What's a good bow to start deer hunting with?
by admin on Sunday, September 5th, 2010 | 11 Comments
I’m thinking about getting a bow and see if archery hunting is for me. I don’t want to spend a bunch of money before I figure it out, so I have been looking at pawn shops, etc. I have seen several Bear Whitetail Hunter bows in 60 to 70 pound pull and was wondering if these are good bows to get started with.
Also, could I get an idea as to the effective range for shooting deer. I know it will depend on my accuracy, but what distance can I expect to be able to shoot a deer and kill it cleanly?
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The distance at which you can expect to cleanly kill deer will depend on how much you practice. If you cannot put 4 of every 5 arrows into a 9" paper plate at any given distance, that distance is not in your effective shooting range. It may seem a little bizarre but some people can shoot perfectly at say 5-20 yards, cannot shoot well at all between 20-28 yards but can then shoot perfectly from 29-40 or more yards. Personally I keep my shots at deer within 30 yards or less. I know I am consistently accurate within that range. I won’t take a shot any farther because there is too much chance that the deer will move even slightly and this can result in a miss, or worse, in a bad hit. It might be a good idea to take a bowhunter education course to learn all you can about this fantastic sport.
Bear makes an excellent and inexpensive accurate bow,up to 45 yrds ,only with practice and the right sights…good luck
Archery is a ton of fun, and relatively inexpensive once you have your equipment – the ammo is reusable!
Try out a few bows at a sporting goods store – a 70 lb compound bow takes a good bit of strength to pull beyond the cam release. The pull can be adjusted (usually) between 55 and 70 lbs on most compounds.
A 70 lb bow should be effective on deer out to 50 yards, even more, but don’t take any shots on game beyond 40 or so until you can hit a pie plate consistently at 35 yards. Get a mechanical release if they are legal for hunting in your area – they make a world of difference.
Bear makes quality bows, I’ve owned one and was very happy with it.
As for your range, I would say somewhere in the range of 10-40 yards with a 60-70 lb draw weight.
When I started archery I went to a large local archery shop and had the owner bring me bows to shoot in his indoor range. I fired 3 arrows from each bow and selected the one I liked best. It turned out to be a low priced bow and the shop guy was surprised at how well I shot it. I bought it and he made some adjustments to the bow and gave me a few pointers on technique built me some target arrows and off I went. I guess the moral of the story is go to a good shop that can work on your bow, offer you some assistance, and get you set up right and you’ll enjoy the whole experience a lot more and be a better archer.
If you’re new to archery then I think you’re getting ahead of yourself by looking at deerhunting already. You need some expert advice on poundage and draw length. You need to join an archery club to learn safe techniques and more about the sport – it’s not as easy as one might think. Practice, practice, practice… sorry, but there’s no shortcuts. Think about getting a 3D target to get you ready for the real thing – It’s more fun than shooting at a circle painted on cardboard.
Bear makes a lot of good, quality bows, with a range of 50 yds. The most you want to shoot at a deer is 40-50 yds. at absolute most
* Forget about a 60 or 70Lb Bow it is not necessary or needed.* You can Harvest any Game in North America with a 55Lb Bow.* The Ideal and Most Popular Weight to use for Hunting Big Game is a 45Lb Bow.* The minimum Bow weight to Hunt with is 35Lb.* 35 to 40 Yards is the Maximum distance you want to shoot at any Game with a Bow, no further.* The closer the better.* A 60 or 70Lb Bow is never recommended for anyone to use for Hunting or Target.* There are lots & lots of Bows on Ebay if you want a Quality Bow at a reasonable price & accessories.* I got mine there that normally would of cost me $300.00 Dollars for $70.00 Dollars… Check them out.* I like my 45Lb Re-curve.*
Browning makes a great bow called rage. This bow is totally customizable for a low price. I shoot it and love it. This bow is effective up to 30 yards. That was my longest kill. These bows are great, because if there is somthing about it you dont like, you can change it, and it will cost barley anything. If you have to kill deer that are 50 or more yards away, you are loosing the essence of the hunt. Only a skilled hunter can kill a deer that is 15 yards away, because it is more difficult to get them that close. Anyone who can shoot a bow can kill a deer 50 yards away.
I know quite a few people that start with a 60-70 lbs bows, most of them end up injured and just plain not having fun. Start with about 40-45 lbs, that really is all you need to get a deer. The higher poundage give you more leeway, more room for error, provided you already know what you’re doing. Get a light bow, start practicing, and you need to practice a lot before you think about going hunting. Get confident in your skill and your equipment.
you should have no problem with your choice of bows. As far as shooting dstances, I would say invest in a deer target or if ya ddon’twant that, a block target. 20 to 40 ish yardage ranges are most effective. I wouldn’t take a shot at any animal farther than that by starting out.