New trad hunter. Lf advice on intro bow.

[Neotradhuntsman]

Looking to enter traditional archery/hunting. Currently looking to purchase a bow to take out in the woods. I have a draw of 27.5.(measured by a professional at a local archery store) Always used a mechanical release.I'm signed up for some classes coming up and joining up with a shooting club. I guess my questions are:

1. Advice on a bow that set up ready to hunt for under $300. Something I could shoot from a stand or roving.
   1a.  Would an older 50s to 70s vintage bow be better vs a newer intro bow like the Samick sage?
 
    1b. I can draw and hold 60# with no shaking for a few seconds(tested on a long bow of an archery shop, not a compound with let off) 45# to hunt deer and work on form?
 
     1c. I got some advice from a shop that wanted to sell me a fuse td bow 45# for $160. I'm reluctant to trust someone who is trying to talk me into a sale.

2. Advice on gloves vs tabs. Brands or material?

3. Advice on quivers.

If I've posted this in the wrong forum my apologies. I've been reading these forums for a few days. Seems like a legit community of nice people. I've been on other forums where people were not so nice to the noob with noob questions. Thank in advance for advice.

[Kituwa]

Welcome to the gang! Sounds like you have been doing your home work pretty well.I think you are spot on with a 45#.If you post your town there may well be some other tradgang members that live close to you that will let you shoot and handle some of their bows to get a better idea of what feels right to you.
Matt

[Tom]

First off welcome. Questions are always welcome-from the new to the old.
 I would start with a well made bow of 45#-old or new doesn't matter as long as it fits you. bows all have different risers and one that fit others may not feel good to you. The best advice is to try as many as possible and find what fits your hand.
 Gloves vs. tabs is again a personal choice as I have always shot tabs but tried gloves of varous makes. My issue with gloves is some tend to groove up with a lot of shooting which I find tends to make the string come off less consistently. I like a cordovan tab vs. a calf hide as the calf tend to strip off if using brass nocking points.
 Quivers? Bow, back or hip. I use a hip for 3d, and a catquiver for treestand hunting but if I'm on the ground I like a bow quiver. All depends on your applications. Once again, experiment with as many as possible.
 This is not a sport that comes overnight but with time you will find pleasure like nowhere else. Try to attend as many Trad shoots in the next year where you can shoot more bows than imagined. Meet up with locals who may be able to shorten your learning curve. Practice and enjoy as this may become a life long pursuit for you. Good luck.

[Marc B.]

Very good link here:
 http://www.tradgang.com/docs/trad.html

Welcome.

[Neotradhuntsman]

Thanks for your quick replies. I've had my hands on a few bows but all of them were out of my current price range. Nice lil shop in cape may, nj let me hold and draw most of his personal collection.  I guess I should just slow down and keep looking around and save my pennies.

I read that link before I registered to the site. I guess I was looking for definitive answers in a sport that's based more in preference.  Thanks all!

[Stinger]

I think you figured it out.  Trad is more about personal preference than wheelie shooting.  For a new guy, you have the first important piece down - don't overbow yourself.  45# at your draw length (so a bow marked 47-48# at 28") would be a great place to start.  Next choice is longbow or recurve.  I would start with a recurve or a reflex/deflex longbow.  I have found that a hill style longbow is awfully frustrating for someone new to the sport.  The next most critical piece is the grip.  Without trying a bunch of them you won't know what feels good and works for you.  If shooting a recurve, try high, medium and low wrist grips to see which feels right to you.  Others on here may disagree, but I would also not start with a short bow.  I don't know how tall you are, but with a 27 1/2" draw I would guess you are not taller than 5'10" or so.  I would not start with a bow shorter than 60".  Shorter bows are less forgiving of form errors and for a new guy, a longer bow will be perceived as drawing smoother (assuming the riser lengths are the same).  A bow with a long riser and short limbs will feel like a short bow.

Glove vs. tab - as others have said, that truly is a personal preference.  I have never been able to shoot a tab and I have tried a bunch of them over 40+ years.  A Damascus glove is hard to beat for a beginner.

I wouldn't worry about a quiver until you are ready to hunt.  For practicing you can get a pocket quiver and hold the arrows in your back pocket. By the time you are proficient enough to hunt you will have been around the sport for a while and have developed a sense of what will work for your type of hunting.  For example.  I don't like bow quivers because they add physical weight to the bow and upset the balance - for me.  Many other people absolutely love them.  I never liked them on a compound either for the same reason.

Good luck in your journey!

[Fletcher]

Welcome to the Gang, Neo.

You'll find lots of honest help here and not many egos.  Finding the right bow usually takes some looking and trying, but the journey is fun and worthwhile, too.  Used is a great place to start.  This bow is in the TG classifieds:  http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=053724   It may not be the perfect bow for you, but these Kodiaks are very good bows and this is a fair price.

Another thought to consider, When it comes to shooting well, the arrows are more important than the bow.  "Spend as much as you can afford on arrows and as little as you can get away with on the bow." I don't recall who wrote it, but it holds very true, IMO.  One thing with arrows, fancy doesn't make them good and good doesn't mean they are fancy.

Enjoy the journey!

[Stump73]

Welcome!!

[Kituwa]

I agree,,buy a used bow here on the for sale section.You can get a good bear grizzly or kodiak for not a lot and many guys still prefer those even after years of shooting.Some of the Ben Pearsons are great bows too but are not collected like the bears so they can be got for really good prices.I wouldnt go with a bow less than 58"AMO to start off with,60" or more is even better.You can prolly find arrows here too after you get your bow.Dont be afraid to ask questions,most of the guys here will steer you right.With a little looking around you should be able to get a bow, some arrows, a quiver and a glove in your $300 price range.One other good thing about buying used here is you more than likely will get all or most of what you pay for the bow if you decide to sell or upgrade later.
Matt

[Neotradhuntsman]

Well I saved my pennies. I bought a Timberhawk Talon Monarch off this site! I'm hoping that waiting for a nicer bow and saving my money is going to turn out better then buying a cheap bow.

My brother bought a cheaper bow and some bargain bin arrows and has been woefully disappointed so far. I've been taking my time trying to find something that feels right.  Hopefully after i grab some arrows that are tuned to the bow I can practice my form and be ready to hunt with trad setup in the near future!

Thanks all for the advice and the genuinely nice attitudes all around.
Adam

[ddauler]

Sounds great it's kinda like someone buying a cheap Wally World fly rod and saying that don't care for casting a fly rod when they really don't know if they do or not. Cheap glass rod vice a high end graphite no comparison almost same with bows. Always a trade off somewhere in the middle is best just be warned ten bows from now you will still be searching for the perfect bow! I started shooting longbows in the early 80's been from there to recurves to selfbows back to longbows at least 50 or more bows over the years.