Hi all. Brand new member and bow hunter here. At the age of 47 I decided to go ahead and get into bow hunting. Never done it. Never really even shot a bow with any seriousness. So, pretty wet behind the ears here. I picked up a Hoyt Magnatec with zr200 limbs for my first set up. It was a good price and I didn't want to invest a lot if I decide this isn't for me. Its set up for a 29" draw but after some research I'm figuring that's too big. I have a 27.5" physical draw so it needs to be shortened up. It's set up for 60# and I feel comfortable with that. Some accessories it came with were a few dumpy arrows that ive been using for practice. At 30 yards Im decent and get a pretty good grouping but I really need to shorten the draw. Also came with a wrist strap release which I'm not very comfortable yet with, and and t-handle thumb release thing which I like but still getting the hang of getting it to lock on the D-loop. Haven't found the quick trick yet for that. Anyways, this is my 1st season ever for bow hunting and I look forward to learning and growing in the sport. I don't know all the lingo yet so forgive me if I refer to things as thingies and flipises. Older than most for a 1st timer but I'm a good study and I have a few faimily members to mentor me. I live in the fox valley area. So wish you all the best of luck this whitetail bow season and can't wait to learn from veterans.
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Bowhunting. Is there a bow shop who can help with the draw length? Lots of good info from people who are not only experienced but willing to share their expertise and experiences. I have a compound bow that is outfitted with gizmos and gadgets. Fox Valley...what state?
Wisconsin. I haven't looked around much for a bow shop. We do have all the big box sporting goods outfitters but finding wisdom in those places is not common.
welcome friend. find a bow shop. tell them you need to be fit for that bow. I am not familiar with that bow and not sure if they can get the mods for it to make it fit your draw length. It's really a bad time of year to be just getting started, shops are slammed and lots of things on back order. But you may get lucky. Maje sure you tell them you are very new to the game. But, you need the following. Decent arrows fletched, and spined correctly, draw length measured and fit, the right size field points and broadheads. I assume it has a rest and sight. once you get the right arrows, paper tune the bow with someone at the shop and then sight that thing it and start shooting.
Thanks everyone for the welcomes. I did pick up a set of 12 28" carbon 500 spine fletched arrows and a decent set of broadheads and practice tips. Completely understand about my timing and have given that some thought. Since I'm an older newbie and it is a late start for my interest in bow hunting season wise, I have decided to take this first year to condition and practice before I head out. I do not feel comfortable with my skills to make and ethical kill shot. While my practice so far has yielded pretty good results, I know conditions in the field are far different than my back yard. I've discovered I have a knack for shooting this thing and believe once the bow is tuned to me there's nowhere to go but up. I have a brother in-law that bow hunts and he's offered to take me along to show me a few things. I won't be hunting though. I have a few things on my wish list to buy yet such as a range finder, camo clothes, and descenting stuff. My wife's patience with me about how much I've spent so far has worn thin so definitely a contributing factor to my decision to postpone the actual hunt.
Welcome. It is very important to get your draw length correct before you develop too many bad habits in your shooting form. There are lots of youtube videos that are excellent for teaching proper form. I'm also not familiar with that bow, but a quick google search turned up that the draw length is adjustable. That is good news for you, as you won't have to buy different modules. You can do it yourself at home with nothing more than an allen wrench. Here is a link on how to do it, it is the owners manual. Page 16&17 have the draw length adjustment instructions. These instructions came up for a Magnatech ZR200, so I hope they're the right ones... https://s3.hoyt.com/uploads/manuals...o,in the (+) direction will lengthen the draw. Also, what poundage are you shooting? I'm concerned that 500 spine arrows are way too weak of a spine for you. The shorter the arrow the stiffer the spine becomes, so your shorter draw length will work in your favor there, but 500 spine arrows won't be stiff enough if your over 50 lbs of draw weight or so. You are going to want arrows around a 350-400 spine. The more weight you add to the front of the arrow the more it weakens the spine. This is where a shop will be a big help. While the warehouse types don't have super knowledgeable folks in many cases, they should know this kind of stuff. You also may get lucky and find that the tech is an archer, they are generally much more knowledgeable just for their own sake. Oh and by the way...if your wife is already starting to get skeptical of the amount of money you're spending, then congrats! You are well on your way to this addiction.
From my understanding from the previous owner....the bow is set for 60# but is also adjustable. Would it be wise to have it reduced to say 45 or 50 to get better results out of my arrows?
You would need to post what kind of arrows they are. Or pics. 500 spine is closer to the 40lb draw range though. You might need to give them away or sell them and get a proper set
TY archery cheapos from amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YXVV6X3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fab_g.HAFb7DAR9QK No real intention of using these in the field, more for getting the feel of things. They didn't cost a whole lot and I'm willing to buy better arrows when the time comes.
Thank you for that info. I have the Cam & 1/2 set up if that helps you help me. That link seems to not work for me. I'll figure it out.
so if you shooting 60lbs and a draw of 26.5 to 28" I would say 400 spine is what you need with a 100gr point.
Was able to see the adjustment charts but honestly, might as well be in another language. Probably more clear once I find the manual that was referred to.
Here are a couple more links. The first one is a PDF owner's manual, and the second one is a tuning chart which also includes what top cam and bottom cam settings you need for specific draw length. https://s3.hoyt.com/uploads/manuals/a2db0d12cfd1d3aefb318afdbae26c7ae49693c5.pdf https://s3.hoyt.com/uploads/2019/e0b845aa10d45df7395ff02caf28214fa8fa1741.pdf
