what bow to buy?

[moose]

hi this is my first post, i am not a complete noob as i have done a compound bow course at my local club, the guy that did the coarse recommends a hoyt razortec that i dont think has been used and has been sitting in there stock for a while.i have read quite a bit and have found out that these are not made by hoyt any more as im sure you guys already know.....at 33" axle to axle it is a nice size for me as i am not very big. i have also looked at the reflex buckskin which is an inch longer.


i dont really know the price difference between the to and difference in build quality.

in your experiance what would you recommend?

thanks moose

[StevenB]

what type of shooting do you want to get into? Hunting, target (FITA) or Field (FITA, IFAA or 3D)?

Also you say your not very big, whats your draw length?

and what did the club you did the course at suggest to you?

[moose]

i might do some hunting at some stage and hopefully 3D but i could end up just doing some fun shooting at home and at my local club.

my draw length is 27", the club guy suggested i go for the razortec as it is very high quality....but its not being made any more so is it still a good idea to buy it?

[Raven2822]

what style do you intend to shoot. Barebow with fingers or are you venturing to the dark side with all the bells and whistles.
Personally I would think that 33 inch a2a may still be a little short for fingers with a 27 inch draw. Perfectly fine for release aid though. Then again if you plan on doing some hunting it makes it easier to get around with a shorter bow.
I have shot both hoyt and reflex bows and found them both to be of good quality.

[moose]

i will be shooting with all the bells and whistles.trigger ect

[primal]

ok if you want to splash some money about $1000-$1300, try an BOWTECH Allegiance, even @ 27" inch its a fast bow and very well balanced, no kick, no vibration. an excellent all round bow, for hunting 3d and fita, if not a bowtech try the cheaper cousin, the DIAMOND, if you check out archeryshop.com.au they have several excellent diamond bows at runout prices. triumph, libery and justice. (yes the names are bad :( ) around 600-700.

apart form bowtech dont neglect ben pearsons bows. available through canga

especially the edge at just $650!!!, i shoot its bigger brother the bishop, excellent grip, smooth shot and quiet. http://www.canga.com.au/McPherson/McPherson-1.htm

email the boys at zen archery about the rest of the range but depending on your budget ben pearsons make an exellent bow, or pm buzzlightyear here on the forum.

Shot a Martin sabre the other night. was an exellent bow considering the price point, email marcus from urban about those or pm him here on the forum.

apart from those it all depends on your budget, so what is your budget???

[Raven2822]

Guess is also depends on how serious you want to get with shooting. I for instance knew I was going to shoot for ever and wanted something very good but knew very little about the sport and ended up getting a reflex bow which I have found very good but not suited at all to the style I shoot. Now a couple of years down the track have to spend a lot more money getting something that will suit me better.
If you get the right set up first of all. You wont need to replace the bow for years to come. You may WANT to change but you may not NEED to change.
If you are going to get serious then spending a couple of grand is no big deal but if you only intend on shooting occasionally for a bit of fun you may not wish to spend all that much.
Saying that is is one of the most addictive sports I have tried!! Right up there with SCUBA diving.

[Liam]

Even if you get the best, you'll want a different set up a few years later.

=|

[Raven2822]

True but you might not need it. At least if you get something good you cant blame your set up for poor shooting! That may not be a good thing though. It is nice to blame something other than yourself. :)

[primal]

the best part about buying good equipment is that you can sell it for more to "subsidise" the next purchase. doing this with cheaper, lower quality,equipment can be very difficult.

[moose]

one thing i have forgot to mention is that i live in south africa and my club can get hoyt and reflex bows more easily......primal what is the Hoyt trykon like compared to the other bows you mentioned above?

i am also a member of the south african air rifle field target team going to poland for world championships in agust so i am not going to be taking archery competitions to seriously yet i was hoping it will help me with my standing shots.but it is another sport i enjoy alot so i want to be able to shoot accuratly...will the razortec fill that discription?


thanks for all your help so far guys.:grin:

[moose]

i am looking at spending around $650 excluding arrows ect

another question i have is, is an easton ST epic arrow 300 appropriate for around a 60# draw weight and a 27" draw length or should i use an arrow that has a more flexable spine?

[primal]

you could get away with it on a compound with a release aid, as compound is not so picky about over spined shafts.

as for 650 being your budget. definatly check out those diamonds @ archery shop and the mcpherson edge @ canga, both brands are excellent quality and you wont regret buying one. i would lean towards the diamons my self :)

[Buzzlightyear]

Moose, primal has listed a good range of bows that you cannot go wrong. Ultimately since you are in South Africa, you will need to consider -

1) Warranty and service back up that you can obtain locally.
2) Choose a bow that you feel comfortable with AFTER trying as many as you can. You might surprise yourself that some bows that does not have the "sex" appeal may have the "Want" appeal.

Working from a budget backwards can have its drawbacks, Mainly it might just put you out of range of a bow that is ideal for you. I would say try them all - including those out of your budget and then decide.

I shoot a Ben Pearson Stealth freestyle but a Newberry LB1 for barebow. I have tried Bowtech Allegiance and they are fantastic bows, would have got one off Marcus had it not been that I was not used to the grip (personal choice).

I believe most bows are well made products and usually you get what you pay for or budget for. Hope you will find a bow of your choice soon and welcome back to the archery faternity! :)

BTW How come I can't insert smiley faces on my post?!

[moose]

ok thanks to every body for your help i will go see what i can try out and have a good think about it.:grin: