# 'Compound bow selection guide for ladies' - please help identify important aspects



## emesa

My thoughts:
1) Experience & passion: Some of the cheap bows out there are great starter bows, my very first bow was a Micro Adrenaline, and I have my younger sister shooting a Razor's Edge and it has been a great way to introduce her to the sport.

2) Form (very small frame/medium frame/ large frame) BIG issue at times. I am 5'4", with a 25.5 draw length and my choices have been limited. 

3) It must be her choice (when he buys it as a gift, the idea is to let her choose the bow, not do it for her) - TOTALLY agree! Men, Love the fact that you want to encourage your women to get into the sport, BUT, a bow is a very personal item, kinda got to let them play a bit.

4) Typical women bows - should a lady only consider 'women bows' as marketed by companies (Mathews Passion, Bowtech Heartbreaker, etc.). Or does it depend? If it does what are the considerations? NO! The fact that companies are making bows directed at women is GREAT, however, there is such a wide variety out there that a woman should not restrict herself to the "womens" bows. I know several women who shoot Monsters, or Z7s, or Bowtech Soldiers. Its all about what fits and what feels best in the hand.

5) Application type - This is an important consideration. When I bought my Passion I was thinking both Hunting and 3D shooting, but it turned out the Passion is not so good for a Target archer, at which point I bought a Conquest Apex specifically for 3D


6) Physical restrictions - seniors or younger girls can't pull much weight - That's a given.

7) Most popular bows for ladies - would it be useful to include this paragraph and maybe summarize a few popular bows and their applications? YES.



Bow_Explorer said:


> Hi ladies,
> 
> We are planning to write a *'compound bow selection guide for ladies' *(something similar to the youth compound bow selection guide that we recently came up with)
> 
> Can you please help create a very useful guide for choosing the right compound bow for ladies?
> 
> *Let's imagine a scenario when a lady is trying to choose a compound bow.*
> 
> *What are the most important criteria to look at?* Let's create a list of criteria to be used when selecting a compound bow for a lady.
> 
> Here is just a list of thoughts. Please comment/add more/elaborate:
> 
> *1) Experience & passion* (for example, no need to buy a cheap bow to begin with and try how it works out)
> 
> *2) Form* (very small frame/medium frame/ large frame) - some bows will not fit because of the form.
> 
> *3) It must be her choice* (when he buys it as a gift, the idea is to let her choose the bow, not do it for her)
> 
> *4) Typical women bows* - should a lady only consider 'women bows' as marketed by companies (Mathews Passion, Bowtech Heartbreaker, etc.). Or does it depend? If it does what are the considerations?
> 
> *5) Application type* - how the bow is going to be used? Hunting? 3D? Tournament? Any combinations of the above 3?
> 
> *6) Physical restrictions* - seniors or younger girls can't pull much weight.
> 
> *7) Most popular bows for ladies* - would it be useful to include this paragraph and maybe summarize a few popular bows and their applications?
> 
> *Please comment, add your own criteria, elaborate, and just share your thoughts.* The idea is to create a very useful guide for women. A unique selection guide that would be extremely helpful for both beginners and experienced archers (ladies).
> 
> Thanks very much for your help!
> 
> Dave


----------



## z28melissa

It seems the obvious was overlooked... SPECS?? Draw weight, speed, A2A, cam design, brace height, letoff, etc? Those are THE most important things I look at when selecting a new bow.
Price is also a factor, unfortunately :wink:


----------



## ABQ_Chica

All of the above are important. . . but one thing that remains a challenge for many women is finding a bow with a short enough draw length (21-24"). There are tons of bows that I would love to try but simply have to write off because the DL isn't short enough, even after fiddling with cams, modules, etc. Grrr.

Another thought about #7 (summary of popular bows): as a converse, how about a summary of some of the less-popular underdog bows? If you look beyond the big names, there are plenty of great bows (often at better prices) that are perfect for women.


----------



## Nebraska gal

I have to agree with z28melissa "SPECS?". The first thing I looked at was the specs on the bows so I knew what I could and couldn't get that would fit me. I was wanting a bow that fit me well, with quality components, and drew easily and wasn't break the bank expensive. I'll be honest I wasn't looking for a womans specific bow just the right bow for me and I'm very happy shooting my "guys" bow. I'm lucky though I have a 25.5" DL so this helps some.


----------



## Bow_Explorer

Nebraska gal said:


> I have to agree with z28melissa "SPECS?". The first thing I looked at was the specs on the bows so I knew what I could and couldn't get that would fit me. I was wanting a bow that fit me well, with quality components, and drew easily and wasn't break the bank expensive. I'll be honest I wasn't looking for a womans specific bow just the right bow for me and I'm very happy shooting my "guys" bow. I'm lucky though I have a 25.5" DL so this helps some.


Thanks very much for ideas and input everyone! Some great thoughts. 

Please keep in mind the original list is not comprehensive, just a starting point.

Please keep adding more ideas/considerations.

Thanks!


----------



## Bow_Explorer

Nebraska gal said:


> I have to agree with z28melissa "SPECS?". The first thing I looked at was the specs on the bows so I knew what I could and couldn't get that would fit me. I was wanting a bow that fit me well, with quality components, and drew easily and wasn't break the bank expensive. I'll be honest I wasn't looking for a womans specific bow just the right bow for me and I'm very happy shooting my "guys" bow. I'm lucky though I have a 25.5" DL so this helps some.


Nebraska gal, could you (or someone else) please elaborate on the SPECS paragraph a little more? What exactly should we add to this paragraph? What are typical restrictions you can see? Thanks!

Please keep your ideas coming!

Dave


----------



## z28melissa

Bow_Explorer said:


> Nebraska gal, could you (or someone else) please elaborate on the SPECS paragraph a little more? What exactly should we add to this paragraph? What are typical restrictions you can see?


Draw weight, speed, A2A, cam design, brace height, letoff, draw length


----------



## absolutecool

Here is my take on some things...take it for what it's worth..lol

My husband bought me my first bow, he picked it out and bought it for me sight unseen. It was a great bow, I loved it for what it was at the time, this was 19 years ago..
Fast forward to 2006..

My husband decided he wanted to buy me a bow for Christmas, he wanted me to start shooting with him again. I had no idea he was doing this and once again he picked the perfect bow for me. It was wonderful to shoot again and I am so thankful that he took the time to find something that he knew I would like and get me involved in this sport again.

Now fast forward again. 

I still ask for his help in picking a bow for me! If we go to a shop and there is a bow I am interested in and of course they don't have it in my draw and poundage he will draw it and tell me exactly how it feels..wall...harshness of the draw..everything. If we finds something I am interested in he will help me draw it so I can get a feel for it myself. Luckily now we have a shop that actually carries bows that I can draw and shoot. I do consider my self lucky that I am a 27 draw and can handle 45-50 pounds. That helps even more.

Most bows can be had in lower poundages but the draw length is where lots of women encounter problems.

Also I think the 'given' that older ladies can't draw as many pounds...I dare say the ladies on the senior womens range would never like to read this anywhere!! NEVER assume that a given age set can only draw X number of pounds! Anyone that shoots every day will build up muscle and be able to pull more pounds over time so never underestimate any given age set!

I would like to see some reviews and explain how the bow feels when it is drawn, how hard is it, how harsh is the cam, how rough is the hump, if any hump is there. How does it feel at full draw? How much let off....explain let off..

Mass bow weight, mass bow weight with all the goodies on it! This is important, a bow may be nice and light when it comes out of the box but load that sucker up with tricks and it turns into a whole other animal.

Shoot the bows and tell us what they feel like when they are shot...does it have vibration? Does is bounce out of your hand? 

Everyone is created differently, what feels great to me may be like yuck to my best friend!! Not everyone likes an aggressive cam, not everyone likes a smooth cam.

That's about all I can think of right now...if I come up with more later I will add it!!


----------



## Bow_Explorer

absolutecool said:


> Here is my take on some things...take it for what it's worth..lol


Thanks for that! 



absolutecool said:


> Most bows can be had in lower poundages but the draw length is where lots of women encounter problems.


That's interesting. So, what you are saying is that low draw lengths make it harder to choose a bow. That's a good point. It would be nice if we could come up with more interesting aspects like this one. 

Come on, ladies (and their husbands), share your thoughts on what to look for when choosing bows for ladies. There must be more important/interesting aspects...

Once again, thanks everyone for your help.

Dave

Any


----------



## Bow_Explorer

Another aspect to comment on: it appears not so many dealers have a wide range of bows for ladies... What is your experience?


----------



## Nebraska gal

I have no problem with shooting a "guys bow" and what I have found is many of the top of the line bows come in drawlengths that are to long for most women to shoot unless they are being marketed as a womans bow. Thats where knowing the specs on the bows comes in handy. I also like a bow with a brace height of at least 7" when I'm looking, the ones I have shot with a shorter brace height I haven't liked but this is personal preference but another example of why I look a the specs about a bow more than looks.


----------



## absolutecool

Bow_Explorer said:


> Another aspect to comment on: it appears not so many dealers have a wide range of bows for ladies... What is your experience?


Heck no, to be able to walk into a bow shop and even get waited on is a hard find much less a shop that has womens bows in stock and ready to shoot!! I have been in several shops that look at me like I am just crazy as all get out for even asking about bows much less even wanting to shoot one...do you have any idea how hard it is to crank those pounds down for someone??????? A lot of techs act like it is the most horrible thing in the world to have to fool with a woman. 

Something else that ticks me off is at the big ASA shoots we go to and a vendor won't give a woman the time of day!! I was ready to put down some serious cash for a scope set up one year and went to a particular vendor and he wouldn't give me the time of day but when a guy pushed his way in front of me the same guy bent over backwards to help him. Now I proceded to keep my green cash in my pocket and went to someone else!!! A womans money is just as green as a mans and we are willing to spend it on quality equipment!


----------



## ttate

I am totally thrilled with my sporting goods store. Not only are they into all sports, but they have one of the most knowledgeable fella's in their bow shop. He is young, but he treats me with nothing but respect. He encourages me everytime I'm in there to keep with it, not that he has to, but he is thrilled when women come in and he can help em. So if anyone reads this post who lives near Joplin Mo. Go into Southtown Sporting Goods and ask for Paul....


----------



## minnie3

i bought a 2009 martin mystic from the AT forum in august last year for a great price, and had it shipped to here in australia. i had never even seen a martin mystic, nor had i met anyone who had either. what interested me in this bow was the specs. i am 50 yo, small frame, small hands, 25" draw and shoot fingers. i shoot 3d only, in the womens barebow division, with a 30yard maximum, so i do not require or desire more than 35# for my style of shooting. the specs i was after were longer ata, 25" draw, 30 40# draw weight, dual cam. lots of researching specs of many different bows i came across on the womens bows and target bows forums. the longer target bows seemed to be all over 40# minimum, or would not adjust to 25" draw. those that were within ideal weight and DL were too short for target with fingers, which i find is the same with many of the bows marketed as womens bows generally shot with a release aid. now the martin seemed to have the specs i thought ideal, and turned out to be a very nice finger shooter. a hoyt contender a few years old was another suitable option

i'd like to suggest that for your bow guide that you don't just consider current new bows but include a few from the previous few years, those which may have been highly recommended or proven by competitors and hunters and others.


----------



## coldshock

This is a very interesting thread Dave and I am glad you posted it. I shoot recurve but I eventually want to get a compound as well so it is helpful to know what other women consider when buying. Finding a compound that fits me well isn't really a problem and honestly I am not interested in a womens specific bow because my recurve DL is 29". However, I am hoping that the contributors will provide other options that I haven't considered.


----------



## minnie3

forgot to mention brace height among the specs i was after. nothing too small. 
my brace, about 7 3/4" ,doesn't make for a speed machine but shoots nicely and faster than i expected.

also the physical weight of the bow is worth considering. i could not shoot a full FITA target type event about 100 arrows even without the weight of sights, scopes, heavy stabilisers. i can shoot my 30 3d targets/30 arrows and walk all day carrying this bow in 3d competition easily.


----------



## drbowhunter

it must feel good to her. take her to the shop and let her feel and draw several. dont go into like these brainwashed morons who thinks the wife should shoot what he has because its the best. dont go into with a manufacturer in mind. go strictly by feel. nothing worse than for a new archer to be discouraged by equipment not feeling right and efffecting the shootability of the bow for her just because hubby wanted his brand


----------



## montigre

Okay, here goes:
Fit, performance and feel are very important to me. I'm not interested in buying a "pretty" pink bow with flowers and butterflies painted all over the limbs and riser that's hyped as the greatest in ladies archery equipment--I want a shooting platform that is capable of getting the job done as efficiently as possible without making me an Amazon in the process. :mg:

I want a bow that has at least a 7.25" brace height and is between 37-39" ATA. Neutral or slightly reflexed riser design, cams with a very solid back wall, 55-65% let off, balance at rest and at full draw, 50# limbs and a narrow integrated grip. 

I want the bow to be heavy enough to allow some shot foregiveness, yet not so heavy I can't add the accessories I want without making compromises. It has to be from a reliable company that has excellent customer service and supports their prior years' models because I don't want to be caught away from home with an equipment issue that cannot be readily resolved. 

Although I will consider the input of others with more experience, I want to make my own choice--I'm the one who's going to be shooting it, so I want the final say. 

And finally, if I get that "little lady" attitude when I walk into a shop, just know you probably just lost a $1000.00+ sale. Don't look at me differently than my male counterparts seeking work on their gear, equipment purchase, or to use the range for a few hours, or I'll have no qualms about spending my money elsewhere.


----------



## lastcall21

One specific thing for me is LEFTY bows!!! Then DL, my dl is 25". then feel of the bow. how does it feel when i draw, release.
The main thing about being lefty and short draw when i go into a shop,,,there are never any for me to try. And "some" say to just try a righty bow, its the same. Well shooting a righty bow either righthanded or lefty is NOT the same, especially if they have "tec" rise setup.

What i want out of a bow is performance (get the job done), speed isn't everything.
With a bad elbow, i need the bow to have smooth draw, just right let-off, solid wall, no hard valleys and can perform under all conditions (snow, rain heat and humidity) without the bow or string being affected too much.

I like to do my own research online so i can go into a bow shop knowing some of the differences of the bows i would like to try (and possibly own).

Another tip when trying a bow (in a shop) is bring your own release. Why would you try something you want to buy with a strange release?


----------



## YetAnotherCoach

z28melissa said:


> Draw weight, speed, A2A, cam design, brace height, letoff, draw length





z28melissa said:


> Draw weight, speed, A2A, cam design, brace height, letoff, draw length


This is a great spec. list, I just want to add that [Please include my user ID for proper credit]

- DL adjustability: about 68% of my students (all women) decided to change their anchors once they pass the beginner stage. DL changes as a result. The reason being that most female beginners started with a recurve bow, and the anchor is often further back towards the TMJ so the bowstring would touch their nose. Not realizing this, they often use that DL measurement to buy a compound bow, and of course, they would then discover that the peep sight does not work well in that form unless they either tilt their heads or change their anchor placement, most would go with the latter choice. And head tilting crowd will go with a new anchor as well, as soon as people pointing out to them about tilted head not being very conducive to proper aiming. 

From all these observations, I often recommend a compound bow for my female students which has at least 4-6 inches of DL adjustment.

- DW-adjustability: Most ladies advance beyond introduction stage would often find they need to increase draw weight. Because many of us (your truly included) are going from youth draw weight (20-30lb) to female adult draw weight (45-60lb and beyond). So I think the Draw Weight adjustability in the range of 20-30lb would be great. 

- grip: does it fit petite hands or not.

- Low Mass Weight: most female beginners shoot well if the bow is not too hefty in the hand. The rationale is that most starting archers would shoot more if they can hit close to where they are aiming at. Keeping that in mind, the key factor is not only the draw weight, but also the mass weight of the bow+accessories. An archer can have a tired drawing arm and still shoot great with a good anchor, but if she has a tired holding arm, there is not a very good chance that she can hit what she is aiming at. A low Mass Weight bow would go a long way to help them interested and also their enthusiasm level high.


----------



## Bow_Explorer

Wow, ladies, thanks very much for your terrific input in this thread. A lot of useful info. 

Keep it coming. If you ran out of ideas, think about what you would like to read on the net before going and buying a bow if you were not experienced at all?


----------



## mamande2

When presenting the most popular bows for women, it would be interesting to have categories. For example, a lady who is tall and and has experience/strength obviously has a better selection to choose from than a women who is just beginning. I would categorize the bows according to DL and DW.


----------



## Bean Burrito

Try out a variety of bows. Recently I've been helping my mother choose a new bow. She wanted a take down recurve originally- because she liked the look of them and wanted a bow that looked like a bow. I tried telling her several times to consider a compound bow, but she wouldn't have a bar of it. So we're up at our local archery store (a 3 hour drive away) and the guy in the shop strings a few recurves and hands them to her to draw. He talks her into trying a little compound there, I think it was a blush by Alpine. After drawing 2 compounds she changed her mind completely and decided she wanted one, as she found them nicer to use and they were easier on her shoulders.

Keep in mind your draw lengths (a few bows have been put out of consideration as they wont back down to her ~24" draw) and strength.

She's decided on a bow by Mission which has like 13" of draw adjustment and 35# of draw adjustnent. She's tried telling me that she'll be shooting only a little bit slower than me as her bows ibo will only be roughly 20 lower than mine. Of course that's before you dock 60 fps for the difference in draw, and the heavy arrows for her poundage that she'll use. (Shop is outfitting her with arrows that will shoot a higher poundage, but shell be starting at a lower one).


----------



## nae1672

Nebraska gal said:


> I have no problem with shooting a "guys bow" and what I have found is many of the top of the line bows come in drawlengths that are to long for most women to shoot unless they are being marketed as a womans bow.



This is exactly my issue, also! I'm not interested in the sex of the bow so much, but my draw length puts me in that category! I will shoot it if it feels good in my hand, it fits me well, and it gets the job done rather its 3D, target or hunting! And to be honest... I could use a different bow for all 3 so I think that is a huge part of it also. As far as poundage goes... that is going to change with each bow also. I had one bow that I had a hard time pulling back 42#... with my Vicxen I am pulling back 52#. I have to test a bow out before I purchase it. I would never buy a bow sight unseen without having shot one similar prior to purchasing. Great thread with lots of info... nice!!


----------



## nae1672

absolutecool said:


> Heck no, to be able to walk into a bow shop and even get waited on is a hard find much less a shop that has womens bows in stock and ready to shoot!! I have been in several shops that look at me like I am just crazy as all get out for even asking about bows much less even wanting to shoot one...do you have any idea how hard it is to crank those pounds down for someone??????? A lot of techs act like it is the most horrible thing in the world to have to fool with a woman.
> 
> Something else that ticks me off is at the big ASA shoots we go to and a vendor won't give a woman the time of day!! I was ready to put down some serious cash for a scope set up one year and went to a particular vendor and he wouldn't give me the time of day but when a guy pushed his way in front of me the same guy bent over backwards to help him. Now I proceded to keep my green cash in my pocket and went to someone else!!! A womans money is just as green as a mans and we are willing to spend it on quality equipment!



I'm so sorry that you have this issue in your area. I can't tell you what a relief it is to have such great shops in our area. I have never been to a shop where the people weren't very pleasant and always willing to help. I don't know if maybe that is because we have a lot of women in our area that shoot and shoot very well. Most of us know our bows well and know when there is something wrong so the tech's know we are not BSing them. I have an issue in the auto parts store like that and I feel bad that your experience is similar in your bow shops. If I got treated at my bow shops like I do our auto parts stores...I probably would give up this sport! I'm so sorry but don't give up on it... don't them get you down! You always at AT!!! lol Good luck!


----------



## archeryfrog

I think the comfort factor is most important when starting. I started with a Diamond Edge and after a year purchased a DXT which I still have an love. For women starting out I think the heft of the bow is very important. I agree that brace height is very important but with some women's bows this seems to be sacrificed, ie the Passion only has a 6 inch brace height despite it is nearly identical to the DXT which has a 7 inch brace height. For a beginning archer they are not likely to notice the brace height difference but this is something that I definitely look at and is the reason I shoot a Conquest Apex 7 instead of a Prestige for target. I am lucky to be relatively tall so the DL hasn't been a problem for me but I also see women struggling finding bows with DLs and lower poundages.

I am 6 months pregnant and I still find that I can shoot both of my bows but as I get further along I find myself leaning toward shooting the DXT more often even though it is 9 inches shorter ATA because the DXT is lighter.


----------

