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Old 07-31-2010, 10:01 AM
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truckemup97 truckemup97 is offline
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Default First compound bow?

I was at my friendly neighborhood pawn broker's establishment yesterday, and noticed he had several compound bows under $50. The one I looked at was a Browning Summit II. I think I could have it at $35 OTD. Seems pretty cheap to me, but I don't know anything about bows. Could someone give me (or point me to) a quick and dirty tutorial on what to look for? Brands to avoid? What breaks easily? I'd like to try my hand at archery, but I don't want trouble right off the bat.
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Old 07-31-2010, 12:30 PM
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First off, a bow, much more so than a gun, is not "one size fits all". You need to go to a pro to measure your draw length which also determines the shaft length of the arrows you will need. If the bow dosen't fit YOU you'll never shoot it well.

Bow technology has advanced quite a bit in a very few years so there are bargains on older bows out there, depending on what you want to put in one. The name of the game in "break-through improvements" each year is to convince those who bought last year's model that theirs is now obsolete or at least not quite as fast, as light, as accurate, yada, yada, yada / . . . . truth is, most bows made in the last 5 years or so are pretty good. Older than that . . . yeah, can be less than satisfying for a lot of applications.

Cams are are round or elliptical. Present thinking is the best compromise for accuracy and speed is a hybrid with one round wheel and one elliptical cam. Two round wheels are slower but "more forgiving" in shooting, and will be found on longer bows. Double elliptical cams will be smaller and faster but more difficult to tune and keep in top shooting condition.

When buying a used bow, after addressing the above concerns, make sure the limbs don't have any splits, cracks or bad dings that could cause a failure under draw pressure; make sure all the tapped holes are vital and not stripped out; and it shouldn't sound like a maraca when you shake it. Strings can and should be replaced regularly and should exhibit no fraying or trouble spots. All the cables and pulleys should be inspected and found in good condition, as well. It all works together as a pulley system and any one part that is off can derail the entire train.

After that, it's kind of like a 1911 or an AR rifle in that there are thousands and thousands of options in add-ons and aftermarket doo-dads you can hang on one verses what you actually can use or need.

Like buying a gun where you don't want to overpay until you learn if it's what you really want to sink your money in, the services of a knowledgeable friend or acquaintance can be invaluable. It's hit or miss when dealing with salesman just like anything else - some will tell you and sell you anything and claim to be experts when some don't know much more than you do about it.

As far as brands, Browning, Matthews, and a slew of others are offering quality bows. Bear is the old standard but is playing catch-up in the market these days.

Like anything you'll get a lot of diverse opinions and the subject could be covered (and is) by entire books. Hope I didn't muddy the water too much.

Last edited by NFrameFred; 07-31-2010 at 12:33 PM.
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Old 07-31-2010, 01:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by truckemup97 View Post
I was at my friendly neighborhood pawn broker's establishment yesterday, and noticed he had several compound bows under $50. The one I looked at was a Browning Summit II. I think I could have it at $35 OTD. Seems pretty cheap to me, but I don't know anything about bows. Could someone give me (or point me to) a quick and dirty tutorial on what to look for? Brands to avoid? What breaks easily? I'd like to try my hand at archery, but I don't want trouble right off the bat.
XXXXXXXXX

If the limbs aren't twisted, warped or strained, the riser isn't cracked and the cables/strings are in good shape $50 isn't bad. If you can get it for $35 I'd jump on it. I've owned several brownings and loved them. It (the bow) might have some adjustment in the wheels or cam to lengthen or shorten the draw length. Most bows are adjustable from 28-30 or maybe even to 31 inches. Some have modules you swap out, some just change the position of the cable/string on the take up lobe of the wheel or cam. If you need the modules you can probably get them from browning pretty chap if you'll call them and give them the model of the bow and maybe the serial number. Might even send them for free.

If I recall, the Summit was in the upper class of their bows.

What is the draw weight on it? 45-60 or 55-70. They're aren't the fastest bows on the market, but they aren't sleds either. Buy it, go to W-mart's and buy you 3 arrows for 4.97 each and have some fun. In less than a year you'll be fletching your own arrows and own 2 bow presses. Great fun and cheap once you are set up.

Good luck.

SC
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