First time purchase help... Are bow "packages" worth the money?

Hi everyone,

I am a first time buyer here and looking for a compound bow. Most of the research I have done is online so far and I know I need to get to a shop to actually get my hands on some nows but I figured I'd ask a few questions here first instead of trusting everything I'm told by the guy selling me the items.

When I started my hunt (for a bow) I was looking at many of the $300 options out there. I came across the PSE Stinger and Bear Encounter. Both got a lot of positive reviews and seemed to be something in my budget. I don't want to spend too much having never even shot or hunted before since who knows if I will even enjoy it. I went to check them out and the shop I went to didn't have either bow . They gave me a few options but most were much more expensive, I don't think they were really paying attention to the price range I gave them. Anyway, I left that night with a Hoyt and Mission catalog and after some more online research decide the Mission Riot, for $100 more, might be a better choice. Again I have to shoot it, I know, but as far as research goes that seems to be the bow in the lead within my budget. Can anyone vouche for any of these bows?

My real question is are the bow packages that these brands/shops put together for you worth the money? I don't want to break the bank by purchasing everything individually but I don't want to put junk accessories on the bow either. The Mission Riot comes with a QAD Ultra-rest Hunter, Alpine Bear Claw Quiver, Axion MA-4 Sight, and Axion 3" Stabilizer. They told me it would run about $150 which seems pretty reasonable, but are those products going to fall apart or get replaces in 6 months? Can I get better quality components for $150-$200?

Arrows and releases are a whole other story but I guess I'll tackle one issue at a time. Any recommendations you have would help a lot.

Thanks

 

I think there will always be somoene who will vouch for a bow. Try looking in the Archerytalk.com classifieds for a good bow package, or even here in the classifieds, just make sure the guy has feedback.

From the countless hours of research I did, I don't think any of those will fall apart, but you could try looking up those items individually and seeing how much it adds up to, to see what kind of deal youre getting. Off the top of my head that stabilizer should only be like $25, the sight I would assume like $100? and quiver like $50? Probably underestimating the retail price, you should also factor in tax and shipping.

 

The Riots a great bow for the money. I'm not sure what you have around you, but there's a number of packages near that price. I'd shoot em all.

 

You can get a great start with either Bear or PSE bows as you learn the ropes. You will probably want to upgrade some later. It's not a bad way to go at all and you'll have a setup you can hunt with just fine.

 

I did try adding most of it up, but I had trouble finding anything about that particular sight. The rest, stabilizer and quiver all seem fine for a beginner. Just unsure about the sight which in my mind seems like a pretty important accessory (but of course this is all new to me). I'm leaning towards just getting the package for the convenience and I can always upgrade later. I guess when I'm talking about $150-$200 for 4 accessories they are probably similar quality for the most part.

But like everyone has said I guess I need to find a place that has all three bows of interest and see if the Riot is worth the extra hundred bucks.

 

The package that came with my Endeavor held up great except the rubber cover over the light button on the sight fell off after about 4 months.

Starter packages are starter packages IMHO. After you get into it and decide what you want, then buy what you want.


RC

 

I was in your shoes about a year ago researching bows on a budget. I ended up getting a Bear Encounter package from an online store...the bow is great!!!! Almost everything else in the package not so much. Sight, rest, and stabilizer all entry level but they worked fine. The release, the arrows, and the case that came with it were all bad. Just over a year later my son has the sight and stab on his new bow and I am now shooting a different bow, but I am keeping the Encounter and eventually when I upgrade my sight, rest, stab all those things will go onto my Encounter.

I am finding this sport is real easy to spend money on :D I guess it depends what is offered in the package. If you enjoy shooting your new bow you may find you want to upgrade stuff fairly soon but why buy a 1000 dollar rig if you aren't sure what you like or dislike.

Couple of friends of mine shoot the stinger 3G for the same price as the encounter and they shoot just fine. I might have went w/ the stinger 3G also but they don't go to 31.5" draw length. I wouldn't call either bow junk or worry about them falling apart but they are entry level...and you are just entering the sport. I don't regret getting my Encounter one bit and I still plan to use it for some hunting because it is considerably shorter then my new bow. Had I spent 6-7 hundred bucks on a rig and decided I didn't like shooting so much I'd have been a little angry w/ myself. Once you start shooting its real easy to find new things you want to upgrade to. I've had my new bow for a week and I'm already thinking of new goodies to eventually put on it.

 

I totally agree.

 

If a relatively inexpensive package is what you are looking for and have never shot before then I highly recommend that you look into the Diamond Infinite Edge Package, I just purchased this very same bow and let me tell you it is amazing! The Infinite Edge is labeled as a "Youth" bow but don't let that fool you this thing is quick, quite and accurate. The only thing that I personally don't like and changed on it was the rest. I ended up buying a Ripcord Code Red fall away rest for it and of corse you'll need to buy a release too but as far as the package goes $350 gets you an amazingly versatile bow made by a great company (Diamond is made by Bowtech) a very usable 3 pin APEX sight, a decent Hostage rest and a detachable Octane five arrow quiver. Here are a couple pictures of my new toy that I just got on March 26th.

P.S. I am brand new to the archery/bow hunting thing myself.





http://www.diamondarchery.com/#/productBreakdown?r=products_products&i=42

 

CNJGuy,

I am by no means an expert, but from everything I have read/seen, packages usually don't come with very good add-ons. Most comments I have seen say just that (sometimes with many more expletives). I am new, too. I will most likely buy a bow when I iron out my criteria and test a few (super important). I will only buy the prime accessories (sight, mech release) at first, until I know more about what I want, what is good (brands/types) and what is actually necessary. Most important is learning the art of the bow, getting your form down and making sure your bow matches correctly to your body (DL, DW, ATA, etc). Then get out there and shoot, as I've been told. Hope this helps.

Update: to get more info on sizing up and making sure you get the proper fit, try huntersfriend.com (store/guide) and archerytalk.com (blog). If I were to look in the low price end, the Stinger 3G and Brute X by PSE looked good, at least to me (but I'm probably going to need something that has a DL of 30in + , which is why it's important to know your body to bow ratios and test before you make a decision).

 

If you're just starting out and have nothing at this point, a package deal isn't a bad way to go. Depending on your budget, you can get some outstanding packages. Bowtech has a very nice setup with the R.A.K. package bows, as well as other companies. The base bow, as Assassin, is very good and you can always upgrade accessories later.

If you're in the market for a package, I'd say stay away from the low end packages. You definitely get what you pay for. Think about it. If a package is 400 dollars, how much do you think the bow is worth? How much are the accessories worth? Point is, you'll get less bow and lesser quality accessories with low end packages.

The other option is to find a good used bow that either has accessories, or you can buy your own later.

Either way, focus on the bow quality itself. Sights, rests, etc., are easy to swap out as you go. If the bow is junk to start with, you're further behind. Make sure the bow is what you want too. Don't buy one just because it looks cool or all the guys on TV shoot one. If you can, research a few in your price range, then try to find and shoot each.

 

Is this budget based on what you have saved? or what youre willing to spend. Im buying my first bow and like someone previously stated, it is easy to spend alot of money. I didn't realize it, but I am spending about $1300-$1500 when all is said and done. Didn't mean to, but heck, when you want custom made crap, it don't come cheap.

For me, its always better to spend more on quality items than to cheap out on cheap equipment. You can always sell things back at a loss if you don't end up liking it. If you ask me, the cheaper package/bow you get, the more in % you'll recoup your money. Things can only get discounted so much before there is a bottom dollar. With higher end, you'll probably take more of a loss.

If youre serious about this sport, id just wait a few more months and save up. For me, if I end up liking it, I don't want to have to sell a lower end buy and take a loss there to buy a higher end bow/accessories. Id rather pay it up front.\

Id really suggest going on Archerytalk and buy some reputable people there. I mean used are usually at 30% discount for 2013/2012. Just like a car, the biggest drop is after its new, once its used and sold around it retains its value a little better.

 

Muzzy88,

Thanks for the info. It's good to know there are those willing to help. I checked out your site by the way (nice and clean). Sorry about your dad. Death is never easy and always has the worst timing.

In terms what your were saying about getting a quality bow, I may be new, but I do think I know what you mean. I'm definitely looking for a quality bow but without the package/extras as I will buy those when I know what to get after shooting bare-bones for a while, plus I don't know if I want ALL the add-ons. As for my bow choices, they are all great but have an equally great (large) price tag. I don't mind the expense, but I do mind the quality and want to be dead sure of my purchase. I will list the shooters I'm interested in below. My one big caveat is that I have yet to exactly nail down my DL, but I know it is at least 29-30in as I am around 6'3-4 and lanky. Any advice would be awesome.

Bear: Anarchy / Motive 7
Bowtech: Insanity CPX,CPXL
Darton: 3800
Elite: Pure
Hoyt: Spyder Turbo / Spyder 34,34LD
Martin: Nemesis 35 / Seeker
Matthews: MR6 / MR7
Obsession: Knightmare

 

The riot package is great. The Rest is top notch.

 

The one other bow you need to look at is the prime line from G5. The defy and impact / 2013 they also have the centroid and shift last year models. You can some times pick a used like new on archery talk. I have a Vector 32 that I recently sold and purchased a new defy on order. You need to shoot the bows your interested in to make sure it fits you and feels comfortable.

 

Bear RTH is a good way to go for a quality bow I have the legion an the only thing I changed was the rest and the peep now i'm good to go check'em out

 

It all depends on what you plan to do. If you're just looking to have a little fun and don't think you'll get very serious then a package is a good way to do that without breaking the bank. The Bear Encounter RTH for example is a very good bow with all the bells and whistles for only $399. I'm just getting back into it after a long layoff and considered going that route. I decided to go through a local pro shop because I want good service after the sale and because he knows so much more than I do about archery. Plus, I plan to practice on his 3D course so I need to establish a good relationship and trust him to direct me and make sure my bow is setup properly. I would recommend the same thing for anyone just starting out. A bow is very personal. Everybody is shaped different and needs to have the bow setup for their particular body parameters rather than just buying one off the shelf. The pro shop had an Encounter RTH but he was a little wary of selling me one because of my draw length (31.5 "). The Encounter goes to 32 but has a short ATA and Andy thought I would shoot better with something longer. I finally decided that since I'm serious about getting back into the sport I wanted a bow that I would be happy with long term. That meant that not only would I buy a more expensive bow I would also want better quality add ons. It doesn't make sense to buy an expensive bow with cheap accessories that you'll have to spend more money replacing in the short term. I considered the Bear Method RTH but rejected the RTH package for that reason. It finally came down to a choice between the Method and the Motive 7. I did look at several other brands as well but the only one that I liked a lot better was the Hoyt Carbon Element and it was just way more than I wanted to spend. I finally settled on the Motive 7 and spent an extra $400 on add-ons for a total price of $1346. More than I had wanted to spend by a long shot but now I have a great bow that's setup just for me and everything on it is top quality. I should be good to go for a very long time.

 

Well I went last Thursday and really liked the Mission Riot. I'm about a 28" draw and shot the bow at about 57lbs which I guess is fine to start. It certainly was not too much to handle. I'm 6 foot 230lbs and fairly athletic so I know the ability to go up to 70lbs should come in handy down the road. They did offer two of the mission packages but according to the sales staff they weren't the best quality. The older gentleman helping me, who seemed to be pretty knowledgeable, suggested I spend a little extra and piece together my own set-up so that I don't need to upgrade so quickly down the road. I'm in sales so naturally I wondered if the guy was just trying to upsell me into some over priced accessories that I didn't need just to get more $$$ out of me. But I figured I would take the shops advice. After all, I think most of their sales come from repeat business so why would they steer me in the wrong direction and lose a potential long term customer. If they beat me for an extra $70 bucks or so and sold me junk than shame on them because I won't go back down the road; if they actually sold me a quality upgrade than they gained a loyal customer.

Anyway, I left a deposit on the Riot and a sight, rest, and stabilizer. Just ordered a quiver online because I had done very little research and really had no idea what they cost and it didn't seem like an urgent accessory. It should be ready with the accessories on early next week and I will probably stop back by Thursday to put the peep in and have them make any needed adjustment. Needless to say I feel like a little kid a week before christmas. I can't wait to start shooting.

I dont remember the exact names of the accessories but I will post everything in a few days.

Next obstacle.... buy a quality target ($50-$70)... Suggestions?

(Someone asked if my "budget" was what I had saved or what I wanted to spend. It is what I want to spend, since this is all brand new to me I thought $300-$400 (bow only) was reasonable for practice now and possibly hunting in the future without the need to upgrade much)

(BTW I went to the Heritage Guild in Branchburg NJ if anyone from NJ was wondering)

 

I believe it was Shawn penn who worked on your bow. I know him pretty well. Good guy and you will definitely want to go back. They are super nice and knowledgeable guys. They are supposed to put a 3d range in soon. Did they mention anything about when that would be done!

 

They told me it would be like 4-5 business days, and I was there last Tuesday. So by the time I have off again on Thursday it should be ready.

I know the younger guy in the bow department, Anthony, was the one that helped me test shoot it, but the older gentleman with glasses and a white beard was the one really making the recommendations. Both were very helpful so far. I just hope I enjoy the sport as much as Im excited to get into it.