[archeryridge]

I was looking at the new alpine line up the other day at an archery shop and my wife was with me and she really liked the looks of them. When we got home we looked through the catalog and noticed the sienna was a target bow taylored to women and she got real interested in it. She started shooting about two and a half months ago and has been shooting a mission menace. My concern and question #1 is if she will have any trouble with the extra weight of the sienna, it is almost a pound heavier than the menace. She's 5'2" and is probably about average build. I'm sure there are plenty of women shooting bows in the 4lb range and heavier so would a bow almost 4lbs take a lot of getting used to?
#2 she is drawing 38lbs right now and is still relatively new to the sport. Would it be better to get a 40-50lb bow and just let her struggle at 40lbs until she gets used to it or get the 30-40lb bow and figure by the time she wants to shoot more than 40lbs she'll be wanting a new bow as well(a few years down the road)? She did shoot a passion at 40lbs at a shop a few weeks ago, she pulled it back without too much trouble but did comment that it felt pretty heavy.

Thanks for any input.

 

[goofyswife2788]

Glad to hear that your wife has gotten into archery. Your questions are very valid but let me make a few suggestions. Let her chose. What I mean by this is while you have done your homework you have to remember she is the one who has to shoot it. Have her first hold the bow, judge the weight and grip. 8 out of 10 women say that is important when chosing a bow. If your unable to do that then have her hold one that is comparable to the bow she wants. As far as draw weight goes. In my opinion get her the poundage she can shoot. The worst thing you can do is give her something she's going to struggle with especially since she's new to the sport. After she's gained experience and has had quality time behind the bow then move her to a heavier poundage.
When I first started I could only pull 40 lbs. A year later I was up to 50

I hope this helps.

 

[MN_Chick]

One other thing to keep in mind is that the bows will have different draw cycles. My two bows are set with a 5 pound difference. Also, depending on manufacturer specs, the 40-50# bow may drop a couple of pounds lower than 40. I have a 60# bow that I turned down to 45# while I was trying to build up some muscle. IF she plans on increasing her weight, the heavier limbs might be better. If she is comfortable where she is and doesn't want to draw more weight, then the 40# bow would defiinately be a better choice. The best thing to do is let her try out both and see what she feels better with.

 

[mamande2]

Before getting an Alpine Ventura with the mini cams, I shot an Eclipse - the camo version of the Sienna. It had 50# limbs and I had it set at 37# when I started. Within a year, I was using it for hunting and had it set at around 47#. It's a great bow, is comfortable to pull back and shoots well.

 

[archeryridge]

I had wondered if the eclipse and sienna were the same bow or not. If it is then we're in luck because the shop has a 50lb eclipse on the shelf. I will see how low the poundage will safely go, thanks for that tip. It's interesting to hear several of you increased your poundage by 10lbs within a years time.

My wife will be shooting better than me very soon mark my words. Especially if she gets a bow like the sienna. She is borrowing the menace from her younger brother. She has really taken to this sport and I must say it is much more fun to have a shooting buddy.

 

[Jenn79]

I shoot a Passion for hunting and wanted to let you know that if she thinks the Passion is heavy then something over 4 pounds will be even heavier...the Passion is 3.6 pounds bare. The change in draw cycle from my old bow to my new one was an adjustment but I started out at lower weight and have already added about 6 pounds to it in 2 weeks. I ordered mine with 55lb limbs and started with it backed out to 45 pounds and its now up to 51 and I'm sure I will be able to move it up again soon. I personally decided to go with the limbs that went up higher because I KNEW that I would want additional weight soon. The good thing for me was that the Passion actually came in 55lb. limbs when many bows don't have the 5lb increments. Otherwise, I don't know what I would have done...

 

[canam]

The Alpine bows definitely seem heavy to me. Heavier bows do take a little time to develop those holding up muscles. I never realized how much until I had rotator cuff surgery and later elbow surgery. Over the past couple of years I have learned all the little extras that those of us who are blessed with healthy arms never realized, lol. (bow weight, recoil, etc.)

I'd try to let her shoot the Alpine bow at 40 and see if she can handle it. She must feel comfortable with the bow or she'll lose interest because she may struggle some. Doing some bicep curls can help build the muscles to hold up the bow.

Good luck and congrats on having a partner who enjoys shooting with you.

 

[nwjhl]

alpine sienna

Hi,
I have a 30-40pound Sienna and love it. I also have a 27 inch draw and shoot fingers and dont have a drama with it. As for the weight of the bow, I dont feel it is any heavy to carry around then the Drenalin LD i also have. I'd recommend it, its fast and quite forgiving and a little different from all the rest.

 

[Cheerioette]

I was looking at the new alpine line up the other day at an archery shop and my wife was with me and she really liked the looks of them. When we got home we looked through the catalog and noticed the sienna was a target bow taylored to women and she got real interested in it. She started shooting about two and a half months ago and has been shooting a mission menace. My concern and question #1 is if she will have any trouble with the extra weight of the sienna, it is almost a pound heavier than the menace. She's 5'2" and is probably about average build. I'm sure there are plenty of women shooting bows in the 4lb range and heavier so would a bow almost 4lbs take a lot of getting used to?
#2 she is drawing 38lbs right now and is still relatively new to the sport. Would it be better to get a 40-50lb bow and just let her struggle at 40lbs until she gets used to it or get the 30-40lb bow and figure by the time she wants to shoot more than 40lbs she'll be wanting a new bow as well(a few years down the road)? She did shoot a passion at 40lbs at a shop a few weeks ago, she pulled it back without too much trouble but did comment that it felt pretty heavy.

Thanks for any input.

Two bows that I am currently shooting would be considered heavier bows... the Conquest 4, bare, is about 4.5 lbs. and the Apex 7 is almost 5 lbs. bare. It really is what feels comfortable for each person... I'm a tall 5'7", with an average build, and I was concerned about the weight of the bows initially, but they felt good! Again, it'll come down to each person though. But since she's just starting out, I'm assuming she's not really going to have too many accessories on her bow anyway, or higher-end (and heavier) equipment?

I think you should stick with the 40# limbs for right now. Typically bows can be maxed out slightly above the stated max weight. Also, since she's still relatively new to this sport, you want it to be as enjoyable as possible. Having her struggle to pull 40 pounds. in hopes she'll just get to use to it soon enough, would make things a little more miserable, not enjoyable. The worse would be that you guys would have to invest in new limbs, or possible even try to trade them on here.

Best of luck!