Compound Bow Advice

[Bowzone_Mikey]

I am looking for some advice for purchasing a compound bow. I am currently shooting an Excalibur Exo Max crossbow and have been for the past few years. I really want to get into shooting a compound bow and am in need of advice. I would like to hunt Whitetails, mule deer, elk, moose, black bear etc. I am willing to spend the money on a quality bow that will last me for quite some time. My questions are:

-What should I be Looking for in a good bow
-What brands? (I know the major ones but are there any brands such as Cabelas that compare?)
-Where is the best place(s) to purchase compound bows and have decent customer service and warrenty support?
-Is it worth buying used or a few year old bow?

Let me know what you guys think, any and all information is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys and gals.

Well then ..welcome to the addiction ... as was said above get one that fits and feels good... As a begginer I would steer ya clear of Ebay and alike simply because you would be hard pressed to find a shop that will service them ... I dont know what the shop situation is like around Kelowna but it would be in your best interest to find them ... If you ever go into Calgary I would suggest that you see the Folks at Calgary Archery centre and /or JimBows Archery.

But all that said ... Find a bow that fits and a mentor/coach ... Dont be stuck on a 7" brace as was said above...while yes they are more "forgiving"
if you learn to shoot it right it wont matter .... My hunting bow has a 53/4" brace ...killed everything I shot at with it .... If you are looking for Brands to try .... I would suggest Hoyt/Reflex , Martin (the Jaguar Magnum in my opinion is the best bang for buck out there ... 305 IBO speed get into it for under 400 dollars) Bowtech/Diamond, PSE/AR ... there are some others I listed them in my personal order of liking

[blaker_99]

Well after getting home from a rainy day at work I was pleasantly surprised to see so many comments on this topic. First of all I'd like tot hank everyone for there opinions and input. Everything sounds solid and backed up with a lot of experience and know how. I am going to go into the local hunting shop here in town and just pull a few bows and have my draw length measured, then we'll go from there. The new Wholesale Sports in Kamloops is now open so that may be a decent option for purchasing a bow. I'll keep everyone posted and keep the input coming thanks everyone.

[blaker_99]

So i've been picking the brains of my hunting partners and the local shops in the Kelowna area over the past few days and I've heard a lot of great comments on PSE compound bows. Great warranty, great customer service, and of course exceptional bows. Just wondering about your guys and gals opinion on PSE? I am considering the PSE Firestorm X. Let me know your thoughts.

[Bow Walker]

You certainly could've picked worse. Nothing whatever wrong with PSE. Not far to send if warranty work is needed either. Good one.

[Dirty]

PSE looks like they came out with some nice product this year. They are the largest manufacturer of bows and bow parts in the world. That speaks loudly about their product. That bows looks like a beautiful hunting bow. It has a short axle to axle which is nice for trekking through dense bush or tree stand use. A few guys I know have picked them up and have nothing bad to say about them.

[blaker_99]

ya they have come out with some sweet looking bows i agree. I find it kind of funny how the local shop here in kelowna is cheaper than wholesalesports in kamloops. Oh well. I really like how light and compact the firestorm x is and its decently priced. So i guess the next big question is what do you guys like for sights and quick releases?

[Brambles]

Just a note, PSE makes many different quality of bows, you just have to sort through the junk and pick a good one, I'm not much for PSE personally but some of there newer performance bows are suppose to be HOT...

[Bow Walker]

I have heard lots of good things about their new Bengal......fast and cheap - just like....well I'll stop there.

[pupper]

yah the firestorm looks cool, I like the short axle to axle. pretty quick too for a bow that short.

[Dirty]

Copper John Hunter Sights are nice. You can get the light for it and level, which are nice options. Check them out online. A 3 pin sight is more than adequate, a 5 pin is not reallly necessary. As for releases, that comes down to personal preference. A lot of people seem to like the Fletcher shorty release. There are tons on the market try shooting with a few of them at the store if you are allowed. Find out which one of them suits you the best. As far as rests go there are also a lot of nice ones out there. I use a NAP drop away style rest. I have also heard good things about the shaky hunter rest. Whisker biscuits are popular rests but I am not a fan of them. They can affect your accuracy if you do not have proper technique. Handle Torque is very noticeable with the whisker biscuit rest. I would go with a copper john sight, drop away style rest, and whatever release you like.