Comments on the following brands. Looking for my first bow - whitetail - elk. Bear Archery Diamond Genesis Martin Archery Parker Parker Bows Pse Quest Bowhunting Ross Techunter I am a 28.5 Draw - 70 lbs or more is great I tried a few and the bear felt real good in my hand. Any brands to avoid - any better history than another - Big issues for me is durability, longevity, kill plains game in Africa if needed so shooting heavier arrows at times but rarely. Also which specs should I be looking for in the spec sections. For the clickers: http://search.gandermountain.com/?Ne=1000002&N=2069+4294948775&cname=Bows-Crossbows
First suggestion is don't go to Gander Mountain or any other big box store. Find a quality local bow shop. It is very likely you will get much better help and service from a place like that. Also the bow shop should specialize in archery. Try to avoid the gun/bow combined retailers. Also, the reason you don't have Hoyt or Bow tech or Mathews (typically regarded as the leaders) listed are because they won't sell their bows through a big box store. Another reason to find a small shop. Do a google search and it will help a lot. Pretty much all the manufactures you list are reputable. Just shoot as many bows as you can and find the one that you like the most that meets your budget. Good luck.
Definitely stay away from big box stores, Gander Mountain especially. I'm not saying all of the archery techs there are bad, but when the one I was working with set up a diamond razors edge for my girlfriend he stripped out a screw for the adjustable draw on the cam and dry fired it all in about 5 minutes. I walked out and took my business to someone who actually knew what they were doing. Go to a reputable archery shop, you'll get better service and a properly tuned bow.
A small shop might be slightly more expensive for comparative packages, but as everyone is saying you will get MUCH better service and it will be money well spent. I know my local shop has some great package deals with the Diamond and Bowtech starter bows. A few people on here shoot the Bowtech Assasin which comes in a $650+/- packages with some decent equipment on them. They are priced like a starter package but they are right up there for performance with some of the top more expensive bows. Very quiet, smooth and fast.
You guys are 100% correct about local shops. The BIGGEST draw to gander is they have some amazing deals right now - after the holidays etc.. I will try and find some local shops, just hope they can compete on price. Thanks for the input.
I can tell you right now, they won't be able to compete with a big box store's pricing. They make up for it though with knowledge and helping through the process of buying the right bow for yourself.
I thought the Diamond outlaw shot nicer than the assassin and the outlaw's only $499 retail i believe! Just Saying.
I was looking for a bow last year and went to all the box stores. I eneded up going to the local archery shop and was able to get great advice and support. The best part about going to a local shop is they will usually have trade-ins from others who have upgraded their current bow. I was able to purchase a PSE Nova ready to shoot. Besides keeping our hunting business local keeps the local economy going as well.
they will all kill big game if you can shoot it good....shoot every bow you can and then pick the one that feels best dont worry about the ibo speed or anything because thats the least of the matter.
i really like the bear product line. the quality in there bows is great and as far as price is concerned, there a lot cheaper than most hoyt or mathews.
