i need help

[bassfisher_98]

I have been shooting my buddy's recurve bow and used it for deer hunting and now im ready to buy my own and i dont know what i need nor want i dont know the better brands or any of that but i do know i want a good recurve bow that doesnt break my wallet and i dont know if this is even the right place to put this ad but if any one can point me in the right direction i would appericate it very much

[blueslfb]

My advice is check the classifieds on here and browse.  You can get a quality custom bow for what you would pay for a factory bow.  I have had many dealings on here and never once been burned.  Ask questions about the bow and listen to the experienced guys.  Buying a bow can be a large investment and if at all possible shoot as many bows as you can before you decide.  During the summer there are many gatherings that have many of the top bowyers displaying their bows and are more than willing to let you test drive one.  I also encourage you to find a Traditional shop and ask as many questions as you can and shoot some of the bows in stock.  On the other hand if you have money burning a hole in your pocket Bear Archery and Martin Archery have a good selection of taditional bows at reasonable prices and are good shooters for the price.  Just make sure you do not overbow yourself and develope bad habits.  

A word of caution tho!!! This is an addiction that has no cure.  Once you buy one you will want another and another and another.  Good luck and welcome to the "GANG"

[McDave]

You need to know the length of recurve you want and the weight you want and of course whether you want RH or LH.  The last one isn't as obvious as whether you're right or left-handed.  Test yourself to determine which of your eyes is dominant, and start out right by shooting that kind of bow.  If you're shooting out of trees and bushes, you might want a short bow (58-60").  If you're shooting in the open or at targets, you might want a longer bow (62-64").  If you have a long draw (longer than 28"), make sure the bow is designed to accomodate your draw length, particularly if it is a short bow.  If you buy a 50# bow at 28", and your draw length is 30", you're really drawing maybe 55-56#, so take that into account.  You need to shoot enough before you buy a bow so you can determine what weight to buy.  You should at least be able to hold it at full draw for a few seconds without killing yourself.  As you shoot more, your muscles will adapt and you'll be able to hold more weight, but you'll never learn to shoot very well unless you develop good form, and the easiest way to do that is with a bow that you can easily hold at full draw.

[bassfisher_98]

hey thank you guys for the quick answers and i think that i will shoot some more different kinds of bows and try to just shoot some different brands and then move on from there but but i have another maybe dumb question and that is how do you decide what # bow to get will they tell you at a store or do you need someone to tell you or what?????

[McDave]

For your first bow, I recommend you get a bow weight that you can draw back and hold at full draw for 3 seconds or so, without struggling, and then rest for a minute or so, and then do the same thing again for 5-10 times, with rests in between each draw.

It is good to start out with a light weight bow at first, because you will want to shoot it a lot.  I hesitate to say what a light weight bow is, because it will vary from person to person, but for me it would be about 45#.  If you want to go to a heavier weight bow for hunting, you will find at first that it is difficult to come to full draw and hold, but your body will adjust, and will learn to pull the heavier weight.  But you will never be able to shoot it as many times as you can the lighter weight bow.  I can shoot my 65# bow about 10 times before my shooting falls apart, but that's okay for hunting, where you probably only get one shot anyway.

[JESSE69]

I SHOOT RIGHT HANDED AND AM LEFT EYE DOMININANT.I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY IS THERE ANY ADVICE YALL CAN GIVE ME.SOMETIMES I DO OKAY BUT MOSTLY I STRUGGLE.I'M PRETTY GOOD WITH A COMPOUND NOT SO MUCH WITH A LONGBOW