Bow/accessory recommendations?

[Realtree]

I'm looking at purchasing a new or used compound bow this summer and was looking for some recommendations from our experienced bowhunters here at MNO on things that I should look for in a bow and shooting accessories for a beginner such as: what arrow rest do you prefer and why? what brand/model of bow and why? sight pins, release, etc... I am totally new to bowhunting but want to get into something that won't break the bank to try, but give me a solid package in the woods. Any help is appreciated...Thanks in advance! 

[Mayfly]

Have you taken a look at this yet?

[deadeye]

MNO, you gotta do better than that.  I looked at it for quite a while but nothing appeared.

[Mayfly]

Oops.. Did I forget the link? Sorry...

http://mnoutdoorsman.com/forums/index.php?page=2010 Bow Review

[BiggA]

There are a ton of options. First thing I would say is dont get caught up in the name game. You dont need a mathews or top end Hoyt to start out. I bought my first bow at a pawn shop. It was a pse and worked just fine. As for rest I like my whisker biscuit because I dont have to worry about my arrow falling off. The rest of the accesories I have are cheep because well I dont make alot of money and feeding the kids take precedence over fancy big dollar sights and such. I have a 3 pin sight cant remember off hand the brand but it has fiber optic things that glow better than alot of the expensive sights i have seen. Just make sure you are comfortable with the draw weight and length.

[The General]

I have a Hoyt Vortec and this is a bow I don't think I will ever get rid of until my 3 year old son decides to use it then I'll get a new one.  It's 5 or so years old now and I'm betting you can find one fairly cheap.  One thing I would recommend not skimping on is the sights.  I don't have a wisker bisket but my arrows are in need of new fletching and when I do this I'm going to the vanes and a WB. 

[Swany]

Scott,
There are tons of options out there for you. Budget should be your first decision, and after that it will all fall into place. There are a lot of used bows that run from $150-$700 out there. If you are buying used I would tell you one thing for sure; Don't buy it unless you can try it. There are good deals on ebay/craigslist/etc., but every bow is different and you need to like shooting what you buy, makes sure it fits your draw length, and to be comfortable with it. (if you don't know your draw length, go to a pro-shop and get measured up by a pro).
Also, bows from 2007 through to today have come a long way. I have an older PSE from 2004 and shooting that compared to newer bows is like the difference between flying first class and coach. Older models will still shoot and kill deer, but newer in cases of bows is better (my opinon).
Accessories can add up REALLY fast. Proceed with caution; haha. Work your way up to the high dollar stuff.
Starting out you can't go wrong with a whisker biscuit rest. Easy, efficient, and affordable. 
For your first set of arrows I would say carbon with 2" blazer or quick spin vanes.
Tru Glo makes well built affordable sights that have good brightness in their fiberoptics.
That is probably a long enough post I guess...

[Realtree]

thanks for the advice and suggestions everybody. I will be stopping at Cabela's this week to look around at some of the bows they have on the floor and check out arrow rests, trigger releases and sight pins and also have my draw length measured. I'm thinking that I would like to find a good used bow at a reasonable price to get into and see how I like it before sinking a large amount of money into something that I'm not sure if I'll keep on with or not at this point. And if I like it and want to upgrade to a newer-fancier model then I will have something to hand down to my son when he is old enough to shoot an adult bow.

[Woody]

Just a thought...do you have some friends nearby that you could borrow their bows?  Kind of like test driving them to get a feel for what you like or don't like.  What works for you, what doesn't?  I believe you can do that at Cabela's as well. 

[The General]

Scot,  If the plan is to hand it down a good idea in picking a bow is an adjustable draw length.  I believe the bow I have goes from 26-31 inches or something like that. 

[MnArch]

Hey Scott, 
  I deal with this question every single day and the best advice I can give you is to look at, handle and ask questions on every product.  It's true that the bow does not make the shooter.  There are a ton of guys that drink the Kool-Aid on products just because the want others to see them shooting it.  With all the products in the archery industry now-a-days you can easily get set up with stuff that has as high of quality as products that are twice as expensive.  But as an archery shop owner, It would be in injustice for me to tell you that one product is the best and this is what you should shoot.  An experienced archery technician can point out the pro's and con's and leave it up to you to make the decision on what's right for you.  The big thing is to get a bow that is the right fit and that someone who KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT sets it up for you.  There are many little things to take into account when setting up a bow.  Not just "Looks about right".  Get into a pro-shop somewhere.   The prices will be the same 99% of the time. Box stores a lot of the time have qualified, excellent employees......But sometimes it's a person who applied for the position because they thinks it would be a cool job.  Good for selling decoys, sometimes good for selling bows, but usually have to have worked double checked.
-Matt   

[Muddy41]

You have gotten alot of good advise from alot of people.

No one can tell you what bow is the best. The best bow out there to me is one that feels good when I shoot it. Wether it is a Mathews, Bowtech, PSE or even a Bear. You need to spend some time just going to archery stores and shooting alot of different ones.

When you find what feels good to you then start your leg work in finding used ones. You can PM me and I can give you a great website to go to if there is nothing on here you like.

The one thing I feel strongly about is a rest. I have used wisker Biskits and drop aways (or fall away) rest and have found thet the drop away rest are by far the best out there for accuracy.

With releases this is another gray area. This like the bow is something you need to try. Alot of you pro shops will let you play around with them to see what fits you the best.

But truly spend time shooting different bows before you make up your mind. Bows will last a life time if taken care of. Like my says by one and that is the only one you get!!!!!!! LOL..

SO take the time and go to different shops. Each pro shop carries different brands due to rules that manufactures have placed with who gets to sell what. SO spend the time.

Again if you want a good link to some good used bows please fell free to PM me. It might take me a day to respond but I will get back to you shortly after you PM me.

Thanks
Mike

PS I have not spent alot of time on this site so my post count is down but I have spent alot tof time on other places. Now that I am back on here I truly am planning on spending alot more time on this site.

[Realtree]

I stopped at an archery shop in Rochester tonight before heading home after work and shot the Quest Hammer, very nice bow! My first 2 arrows ever shot hit the top of the bullseye and on the third arrow the owner told me to aim for a small balloon hanging to the right of target on a string...I popped the balloon. Not too bad for my first 3 shots ever, I'm probably hooked now and I haven't even got out in the woods yet with one. I also shot the PSE Axe 6 which is a very nice bow as well, but a little more than I can or want to spend right now for my first bow.  

[stevejedlenski]

i just noticed no one really touched on sights, just a few pros and cons.

sights that are round help you if you can center it with your circle peep- more consistent

peeps can be large or small, smaller = more precise but less light for twilight, some have 4 points like cross hairs but again may impede on sight picture more

bright fiber optics are great during the day but at low light ( peak movement) they may be too bright to see the deer very well.

size of pins, the smaller the more precise, less sight interference, but easier to break

in line pins or from the side, inline have "more sight picture" but can actually cover where your at up and down on an animal


there are more and different types of sights such as the pendulum or scopes, but i haven't used them nor do i want to try them, maybe someone else has.