I don't need another hobby but................Archery!

Okay so I was on vacation a few weeks back with the family and we stopped by Cabela's because the kids and I love that place. So I'm cruising through the archery section remembering how much fun it was to shoot bows as a kid. I talk to a salesman and he says I can shoot any of the bows there if I want to. Well........YES! He gets me set up and I send a few arrows down range. Yep just as much fun as I remember and since I haven't shot a bow for 30 years I was blown away by the speed and accuracy. I don't like to impulse buy so we left that day empty handed but I definitely have the itch. Got back home and did the requisite digging online to figure out what I would like to buy for myself. I ended up settling on the 2021 Bear Inception. Of course its out of stock everywhere. Call the closest Bear dealer to me and he is a really cool guy who ends up finding 2 left in the warehouse so he orders both of them. I am going in on Saturday to shoot and decide which camo pattern I like. Super stoked to get a range set up at my house. I should be able to do 20yd-60yd targets with variable elevation. Of course the kids are getting bows for Christmas as well. Wife is mildly curious so we shall see if she jumps in at some point.

 

I bowhunted for many years, also did a lot of target leagues as well as 3D leagues. I love archery. I don’t shoot anymore; no time. However, I always shot Hoyt bows. I had several for hunting & targets.
Archery is a great hobby. I got into it in Jr. High because the firearms deer season always seemed to conflict with something. Bow season gave me many more opportunities to hunt. I’d estimate that I’ve taken about 30-35 whitetails over the years along with a good number of turkeys.
The target leagues I shot in were great in that it helped me hone my accuracy for hunting. I never shot past 30 yards for any of the game I’ve taken. It just seemed too far to shoot with a high certainty for a clean kill after about 30 yards.
Have fun with it and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you have any.

 

A local store used to have a video range. They projected images onto a screen and you shot the screen with blunt tip arrows. You got points for accuracy and speed. There was a league and there was always beer involved. Got interesting at the end....you could never tell where the arrows were going to go!

 

Love shooting my bow!
Are you planning on target shooting or hunting? There are so many rabbit holes you can go down with archery. Compound vs. recurve bow styles, arrow types, sights, releases, etc. A lot of people seem to be getting into traditional archery. Good luck!

 

My plan is to do mostly target shooting with the extremely remote option of hunting later on. I like to shoot firearms but it has become cost prohibitive so archery is appealing there too. Cheap carbon arrows are $5.00 each so I figure even if I intentionally shoot a couple of them buggers into the woods each time I shoot it is still way cheaper than a typical range session with the rifle or pistol. I'm just going to stick with a compound for now as the performance is amazing and they look freaking badass!

 

Don't ever shoot one of the new crossbows.

They're like cheating.

So bad ass. I love mine.

 

what bow did you buy the kids? im interested in doing the same thing- except i have zero history or experience personally, just want to get into it for the hunting possibilities and get my kids into it.

 

I hunt with a crossbow, only because I wanted more time in the woods and I don’t trust my skills with a bow yet to take an ethical shot on game. I’m getting a bow after the season rush dies down and plan on shooting a lot of indoor this winter and spring. Can’t wait. So far for me Matthews V3 seems to check all my boxes. Way more than my skill level requires, but I’m a buy once-cry once type of guy.

 

I haven't decided on what to buy them yet. They are 5 and 7 and there are tons of options from $35 craigslist options to $450 bows that can grow with them. I might start out cheap to see if they like it and go from there.

 

I’ve been a pretty big bowhunting nut most of my life. It sure has change quite a bit. That having been said, sure seems like a golden age now. Lots of good manufacturers making high quality bows, nice sights & gadgets, etc etc.

You’re in for a real good time. Welcome to the club/addiction.

 

Grab you some cheap arrows have them cut down and a good range finder. I like the Scott releases and Black gold sites. Also my current setup I use an old vapotrail pro V rest. Stay away from gimmicky stuff. If you start shooting 3d then invest in some light arrows, otherwise just use the hunter arrows. Have fun and be care with the heavy weight pulls. Not worth a shoulder injury.

 

All hobbies are cheap in the beginning.

 

Compared to motorcycles, this is a pretty cheap hobby. Start up costs are the only big ticket items. Once you're set up, it's pretty cheap. I've been bow hunting for a decade. Filled the freezer with plenty of whitetail. It's my preferred way to hunt. Gotta know what you're doing and skill is involved. Any old fat bastard can walk out on opening morning of gun season and sling some lead into something 100yds away. Takes skill to sneak into their bedroom or dinner table and snipe them from 20yds away. Oh yeah, and crossbows are for pussies if you're healthy enough to draw back a bow.

 

I used to love target shooting in my early teens, but I haven't really kept up in the last almost 30 years.

The technology leap has been astounding......

 

I looked at a couple of the bows mentioned above: $600-12-- just for a box right out of the box seems a steep entry fee for a hobby you know bupkis about. I think that the last arrow I shot stuck its rubber suction head onto the wall.

Is there an acceptable entry model at a lower price point? OBVIOUSLY it won't be as good as the pricier ones. I comprehend the economics very well. Just thinking I'd be willing to buy a $200 (compound, I think? maybe? What is a recurve?) and write it off if I couldn't get into it. I've got 5 acres here, I just measured on googleearth I have up to 210 yards straight line shots I could set up. The hayfield across the road just got mowed & raked yesterday the guy was baling up the big round bales. If he has one that turns out potato I could let him drop it a my house, no charge.

 

If you are looking at the $200 price range you are going to be in the used section. Lots of stuff on craigslist if you are in an area with good hunting. New entry level stuff is usually around $400 for the whole kit and kaboodle. I have heard good things about the Bear Legit. It is fully adjustable for draw length and weight so literally any size or strength person can shoot it. Probably your safest bet for resale if you go new.

 

Actually it looks like they also have the Royale which is at the $300 price range but maxes out at 27" draw length so may not fit you depending on your size.

 

Yes!! To everything you said. I despise crossbows if you’re physically able to draw a bow. Bowhunters truly are hunters. Guys who hunt with rifles are more marksman than hunter. Shooting something 100, 200, 300 yards away is all about marksmanship, not hunting ability.
Rant off.

 

There are still some good deals on used bows on eBay, and even better deals on the classifieds of archerytalk.com and other sites. You can often get flagship bows that are 3-5 years old for half (or less) what they cost new. Sadly, archery equipment doesn’t even come close to holding value like firearms or vehicles.

There’s a lot of guys on those forums that are die hard fanatics and love other people getting involved, and so will give screaming deals to newbies. I know a couple guys that have basically given away old bows to youngsters and folks that just didn’t have much cash.

anyhow, I’ve bought a lot of used ones and would much rather a good used one than a shit new one. Just my .02