Really good question and I think the response depends on what you want from your bow and your budget.

For me... I didn't care about cool points only effectiveness/performance so I bought the budget bow from the same manufacturer which cost half the price of the same companies flagship bow. The difference in speed was immaterial. So from my perspective the price difference was just for hype. I'm not the best archer but I am shooting as well or a little better than most of my peers.

 

Really great advice and I will take it to heart. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

 

Invest in what you can afford to start out with. Get out and enjoy and have fun. After a year or two you might feel like upgrading to a something like a carbon bow or one with a smoother draw cycle. You can kill the same 350+ bull with a $500 bow or a $1600 one.

 

Agree 100%


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Since it's your first bow,you can find really good bows on the classifieds if you have an idea of what your looking for,and not pay new price. I would suggest that you look for bows with lots of adjustability because things will change a little as you get into it.

 

Thank you for the advice, will do!

 

I was in your boat four years ago. I went with a cheaper starter Hoyt Charger. I'm glad I did because not knowing what I wanted at the time, later I ended up wanting something with a longer ATA, and 60 lb instead of 70 lb. So, this past Black Friday I picked up a Realm X in the specs that I now know that I want.

 

Glad you know the struggle! I think I'm gonna follow your lead. Thanks!

 

I would go will a flagship bow to start with. The flagships hold their value a lot better. So when you decide to sell you can get about half your money back if sold within a couple years.
Where as if you get an entry level bow they are pretty much throw away bows that don’t hold much value at all.
Buy once cry once.
90% of people that buy an entry level bow end up buying a flagship within a year anyway.

 

I don't think we should conflate budget and entry level. They are two different things.

Take for example the 2019 PSE Carbon Air Stealth EF Compound Bow selling for $1,500 with an advertised speed of 342-350 and compare that with the 2019 PSE Drive 3B Compound Bow with an advertised speed of 330. What are you getting for an extra $800? and if you sell it later for 1/2 price or $750, you could give your Drive away to someone less fortunate and still be ahead economically speaking.

And if you were to decide to then buy that bow second hand for $400 you'd have a lot of budget left over for all the required accouterments.

Brand and models were used for demonstration sake only. I have no interest in pushing any brand or model.

 

I would go flagship, but buy used to save a lot of $$$

 

this

 

A year or two old flagship bow is a good place to start. Best to know your actual dl if shopping somewhere like e bay. Lots of good buys there. On a couple year old bow, you may as well factor in a new set of strings.

Lucky

 

I agree. Buy a quality outfit that motivates you to use it often. Actually Bear & Diamond have some great RTH packages on sale too.

 

Keep in mind you can (eventually) buy a used flagship from the classifieds here for the same or less of a budget bow new. Would look for one thats fairly adjustable in terms of length and that you do not need mods or new cams for.

 

GREAT ADVICE. I was curious about the hyper adjustable bows. Thanks!

 

Because you are even asking this question, my advice is to buy what you want. I would go to a good pro-shop and be honest with them about what you are thinking about doing. Go shoot a few budget starter bows and see what you like and then go shoot a few flagships. You may even contact a dealer by phone first, tell them what you told us and see if they have any of last year's models or even some a couple of years old or so that are still new and even in the box still and see what they will do with price if you invest with them. You can get a great, new bow with great technology and with some decent accessories for half to two-thirds of what you would pay for this year's flagship bow all tricked out.

 

Thank you! Appreciate your input and will definitely spend some hours in the shop!

 

I wouldn't be afraid to buy last year or the year before's flagship bow. Best of both worlds. Make sure to hit your local archery shop and get some help figuring out your draw length etc. and shoot a couple of bows to see what feels the best for you.

 

Reduced price flagship that's new old stock. Not quite classifieds prices but you get a warranty still. Also keep in mind if you're going to need help setting the bow up it might be cheaper in the long run to just buy at a shop because some places rape you for setting up a bow not purchased there

 

Buy a 5 year old flag ship bow. Learn to shoot it and then decide if you ever want to up grade.

 

My plan but I am trying so hard to resist getting a 2018 model. The temptation is real...

 

I wouldn’t go with an expensive bow to start as you have no idea what your preferences are. I’d go with a nice used bow and learn to shoot. Once you get into shooting and develop a good platform of skills, you can go looking for a bow that is a little more of this or a little less of that. You need a baseline though.

If you’ve got tons of money to burn, nevermind just go buy whatever you think you want. If you have a budget that you need to mind, spend the majority on quality accessories, those will travel with you to your next bow.

D

 

spend the majority on quality accessories, those will travel with you to your next bow.
D

That's sound advice right there.

 

Budget bow all day. Yeah, you could resell your flagship but you would still lose a few hundred. You could spend that same few hundred and get a new cheap bow or a used good one. I wouldn’t buy a flagship until I was sure it was perfect. You don’t know what perfect is until you start shooting.


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I like it. Definitely wanna learn to swim before I'm doing the high dive.

 

my 1st recurve my folks bought me for my 15th birthday in 1971. still have it, not much for deer in those days.my 1st compound was way budget. bought it at kmart in Algona. it was a bear whitetail II. shot it like crazy at a bag target, killed a deer w/ it that next fall. 2 nd bow wasn't much different bought it mail order at cabelas. I knew guys who had bows that never shot 'em. I think half those guys lost all their arrows and quit. after I shot my 1st deer that was it I was really hooked

 

I love that! I definitely would rather be practical more than anything. I don't care if I'm shooting with a Nerf bow, as long as I am improving and learning. Newer and better stuff will come along when I get better.

 

That's a tough one. I started shooting as a kid, so my first compound bow I went with a Hoyt because I already knew I liked shooting. If you aren't sure if it is for you maybe a budget bow is a smart way to try something new. However, if you think you'll enjoy it I would recommend getting a nicer bow to begin with. You'll end up spending that money eventually if you like the sport.

 

Exactly the conundrum I was feeling, so I appreciate your empathy haha. I'll go in blind about the two camps and just get whatever feels best, price notwithstanding.

 

Thanks to internet now you can google reviews for most of the bows those are honest opinions about the performance of the bows. Before you go out buying a bow you need to get some advice from someone that knows the sport to tell you the characteristics of the bow that will fit you : draw length, left or right handed, poundage, axle to axle, weight, etc. Once you have the spec's I will recommend as some of the fellows did above to look for a used flagship bow. In this forum you will find really nice options. Starting with a good quality bow will help you to see improvement faster and will hook you in this wonderful sport. Good luck

 

Haha, point taken! My bow shop is super courteous and patient for newbie like myself. I will use your advice about finding candid reviews and have some knowledgable folks guide me along. Thanks!

 

I was in your spot 2 months ago. I had no experience, did not know what poundage I wanted, I just knew I wanted to shoot targets for fun/practice and hunt deer and Turkey. I wanted to start with a low draw weight to work on my form and slowly build up my weight. I went with a mathews vertix for 3 reasons. First the switch weight technology would let me easily change draw weight. Second, the local shop sold Mathers, third several hunters I respect said you can't go wrong with the bow or the shop. If I had more experience I would have ventured further and tried a few different bows.

 

Oh, sweet! This helps a ton. I loved how the Mathews Halons felt in the hand. I will be spending a bunch of times in my local bow shop. Thanks!

 

I feel it's like buying your first car you can start off with a BMW or a Honda
They will both take you where you want to go

 

I like that perspective, now to just figure out all the variables between the two haha

 

ELITE OPTION 7 NEW.....https://www.ebay.com/itm/ELITE-OPTI...ON-7-COMPOUND-BOW-NEW-SEALED-BOX-FACTORY-WARRANTY/323359391062?var=512690413576

 

all depends on your budget. i would personally start with a bow more on the cheaper side with a lot of forgiveness and make sure that this was something i really wanted to invest in. as we all know once you're in you're in.

 

And I'm definitely hoping to get "in." Thanks!

 

Just starting off as well, I take the approach I have forever with firearms. I once was told “skills trump tools” also keeping in mind that good tools sure do help. That being said, I leaned towards budget because I know that the super special differences are things I will hardly notice at my skill level. I wanted something that would last, but I also knew I had a lot of skill building to go. If I bought a flagship bow with all the bells and whistles and didn’t spend the time perfecting my skills, it would be money wasted. So my thought is, why not stay within my budget and fine tune my abilities. Also, saving money on the equipment side has opened up more hunting possibilities haha.

 

Completely agree. I think I'm kinda sold on budget now. I wanna be a good archer before I buy a Cadillac.

 

I'm in the same boat with buying my first bow. This post is actually helping me get enough posts to view the classified ads so I can look at used bows on this site. Good luck with the decision. My buddies told me to get a used flagship bow to start with rather than a cheaper new "starter" bow.

 

Glad to be of some assistance! Best of luck and keep me posted on what you get!

 

Here is my advice for a first bow. Go with a bow that has a large draw weight and draw length adjustment. Why? When you first start shooting you will be using muscles you typically don't use and you may find yourself struggling to pull much draw weight. By buying a bow with large draw weight adjustment you can easily build your strength up.

The reason I also encourage beginners to get bows with sliding draw length modules is due to the fact it's not uncommon for beginners to fiddle with draw length as they work on improving their shooting form and or try different releases.

PSE, Diamond, Bear and Mission have bows that meet this criteria.

One last suggestion, you want your beginning draw weight to be where you can pull back the bow comfortably about 30 times in 10-15 minutes. Let this be the bottom weight adjustment of the weight range of the bow.

A great thing about these kind of bows is that once you are ready to upgrade you can keep them for a girlfriend, spouse, child, or friend to go shoot archery with you. Or if you decide to sell they are very easy to sell.

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Good advice, my sons mission is adjustable from I think 18lbs to 70 lbs with out changing mods or limbs. The draw length is easily adjustable as well. No bow press required for any of the adjustments. That type of adjustment will have great resale value.

 

Bought a upper budget 3 months ago to see if I would enjoy archery and to see if I could use a compound due to a neck injury. well 3 months later I have both a starter and a flagship lol Carbon Icon and now a Bowtech SR6 I shot everyday almost and did hours of research-and found the holy grail for me, Now I can keep or sell the other No rush but will still get decent money since its only 3 months old Cheers and good luck