Tag Archives: Bow Hunting Equipment

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How to Choose Bow Hunting Equipment

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Bow hunting, they say is more art than science. Just as each archer must adapt a shooting style to fit his or her personality and abilities, the selection of bow and accessories will be a highly personal and subjective choice. (Bow hunting Equipment and Skills, 9). As a general rule, it is best to buy the bow you can afford that can match your interest in the sport. Archery shop employees are often trained to choose bows. Request them to allow you to practice shooting before buying a bow.

When choosing a bow, look for a bow that is center shot. A center-shot bow has a bow window cut into the handle which allows the draw arrow to sit a point close to or at the centerline of the limbs. Center-shot bows must be wooden bows that are laminated or must be bows with metal handle risers. A simple wooden bow would not be strong enough if a bow window were cut in the handle. Take a closer look at the draw weight and the draw length of the bow. The draw weight is the amount of force needed to draw back the bow. A reduced draw weight allows the archer to stay at full draw longer. Draw length is the distance from the bowstring at full draw to the front of the bow handle. The most common mistake archers do is choosing a bow with a draw length that is too long which results in poor aim.

The type of bow you choose depends upon your preference. There are three basic types of bows; the long bows, the recurve bow, and the compound bow. The long bows is the most traditional type, it is long, straight bow with a handle in the middle. The recurve bow is similar to the long bow, but the limbs are curved rather than straight. The curve allows more energy to flow through the bow which causes the arrow to travel faster. Most shooters like to begin with a compound bow because the traditional bows require much more time, effort, and practice while compound bows use a system of wheels and cables that work together to reduce the draw weight of the bow. The good thing with compound bow is that it shoots a faster arrow than a traditional bow. If you want to have the feel of hunting just like the way of our early ancestors you can always choose bow hunting using the traditional bows.

Sources:

Archery: Steps to Success by Kathleen Haywood and Catherine Lewis

Bow hunting for Fun by Jessica Gunderson

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Bow Hunting Equipment: To Buy or Not to Buy

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Bow Hunting Equipment is a major area of importance in the sport of bow hunting. There are many choices to be made and many myths to be expelled. It is not the brand name that counts; it is the quality of the bow hunting equipment you choose. It is important that your bow hunting equipment correlate with its purpose, and is equally important that it ‘fit’ you.
When choosing bow hunting equipment, it is important that you do your homework and get expert advice. If you are lucky enough to have grown up around bow hunting and gotten hands on experience and advice from an expert as you learned, then you probably are not going to be reading this, so this article will be largely focused on new bow hunting enthusiasts. The novice faces a much different set of concerns and needs then does the experienced bow hunting aficionado.
The average new bow hunter is understandably concerned with costs. With that in mind, several factors should be considered when choosing bow hunting equipment. If you are really not sure how much you want to invest, consider renting hunting equipment initially. That way, you can have a relatively small investment until you see if you want to invest more money in your sport. Just be sure, even when renting bow hunting equipment, that you choose equipment that is both a good fit for you, and appropriate for the hunting you plan to do with it. Be certain you take an authority with you, or get exact advice on what is best for you, before you rent. Rental agents are rarely experts, so be prepared before you go to the rental agency.
Many times Pro Archery shops require the personnel be experts and even require that they receive formal education so they can help customers make good choices when they are about to purchase equipment. Often, if you go in at a time when the shop is not really busy, you can explain that you are a new bow hunter, and want to rent bow hunting equipment initially to be sure the sport is for you. Once you tell them that get their card and agree to purchase from them later if you decide bow hunting is for you, they will help you determine what you need and what equipment is a best fit for you. That way, you can get the advice and help you need to rent equipment, while putting off big investments until you are sure.
That way, when you are ready to purchase bow hunting equipment, you can go to the store with a little experience under your belt, already know what you like, what you need, and what would be the best choice for you. Expert advice in fitting bows to your needs, getting the proper pull weight, the proper type of bow, etc. and fitting all that to the type of game you will be hunting, etc. will make it easier to afford good quality bow hunting equipment when you are ready to buy, and you can buy the best you can afford, while not feeling tempted to settle for lesser quality, because you are afraid if the sport of bow hunting may not be for you.