# Advice needed



## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

I have been told i need to get a bow from several friends now for a few years and I guess this will be the year. I talked to the Boss and she said why not.







:dance:

Going to have a kid in December so need to get hunting earliar.

Anyone have any advice on Bow shops that are really good around College Station?

Next recommend some bows for me and why? I have been doing a bit of reading and looking at reviews and such but am not sure. Do not want to spend a ton of money, but would like a really good bow to get right now and not worry about having to get rid of it anytime soon. Any suggestions or other tips would be great. I looked and read a few of the items on the sticky thread.

what type of broadheads do you all use or recommend. I always thought the multiblade heads were the best, but it seems like I was reading one article that showed single blades were the most lethal and best pentration. How is the accuracy of those to multiblades?

Thanks for any help

Damian


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## wmrcer (Dec 24, 2008)

i have a kronik made by diamond. love the bow, its light, accurate, and speed is good. Also has a smooth draw. And for $400 complete you cant beat the price for such a good quality bow. Only down side is the arrow rest that comes with it. It wears out after a hundred or so shots. Some say its not an accurate rest but i can group arrows right next to each other. Although i do plan on getting a new rest.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s..._101408_450001000_450000000_450001000_450-1-0


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

PM sent


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

I don't know about the College Station area but if your gonna buy a bow there are fixing to be alot of suggestions thrown at you. And most of them will be good suggestions but before you purchase do me a favor and look at a Martin Bengal. That bow is fine stuff and a great price. Check out the firehawk while your there and let me know. It looks sweet also.


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## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

PM returned Pale one. Thanks Wmrcer!

Bucksnort, I guess I will have to tell them to let me try a medium range bow and then try one of the higher ends just to see the differences. Last year when a few guys on the lease went bow hunting they gave me the bow they were shooting and I shot a few practice targets with them. was fairly easy for my first time, but the guy had the pull way high. Was able to group in the size of a little bigger than a fist. I was suprised for my first time. And of course that is a target and not a live specimen. going to look for one that is really quite as well.

Thanks
Damian


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## Screeminreel (Jun 2, 2004)

I understand your asking for help. There are a TON of great bows out there nowadays. Here are a few suggesting that I used when I picked out mine.

First and foremost shoot as many different ones as you can regardless of weather they are in your price range or not. This will give you ideas of what you might like or dislike on a bow that is right for you.

How close is your nearest pro shop? This might be a factor depending on how much equipment or experience you have to do your own work or when needing to have something fixed.

Next set a budget. This will narrow it down a LOT. Allow it to be a bit flexible where you could if needed go a little more. Don't forget that you might want to change up or add sights, releases, or other accessories. Some bows come with good package deals some are simply the bare bow and you have to add to it. This can easily add a couple hundred to your cost. Also don't pass up a used bow either. There are a LOT of awesome deals to be had if you look hard enough for what your after. Look on some of the archery boards in the classifieds, there are always folks looking for that newest or something better than what they have.

If you have a certain long or short draw length look for bows which will come the closest to this. This way you will get the most from the poundage rating. Look at the tags where they list the IBO or OBO rating, it will have say something like 30"draw @ 70lbs - 325fps. In my bud's case he has a shorter draw length. For him the Bowtech Equalizer tops out right at his length. This allows him to shoot the lower poundages and still get great speed form it. Had he chosen a bow with a top end at 30" he would have lost power and speed due to having to shorten the draw down to his length. With my Admiral, it was set to 29" @ 72lbs - 318fps. I shoot a 28.5" draw and set on 70# I am getting 270fps with a 470gr arrow. This is a VERY formidable combination. I am happy as I get good speed with a heavy arrow, which gives me better penetration and down range energy. I could and did shoot it set to 29" but my accuracy is much better at 28-28.5".

Look for adjustments which can be made by you with out having to have a press. Many of the Diamond and Bowtech bows now have user friendly adjustable cams for draw length and draw stops. This allows you to custom set it with out having to order additional cams or have a press to work on them. this is nice as they allow 1/2" increments for adjusting your draw length. Some companies only use 1", as a standard and you have to order the exact needed cam. Here is a link to a post I did when I got mine, you can see some of the features that helped me and I spole about here.
http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?p=2221476#post2221476

Another thing to consider is how your going to hunt. If hunting from a tree stand the axle to axle length isn't quite as critical as it is if hunting form a pop up or similar stand. Also the brace height is another consideration. The longer it is the more forgiving they usually are.

One thing a LOT of folks don't think about is the draw cycle. With speed come aggressive cams. Sometimes this isn't an issue when drawing, but when letting it down you can hardly control the string once they break over. I looked at it like this, I the bow to draw, and if on the top rated poundage, I could slowly draw as if in a hunting situation and not have to fight it, then let it down as slowly as possible with out loosing the arrow due to the camover and the string popping forward I was happy. There will be times when you have to let down a draw, and be silent about it. If you can't do it in a controlled manner then your going to spook the game out of the area.

The bottom line is make a list, seriously, of the bows you try, put down pro's and con's for each. IT will only take a few times before you see a pattern emerge on what you like and dislike about them. This will help you narrow down the field to what will make up a great package that you will enjoy and use for years, instead of finding out that after a season your not happy with it and looking for something else. Also speed isn't everything, look for something that is comfortable and accurate. A 300fps miss is still a miss, and the Indians lived hundreds of years shooting much less than what is available today.

Hope this helps and good luck with your purchase. Be sure to post back and let us know how your coming along.


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## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

Thanks a bunch Screeminreel


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## tooshallow17 (Apr 10, 2009)

I shoot a mission x3 bow. It has worked great for me. With mission you will get mathews quality with an affordable price. For deer I use a 100 grain rage mechanical broadhead and for pigs I use cheap fixed blade heads. Don't go think you need a 350fps bow, it is not necessary. I shoot about 290fps and have had pass throughs on ever deer I have shot. Good luck.


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## mharris1 (May 29, 2010)

X-2 on what screeminreel said


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## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

Thanks everyone


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## Sweat (Jun 1, 2010)

I think there is a place called Sulivans in Bryan or CS somewhere.. I cant remember the name but I have talked to the owner several times on the phone about bows and he seems like a pretty good guy... I live a couple hours away from there but my brother lives there and told the guy I might come up and see my bro.. he told me to come by and he could make a better day.. I ended up not going and buying a bow locally... but I would start there or at least give it a shot and let us know how the prices are and the experience of the staff..

-Sweat


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

drredd, 

Enjoyed our conversation yesterday. Feel free to call me with any questions you have throughout the process. Starting from scratch, all the various information and opinions can be pretty overwhelming.

Also, as I said yesterday, the above post by Screeminreel has a ton of good information in it and I tend to agree with most everything he said. I just don't type fast enough to post that much detail. hence, the PM and phone call.

Good Luck!!


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## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

I am goign to try Sullivan's first Sweat.

thanks Palerider for all the info yesterday. You explained a bunch thati never even thought about or realized.

Thanks again

Damian


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## AggieCowboy98 (Feb 25, 2007)

drred4 said:


> I am goign to try Sullivan's first Sweat.
> 
> thanks Palerider for all the info yesterday. You explained a bunch thati never even thought about or realized.
> 
> ...


Sullivan's Outfitters is off South College right behind Chicken Oil company. You can't miss the large moose on the roof. I haven't been in there in a while so I don't know who's still there but if you can deal with either Eddie (owner) or Rusty. They are both very knowlegeble and helpful.

As far as price goes, I would expect to pay a little more through them than through one of the other retial outlets in town but remember with them you 're not just buying a bow off the shelf. They will also help you with arrow selection, tuning, etc. You can ask for the same services on the other retail outlets but don't expect to receive much from them in the experience department.

Shawn


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## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

thanks Shawn. Yeah I went to Sullivan's a long time ago, when they were basically the only hunting type store around. May have to get a burger and then stop bythe Moose.

Thanks


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## Sweat (Jun 1, 2010)

*Review*

Let us know what you shoot, what you liked, and what you end up getting... I like to hear what everyone has to say about different products...

-Sweat



drred4 said:


> I am goign to try Sullivan's first Sweat.
> 
> thanks Palerider for all the info yesterday. You explained a bunch thati never even thought about or realized.
> 
> ...


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I would say don't get too consumed by speed. No bow is anywhere near as fast as the speed of sound, so being QUIET is important. Also, having a bow that is forgiving for slight mistakes is important, so a longer brace height helps here I think. Don't try too long of shots, much more can go wrong. Be very particular of the shot you take meaning the angle on the deer, and the position of the closer foreleg. You want a good opening to the lungs. Bow hunting is the ultimate! Enjoy.


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