Good advice given here. I didn't ask and just jumped in. I had shot nothing but recurves for the last ~50 years and had some needless struggles. Took me a little longer to get everything ironed out but I really like it.

Just trying to understand the intended direction of your replies to this thread. I do think some things are humorous...lol

Been a lot of good advice on here so far. I shoot an elite and love the bow , I recently shot a new Mathews and was told that particular bow at 50 to 55 pounds shoots something like 344 feet per second . So to answer your question no the poundage does not have as much to do with speed as it used to .

I have a right handed Mathews Drenalin, 29" all set up. Quiver, rest, sight. The only thing it would need is a peep sight. If interested PM me.

Buying used could be a great idea. You can often get a complete set up for a fraction of the cost of new. You just need to know your draw length and about what poundage bow you want.

Great advise by WannaBe. I’ll add, Don’t get hung up on the newest, latest and greatest gadgets. Find a good lightly used bow that fits you. Use a hunting rest and get a solid sight and stabilizer. I’m a fan of K.I.S.S. I shoot a 2009 Bowtech Admiral, a simple whisker biscuit rest, spot Hogg sight, doinker stabilizer. Keep wax on your string and use a good bow technician to help get it set up correctly. Draw length needs to be correct to be comfortable. A nice padded, buckle style release is what I like, but get something that fits your hand. Quality arrows are a must, I use Gold Tip Pro Hunters. And practice practice practice.

A bit of advice after you get ready to hunt. Walk around your target at different angles, and different ranges. Range the target and shoot once. Then move to another spot and repeat. This is good practice for hunting situations. I promise, that deer won’t always be at an even 20 yards broadside

Good luck and have fun.

I've shot deer dead with
7 brands of bows PSE and Mathews Real Solo cams were my favorites Old MQ1

Cut on Impact broadheads were by far the best...shoot the broadheads ...sight in with them before season ...put on new ones and kill deer.

I used a Kellar pendulum bow site. On all those bows xcept my first deer. They're not made anymore but if you find one on ebay ...worth every penny used over 12 feet from a treestand.

Practice practice... use field points up until a month before season. But do practice with the broadheads you choose.

Steelforce Sabertech

Practice, practice, practice. One thing I've noticed over the years is new guys come out of the gate shooting pretty good and then go into a slump. Target panic and things of that nature.

I wouldn't recommend anyone hunt with a bow with under three months familiarization with it. Six is better.

Take Wannabes advice..
Whatever you do, do not buy a used bow from ANYONE unless you know what fits you.
Fit is very important.
Just like rifles, no need to spend big $.

Watch the used rack. Bows loose their value faster than a new car. So you can often find one a year or two old one of the guys that has to have the newest thing out just traded. There is a lot more cost than just the bow. Sights , rest, quiver, arrows, broadheads, target, and release really add up. So buying a used one allready set up can save you a bunch. But be sure it can be adjusted to fit your draw length.

I have shot Matthews for years its all your preference head to the shop and shoot a few different brands . Remember draw weight is not as important as being comfortable with shooting your bow with proper form each and every time . In my opinion 45 pounds will kill all whitetails and I have shot 60 pound pull for years shot placement is all that matters.

I started with a recurve and shot a lot of deer with 45 lbs, switched to compounds after that and have shot Mathews ever since the Solocam technology originated. A fully set-up Mathews will run parallel to a rifle for cost, you may not want to start at that price point but if you like it and enjoy it you will probably end there. Starting out and for me today, less is more- there's a ton of gizmos and gadgets to hang on a bow, I shoot 70 lbs and I use one sight pin, I like my bow to be flat and fast and I prefer to adjust my anchor point rather than having a swinging sight or multiple pins. Developing good form is an advantage when you're first starting out, you don't have bad habits to break, don't be afraid to take a lesson or join a league.
It seems a lot of people that are getting into archery are buying crossbows and I have nothing against that- it was nice to you're thinking of a vertical bow.
Good Luck and Enjoy it!

Good advice here except for ADC. Been bowhunting since 1978, love the sport, the challenge. I can sit in the woods forever and never get bored seeing deer or not. Try many, some really expensive, I shoot a Quest drive 8 years old, smoothest bow, with solid back wall I have shot. I prefer fixed blades, cut on contact, as they do not fail. I love to shoot bow all it is peaceful.

Go to an archery shop. Get fitted. Bows and shotguns are two things that you won't shoot well if they don't fit. There are usually a lot of deals after season, when guys go through their yearly upgrade. If you decide to go this route, be sure to tip your local shop generously for their time in getting you headed in the right direction.

Bowhunting is a passion of mine and I also have had the opportunity to own probably 40 or so bows over the past 7-8 years. I can tell you without a doubt than most manufacturers make quality bows. Don't get caught up in the "hype" or advertising. Shoot a bunch of different bows and settle on what feels comfortable for you. There are so many variables when it comes to purchasing a bow and it can be overwhelming. Ive owned bows from Mathews, BowTech, Hoyt, PSE, Elite, Darton, Xpedition, Strother, Bear and probably a few others I left out. I"ve owned the BowTech Allegiance and Elite GT500 several times and they are still some of my favorites of all time. I'm currently shooting an older Mathews Halon 32-6 and its as nice a bow as I've owned. I tried the V3 last year and it was a nice bow, but I prefer the older Halon 32. Axle to axle length, brace height, grip [ (especially the grip!) make significant difference in how a bow feels.

Lots of good advice on here, just dont rush into it!

My last two bows have come from ebay. I don't need to buy the newest bow on the market.
I shoot a Mathews z-7 extreme.
You can find newer bows with rests and a case and some arrows even sometimes. finding a $500 discount over new is pretty easy.

Go to Mastins Archery in Rhonda, outside of Elkin. He will hook you up and is a great shop.

I would not start off buying a bow online. Once you know your draw length and what weight you can pull, then later on you could buy online. Get set up by a professional first. Bad habits come from something that doesn’t fit right.

IBO rating may be 340-344, but that rating is at 70lbs and 30" draw length shooting a 350gr arrow. Those are marketing numbers. You lose speed for dropping draw weight, for draw length and for arrow weight. Approximately 10fps per inch of draw length below 30", and about 1fps for every 3-5gr of increased arrow weight. To get a 50lb bow to shoot 340 would mean a 250gr arrow out of a 30" draw length, and that arrow wouldn't be legal in any state for hunting and would have poor penetration.

To the OP, bows are just like boots. Everyone will tell you THEIR favorites, but it's your money. Go visit several stores and shoot as many bows as you possibly can. You'll find one you really like and that just feels right. I had an archery shop for several years, and this was what I told people all the time. Shoot them all. Bow companies make money off of guys buying new bows every year. They have not increased speed on them in about 15 years. You can throw a blanket over 98% of them speed-wise. Most are going to slot into that 330-340 IBO rating range, and as long as you're around 280fps on your hunting arrow setup you'll be just fine. Speed comes off with everything you add to the string as well, peep, d-loop, silencers etc.

Buy the best arrows you can. Noo sense in spending good money on a bow and shooting cheap arrows. Be like building a drag car and running regular gas in it. Only things that hit the target are your point and arrow. Spend as much as you can on those things. A bow hasn't killed anything, unless some medieval dude beat someone to death with his English war bow. Arrows and broadheads do the killing, bow just arranges the meeting.

Thanks for the info, pm’s, offers an advice. I went to one now shop today an checked out a few. They found out my draw length an stuff. Had planned on going to a few others but not many bow shops have 9-5 hours around here. I assume several do it on the side an have a regular job. But do plan on checking out quite a few more.


That’s my next stop, 2nd closest shop to me. He was closed today.