Bow hunting Q&A

[Cowboy_08]

I am thinking about getting into bow hunting, problem is I have never shot a bow before, some say it's easy with todays compund bows other's say no. Anyone have any inside info ?:?:

[6616]

I am thinking about getting into bow hunting, problem is I have never shot a bow before, some say it's easy with todays compund bows other's say no. Anyone have any inside info ?:?:

It's easier with the newer single cam, 80% let-off compounds then it used to be just a few short years ago, but I don't know about "easy". I'd say buy your bow in the spring and practice all summer, or buy it for Christmas and practice all winter if you have access to an indoor range, then make your own conclusions.

By so doing you'll be ready for next falls hunting season, and then the real learning curve starts as you'll quickly become aware that shooting is actually the easy part, and getting a shot within bow range and judging the range correctly is the part that requires the greatest learning effort.

[Cowboy_08]

luckily i live in Chilliwack here so it is full of areas to go shoot and get some experience with judging ranges and what not

[hunter1947]

Its easy to shoot a compound bow ,its stalking the animals that is the hard thing to do in order to get into rang for a shot.

Take it up you won't be sorryhttp://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon6.gif.

[Bow Walker]

Both 6616 and H-1947 have the right of "it". One thing though, don't over bow yourself. That is, you do not need a 70 lb pull on a bow just to go deer hunting. 50-60 lbs is more than enough.

Usually, when deer hunting, you're either spot-n-stalking, or sitting in a stand, or even 'road hunting'. The point is that when it comes down to the short strokes you only get to draw back and shoot once. It's not easy with cool or cold muscles.

The part about practising all summer and then hunting in the fall is excellent advice. Attend some 3D shoots in your area to get an idea of 'bush shooting conditions', and judging the yardage. It's not as easy as it looks.

Are you thinking Compound, Recurve, or Crossbow?

[ThisIsLiving]

if your willing to spend the money on a decent compound i would go with HOYT usa... i bought one a year back and its worked wonders for me.... i can nail a quarter at 30 yds no problem ... and the pull is 100 times easier and smoother then with the old compounds they used to manufacture...

and of course as anyone would tell you practice makes perfect.... get out as much as possible to get to know every inch of your bow and where it shoots..... everyone has there preferences to what kind of bow hunting they do.... i have had success in a tree stand and i stick to it every december and mid november i got a chunk of land and a couple stands set up with hundreds of deer passing through the area... mostly whitey's get out the bleet call and antlers and sit for hours watching pleanty of deer pass bye ... good luck :)

[Cowboy_08]

I was thinking about a compund bow

[Ron.C]

Yes a compound bow " CAN BE" easy to shoot but there are alot of variables that can make it very difficult and frustrating for a beginner. First, the same principles that are used to shoot a rifle are used to shoot a compound bow with a release aid. Holding, aiming, breathing,trigger control, and follow through. The biggest mistake made by many new archers/bowhunters is selecting a bow with too much draw weight and too long a draw length. Sure, you can get a 70 lb bow with 80% let off and only be holding 14 lbs at full draw, but the kicker is getting the bow to full draw. To properly draw a bow, you will find you will uses back mucsels that you didn't know you have and it takes time shooting to build these muscles to be able to shoot higher draw weights. And I don't care how much let off the bow has, a 70 lb bow or even a 60 lb bow may be hard to get to full draw if the bow has an agressive one cam design. Start off with a lower poundage bow that has a less aggressive, smooth transition to full draw like a two cam or hybrid cam bow. You will learn to shoot better with a smoother drawing, lower poundage bow. You can compare this to starting a new rifle shooter off with a 338. Shooting a cannon like that will do nothing as far as teaching good shooting form to a newby. Guaranteed you will be introducing bad habits and shooting form. Same goes for being over bow'd as a beginner. Another thing to watch out for is the bow's that have blazing fast arrow speeds. These bows are a lot less forgiving and are very hard to shoot accurately with any consitency unless you have very good, repeatable form, which comes from years of practice. Combine a fast shooting bow say 300 fps and more, with a draw weight of 70 lbs and maybe a 1/2 inch too long of a draw and you will frustrate yourself to the point where you may give it up. Finally, I've seen it time and time again at 3d shoots where reletively new archers want to throw their bow away because "they can't move their sight enough to get their arrows on target." Make sure you have a person experienced in setting up bows mount and center your arrow rest, serve in your peep as well as set it at the correct height for you, and rough set up your sight. Once again, I've seen many frustrated beginners because their peep is moving every shot or their arrow is fishtailing like crazy due to poor bow setup.
So yes, its easy to become accurate, very quickly with a compound if get a bow that fits you, is set up correctly and allows you to develop good form.

[goatdancer]

Just remember - using a bow to scare off a bear with a warning shot just doesn't work.....