New guy with a question (or two)

[flier]

Hi all. I did sign up here a few years ago. But I then got away from hunting when my bud past away. However I'm getting the itch again and I am a serious interested person In this art!
       I used to have a wheel bow but I grew to not like it got spot/stalking. I have missed a few deer cuz I had the wrong pin on them
      One day I tried out a grizzly bow. And I really liked it. I had to give it back to my Friend. But I could care less about a compound. I did read the great article on this site for new people. And I have shot a few bows here and there. But not a lot of resources in my area.
       Question I have is , I'm probably going to grab a samick 30# or so then up the Limbs when I feel I'm ready to hunt in a year or two.
      However i am so intrigued by some of the older bows I see on fleabay. Pearson ,redwing York . Bear. They all look really nice. Would love I get a 30 pounder or so to learn on.
       Just wondering which of those brands or models I should stay away from? The lower pound ones are in a price range I would t mind taking a chance on .
      Thanks and I hope to meet some new friends here!
Tom

[Matty]

Hi! Welcome, you came to the right place!
Truth is. All of those companies are good. However with vintage products like those you have to know what to look for in terms of wear and tear. Is the bow in good condition, has it been stored properly? Are the limbs twisted? Splintered? Did someone drill holes in it? Bottom line is. It helps to be educated and know what you are looking at or for in a used bow of a certain age...good luck on your journey!

[Bud B.]

Welcome.

[Stump73]

Welcome!

[Terry Lightle]

Welcome and enjoy

[Jayrod]

Welcome and ENJOY!

[Keith Zimmerman]

Welcome.  You will find all the info you will need here.  Probably too much.  Good luck!

[MR BILL SHORTY]

   

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Welcome.  I agree with Matty about the used bows.  

If it were me, in your position I would see if there is anyone in your area who shoots longbows or recurves (you can search here on Trad Gang).  Meet with them and pick their brain.  If you wanted to pick up a cheaper older recurve off the big auction site do it.  If its a lemon, you will learn from it. Trust me, you will buy more.....probably lots more....

Mostly with those old bows, you are looking to avoid cracks and places where laminations are separating (especially in the fade outs (where the riser narrows into the limbs)).

When you get a used bow, check for limb twist and get a new string for it no matter how good the old one looks. Limb twist can be easily fixed unless super severe in which case it takes more effort.  

Good luck, ask questions and have fun.

[Sam McMichael]

Welcome to the site. I am sure you will enjoy the ride.

[flier]

Thanks guys for the welcomes and the advice

[KentuckyTJ]

Welcome from Kentucky!

[A.S.]

Welcome!  Good info above. I think how an old bow has been stored is probably one of the biggest factors.  If it has been in an attic for 20 plus years, it is very likely to have problems.

[Elk whisperer]

get a 40-45 lb

[Basstar]

A few months ago I was in the position of making a similar decision and my anal, OCD personality did hours and hours of research, asked a zillion questions here and other archery forums, read old posts, etc.  I’ve shot bows for 40 years, the last 35 with a compound.
I soon realized like you that I would probably need either two separate bows, a lighter poundage one for practice and a heavier poundage one for hunting, or one bow with extra limbs.
My final decision was to buy a light ILF bow for practice, fun, and form building while I decided on the hunting bow since I truly did not plan to hunt this season.  I shoot that bow almost daily and could not be happier with the choice.
Then, as my skill level was improving I wanted to move ahead with a hunting bow.  Again, this involved hours of research and study.
I came across a custom bowyer, Mike Mecredy, Maddog Archery who had excellent reviews, his bows online looked great, and in fact he is a sponsor here.  After a short discussion with Mike, I had him build one of his Prairie Predator longbows for me.
I’ve only had the Prairie Predator now for a couple of weeks but so far it is excellent!  
For me, the two-bow option just fit better than one bow with two sets of limbs and this may be a direction for you to consider.
Whatever you choose, GLGS!

[DennyK]

Welcome, you came to the right place.  

Denny

[mangonboat]

Tom, welcome back.

There have been some significant advances in limb design and materials in recent years but the basic principles haven't changed and you can get a great vintage recurve or longbow for 10% of a new state-of-the-art custom, and the performance difference would be hard for most folks to notice. That being said, there are big differences from model to model, year to year and even individual bows of the same model. There is no unanimity of opinion because every archer has an opinion of what grip feels right, what length shoots best, which is quietest, which is fastest, which is the best value, etc.

I've bought, sold, traded or gave away over 20 used bows in the last year alone, not because I'm a collector, wealthy or finicky, but because I love vintage bows and like to see how different models shoot, for me, and I shoot every one of them on a regular basis until I decide to send it on to a new home. I've not regretted a single purchase and I really like it when somebody who got a bow from me sends me photos of their tight groups in the target or their hunting successes. Boys with toys!

 I have shot recurves since the mid-60's and I've learned a lot about bows, but I know practically nothing about the history and details of particular brands and/or  models compared to some of the folks on here and other trad boards, and the learning is almost as much fun as the shooting. But I have learned a lot about how to shop for and evaluate used bows offered for sale, and if you PM or email me about a particular bow or in general, I'll try to give you an informative reply.

[LBR]

I own a few old bows, and have owned hundreds over the last 20 years or so.  My preference is the Samick (Journey for my draw), for two reasons.

#1, It comes with a warranty.

#2, It's made to accept high performance string materials.  It's not about a few fps, but rather for the much improved stability, consistency, durability, and decreased shock.

The string that comes with a Sage or Journey is pretty much junk, but other than that it's a good bow--for the money, a great bow.  

The only reason I bought mine was to test a then-new string material.  I didn't want the bow to be a factor, so I bought the cheapest one I could find that would handle my draw length and the material I was testing.  Now I shoot it because I like it.  It's obviously not a $1,000+ custom, but for someone just getting started you won't be able to tell the difference from a shooting perspective.

[flier]

Wow some great advice and responses folks. Thanks a lot.
     Well as an update , I ended up with a Martin jaguar. Yes not very traditional but I got it for two reasons, it was a real real good price. It was on sale first then I had a Xmas coupon code Then I had a Cabelas gift card that was collecting dust. And free shipping lol so at the end it was around 65 bucks brand new.
     I have read mixed reviews on the older limbs but this is a newer one unless it's been in a Chinese warehouse for ten years. But heck for that price  I'll give it a go.
       The other reason is its a 50 pounder not a good Learning bow but I can use it for hunting and I can put a biscuit on Tj shelf for hunting. I know when I had a wheel bow that biscuit came in real handy for buck fever lol.
       So now I'm really excited to find a nice early 25-30 pound older bow to learn on And shoot off the shelf. So I'll see what happends when the Martin comes in and I I keep it or send it back

Welcome to the Gang!

Bisch