# whats up with darton bows?



## need-a-bow (Aug 10, 2010)

Ive seen these bows go for under $60 dollars new and they look OK. Does anybody have any experience with these bows?


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## countryboy173 (Jul 18, 2008)

I don't know anything about under $60 dollars new. My buddy is a staffer for them and shoots the 3800. Sweet bow, but they're priced like any other bow out there. Not sure what you saw..


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## need-a-bow (Aug 10, 2010)

On eBay Ive seen a bunch from $40-$100 fully equiped. Are they good bows? Im really tempted to pick one up


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## Robinhooder3 (Jun 18, 2008)

couple of issues buying from ebay (or even the classifieds here)

1.) you have to know EXACTLY what you need and what to look for regarding damage in the pictures
2.) ebay isn't quite as good of a place to buy a used bow as here because EVERYONE here shoots archery (hence the point of the site)
3.) You have to know your stuff, if they are selling it for $100 fully equipped, then something is up and it might not even be safe to shoot.


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## need-a-bow (Aug 10, 2010)

True and thats why I asked. Ive never had problems with eBay but you never know


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## no alibi (Jun 22, 2010)

I bought bows from AT and lots from ebay,you do have to look for the bow thats going to fit you.ive had no problems on either one.the main thing is to ask the seller questions about limbs,strings,DL,DW,If its been dry fired,etc.look at there feedback score,i usally wouldnt mess with a seller thats below 98%.but i have found many bows on there that were cheap and in very good shape.i have a pse i found on there for a little over a hundred bucks that i still shoot today and its awsome.that darton will probaly be a good one,i never heard but good things about them ,so for that cheap price id go for it.


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## need-a-bow (Aug 10, 2010)

Theyre very tempting. Ive been looking at one that only has the drop rest cable damaged, Id replace it with a Hostage rest anyway


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## Robinhooder3 (Jun 18, 2008)

what is your draw length and pull weight. Those are the most important things


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## archerykid13 (Aug 11, 2009)

Darton makes a very good bow. I've never seen one go for under $100 though.

Jake


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## need-a-bow (Aug 10, 2010)

About 40-50 is what Ive shot with a finger tab because Ive neve had a release. 28-30" draw


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## Robinhooder3 (Jun 18, 2008)

well you can't estimate a draw length to within 2 inches. A half inch too long will mess up your form pretty badly but some can shoot pretty good like that, a full inch too long and you are PUSHING it. At a full inch very VERY few people can shoot accurately with it. At an inch and a half too long your form could very well go to hell in a hand basket. You won't get a very consistent anchor, you will drift ALOT (even with a top of the line stabilizer), you will want to lean back from the hip, the chances of you smacking your forearm increase, the list goes on and on. At a full 2 inches too long, well, that is almost out of the question. A release will simulate a longer draw length (meaning to be accurate you have to compensate by shortening the actual draw length the bow is set at further than when you shoot fingers) but each release is different. Index finger releases typically increase your draw length alot more than a hand held. As you can more than likely tell by now, adding a release into the equation changes EVERYTHING. 

1.) get a more precise draw length. This is CRITICAL (draw length is arguably the most important aspect of form). I think you can do this by taking a tape measure and measuring the center of your body to your fingertips and multiply that by 1.5 but I'm not sure. You may want to check on that. 

2.) don't trust ultra cheap bows until you know EXACTLY where to find damage and how to recognize it and you know exactly what you need. 

3.) pulling the bow with a release is also a very different experience as well until you get used to it.


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## ChadLister (Jan 28, 2009)

go for under $60? must be a old one, i have a good experince with dartons any questions?


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## ChadLister (Jan 28, 2009)

countryboy173 said:


> I don't know anything about under $60 dollars new. My buddy is a staffer for them and shoots the 3800. Sweet bow, but they're priced like any other bow out there. Not sure what you saw..


Kevin if you can get another $150 then you can get a brand new 3800 shooter price


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## Clay34 (Sep 15, 2010)

ChadLister said:


> Kevin if you can get another $150 then you can get a brand new 3800 shooter price


Did I read this right? His $60, plus $150 = $210 for a new 3800???? Where.

I use to shoot Darton Viper Carbon right before a local store asked me to shoot for them. I did well enough with that Viper that I attracted some attention. If I could buy a new Darton that shot 340 fps IBO rating for $210 I would own one - no hesitation involved. Tell me where.

Rick


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## buyinbows (Sep 5, 2010)

I bought a 2006 darton vapor for 150 bucks. Its on its way to my door. String looks brand new.


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## abcarrow (Feb 3, 2006)

I'll take all the Darton Pro 3800's you can get your hands on for $210. I handed my buddy who just purchased a Beautiful Hoyt for $1300 my Darton Pro 3800 and he was amazed !! (smooth, fast and a nice draw). I'm partial to hoyts also, but Darton's are so much better, for me anyways.
abcarrow


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## need-a-bow (Aug 10, 2010)

can you finger shoot a compound bow? If i do buy one of these ill use it only for hunting


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## countryboy173 (Jul 18, 2008)

ChadLister said:


> Kevin if you can get another $150 then you can get a brand new 3800 shooter price


Thats a good deal, but you know I'm already shooting Athens for another year haha. Possibly next year


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## Ignition kid (Oct 7, 2008)

need-a-bow said:


> True and thats why I asked. Ive never had problems with eBay but you never know


ya and on eBay most of those prices you see are just the bids and not the "buy it now" prices and that's just the current bid or the starting bid price but hasn't met what price the seller wants it to meet.


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## Ignition kid (Oct 7, 2008)

need-a-bow said:


> can you finger shoot a compound bow? If i do buy one of these ill use it only for hunting


you can, team Fitsgerald does but I guarantee you that if you try a release that you will love it, you will shoot much more accurate with one and like I said you will love it.
And to figure out what draw length you need have someone measure your arm span from fingertip to fingertip and I thin to divide by 2.5 but keep your arms relaxed and don't try to stretch your arms. Like robinhooder3 said, you don't want your draw length to be too long, a half inch too long isn't bad, but it's much better for your draw to be too short than it is too long, trust me, I've been there, at one point my draw length on my bow was too long for me and I couldn't shoot worth a crap, now my draw is too short on my bow for me but I can shoot it fine, actually really good, but not as good as it would be with a bow that's the perfect fit for me, and I am going to change it toward the end of the year simply because if I do right now I will have to change a few things that will take some time getting used to.
Also if you get a compound, don't go and buy a cheapo wal-mart shelf bow, now you don't have to go buy a brand new Hoyt, Mathews, bowtech, etc. but look here in the classified ads in the hunting bows but first figure out what draw length you need and what poundage you can pull EASILY and I stress easily because if you're shooting a bow that's takes a struggle to pull back SITTING DOWN than you need a bow with a lower poundage, compound bows today that are set a 50# can kill just about any animal on the face of the earth, and even 40#-45# can easily kill deer, hogs, antelope, and mule deer all day long. And back to the release deal, if you get a compound bow, I highly recommend trying a release aid preferably an index finger trigger release, you will shoot better and you will love it I guarantee you 99.9_% that you will want to have one after you try one and with a compound you will most likely be able to shoot more accurately and be able to shoot confidently farther with a compound. Now don't think I'm putting down traditional bows and trad. shooter since I am one myself and I enjoy shooting traditional style and I want to eventually hunt a little bit with my flatbow but I will still always like compound bows more.


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## Dwill (Aug 26, 2010)

I shoot my compound with fingers and no sights(like team fitzgerald)...I comfy killing deer out to about 25 or 30 yards at the max! but thats just me. So it can be done you just have to learn how your bow shoots at different ranges.


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## need-a-bow (Aug 10, 2010)

I have an old browning thats #45. I think Ill try to make a trad bow since its a little cheaper and ive shot a youth recurve bow for a while. But I also want to have a compound bow since they have arguably better performance and id like to have both ends of the spectrum


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