This has been asked and answered a LOT out here..... Go to your local shop and shoot everything they have. I strongly recommend NOT buying a used bow that you have never shot and know nothing about.

For a new shooter, pay attention to the Bear Alaskan.

 

This has been asked and answered a LOT out here..... Go to your local shop and shoot everything they have.

For a new shooter, pay attention to the Bear Alaskan.

I appreciate the advice!

 

Big proponent of going to your local pro shop and see if they have any used (2-5 years old) flagship bows from the bigger companies. Most of the time you can snag a great shooting bow with great technology implemented without the sticker shock of this year's flagship. This also gets you an opportunity to pick the bow tech's brain and have him setup your bow properly.

On the other end, if you want to go brand new, I second the Bear Alaskan.

 

What compound bow do you recommend for me to buy as a newbie? I am not looking to drop a ton of money but do want a high quality bow that is fast and has a smooth draw cycle. Thanks!

As mentioned go to a good pro shop (not box store) and shoot a bunch. But, fast and smooth are not things that really go together in the compound bow world.

 

There are many bows today that are super adjustable and I would only recommend one of these to a beginner. Using too heavy poundage is a shortcut for beginners to develop bad habits and form problems, if they manage to avoid injury to shoulder joint and muscles.

Diamond and Mission come to mind, but see what is available at your local, as you will probably need some aftermarket support. I have a Topoint that would be suitable, but from the boards I gather that any cheap Amazon bows like Topoint, Junxing and Sanlida are disliked by techs in the USA, and you may need to work on it yourself.

Best wishes!

 

If you have to pay someone to work on your bow and you have to buy parts to make the bow fit you (mods/limbs/cams) all the money you saved buying a used bow will be consumed very quickly.

I'd suggest looking at a mid-level bow if you're on a budget. My personal choices (in no particular order):

Xpedition APX - $599.99 (You'd be HARD pressed to find a better bow at this price)
Bear Alaskan XT - $579.99 (Great bow but factory strings need a lot of attention)
Darton Consequence 2 - $749.99 (this bow punches well above it's price point)
Xpedition Reflexion 32 - $799.99 (This bow shoots excellent, great back wall stiff draw cycle)

I'm aware there are bows from other manufacturers in this mid-level price range... but I haven't had the opportunity to shoot them at anything close to my DL/DW.

 

There are lots of good bows. Whatever you get needs to fit you and be in good shape to avoid nulling any savings. Shop for a good shop first. They likely have something there.

 

The "best" anything in archery is only that which works best for you; it's an answer you only get from doing the leg work and definitely not on the internet. What works for me may or may not work for you, and in the end the only person a bow [or anything] needs to work for is you...

 

Used PSE in your budget range. Almost always best bang for buck option for most in my opinion

draw weight has wide adjustment range of 20 lbs so you can grow with the bow

super adjustable cams for draw length etc and let off mods. and can be easily tuned by a good shop or with a press at home should you choose to

 

Used PSE in your budget range. Almost always best bang for buck option for most in my opinion

And the least available parts if you need them. PSE only stocks parts for two years after end of production.

 

You're going to have to go to a shop and shoot their used bows.

There's no best bow. Only the best bow for you. The only way to figure that out is on your own, it simply can't be done over the internet.

 

And the least available parts if you need them. PSE only stocks parts for two years after end of production.

To each their own, but limbs, cams and mods shared across multiple models and robust secondhand market

Unless you're blowing up your bow regularly I'm not sure that matters for a beginner. Especially if it's a cheap bow you're using to start archery

 

Mathews for example definitely has the best product support for the bow lifetime

Not sure I think that justifies the cost to a beginner, even their used models are routinely $800+. Meanwhile a very solid used or old stock PSE can be easily had in the ballpark of $3-500

Check out the 2022 PSE Altera for example
Pardon Our Interruption..., 330 fps, 7 inch brace and well reviewed

Just my 2 cents

 

Mathews for example definitely has the best product support for the bow lifetime

Not sure I think that justifies the cost to a beginner, even their used models are routinely $800+. Meanwhile a very solid used or old stock PSE can be easily had in the ballpark of $3-500

Check out the 2022 PSE Altera for example
Pardon Our Interruption..., 330 fps, 7 inch brace and well reviewed

Just my 2 cents

But if you are buying used, sight unseen, the possibility of needing parts increases. This is the point that many forget. I have said many times, having worked at a shop I have seen a lot of "great deals" turn out to cost as much, or more, as buying a new bow. And that's if we can even get the parts.

Unless you have the ability to do all the work yourself, buying used is a big risk.

 

Not that big a risk and I've bought many used bows for years. Thousands of people buy used bows every month and I doubt even 15% have these issues. Ebay or Archery Talk etc have PayPal or other buyer protections which allow for returns etc

Most bows would need strings at worst, and if that was misrepresented, you should send the bow back.

These horror stories are fairly exaggerated. In this era of increasing prices and flat wages, pushing everyone to buy the latest and greatest is unnecessarily raising the bar to entry for beginner archers

Mentorship is key, and having a laid-back pro shop who is competent is even better. Snooty shops that won't touch bows you didn't buy from them are a huge pet peeve of mine

 

Not that big a risk and I've bought many used bows for years. Thousands of people buy used bows every month and I doubt even 15% have these issues. Ebay or Archery Talk etc have PayPal or other buyer protections which allow for returns etc

Most bows would need strings at worst, and if that was misrepresented, you should send the bow back.

These horror stories are fairly exaggerated. In this era of increasing prices and flat wages, pushing everyone to buy the latest and greatest is unnecessarily raising the bar to entry for beginner archers

Mentorship is key, and having a laid-back oro shop who is competent is even better. Snooty shops that won't touch bows you didn't buy from them are a huge pet peeve of mine

How many used bows do you see in a year?

Those of us that have worked at shops see a lot more, I can guarantee.

Yes, there are buyer protections that allow for returns. Do you know how many bows get returned? You don't. Probably a lot. But I can say that close to a quarter of the used bows brought into the shop to be setup end up needing parts, and not just strings. While strings are definitely the number one need, which adds close to $200 to the cost of the bow, the number two is limbs. Not because of damage, but because the customer thought they could pull more than they can. That ends up being another $300 just in parts, if they are even available. Third is cams. And not always because of being bent, or wrong draw length, but because they are beat up with string channels gouged.

Beginner archers should never buy the "latest and greatest" flagships. That's why most of us here that either own shops, or work in shops, always direct beginners to the highly adjustable, entry level bows. For $500 you get a bow that is guaranteed to fit you, still shoots great, and has full factory warranty.

 

Hi in my opinion the Diamond bows are great bow for the price and great to start out with all my nephews started out with a diamond you may also look online to see if you could possibly find a nice bow in your price range just make sure your draw length so ya don’t have to try and find cams if it’s not adjustable

 

Very good and knowledgeable stuff here that people should think about when getting into bow hunting or shooting either one can sometimes be cheaper to buy new that used

 

That's fair

I think the amount of mentorship and the willingness to tinker will factor greatly on the best solution for the individual

If you have archer friends, they can provide a lot of guidance. Shoot their bow, get a sense of what you can pull. Get their take on whether a given bow is a good idea. If you're willing to trade some convenience for better value, I think the used market is fantastic

If someone is not mechanically minded, needs training wheels/hand-holding and has no one to show them the ropes, a Mission Switch or Diamond may be suitable. Personally it seems like the Elite Ember may be an even better idea as being a little more robust despite being entry oriented

 

The only thing I would add is that "smooth drawing" and "fast" are usually not compatible. Fast comes at a cost of a more aggressive draw cycle. If you choose a "fast" bow, it will usually only feel smooth for you at a lower draw weight. The best advice is to go to a shop as others have said. And don't be concerned about speed so much. All bows are plenty fast to kill game. Good luck.

 

Not that big a risk and I've bought many used bows for years. Thousands of people buy used bows every month and I doubt even 15% have these issues. Ebay or Archery Talk etc have PayPal or other buyer protections which allow for returns etc

Most bows would need strings at worst, and if that was misrepresented, you should send the bow back.

These horror stories are fairly exaggerated. In this era of increasing prices and flat wages, pushing everyone to buy the latest and greatest is unnecessarily raising the bar to entry for beginner archers

Mentorship is key, and having a laid-back pro shop who is competent is even better. Snooty shops that won't touch bows you didn't buy from them are a huge pet peeve of mine

These stories aren't exaggerated... I have 4 bows in my shop right now that are waiting on parts that aren't available from the manufacturer anymore. I've reached the limits of my scrounging abilities with no luck... I'm not sure when the customers are coming to get these bows but... 2 of them have been there for almost a year.

I've had plenty of customers come in with bows they "got a deal from their co-worker" only to find out that not only did they over pay based on the used market... but now they need strings, cams and limbs to make the bow work for them. At the end of the day, these guys could've spent another $100 and got a new Darton Sequel with a warranty.

FWIW, I also don't understand why shops won't work on a bow they didn't sell. As a shop owner, I'm not too keen on turning away a customer who's willing to give me money.

That's fair

I think the amount of mentorship and the willingness to tinker will factor greatly on the best solution for the individual

If you have archer friends, they can provide a lot of guidance. Shoot their bow, get a sense of what you can pull. Get their take on whether a given bow is a good idea. If you're willing to trade some convenience for better value, I think the used market is fantastic

If someone is not mechanically minded, needs training wheels/hand-holding and has no one to show them the ropes, a Mission Switch or Diamond may be suitable. Personally it seems like the Elite Ember may be an even better idea as being a little more robust despite being entry oriented

I agree if you can do the work yourself and KNOW what you're looking at... buying used makes perfect sense if you're trying to keep spending down.... but if you DON'T know what your looking at and/or have to pay someone to do your work for you, that savings can get absorbed very quickly.

I also completely agree that mentorship for new shooters is super important to help them avoid most (if not all) of these problems.

As I stated earlier... there are quite a few Mid-Level bows that are an excellent place for a new shooter to start out!!!!

 

These stories aren't exaggerated... I have 4 bows in my shop right now that are waiting on parts that aren't available from the manufacturer anymore. I've reached the limits of my scrounging abilities with no luck... I'm not sure when the customers are coming to get these bows but... 2 of them have been there for almost a year.

I've had plenty of customers come in with bows they "got a deal from their co-worker" only to find out that not only did they over pay based on the used market... but now they need strings, cams and limbs to make the bow work for them. At the end of the day, these guys could've spent another $100 and got a new Darton Sequel with a warranty.

FWIW, I also don't understand why shops won't work on a bow they didn't sell. As a shop owner, I'm not too keen on turning away a customer who's willing to give me money.



I agree if you can do the work yourself and KNOW what you're looking at... buying used makes perfect sense if you're trying to keep spending down.... but if you DON'T know what your looking at and/or have to pay someone to do your work for you, that savings can get absorbed very quickly.

I also completely agree that mentorship for new shooters is super important to help them avoid most (if not all) of these problems.

As I stated earlier... there are quite a few Mid-Level bows that are an excellent place for a new shooter to start out!!!!

This is the correct answer. Know what you're getting into, and get help where you can

Have fun!!

 

I like the Diamond Infinite Edge compound bow line. Like due to its adjustability. Was and still is a great bow to start with and stick with.

 

IMO best to just go really cheap if your unsure, that way when you upgrade you wont be so upset.. id stick with bears RTH model, 500$ price range, and if willing to spend more there are then many other options but I wouldnt advise looking at anything under 1k pretty much... i like hoyt personally

 

I have a buddy who has shot nothing but recurves for 50+ years. Do to some issues, needed to go to a compound. He called me up and said he bought XYV bow model ljm, off of e-bay, always heard it is a good brand. Bow was over 20 years old. He took it to the bow shop, they ordered new strings, bought a sight and a release, I asked how much he paid, like 1/2 said, a few dollars more and he could have bought a brand new bow, or one 2-3 years old..

other buddy , been shooting recurves for 50+ years, (they do not care for each other) same scenario but he callled me 2 months ago to ask what I thought about this or that bow. He wanted to buy new bow with lots of adjustability and not break the bank, He had already went to the shop and they gave him good advise, just wanted to pass it through me.

since he has shot recurves for years, he is cutting his New Carbon arrows 1/4 inch at a time to fine tune them like he did his wood arrows...told him he did not need to do that..

 

some great advice above....
id suggest the PSE Stinger