Choosing the Right Bow for You

So you want to get into archery, but you’re not exactly sure how to go about choosing the right bow. You want to make sure that you’re getting a bow that you’ll enjoy, be able to use for a long time and also is right for your style. There are a few things that you can do to ensure that you’re buying a bow that you’ll love. After you read this article you should have a general idea of which bow will suit your needs.

One of the most important things you should consider before you jump into buying a bow is what type of shooting you’ll be doing. Are you going to be hunting or just target shooting in the backyard? You have a few options here. Compound bows are great for hunting as they’re very powerful and quite easy to get used to. Traditional bows are just as good for hunting, but they can be quite challenging and it takes a good bit of patience to get good. Compound bows, recurve and longbows are all great choices for hunting and target shooting, so this is really up to you and the particular style of shooting you want to go for.

Once you have an idea of the type of bow you’re after, you should then determine your draw length. You can do this using many of the online sources; one that I like to use is located here. It’s vital that you use the appropriate draw length as it will allow you to develop good form and your shots will be much more accurate. It can be extremely frustrated to shoot with a bow that’s not catered to your draw length.

Another thing you’re going to want to consider when choosing your new bow is the poundage. Now, you will have to determine this based on a couple of things. The first is whether or not you’re going to be hunting. It’s recommended that you have a bow that is rated at 45 lb or more for most North American game. If you’re an adult who is just going to be target shooting, then a 30 lb should suffice for most of your needs. Children, women and some smaller adult men should go with a 20 lb bow. A 20lb and 30lb bow will not be suitable for hunting, but it will be great for targets. Make sure that you don’t try to hunt with a bow less than 45 lbs as it may harm an animal rather than kill it, which is illegal and immoral.

Using the tips listed above, you should have no issues choosing the right bow for you. Making sure that you have the correct draw length and weight will save you a ton of hassle. Now, get out there and start shooting!