not sure how the prices are in Australia but they seem high on most of those things. You can’t really go too overkill. The mathews quiver will not work on that bow though. If there is one thing that you shouldn’t cheap out on in your rest. If you budget requires it, I’d go cheaper on the quiver and more on the rest. I was going to go cheaper with a whisker biscuit but splurged on a Hamskea epsilon and I’m very glad I did.

 

Prices are fairly similar across the board in AUS. I think its due to import costs etc. Thank you for the advice on the quiver and rest. Ill make some adjustments and go from there. Ill check out the hamskea rest you mentioned too. Cheers

 

Save some money on your quiver and sight. Get a cheap quiver. It’ll work. 99% of bow hunters don’t need a slider sight and overspend to get a lot of features they don’t need. Spot Hogg’s are awesome sights so maybe look at getting a fixed pin. Spend more on your rest (Hamskea or AAE imo). Bow is a personal decision, I have the belief most any bow you pull off the rack these days is going to be good. Welcome and best of luck in the field.

 

Thanks for the advice. Ill check out some more sights. Good points.

 

Something else to consider when choosing a sight, make sure that it has 1st 2nd and 3rd axis adjustments. They play a huge role in keeping your bow level, especially when you aim up or down. I personally would get a slider sight as your can better shoot past ~60 yards. A fixed sight will be more durable but a good slider will me more than durable enough.

 

I'm still leaving towards an adjustable sight atm. Even though I might not be shooting that far for a while I think it'll be good to have in the long run for when I decide to start shooting at those distances.

 

research like crazy on the bow, shoot many..then maybe even buy a used late model flagship.. get quality maybe even used components.. u can always resell them if ya don’t like em, at little or no loss. i just did this process this summer before the season opened .. i got a used bow, the one I wanted, used sight, a five pin slider, capable to target shot out to 100+ yards haven't sight it in past 40, room to grow…a quality quiver so i would never get another (tight spot)…the rest i wanted after reading everything ..sub par equipment isn’t worth it, can’t sell it when/ if it breaks.. quality stuff can be resold if u don't prefer it or wanna try something diff .. be careful about who and where u buy from.. it took me months to get my kit together, but I wouldn’t change any of it today.. bows are getting easier to tune and highly adjustable, look for that. read about sights, rests, quivers, strings, peeps ect… only u know what will work for you but get quality stuff!

 

Was this your first kit ever? It can be extremely overwhelming with all the information and components. Trying to find a balance of quality/longevity and also getting me into the field to start training and practicing.

 

Avoid the Ready to Hunt bows. All the accessories suck. In 3 months you will spend more money to replace everything.

I get wanting a bow that will last. Since you are new to archery. I highly doubt that will happen. Took me 1.5 years of a RTH bow before I really figured out what I wanted.

So here is my two cents:

Bow, whichever thats personal preference. Dont go RTH

Quiver - TightSpot cant be beat. The adjustment for different arrow diameter. Its a no brainer. Its once you buy, never have to replace.

Rest - Limb or Cable driven. The bomb proof, last forever option. Hamseka Trinity hands down

Sight - I get the wanting fancy, slider blah blah. You are new. Just buy a simple fixed 5 pin sight. Inexpensive, but practical. It will get you out to 60 yards. Which is more than enough for anything. I hunt antelope and its with a fixed 5 pin. Spott Hog or Black Gold

Stabilizer - Again personal preference. So many combos. For now a simple 6”. Down the road you’ll find the “one”.

Release - goes back to personal preference. Id say a index. Tru Ball, etc.

Go on the less side of money on stabilizer, sight. Spend the money on the Release, Rest, Quiver. You buy those 3. They will be dependable and carry over to your next bow.
Then in this time you will find your taste for stabilizer length/weight, preferred sight, and ultimately the type of bow you really want.

But seriously I added up what you have in the image. Around 2k. That is absolutely nuts. You really should for a beginner. Stay under the 1k mark.

I just bought the 2024 Hoyt Alpha X, Hamskea Trinity Pro, TightSpot Quiver, Control Freak Stabilizer, Black Gold fixed 5 pin, and a new release. Spent $1900. Saved $250 from buying directly from a bow shop. Most give you a 10% discount if you buy everything there. Not sure in your area.

So with what you have lined up compared to my setup. Mine is a flagship 2024 bow, with everything that will last for years to come. Not bragging, just showing the cost comparison. You are spending more money on stuff you really are not sure if you even like. And no past experience. Don’t spend that type of money yet. Save the money. Find a setup for 1k. A nice mid-line/price bow with accessories should be in that ballpark. You saved yourself 1k for arrows, release, target.

 

I have a very different take on a first bow than most. I purchased a RTH Bear package when I started out and it was very decent and lasted for years. The last compound I bought was a Quest Centec made by Prime with a G5 quiver and 3 pin site. I since passed that one and went on to traditional archery but the Quest was really nice and came with a 2 year string replace free. So every other year you can get a new string for free. If I was looking again I’d go for the Quest based on experience but I would take a hard look at that new Bear Adapt RTH package. Archery and hunting is not a cheap hobby. You will be spending money on all sorts of stuff down the road.

 

You can get a solid bow in a RTH package, but many times the price point is based on low end accessories. If you are going to pay for those items indirectly in an RTH package, then turn around and replace them in 6 months to a year.....why not just buy a bare bow and start with some upgraded accessories? There are several mid-tier bows that guys speak well about, so do your primary research in that direction. Have you shot enough to know your draw length and comfortable draw weight range? Bow fit is like shoe fit....once you figure it out, you won't be comfortable with anything much different than 'right'.

Accessories are the proverbial 'rabbit hole'.....there is good reason sites like AT have a classifieds section to resell used gear. Many of us have tried a variety of rests, stabs and sights to determine what we INDIVIDUALLY prefer. The guy who doesn't care for a slider talks down on them, but guys who prefer them (me included) feel they are well worth the money. The AT archives has a host of older threads where such focused topics have been hashed out from various perspectives....might be worthwhile to do a dive there as well?

From my viewpoint, the priority list should be; bow, arrows, release, rest, and sight....pretty much in that order. Quiver is way down the line because you can get away with the most basic of hunting quivers for a while and it won't hurt you. A low end bow, cheap release- rest-sight, or crummy arrows are going to show up right away and eventually hinder your progress. Finally, don't go in under the impression that you are going to "buy once, cry once'.....that is a beginner falacy in most cases. There is a natural tendency to upgrade and try out new things....nature of the beast.

 

IMHO many people start out and really don't know what they like because they don't know yet. So they buy high dollar stuff and then throw it in the toolbox and start jumping all over the place looking for magic beans that will make them a better hunter..........lol

The reality is that package bow setup correctly will be fine. So I'd get it and not fall victim to the "more expensive" stuff will make me a better shooter/hunter. It's small peanuts in reality if you can hunt and have it setup right.

IOW that $400 sight isn't going to make you more accurate....it does change how you set your system up but that's a personal prefernce.....which changes how your systems works but it can't be said it's better.........IOW it's a personal choice based on what you prefer.

If I were you as a new hunter I'd just buy the package.......then learn how to hunt with it as is. When you see a "problem" in the woods or at the range practicing then address that issue. Once there are no issues you are there. That's better than just blindly throwing money at it when you really don't know what you like yet.

If you gun hunt think of it like this. You have a 30-30 with a quality scope and you have a bullet that performs well for that rifle it'll take deer all day long. You shoot it great out to 100 yards and that's how you hunt so do you really need a 4K custom rifle & scope? So what's better a top-of-the-line rifle with a 2K scope that a new hunter didn't setup right because he hasn't got the experience yet....or a well setup simple rifle that the end user knows how to use?

So again I'd buy the package and address the issues as they arise because it will NOT have a big affect on your success. The opinions vary too much for you to assume you'll like what others do. My setup is laughed out of most places by the elites here.........but it's what I like and VERY effective in my hands........it took me decades to get it the way wanted by refining it as needed.

So for me I can't understand the people that buy new bows each year with all the new accessories on it and then start that learning process over again every year testing them in the field...........so who's right?

I transfer the accessories I have grown fond of to the new bow so I don't have to start over. So my point is you really don't know what you want yet so buy the package and start learning what you do like as you grow. Don't worry about the people that judge you by your equipment they probably are trying to buy their way to the top and just as lost as a new shooter...they just look better at the range. Good luck.

 

IMHO many people start out and really don't know what they like because they don't know yet. So they buy high dollar stuff and then throw it in the toolbox and start jumping all over the place looking for magic beans that will make them a better hunter..........lol

The reality is that package bow setup correctly will be fine. So I'd get it and not fall victim to the "more expensive" stuff will make me a better shooter/hunter. It's small peanuts in reality if you can hunt and have it setup right.

IOW that $400 sight isn't going to make you more accurate....it does change how you set your system up but that's a personal prefernce.....which changes how your systems works but it can't be said it's better.........IOW it's a personal choice based on what you prefer.

If I were you as a new hunter I'd just buy the package.......then learn how to hunt with it as is. When you see a "problem" in the woods or at the range practicing then address that issue. Once there are no issues you are there. That's better than just blindly throwing money at it when you really don't know what you like yet.

If you gun hunt think of it like this. You have a 30-30 with a quality scope and you have a bullet that performs well for that rifle it'll take deer all day long. You shoot it great out to 100 yards and that's how you hunt so do you really need a 4K custom rifle & scope? So what's better a top-of-the-line rifle with a 2K scope that a new hunter didn't setup right because he hasn't got the experience yet....or a well setup simple rifle that the end user knows how to use?

So again I'd buy the package and address the issues as they arise because it will NOT have a big affect on your success. The opinions vary too much for you to assume you'll like what others do. My setup is laughed out of most places by the elites here.........but it's what I like and VERY effective in my hands........it took me decades to get it the way wanted by refining it as needed.

So for me I can't understand the people that buy new bows each year with all the new accessories on it and then start that learning process over again every year testing them in the field...........so who's right?

I transfer the accessories I have grown fond of to the new bow so I don't have to start over. So my point is you really don't know what you want yet so buy the package and start learning what you do like as you grow. Don't worry about the people that judge you by your equipment they probably are trying to buy their way to the top and just as lost as a new shooter...they just look better at the range. Good luck.

Great advice here - I bought my first bow package when I was a teenager (used PSE youth bow) and it was not a pretty thing to look at but it killed a bunch of deer and as I got into the sport and made adjustments I slowly graduated to newer equipment that suited my needs (whitetail/mule deer/elk). I could not agree more about caring what people think about your gear. Some of the most well-respected hunters in my circles don't talk about their gear, gizmos, or $$ much. In fact most of them wear army surplus clothing and kill more big game than any one else I know.

 

if you are wealthy and have money to burn, sure go on and buy the best stuff right off. But you certainly don't need it starting off. You need to shoot a number of different bows, till you find the one that feels right in your hand and through the draw process. I'd put that as your number 1 priority. A $1000 bow isn't going to do you any good if it doesn't feel right in your hand or shooting it. A whisker biscuit rest and a basic sight can be had for less the $100. Add some decent arrows and start shooting. As you gain experience then start moving up to higher quality gear. I've been shooting almost 50 years, and enjoyed the sport and shot pretty well without all these accessories used today.

 

Haven’t seen a mention of a peep - if your hunting I’m suggesting a Hamskea raptor peep - or the insight so you can change sizes till you find what’s right for you.

 

I would not go with a fixed quiver, look at Octane 3 or 5 arrow quivers
also for a sight, the Hotwire is a great 2 pin with the 3rd pin movable
I would also look at a Whisker Biscuit until you get use to shooting, then go to a drop away if desired, but not needed for hunting

do not forget a stab,or vibration damper depending on the riser of the bow will depend on the length of the stabilizer for it to actually work. Octane makes a good vibration dampner

 

Go with a more entry or mid level with rth package, the quiver is only needed for hunting. Spend the money saved on lessons. As said today's bow shoot so well, that this is not the issue when starting out. After shooting for a while you will better understand why there are so many options, but you won't form opinions until after shooting. Like with sights, I don't understand sliders in a hunting situation, a 4 pin sight typically covers distances out to 50 yards. I get in the stand and range landmarks around the stand so when a deer walks in I am within a few yards of the actual distance, you have about an 8 inch vital zone to work with. With a slider you have to adjust up until the time you shoot, unless you know the exact spot that you will be shooting the animal. My 2 cents

 

Go with a more entry or mid level with rth package, the quiver is only needed for hunting. Spend the money saved on lessons. As said today's bow shoot so well, that this is not the issue when starting out. After shooting for a while you will better understand why there are so many options, but you won't form opinions until after shooting.

. With a slider you have to adjust up until the time you shoot, unless you know the exact spot that you will be shooting the animal. My 2 cents

that is why I mentioned the Hotwire, he can set the pins to say... 20-30-40 and as he gets better move the 40 out to whatever with a turn of the knob...but the other 2 stay at 20-30,

see so many tv hunters admit that they forget to readjust thier slider, or they are adjusting it as the deer is standing broadside at 20 cayse they had it at 30

 

If I were buying a brand new Bear bow it would be the Alaskan XT. Just my .02

 

For what it's worth, I've had that release since 2011, and a Spot Hogg Fast Eddie (standard style, not XL) for years (first year it was released), and am confident they'll last you years. Buy your components in black so you can use them on any bow / color in the future, and they won't look out of place (if you care about that kind of stuff). Don't get caught up in the sidebar / stabilizer stuff, or think that you need a new bow every year (I've been through it all).

 

Cheers for getting back to me everybody. Excellent opinions and critics. Got a lot to think about and I think the best thing to do for now is go back to the pro shop and shoot a few bows and see how they feel. Thanks legends

 

You should check out this drop away. It's called, "Trophy Ridge Propel Arrow Rest." Its limb driven and $90 on lancasterarchery.com
For the sight, I'd go with a trophy ridge react. You sight in at 20 and 30 yards, the rest of the pins are dead on.

 

Good plan, shoot a few first.