Advice for first compound

[BigRed1080]

I am looking for suggestions on a first compound bow. Budget friendly if possible....that being said I would rather buy once instead of buying something that breaks. I am 6’4...I don’t know if that matters just constantly hear about draw length and ease of carry in the woods. Also stuff like ata being short vs long on stability. Thanks

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

Get Serious. Get Hoyt.

I have been shooting them since the 80's. No issues what-so-ever.

 

[tndave59]

I picked up an Elite Kure last year and love it. Very forgiving, quiet and accurate. Got mine loaded out with everything a little over a grand.

 

[BigRed1080]

I picked up an Elite Kure last year and love it. Very forgiving, quiet and accurate. Got mine loaded out with everything a little over a grand.

Do you think that’s a good ideal money spot going in to have in the back of your mind?

 

[Specializedjon]

You just opened up a "Ford vs. Chevy"...."Coke vs. Pepsi" debate. haha. My advise. Go to your local bow shop and shoot several. Don't pay attention to the name on the bow, but how it feels to YOU. You might be surprised that the one you like isn't the fancy, $1000 bow. Just my $.02. Hoyt, Mathews, PSE, Elite....and so on are all great options but you'll pay for the name, which has a lot of engineering behind their bows. I shot a $350 PSE for years before I switched to my Mathews No-Cam. Absolutely nothing wrong with my PSE, but I became a better bow hunter and wanted to step up my gear. Again, your local bow shop will be my suggestion. Don't let them sway you in one direction. Not all of them have a good selection, they'll push their brand obviously. Plan on about $1200 if you want to buy ONE bow that'll be dialed in for the next 10+ years. Good luck in your search.

 

[dsa5455]

If you have a local bow shop available go in and have them measure your draw length. Check out different releases as well. This may help determine a favored anchor point. My anchor point was always the kisser button touching the corner of my mouth. I would meet people that used totally different styles of releases and it made a big difference of how they anchored and the bow they selected.
My first bow was a Bear round wheel compound picked up in a garage sale. With slow speeds under 200 fps at 20 yards or less you could hit just about anything you aimed at. Ruined many aluminum arrows because of tight groups. It was a fun bow to shoot barely the speed of a recurve. Regret selling it to this day. I am a bit of a sloppy form shooter so a good brace height does well for me as well.
There will always be something new coming down the pike. Better, faster, smoother more accurate will make it enticing to buy.
I bought several bows through the years including models from Martin, Oneida and have shot several other brands at the bow shop as well as some of my friends most prized bows before settling on a Matthews MQ1. Still have it to this day but don't shoot it anymore. It has been a good dependable bow both quiet and accurate.
Don't rule out a used bow. Have seen many nice bows totally decked out for half the price or less on this Site.

 

[tndave59]

What sold me on the elite was as mentioned above by @dsa5455, I went to a local shop and spent about half a day there. The first thing they did was measure and set everything up for my measurements. Then shot 2-3 different bows with couple different releases in the price range I was interested in. Once was set on the elite they then set everything up on it, measured and cut arrows. There are cheaper and more expensive options out there, I was fortunate that there is a really good archery shop within an hour of home. If you are close to NE TN and interested, I can give you the shop info.

 

[tree_ghost]

I’d find out what your draw length is to start. At 6’4” you may be limited to what bow will fit you due to long draw lengths 31”+. Also being as tall as you are I would try and avoid the very short axel to axel length bows. Your accuracy will more than likely suffer due to the aggressive string angle of the bow. Aside from that just shoot as many different bows as you can in your price range as find out what feels good! There are lots of excellent options out there and it really boils down to personal fit and feel with today’s technology in the market. Good luck!!!

 

[redblood]

As pointed out, you will need a longer ATA bow. Bows have no resale value so buy used and save a ton

 

[Grill-n-man]

At 6’4 you probably have a draw length of 32”-34” which has a plus and minus side. The plus being your going to get the most out of a bow and the minus being lack of options. While out there not many make a draw length over 31”. Also a longer ATA is going to be more comfortable to shoot as it will lessen your string angle. Lots of things to discuss on your but a short sweet answer is. Don’t listen to your buddy telling you how to spend your money instead go and talk to as many shops as you can and shoot as many as you can. In the end it’s your money and you want your money spent on what you want not the fan boys. Cause in the end if you spend a grand and the only good thing you got say is I got a cool hat then you just wasted money. Seriously put in some travel time and make yourself happy not your buddy

 

[TNGunsmoke]

Not sure where you are located, but I'd say go to a reputable store, preferably one that handles some used bows as well as new ones. Around here I'd tell you to go to Custom Gear and Archery in Michie, TN. Mike and his staff know their stuff. You can shoot several, and they don't have to be set specifically to you for test shooting, other than making sure draw length is correct. There are a lot of good bows out there from a lot of manufacturers. Don't get hung up on a specific brand before you go.

 

[SteveJ]

I would suggest buying used like someone has already mentioned. Buying a new bow with the latest and greatest will be easily over $1,200. I started out with an old Bear i got at a pawn shop for $75. I personally like Mathews but some guys really like PSE, Elite, Hoyt, and Bowtech. All are good brands. The best thing to do is shoot several and see what fits you and what you like without looking at brands. Sometimes you can pick up an older used name-brand with extras for $300-$500. New bows lose value quickly and they come out with newer technology every year.

 

[Planking]

I also would advise to buy a used one or a model that is a year or two old. That's what i usually do.