Caught in the middle with....all of these different bows

Aburgess95

Member
I’m pretty green when it comes to bow hunting, Like green enough to be mistaken for the Incredible Hulks smaller, more nimble, cousin. I’m caught between wanting to purchase a brand new bow in the $300-450 range (ex. Diamond edge SB-1) and picking up an older bow from Facebook for around the same price (ex. Mathews switchback XT, Hoyt powermax, etc.). Any advice? I’m learning here, so be easy.
 

MMCSS9198

Member
the diamonds are a good bow to start out on come with basic add ons you can upgrade later on and are user friendly in adjusting, i shot the same diamond bow for close to 20 years before upgraded to a new mathews vxr. the best thing to do is go to a bow shop and look and shoot several different bows to see what suits you.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Almost any bow will kill a deer if you do your part. People have been killing deer with them for over 10,000 years. The one that killed deer three years ago will still kill deer this year. :)
 

sifipps

Member
I’m pretty green when it comes to bow hunting, Like green enough to be mistaken for the Incredible Hulks smaller, more nimble, cousin. I’m caught between wanting to purchase a brand new bow in the $300-450 range (ex. Diamond edge SB-1) and picking up an older bow from Facebook for around the same price (ex. Mathews switchback XT, Hoyt powermax, etc.). Any advice? I’m learning here, so be easy.

I was in a similar position this year. My last bow had a splintered limb and I wasn't able to get the bow and accessories I really want so I opted to pick up an inexpensive RTH combo on eBay. My options are somewhat limited due to my 31" draw but I was able to get a Bear Wild with the basic accessories shipped to my house for $250. It is definitely nothing fancy and I still plan to get another bow in the next year or two but it is certainly capable of doing what I need it to in the meantime. I've been bowhunting for several years off and on so I'm not super green and I still like it just fine even though it is considered a beginner bow.
 

ddd-shooter

Senior Member
You need to shoot a lot of different bows to see what you like. All bows are killers, but what style do you like? Theres quite a bit of “feel” that’s different.
If you buy online, don’t buy from Facebook. Go to archery talk and buy a flagship bow that’s a few years old in that price range. You’ll only have to go back a few years for that price range. The prices will be better there.
 

Jim Thompson

Live From The Tree
To answer your question, I would rather have a 3 year old flagship or higher end used bow if I can get it close to the same price as a newer entry level bow. That being said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a brand new bow to start out with and if set up properly, fitted to you and you have some basic training an entry level bow will kill them just as dead.

The drawback to being brand new to archery and trying to buy a used one is knowing what to get and then finding a reputable shop to help with setup and tuning. Unless you have some guidance to start with you will be buying and hoping it's right for you.

So my suggestion would be to get quality recommendations for a shop near you. Tell them your budget and let them guide you. They may have a used bow that will fit or you buy an entry level from them and allow them to help with getting started.
 

bullgator

Senior Member
You need to shoot a lot of different bows to see what you like. All bows are killers, but what style do you like? Theres quite a bit of “feel” that’s different.
If you buy online, don’t buy from Facebook. Go to archery talk and buy a flagship bow that’s a few years old in that price range. You’ll only have to go back a few years for that price range. The prices will be better there.
+1 on Archery Talk. Some of those guys upgrade bows every year, kinda like people into tech stuff. They may not give them away but they want to move them, so you’ll get it at a fair price in most cases.
 

TomC

Senior Member
Been buying from archerytalk for going on 20 years. KNOW YOUR DRAW LENGTH specs beforehand and since you are new buy a bow with an adjustable cam that DOES NOT require you to buy new modules to adjust draw length. YOU NEED TO DO SOME RESEARCH and make sure the cams are user friendly so you can tweek the draw length easily and you can make the adjustment yourself without the need of a press. Spend as much time researching the cams as the actual bow.......lot of variance in let-off and user friendliness when it comes to cams. $300-$500 buys you a used bow that cost well north of a $1000 a few years ago. I buy my arrows local, pay local to setup if its something I can't do but the cost of new bows from better companies is past the point of ridiculous. With a little patience you can find just about anything at archerytalk. Just buy from a seller with solid positive feedback. Never once had a problem!
 

BASS1FUN

Senior Member
If you have the opportunity to shoot the ones you mentioned and more go right ahead. I started with a used Bear ? Kodiak, then my first new bow was a Ben Pearson Spoiler Plus. I bought a new Mathews LX when they came out and 3 more Mathews later in which I have all 4 that I’ve been trying to kill a deer ? with each one for the past few seasons
 

bullgator

Senior Member
As TomC said, today’s new lower end bows from reputable companies are about the equivalent of a flagship bow from just a few years ago.....without the wear and tear on them.
 

Gaswamp

Senior Member
also, I would add....put your money in a good rest and sight as well....not something to scimp money on in my opinion
 
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