Bowhunting Equipment

Bowhunting Basics


A bow that pulls 50 to 55 pounds is a good starting point for adult males, 25 to 35 pounds for adult females and 15 to 35 pounds for children (depending upon age and development). A compound bow is a fine place to begin and there are many on the market that cost $250 or less for a complete starter kit. A good sight and a durable arrow rest are the minimum commitment. A release aid will allow you to reach your potential faster and has become a staple accessory for the majority of archers today. A very basic three-pin sight is good enough for most shooting and hunting situations, but choose one that offers good pin visibility. Although scores of archers are using drop-away arrowrests that provide maximum fletching clearance for increased accuracy. As with any new purchase it is important to shop around for price, quality, and service before making any decisions. Casually point at something across the room with both eyes open. Draw Weight:Stick with a light draw weight bow until you become comfortable with shooting. For example: right-handed and right eye dominant should shoot right-handed equipment. However despite it's roots in American history, this challenging sport continues to grow and evolve year after year. However, if you are not comfortable closing your left eye while aiming we recommend left-handed equipment. However, it is also important to realize that simply buying something because it is cheap is not the answer either. However, with the invention of powder and liquid-filled stabilzers, and the addition of vibration dampening materials stabilizers how do more than just balance your bow. However, your deer-hunting job is incomplete... If at all possible, shoot with several different size stabilzers on your bow to determine which works best for you.Arrows:You're going to run through a few arrows getting started, so there's no sense buying anything too expensive until you've mastered the bow. If you find that you are right-handed but left eye dominant you have two choices. If you want to save a few dollars starting out, release the string with your fingers and then purchase a simple release aid once you learn the basics of archery. If your dominant eye and dominant hand are the same you don't have any decision to make - go with equipment that matches. Inexpensive arrows (aluminum or carbon) will shoot just as well at all moderate ranges as the expensive styles. Is the finger still pointing at the target? It gets trickier if you are cross dominant (right hand, left eye or left hand right eye). Left-handed and left eye dominant should shoot left-handed equipment. Most bowhunters choose stabilizers in the 4 to 6 inch range in order to minimize the weight of their setup with in the field, yet still take advantage of moder stabilizer's ability to dampen vibration and shot noise. Most right-handed people are right eye dominant, but not all. Most shops will have a few used starter bows around that you can purchase in an effort to save even more money. Now open your left eye and close your right eye. Of course, if you are left-handed and right eye dominant we recommend learning to shoot right-handed with right-handed equipment. Releases are available from any archery shop or mail order hunting catalog for $30 and up. Stabilizers traditionally only served one purpose in archery - to act as a counterweight on the front of your bow in order to increase stability while aiming. The addage "You get what you pay for" holds true for archery equipment just as it does for anything else. The attendant is a professional and has helped many archers get started over the years. The availability of right-handed products is much better, so if you are comfortable closing your left eye while aiming we recommend choosing right-handed equipment. There are a wide array of rests on the market today but full capture rests such as NAP's QuikTune 360 seem to be the easiest to set up and the most practical for bowhunting purposes. They are very consistent and don't require years of practice to master. This article will hope both beginners and seasoned veterans get back to the principles of bowhunting.Basic equipment considerations: Start by determining your dominant eye. Today's fiber optic sight pins are extremely bright and make aiming under low light conditions much easier. When choosing arrows make sure you utilize the help a professional to get you set up with the proper length and size.Conclusion:When buying gear it is important to keep in mind that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get quality merchandise that works great in the field. Whichever rest you decide on, just make sure it is installed properly in order to maximize your accuracy. With a seemingly endless supply of newer and better equipment available to archers often times the basics of bowhunting can be overlooked. Without moving your finger, close your left eye. Wrist strap caliper-style releases seem to be most popular among today's bowhunters.Sights, Peeps, Rests, and Stabilizers:If you feel you are going to stick with the sport for some time then it is definitely worth investing in high quality accessories. You can either learn to shoot left handed or you can shoot right handed but always close your right eye. You can save some money here without impacting your performance. You may also choose to have a peep sight installed in the string for better accuracy and add a stabilizer for better balance.If you choose a peep sight get one of the full-view models that permit visibility no matter how the string rotates when you draw it. Your dominant eye is the one for which the finger is pointing at the target when the other is closed. Youth starter kits will cost from $50 to $150.