Hey all, I am going to bowhunt deer next year. It will be my first season hunting deer. Can someone give me an 8020 guide to bow selection and technique? This isn't meant to be 100% accurate but to instead be a general guide. 8020 means that 80 percent of your success comes from 20 percent of your techniques. As an example, here is the 8020 guide to hunting squirrel in a suburban area. Get a Benjamin Marauder 22 cal with an ElitePower PCP pump and a 4x adjustable objective scope. Set the adjustable objective and sight in at 25 yards and use JSB 15 grain pellets. This will allow for vital zone accuracy from 15 to 40 yards at 0° incline and 12-25 yards at 0-45° incline. It will be quiet enough to shoot in a suburban backyard. This setup allows for safe shots into the air because the pellet slows down to non-dangerous speeds before it is able to return to earth.
I don't know about 8020 but the best advice I can give you wanting to get into archery would be to go to a good bow shop and take advice from them. Shoot as many different bows as you can. We all are different and what feels good to me might feel horrible to you and that is OK but you have to find out what works for you. Bowhunting/shooting needs to be fun and if it feels good, it is going to be a lot more fun.
Cheers! I live near an indoor bow shop & range, looking forward to getting some instruction and seat time.
Also, it seems backwards to go into a shop and say "gear me up!" without any familiarity with the equipment. I've noticed a lot of people say go to a local shop and have them set you up. My experience with airguns is if you did that with a local shop 9/10 times you'd leave with a terrible setup. Is archery an exception?
No it is not that different. They are going to sell you what is their pick. That's why you should take it slow and try and shoot every bow that you can. A good bow shop will help you find your draw length and what is a comfortable weight for you to draw.
You want something that is comfortable for you to draw under stress and that gives you the most repeatable shot accuracy. It's a lot more complicated than comparing it to any type of gun that basically depends upon you ability to predict ballistics and to pull a trigger. Archery mechanics and technique are dependent upon the individual drawing the bow. Making a reliably lethal shot is also just a portion of the game, you have to get the deer you want in front of you and within your practiced range. You also need to have a good working understanding of deer anatomy and how changing angles effect aiming points.
Local shop recommended a Parker Eagle as a starter hunting bow because I am tall (6'3") and he recommended a 31" draw length. $550 package but add six arrows, five days of range time, and a "midrange" release is $700 out the door. Sounds like I'd only need a case at that point. The shop owner recommended going with the black over camo. Can someone react to this please?
I'd try a different shop. Don't take recommendations to heart, they'll recommend whatever they can make the most profit on. Make them take them off the shelf and let you shoot them. It takes all of about ten seconds for them to stick a whisker biscuit on it and give you a release and an arrow to use. If a dealer is too lazy to do that then move on to another one. Don't be afraid to ask, any good dealer to work with will be glad to let you shoot every model they have. Your comfort is what's important. Shoot them until you find one that fits, you'll know what does and doesn't after you shoot a few.
Unfortunately, this is the only shop in the area, and I don't believe they will let people try before they buy. So I'm back at square one asking for suggestions.
If they won't let you try..... DON'T buy! Must be a pretty lame shop. One of the best sales techniques is to get it in their hands. It does make it a little bit less than enjoyable but speaking from experience...... I have to drive an hour and a half to get beyond the two local Mathews only and make it a miserable feeling if they have to change a draw length for you, shops that I have locally. Trust me........ it's well worth it to find a bow that feels good in your hand and makes you enjoy shooting.
They won't let you try before you buy? Are you saying that they won't let you shoot the bow before you buy it? If so, thats ridiculous and I have a hard time believing that.
He said I couldn't shoot it because it wasn't set up for my draw length or sighted in. I took that to mean that I couldn't shoot it, period, but maybe I'm wrong?
If he hadn't been being a jerk he'd have asked if you wanted to shoot it or if you said you wanted to shoot it he would have measured your draw length and set it up and handed it to you. My advice is no matter the circumstances, never buy anything from someone that won't take the time to make sure you're buying something you're confident in and that isn't going to happen unless you are able to shoot it. He was trying to take advantage of your inexperience, I'd not give that shop a second look if I had to drive 200 miles. Besides it's a Parker so there's that.
You wouldn't buy a car with out a test drive or shoes and clothes with out trying them on. If they're that lazy as to not take the time to let you shoot it, then I'd be willing to bet the service isn't that great if you did buy one there. Now I'm not sure how that bow adjusts , but being a 31" draw most of the bows out there go up to 30" so you might have some leg work to do. But it'll be worth it. Take a drive to another shop if nothing else to have them check your draw as well.
Do you like GM or Ford or Dodge? Bows are just like trucks..... what do you like best. I have never been able to shoot/be comfortable with a Mathews yet my son won't shoot anything else. You have to shoot a bow and find out what feels right to you.
If you want to read up on bows and equipment (from a 20,000 ft level), you should check out this guide: Compound Bow Selection Guide - Archery Help - Hunter's Friend There are also guides about arrows, etc. on the same site.
Thank you all. I asked around and this shop is highly recommended by local bowhunters. I'm not sure how to proceed.
I guess if it were me, I would go back to your "highly recommended" shop and be up front with them. Tell who ever is working that you are new to archery, unsure of your draw length and a comfortable draw weight and that you would like to shoot some bows. Tell them you are in the market for a bow but are unsure of what you like, therefore wanting to shoot some before dropping your coin. If they aren't willing to measure you to get a ball park figure on draw length and set up a few bows for you to shoot...don't spend your money there. If you need to find a shop the next town over, so be it. Best to have a shop willing to help their customer when a question or issue arises compared to one that just wants to sell you a product.
