Buying a bow can seem like a daunting venture, but it really needn’t be if you follow a few simple rules.
[Please do look at comments for this post as this is a big topic with a lot of different opinions. This is Josie’s opinion and I’ve put (some of) my opinion in the comments – Heidi]
Obvious, perhaps, but the first key point and probably the most important. There’s little point lusting after the W&W Inno CXT if it’s way out of your price range. Don’t sell yourself short either: out of the whole setup, your limbs and riser are the thing to spend the most money on and really get right. Peripherals can be upgraded much more easily at a later date. The start-up gear will not be cheap. If you can, save up for a little while beforehand to give yourself a more generous budget. It will make a big difference in the long run.
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| Josie’s bow! |
The first purchase will be complicated and it’s easy to forget little things that may not seem important. For instance, if you’re buying a bow then you will need a stringer, an arm guard, a finger tab and bow stand. None of these require massive investment, the most basic models will do (though the finger tab perhaps not so – ask for advice on tabs and try some at the club. They need to feel right!). Make savings where you can. You don’t “need” to buy an expensive sight, clicker and long rod immediately. You can also get away without a quiver for a while; there are floor quivers at the club you can use. A bow square is a very useful thing to have (again, doesn’t have to be an expensive one). If you buy your bow at a shop they will probably fit the nock points for you. If they don’t, you’ll need one of these! Remember you’ll need nock points as well. Check that your riser comes with the necessary allen keys or you may need to invest in a set – hardware shops are often cheapest but check they include the right sizes for your bow.
This is vital. Every bow acts differently with different archers and it’s crucial to buy a bow that matches you. A well-matched bow is a seamless extension of the archer. As your first bow, anything other than a wooden bow will probably feel weird, but some will feel better than others. The right bow should feel comfortable in your hand and quite strong: if it’s too easy to draw you will grow out of it very quickly, too heavy and you won’t be able to shoot with it. Try some of the bows on the shooting line first of all (ask beforehand of course!), then it’s a good idea to visit an archery supplier. There are several archery suppliers around the UK, though none in central London. Familiarise yourself with what stock they carry and have an idea what you would like to try. Before you visit, give them a call to check they have what you want to try in stock! If they are low on stock they will likely hold something back for you. Check when would be a good time to visit – if you turn up unannounced at a busy time they may not have enough staff free to give you the time and attention you need. Put half a day aside for this: it will be time well spent – this is the first step along the archery trail so it should be sound. A good bow will make a massive difference not only to your shooting but also your confidence. It could be the difference between deciding it isn’t really for you or becoming an archery lifer. I’d advise against buying second-hand from eBay unless you’re absolutely sure what you’re getting. If something is disturbingly cheap there’s usually a reason for it!
Get properly measured for arrows and match them to your bow poundage and draw length. If you buy your bow at a shop they’ll probably go through this anyway. Non-matched arrows will not fly properly and will knock your confidence. Get good arrows but be aware you will probably need to upgrade them when you increase poundage which could be as little as 6 months down the line. It isn’t worth spending £300+ on X10 ProTours unless you really have a limitless budget! The 2020 coaches will offer advice if you’re not sure what would be best.
5. Don’t Forget The Case!
If you shoot barebow and don’t want to carry much around you can probably get away with a lightweight carry case. It’s a good place to start if your kit list is small and it won’t set you back much. If your budget is more generous and you plan to get lots of bits for your bow, have a look at what else is available. Good-quality archery backpacks are expensive so have a look on eBay in case there’s a bargain to be found. Sometimes it can be possible to use a non-archery bag, but bear in mind that these are not tailor-made for a bow so will not provide all the support (and pockets) you need. Your case offers storage, protection and portability: a full archery starter kit will cost a fair bit so show it the respect it deserves and keep it safe.
Well, I think that about covers it for now. Happy bow hunting!
Do remember this is just Josie’s point of view – there are other ways of doing this. For my twopennythworth I broke almost all of these rules! ebay can be dangerous – sometimes bows are more expensive on ebay than they are in the shops and you really don’t know much about the history. Saying that – I will confess that I bought my first bow as a complete beginner kit that someone had grown out of via ebay and it did me proud. I did email back and forth a bit first and felt pretty comfortable with what was being offered.
I’d also disagree somewhat with NEEDing to go to a shop. I think (personally) that this is a bit over-rated. If you’re getting a fairly basic bow then its much of a much-ness and you’ll adapt fine (especially if its a training bow like I started with or something like a lower end Seb Flute). You will find a difference with grip etc between makes and if you’re going for a really pricey one then it may be best to at least hold one first. Still, I probably ignored this as well when I first started. I’ve shot Samick (Agulla), Hoyt (GM) and W&W (Exfeel). Managed to adapt to them all and shoot fine but I do now tend to prefer to W&W.
Last thing on my tenpenceworth is limbs – for a first bow I’d always recommend getting a cheap pair until you know how you’re going poundage wise. There are some stores (Chiltern is one) who will exchange the more expensive ones as you increase poundage. The dream £600 limbs are only a good idea when you are really settled with the weight of the bow and you know you’re sticking there for a while.
Do ask instructors or email into the club for advice if you need some. We may not be able to get back to you immediately but we can pass on your query to one of the instructors. There are some stores we advise novices away from and we can also give personal experience of a lot of others.
I still covet an Inno.
Heidi
All good points Heidi. It is of course my opinion and I stand by the shop suggestion – namely because they generally have a far better range than you will find on the shooting line and it gives you the opportunity to try them all out if you like. If you can test it beforehand then why not? I find bows differ quite a lot between makes and models and it isn’t always easy to decide from a photo. The weight of the riser is important to me and that can only be gauged by holding it.
Very good point on limbs. After the 18lb club bow I moved up to the 24lb club bow for a while before buying my first limbs at 30lb (which I am still shooting). I’m not sure there’s a “right” way to do it, but that’s how I started.
Do ask at the club if you have any questions, or post them here!
Josie
I agree about buying cheap extras for the bow, but in some cases it pays to spend that little bit extra (and I mean a ‘little’ bit). My riser is a nice Hoyt and my limbs are fairly cheap (mainly as something to get used to before upgrading to heavier limbs). All of the rest of my equipment was the most basic.
Unfortunately I had issues with some of them. My clicker is pretty worthless, it rotates when the arrow passes it so the draw length is never the same (See Bryn’s blogs about clickers for some good suggestions). I don’t use it anymore. My second problem was my pressure button (which makes up part of the arrow rest), which just started to fall apart, so I threw away the £4 one about bought a much better easily adjustable one for £16.
My final problem (and one of the worst) was with my arrow rest. I bought a stick on one and it fell off during my first shoot (partly due to a slightly low nocking point on my string). I stuck it back on several times, including once with very strong tape, eventually the wire that the arrow rest on just bent. So I went out and bought a much more sturdy, bolt-on, wrap around rest for the princely sum of £8!
I guess my point is that you can buy cheap, but if it’s only a matter of a few pounds, buy the better quality cheap one!
I’m inclined to agree with the point on going to a store to buy your first set up. I went to Merlin and they spent 3 hours with me (they demanded I turn up earlier than planned to allow for this)!
They did the basic setup of the bow and then went on to do bare shaft tuning with me in their indoor tuning range. Most of what they explained to me on the day went straight over my head in all honesty but as I learnt more over the following weeks I found myself remembering and understanding what they had told me that day. They also gave me a few pointers on my form which was great.
When I said I wanted to add a finger sling to the kit they said no you don’t and gave me a bit of nylon cord and said you’ll never need anything else. I bought a sling there anyway, tried it, hated it and still shoot with the bit of cord they gave me now.
Archery equipment rarely seems to come with extensive manuals if any at all and if I had ordered my bits online and had it turn up in a DHL van I wouldn’t have had a clue how to do the initial setup never mind any tuning.
Haha yes. No instructions. Lots of allen keys (all different sizes)
Great tips! I would be very glad to use this as my guide in by my next bow. Thanks for sharing!
–QualityArcheryBows.com
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