I have been thinking about getting a compound bow and learning to use it for target shooting, not necessarily a survival item.

Does anyone have any recommendations for what to look for or avoid in new/used compound bows?

Thanks.

I don't know beans about them, last time I shot an arrow into the air the bow, when unstrung, was staight, about six feet long, and the arrows were made of wood, with real feather fetching. But I have been workamping in a store that sells lots of archery stuff, the owner is well known in the area for his ability to fine tune a bow to the shooter, etc. After having listened to him sell more than one bow that, with all the bells and whistles, goes for over $1000, I can only suggest that you go to an archery shop, and talk to the people there. Hopefully they will be as knowledable as my guy is...

Ask 5 people that shoot bows for advice and you’ll get 6 recommendations. The biggest thing is finding a bow that is comfortable and balanced in your hand.

I’ll second going to a reputable shop, they’ll have different models that you can try and they usually do a better job adjusting the draw length to fit your body. Many will also have a nice selection of used gear as guys upgrade to the latest and greatest.

As far as brands, Darton, Matthews and Bowtech all make excellent bows. For releases, I like the Minigoose from Scott archery. I’m not a fan of the “Whisker biscuit” type rests and prefer the fall away types. I like the vertical adjustment type sights

Arrow selection will be based on draw weight.

Compound is the way to go. I agree with my brethren about the reputable dealer, they can usually run you through the vocabulary and the setups. You can spend an awful lot for a compound bow, so do some shopping. Balance is key, don't worry about all the extras, just find a good bow and the rest will come. The extras can be pretty pricey. Most "kits" will come with the bow and quiver that attaches to the bow and some basic sites. The immediate extras would be a release and arrows. I personally like aluminum for price reasons and I just have always shoot them. I have a Bear bow, it's killed deer so if it ain't broke don't fix it...right? Other good brands in my area, PSE, Hoyt, Matthews. If you have a Bass Pro shop nearby, they have a large selection and reasonably intelligent staff.

I will say that I DO like the “Whisker biscuit” type arrow rest. It's real comforting to know that once I put an arrow in and nock it...it's not going to fall off. I deer hunt alot and it's nice to be able to hang your bow and not worry about the arrow falling out and clanging.

Thanks guys. I will start looking for a local dealer.

I have one of these, a Delta Storm crossbow. Hard to find right now but someone is selling one on e-bay. I was tempted to bid on it since they are extremely hard to find. I bought mine years back and it's still a great crossbow.


This guy who is selling this doesn't have a clue of how extremely hard this bow is to find and it you are even slightly interested in it, this may be one of a very few chances to get one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BARNETT-DELTA-STORM-...1QQcmdZViewItem


Here's mine: