Advice needed on bow purchase.

[CoastalHunter]

Hello all. I just got back into archery after a 15 year hiatus. I purchased a 45# @28" hickory self bow and after about 300 shots the bottom limb broke at full draw. Luckily I wasn't hurt but now I need a new bow. After searching around I found a guy selling a new 45# @28" Bear Grizzly for $340. I was all set to buy it but then a guy I know offered to sell me his used 55# Bear Super Grizzly with only 200 arrows through it for $300. The only thing that worries me about buying the Super Grizzly is the extra 10# of draw weight and the fact I will have to buy another dozen arrows because the ones I have will be to soft a spine for a 55# recurve. I could easily shoot my flat bow with decent form for a beginner for about an hour at a time every other day and I can draw the 55# smoothly but definitely can feel the difference in poundage. So my question is should I go with a 45# Grizzly at $340 or grab the slightly used Super Grizzly at 55# for $300? I really cant decide. The Super Grizzly is very tempting but I don't want to over bow myself and ruin any form I am developing but then again I am not sure it would seeing as I haven't tried shooting a full session with a 55# bow. What do you guys think?

[Pine]

Tough call . I have to say that the Super Griz is a wonderful deal but you have a good point with the poundage . Question for you is , are you planning to stick with it and just how tough is the 55# for you ?
If you can handle the weight ,I say get that Griz . It will impress you with just how fast it can launch an arrow .

[JRY309]

It may be a better price and you be able to draw it smoothly for a shot or two.If you save the money but you can shoot the lighter bow more comfortably it may be the better buy.Getting overbowed is a quick way to develop some bad habits and poor form.I would look for a good used older Bear's,there are a ton of them out there in the 45# weight that can be bought for less then $175 to start with.Then later on you can probably sell it for the same price or close to what you paid for it.Then maybe move up in poundage or a new bow if you want.

[mangonboat]

Unless you are committed to a modern  bow of a "vintage" design, there are more used bows out there in the 45-55# range than you can shake a stick at and you can get started with recurves at half the price you're looking at. You wont lose any $$ beyond shipping if you trade one 45 year-old bow for another looking for a 48#, a 50#, etc. There's as many folks interested in trading down in weight as in trading up. Jumping from  45# stickbow to a 55# recurve could be a big jump in one step.

[buckracks7]

You said the 45# bow was new. If it's a new model it can handle high performance strings, and I don't believe the Super was made for them. I would go with the 45# bow that you know you will be comfortable with. I had a Super Grizzly, and wasn't really impressed versus the regular Grizzly.

[McDave]

I don't think you will ever be sorry you bought a good 45# bow.  If it's one you like, I doubt if you'll ever sell it, even if you decide you want to hunt with a higher poundage bow.  It's just too much fun to plink around with a 45# bow.  Plus, 50# is all you need to hunt with, so you may decide to go that way rather than 55# after you've had more experience and time to think about it.

[VA Elite]

I am new to trad archery. About 4 weeks into it now. I bought a samick sage 50#. Im a strong dude. Back in my mid 20's I was bench pressing 380lbs at 180 lbs of body weight. Time has passed, but Im still strong. 50# is all I want to deal with. It's a different ball game. I shot 70-75# compounds for 20 yrs, it's not the same. Your fingers even protected take a beating and your shoulders as well. You could always buy the samick and replace the limbs as you get stronger. at 140$ you can't go wrong. If it's something you think you will continue, you can upgrade to a nicer bow, just like Im about to do. However, the samick is a great shooting bow and could be all you ever need. My humble opinion though.

[jhk1]

I'm not sure what you mean in your initial post when you said: "I found a guy selling a new 45# @28" Bear Grizzly for $340".  Does this mean a brand new bow with manufacturer's warranty?  Or is it a bow that someone recently bought brand new, but they're now selling it?

If it's a "like-new, but second-hand" bow, the manufacturer's warranty won't transfer to you, and I believe you can get a brand-new-with-warranty Grizzly for around $340.

[JD Page 1965]

45#'er

[JEFF B]

i have the same prob as you but have not had it fixed. and i shoot a #45 horse bow no problem so i would say stick with the #45er  just my 2 cents worth  

[nineworlds9]

I was going to make a long winded reply, but I will just say this:

45#

You will get more out of it long term.

[GreyGoose]

I've worked up in weight over the last few years to shooting a 55# and a 60 # LB.  But I can't bring myself to let go of a 45 # I have;  every time I have a lay-off due to working too much or extended bad weather, that's what I start back with.  You may not want to keep as many bows as a lot of the TGangers do, but if you're just going to have 1 or 2, keep a reasonably light one.

[Friend]

45#r would be my recommendation between the two.

May suggest serious consideration for the 50# Kanati in the classifieds. Sure it is more up front, however this particular bow is class act.

[sheepdogreno]

I'd say 45# as well...I shoot my 45# bow so much better for so much longer vs my 50# bow. 5# doesn't seem like much but for me its huge and a matter of getting more practice in with better form.I'm also what I'd say as in good shape. I'm 6-01 200lbs and regularly workout

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by McDave:
I don't think you will ever be sorry you bought a good 45# bow.  If it's one you like, I doubt if you'll ever sell it, even if you decide you want to hunt with a higher poundage bow.  It's just too much fun to plink around with a 45# bow.  Plus, 50# is all you need to hunt with, so you may decide to go that way rather than 55# after you've had more experience and time to think about it.

X2

[njloco]

What's your draw length ? Will you actually be drawing all the poundage #. Depending on what you and your body remembers from when you used to shoot will depend on your learning curve, the lighter the bow the faster and easier you'll relearn, it's also like riding a bike, you never totally forget.

[CoastalHunter]

Thank you all for the many replies. After reading them all the consensus is overwhelming for sticking with 45#. I agree that is the smartest decision so I have purchased the Grizzly in 45# and should get it in the next three or four days. I cant wait to shoot it. It has to be a improvement over the hickory self bow I started out with. A few of you asked questions so I will go ahead and answer them now. Jhk1, you are correct the bow wasn't $340 I wrote down the wrong price when I spoke to the seller it was $360 shipped. It is brand new and he is a official Bear dealer so the warranty will be valid. Njloco, I draw almost exactly 28" and the bow I broke this weekend was exactly 45# at 28" as measured on a accurate bow scale. Of course I will check the Grizzly when I get it. Hopefully it is very close to 45# at 28" also. Again thank you all for the overwhelming amount of good advice. It really helped me make up my mind on the right thing to do to advance my archery skills.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Buy them both!       a guy can't have too many bows.

[damascusdave]

Take a look at the information just under the Little Crow Custom Bows logo above...I think you will find your answer there...and I think it simply talks about moderation

DDave

[britt]

Buy the 45#, when I started trad archery 20yrs ago I shot a 60# bow. Now every time I buy new one I go down in poundage. I am shooting a 43# Hill Country now.