanted to ask is. What size do you folks suggest I get for my use? I see they range anywhere from 30'' to over 70''. I'm thinking more compact the better but I don't want a little kids bow either. Maybe the 50'' range?

Follow the archery shops recommendations as they have the experience and it takes some time to work up to higher poundage bows. I would probably recommend 35-40lbs for a starter.

Remember bows are something that needs to be fitted to and individual and it’s not one size fits all.

Again, I will recommend lessons to start. No sense in starting off with bad habits. A stringer and learning how to properly string the bow will prevent you from damaging it.

I’m a trad guy myself. I hunt with a recurve crossbow.:emoji_bow_and_arrow: :D

Bob
 
I don't see where anyone has mentioned left or right handed. You may want to consider keeping both eyes open when shooting so you'll want to aim with your dominant eye. I'm left eye dominant and right handed. I set out to shoot lefty buying a left hand compound bow and that is how I shoot. I think it is easier if you start off that way.
 
For fun, simplicity, durability, recurve all the way. You can get them in just about any draw length/weight you want. They can be outfitted with sights as well and are every bit as accurate as anything out there in capable hands.

You mentioned squirrel hunting, its a ton of fun with a lighter draw bow and flu-flu arrows, plus a lighter draw bow wont wear you out as quick as a heavier bow meaning you'll be more apt to practice with it.
 
For fun, simplicity, durability, recurve all the way. You can get them in just about any draw length/weight you want. They can be outfitted with sights as well and are every bit as accurate as anything out there in capable hands.

You mentioned squirrel hunting, its a ton of fun with a lighter draw bow and flu-flu arrows, plus a lighter draw bow wont wear you out as quick as a heavier bow meaning you'll be more apt to practice with it.



Is their away to adjust how much draw length the bow will have on a recurve? Or is it kinda one and done? And does the draw length correlate with the force the arrow has?


I know the questions are dumb but like I said, I have no clue lol. I think I will pay trader jans a visit soon. Maybe bass pro shop. Talk to an expert like you folks said and get a good fit. Especially since trader jans is right up the street from me.


I want something light but powerful enough to kill bandits, easy to use, durable. That could kill squirrels but also medium sized game like Bandits. A true all purpose bow.



Does anyone here reccomend the BEAR brand in Archery supplies? They make some really nice looking and highly priced recurve bows. Made out of premium materials. They seem to get good reviews.



Thanks for all the advice everyone :)
 
Is their away to adjust how much draw length the bow will have on a recurve? Or is it kinda one and done? And does the draw length correlate with the force the arrow has?


I know the questions are dumb but like I said, I have no clue lol. I think I will pay trader jans a visit soon. Maybe bass pro shop. Talk to an expert like you folks said and get a good fit. Especially since trader jans is right up the street from me.


I want something light but powerful enough to kill bandits, easy to use, durable. That could kill squirrels but also medium sized game like Bandits. A true all purpose bow.



Does anyone here reccomend the BEAR brand in Archery supplies? They make some really nice looking and highly priced recurve bows. Made out of premium materials. They seem to get good reviews.



Thanks for all the advice everyone :)

Recurves are measured at full draw, so say, 30lbs @ 29" draw. Think about it though, say for deer hunting, most states have a minimum draw weight for ethically hunting deer, commonly its around 45lbs. That's for deer, so how much do you really need for small game and varmints? With any type of hunting, shot placement is going to be the highest priority and a close second is a proper tip/point/broadhead for your application.

I do a ton of bowfishing, my setups are around 30-40lbs, shooting super heavy fiberglass arrows with line tied to the back of them, so the arrow gets slowed down a ton. They chrono at 105 fps on average. I have youth set-ups to get kids on the water, and have them set up with smaller recurves @ 25lbs and they stick fish just as well.

Its apples and oranges I know, but just saying a light pulling bow is easy and fun to shoot and won't wear you out. I couldn't shoot 100-150 times a night if I were using a hunting bow. If your not deer hunting, then why bother with a deer hunting set-up? The expense, releases, arrows, all cost more. It sounds to me that your looking for a fun hobby to grow with and learn, so keep it fun. A simple recurve that's fun to shoot and easy, inexpensive to maintain will always have a place for any archer.

These are just my thoughts of course, not saying they are the best for any or all applications. Archery is like any other shooting sport, it all depends on what you want out of it.
 
Is their away to adjust how much draw length the bow will have on a recurve? Or is it kinda one and done? And does the draw length correlate with the force the arrow has?

Does anyone here reccomend the BEAR brand in Archery supplies? They make some really nice looking and highly priced recurve bows. Made out of premium materials. They seem to get good reviews.



Thanks for all the advice everyone :)

I used to make laminated traditional recurve bows and have been around archery for 30 years.

Recurves are measured to a standard 28” Draw length most cases. Unless a custom bow is made for a customer to a specific draw length.

What the poundage actually is, depends on your specific Draw Length. But basically if a bow is 40 pounds at 28”. It will be more than 40 pounds at 29”. Less than 40 pounds at 27”. And all recurves vary depending on the limb design and force/draw curve. They tend to really start to stack weight in pounds per draw length inch after 30” draw. That is why long draw length people should shoot longer ATA length recurves. They are much more comfortable to shoot and stack less at higher draw lengths.

Compounds are pretty much similar but can be adjusted way more and “set” to your specific draw length and adjusted to a weight usually plus or minus 10# per limb set.

Some entry level compounds are super adjustable nowadays in weight and draw length and as a beginning archer looking for a compound that is what you should seek out. Because say now you want 30 pounds for squirrels, maybe a year from now youll want 50 pounds for deer. And along the way with little tweaks in your shooting form you find that messing around with your draw length a touch you settle in on a good average. Those adjustments are important to be able to make.

Or say archery doesnt end up to be your thing...you have a highly adjustable bow to sell to anyone. Rather than a bow that only has a small market. Believe me a 30 -40 pound bow has a minuscule resale market.
 
If you want to have some fun with a recurve bow rock on. I think I may like traditional better too.

I don’t know exactly how you measure for a recurve, but as long as you know your draw length that’s a good place to start. A good way to estimate is to divide your height by 2.5, but that won’t be exact. You should still be measured. The samick sage linked below is good quality and will work for you if your draw is under 29”, which is pretty long.

https://www.amazon.com/Samick-Sage-Takedown-Recurve-Bow/dp/B01F6HVJ4C?th=1&psc=1

I used to make laminated traditional recurve bows and have been around archery for 30 years.

Recurves are measured to a standard 28” Draw length most cases. Unless a custom bow is made for a customer to a specific draw length.

What the poundage actually is, depends on your specific Draw Length. But basically if a bow is 40 pounds at 28”. It will be more than 40 pounds at 29”. Less than 40 pounds at 27”. And all recurves vary depending on the limb design and force/draw curve. They tend to really start to stack weight in pounds per draw length inch after 30” draw. That is why long draw length people should shoot longer ATA length recurves. They are much more comfortable to shoot and stack less at higher draw lengths.

Compounds are pretty much similar but can be adjusted way more and “set” to your specific draw length and adjusted to a weight usually plus or minus 10# per limb set.

Some entry level compounds are super adjustable nowadays in weight and draw length and as a beginning archer looking for a compound that is what you should seek out. Because say now you want 30 pounds for squirrels, maybe a year from now youll want 50 pounds for deer. And along the way with little tweaks in your shooting form you find that messing around with your draw length a touch you settle in on a good average. Those adjustments are important to be able to make.

Or say archery doesnt end up to be your thing...you have a highly adjustable bow to sell to anyone. Rather than a bow that only has a small market. Believe me a 30 -40 pound bow has a minuscule resale market.


72478668_2229941407116243_4844913441363722240_n.png



I ended up buying this neat little kit folks! :)


Samic Sage, 50 Pound Draw, Take down recurve. Came with some arrows, a stringing tool, a quiver kit and the bow for 139.


Hope everyone has a great week.
 
Compound if you expect to hunt with it in the next several years. Recurved take a lot more training discipline and frankly a lot more practice to hit your shot. Go to your local archery range/Store (Big Als in seasbrook) try several , buying from craigslist is an option but you gotta know your bows and what you require (draw, pull etc)
 
72478668_2229941407116243_4844913441363722240_n.png



I ended up buying this neat little kit folks! :)


Samic Sage, 50 Pound Draw, Take down recurve. Came with some arrows, a stringing tool, a quiver kit and the bow for 139.


Hope everyone has a great week.

A lot of carbon arrows wont fly well out of recurves, they need additional weight up front or a weak spine.
 
Back
Top Bottom