What do I need to get started with a bow?

[JPlett2044]

Hello,

I've been interested in getting into bow hunting for a few years and recently I have gained access to some land in some bow only regions. I've been looking at something along the lines of a diamond infinite edge, and I was wondering, what other gear would I need? And what would people suggest?

Jplett

[Survival Bill]

A few bits of wood Yew/Willow/Ceder/Ash/are great for bow and a knife can whittle one out in about 4 hours arrows about the same amount of time good hunting...

[Stéphane]

Best bet would be go to a proshop and get yourself a ready to shoot bow. And start from there. They can set you up, and save tons of time. And shoot, shoot, and then shoot some more. After you shot a certain amount of arrow (maybe 2000+), you should have a pretty good idea of what you want to upgrade from your starter kit. It is way too easy to spend way more than you need.

[HarryToolips]

Also make sure you have a good range finder..

[JKerr]

Arrows, release, target, a place to shoot.

Infinite edge is ok, nothing special, but not bad. It has too much adjustment which is a pro and a con. Think of a bow more as a suit than a tshirt, a well fit bow is just better than a one size fits all tshirt.

As above, find a good pro shop, get an entry bow that fits you, or a used intermediate bow, shoot as much as possible. It's a lifetime sport rather than something you pickup and are an expert at right away. Don't fall into the spending more money makes you better trap.

[Ryo]

Aside from a ready to shoot bow, you'll need to budget another couple hundred for the other stuff:

Release )$100)
Target ($80 for cheap foam block, $160 for a nice Rinehart block, or DIY)
Arrows ($100, but they go on sale often)
Broadheads ($30-60)
Replacements for the previous 3.


Some people consider a rangefinder essential ($10 on eBay for an old manual one, or $200+ for a modern one)

I'd stick to a sub-500 model if I were you - infinite edge, bear cruzer, etc.
Here's why:
-You may not enjoy shooting a bow at all, and decide to go the X-bow route
-You may decide you'd rather the challenge and simplicity of a recurve
-You may find you're draw weight capabilities and desires are not what you expect (IE. you buy a 70lb. bow and quickly realize you should be shooting 50lbs., or you by a 50lb. bow and realize you could be shooting much higher). A budget bow will let you figure this out without committing to a draw-weight specific model.
-You may have a condition that makes pulling a bow difficult (chronic neck/back tension, arthritis, etc etc.), and need to adjust your set-up accordingly (i.e.. lower draw weight)
-You'll benefit from learning proper form at 35lbs. and slowly working your way up to your desired draw weight.

Now, if everything goes right and you love compound bows, get your draw weight just right, learn form from a coach, and have the money on hand, by all means, buy well and buy once. It's a gamble though, in the same way that a $2000 300 win mag Finnlite would be a gamble as a first gun. You may find you really should have bought .243 that you can kick around bit.

[OutsyderBC]

factor in a club membership, go and meet experience (hopefully they have a coach too) will be 100times faster and better than the internet.

Even now, see if your local does drop in nights for a have-a-go, archers are (usually) a friendly and helpful bunch