# Need advice on a compound bow



## Spinnerbait (Jun 26, 2005)

My daughter wants to start shooting and hunting with a compound bow and she asked me what kind of bow should she get. I am not that familiar with compounds so I thought I would ask for some advice. This would be her first compound and my guess is she would do more target shooting then hunting but I want to suggest a bow that is good for both. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks


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## FAB (May 26, 2013)

Just about any of todays compound bows will do nicely, the secrete to her success will be in the practice and effort she puts into it. 

I shoot a Mathews, smooth quiet and consistent. My brother has a Hoyt and same story. PSE, Diamond all are good bows. Some things that will help though are try to go with a single cam bow, cuts down on tuning the bow. Also a brace height of at least 7 inches will make the bow a little more forgiving of any little form problems she might have. Put quality sights, rests, stabilizer and dampeners on the bow. Buy the best release you can afford that she is comfortable with. The buckle type securement on the release is better than the Velcro in that you have a more consistent fit of the release. Buy quality arrows of the correct length and spine for your daughters draw length and weight of the bow. 

And lastly take her to a quality archery shop and let them set up a few different bows for her to try. A good shop will do that and do it right. 

Don't be surprised at the price of a good upper end set up it can well exceed $1200.00


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

Look at Martin.I'm a Hoyt guy but for adjustability and price point,They're worth a good long look.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

A few questions first. How old is your daughter? Height? Weight? How strong is she? Approximate draw length? Is there an archery program at her school? 

Mathews is a huge supporter of NASP (National Archery in Schools Program), and makes a wide array of youth bows that are extremely adjustable as far as draw weight and length. These are generally in their "Mission" lineup, and allow the bow to "grow up" with the child. I'm sure that other manufacturers, like Hoyt, Martin, BowTech, do as well. I mentioned Mathews because I shoot a SoloCam so I'm biased. 

Above all, enlist the help of a good bow shop to get set up. However, don't go to the first shop you find and drop all your eggs in that basket! Shop around! There are good and bad shops out there. As FAB posted you could drop a fairly serious chunk of change on this, so you want to do it right. Getting the bow, no matter the make, properly set up for your daughter is the most important thing. 

Everybody starts out target shooting just to get the feel of the bow, and to learn proper form. It would help if the shop you decide to trade at has someone that can, at least, offer rudimentary instruction for beginners, or knows someone who does. This is vital! When a beginner can experience some early success it makes it easier to stick with the program.

And buy at least "good" quality gear. That way, if the archery thing doesn't "take", you have something worthwhile to sell. I sincerely hope that won't be the case. I find it encouraging that your daughter wants to learn shooting and hunting with a vertical bow rather than just going out and picking up a crossbow! Nothing against crossbows, but they really don't teach you
anything about archery! 

I wish you and your daughter much success!


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## Spinnerbait (Jun 26, 2005)

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I really appreciate it


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## Spinnerbait (Jun 26, 2005)

Buckeye woman>>>

She is 19 5 foot 8 and 160 lbs.... she is fairly strong...I don't know how to measure draw length. She is in college and they do not have an archery program


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

Height in inches minus 15" and divide by 2.Her draw length.So,5'9" = 69"-15 =54" ÷2=27" draw length.That's give or take a 1/2" for a d loop on string.


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## turkeyt (Apr 13, 2006)

Check on all the bows where the draw lengths can be changed by just moving the cam position. Most of those bows also will go from 20 some up to 60 or 70 pounds. There are at least 6 or so bow brands that are very adjustable for youth and female shooters on the market. Google youth or female compound bows and there should be some come up to help you. If you find one or two you like, find out who stocks them and go check them out and shoot them.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Cajunsaugeye said:


> Height in inches minus 15" and divide by 2.Her draw length.So,5'9" = 69"-15 =54" ÷2=27" draw length.That's give or take a 1/2" for a d loop on string.


Sounds about right. I'm 5'9" with fairly broad shoulders and my DL is 27.5". Some of the new bows out now are just amazing. You can adjust draw length and weight just by changing modules in the cam(s). You don't even need a bow press any more! I took my old Mathews in to the local FFF for a new string and cable. Of course I had to look at the new bows, and the tech asked if I'd like to shoot the demo. It was too high a DW and too long a DL for me. The tech said no biggie, asked what my preferences were, and in 5 minutes dropped different mods in so I could shoot it. Have to admit it was *really* slick!


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## Spinnerbait (Jun 26, 2005)

So two more questions:


This would be my daughter first time shooting a bow. Is it appropriate for her to shoot it before she purchases it? Do stores let you do that?

Anyone have any advice on a Quest G5 Rogue positive or negative


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

Quest makes a quality bow.It'd serve you/her well.I owned one for a couple months a couple yrs ago and killed a buck and doe w/it.If i hadnt got a huge deal on a Hoyt id probably still be shooting it today.Theyre a good,underrated bow that you can pick up CHEAP.As for her shooting,make sure the person working w/you knows she's never shot.More than likely they'll talk her through it.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Spinnerbait said:


> So two more questions:
> 
> 
> This would be my daughter first time shooting a bow. Is it appropriate for her to shoot it before she purchases it? Do stores let you do that?
> ...


If you are dealing with a quality bow shop they will let your daughter shoot it before buying. However, since it will be your daughter's first time I wonder if you shouldn't break her in on a simple "stick and string" type of bow. I must admit that I am prejudiced since this is how I was introduced to shooting a bow. But then there is the school of thought that you should jump in the deep end of the pool feet first, and either sink or swim! 

I must admit to some puzzlement here. You don't seem to have much of a handle on the bow hunting thing. Yet you profess that your daughter is all fired up for such an endeavor! How does such a thing occur? I'm honestly curious, as I'm sure many others are, though they may be too polite to say so. So tell us. Have you been watching too many bow hunting shows on the Outdoor Channel or Sportsman's Channel? What gives?


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## Spinnerbait (Jun 26, 2005)

She has hunted with a crossbow for the last 4 years and wants to start shooting and hunting with a compound. I have hunted with crossbow, shotgun, muzzleloader for the last 40 years (not that you need a resume)....So yeah we both have a handle on hunting...Just not the compound bow piece...thus the tile of my post "Need advice on a compound bow" Hope I solved your puzzlement


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

OK! That explains it. I have to admit that in my years of bowhunting (about 40) I can think of many folk who've gone from the vertical bow to the crossbow. However, I can't think of anyone who has gone from the crossbow to a vertical bow! 

I think it's great that your daughter has chosen to challenge herself in this manner! It can be hard at times, but it's nothing insurmountable. I learned to shoot reading magazine articles, and getting the occasional tip at bow shoots. I figure if I can do it then so can your daughter!

I have never hunted with a crossbow, only a vertical bow, and I suppose I forgot how intimidating it might seem to cross the divide. There are so many things that factor into vertical bow shooting that simply don't enter into the equation when shooting a crossbow. Things like brace height, draw length, draw weight, nock height, center shot, arrow spine, anchor position, and what kind of release do I wish to use?

This is why I advised you to find the best bow shop possible, no matter what brand of bow they feature. The initial education is the most important thing. Once that is absorbed, the student is more free to make decisions on their own, depending on their preferences. It's far better for you to be making decisions based on a source closer to home, provided that you trust them.


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## Spinnerbait (Jun 26, 2005)

Thanks all for your help with this, I do have one more question. She has purchased everything and has been practicing daily at very short distances. Does everyone use a "peep sight" ? Currently she is not but the guy at the bow shop said he would put one on if she wanted it. Not knowing any better she decided to go without one initially. I did not know if it makes that much of a difference or not. Everyone was correct on going to a bow shop. The owner spent 2 hours with her the night we picked up the bow showing her how to shoot and a ton of other pointers


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## Cajunsaugeye (Apr 9, 2013)

I recommend a peep(not the one w/the rubber tubing).It will make her more accurate,most likely.Ideally,you want your peep to perfectly "cover" the ring of your sights.Or maybe it "frames" the ring perfectly.This helps ensure that its being held exactly the same,every time.Its important to get the right diameter of peep to achieve this.Then,if you do see an edge of the ring of your sight,you are SLIGHTLY different in your aim point.I don't use a kisser button,but many do,simply as another aid in achieving a consistent point shot after shot.That's what archery is all about.Exact same form,placement every shot.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

I learned to shoot without a peep, but that was a long time ago! I also learned to shoot with fingers and a glove! Wow, do I feel old! Once peeps started coming on the market I checked them out. Tried a "hooded" peep with a tiny aperture once and didn't like it at all! It was worthless in low light conditions which is when the deer like to come out and play! And like Cajun said, don't bother with the peeps that come with the surgical tubing! With modern bowstring materials and technology the tubing is not needed to square the peep with the shooter's eye. I had a new string and cable put on my bow this past summer. Back in the day you'd expect to put 100-150 shots through the bow to "break in" the new strings. During that time it was anybody's guess how the peep would align when you drew the bow! Generally you'd have to take the bow back in to have the peep re-aligned. No more! I shot my bow with the new string and the peep never moved a smidge! 

Anyway, long story long, yes I would recommend a peep. It's just one more way to check that your anchor point and your body geometry is correct in order to make you more accurate. And congrats on finding a bow shop that will spend time with your daughter. That's the most important thing right now, making sure the bow fits her, primary instruction, and building on initial successes. And you guys are doing this at what may be the perfect time. It always amazes me how even experienced bow hunters will show up right before the season needing this, that, or the other while the shop owners pull their hair out trying to get everybody taken care of! 

Keep us posted on how things are coming along. It's cool to encourage a new bow shooter.


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

Use a peep, would you shoot a rifle without a rear sight? That's how much difference a peep makes. They have all different size peeps for low light and it's nothing to get used to using.

Pops


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Ben a while since I last checked in. Was wondering how things were going. Well, I hope.


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## Clad Chaser (Oct 10, 2014)

My daughter picked up a bow for the very first time last fall and fell in love with shooting, she has never hunted except with a gun. We purchased a PSE Micro Burner for her, it has weight adj. 20-50 lbs. and draw lenght from 22-29 inches.


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## Captain Kevin (Jun 24, 2006)

Check out the Diamond Infinate Edge. Great starter bow that can go from a draw weight of 5 clear up to 70 pounds, and go as high as a 32" draw length. Just bought one for my 13 year old. priced right to. I got the ready to hunt package, and a dozen carbon arrows for under 550 bucks.


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## Austpetruska10 (Mar 20, 2015)

No matter what bow she ends up getting encouragement and positive reinforcement are going to make the world of difference for her.. A bow takes a lot of patience and practice. There's days where I can shoot arrows on top of each other and some days when I get frustrated cause I can't hit squat. Just remember that practice makes perfect. Have her blind bale fire from a close distance of a few yards or so. Great way to practice form and get comfortable with your release.


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