# Compound bow for new target shooter.



## tjc45

The debate with my adult son over draw weights has morphed into compound versus recurve. Not to get into that, with regard to compounds, I'm looking at available equipment and cost.

OK, he can plunk down $1500 and move to the head of the class. But is there another way to go? For those of you who have been down this road, starting out, what is a good compound bow for NFAA/FITA? Will one bow cover it? What should we be looking for in a target compound?


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## Crown Trophy

Longer AxA (40+ inches) and normally a larger brace (7 1/2" on up) height bow should do the trick. Find a mfg of great quality with a bow in their lineup like that and you should be well on your way! BTW.....a used bow found here in the classifieds is a great way to go and save some cash!
Greg


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## sps3172

tjc45 said:


> The debate with my adult son over draw weights has morphed into compound versus recurve. Not to get into that, with regard to compounds, I'm looking at available equipment and cost.
> 
> OK, he can plunk down $1500 and move to the head of the class. But is there another way to go? For those of you who have been down this road, starting out, what is a good compound bow for NFAA/FITA? Will one bow cover it? What should we be looking for in a target compound?


I shoot a Hoyt Contender Elite......

I only mention that so that my suggestion will not be perceived as skewed by 'fan boy' brand loyalty mumbo jumbo....

I recently got both my parents into archery....they've got Genesis Pro model bows now. No...I'm not suggesting that bow for him . The time when they're ready to move to a real compound is rapidly approaching and I wanted to surprise them with 2 new bows. As I had to buy 2 of everything, the "head of the class" bows were out. After much research, I settled on the PSE Supra. It seems to be a top level piece of kit, but with a half sized price tag ($699). Perhaps this bow won't be the best for your son, but it's certainly worth a look.


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## x-hunta

Take him to a shop and have him shoot as many bows as possible. Some will find that a short ATA will work for them whereas other prefer longer. It is all based upon his own personal preference. Make sure that the bow he chooses is the one that he is most COMFORTABLE shooting. Now if you don't want to break the bank on a new bow take a look at the classifieds here on AT. Unfortunately you can't try before you buy but the price savings is huge. Now for accessories the classifieds is a great place as well.


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## tjc45

sps3172 said:


> I shoot a Hoyt Contender Elite......
> 
> I only mention that so that my suggestion will not be perceived as skewed by 'fan boy' brand loyalty mumbo jumbo....
> 
> I recently got both my parents into archery....they've got Genesis Pro model bows now. No...I'm not suggesting that bow for him . The time when they're ready to move to a real compound is rapidly approaching and I wanted to surprise them with 2 new bows. As I had to buy 2 of everything, the "head of the class" bows were out. After much research, I settled on the PSE Supra. It seems to be a top level piece of kit, but with a half sized price tag ($699). Perhaps this bow won't be the best for your son, but it's certainly worth a look.


The Genesis makes a lot of sense. How did you complete the bows? Rests, sights, etc and what arrows would you suggest?

Thx


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## Beastmaster

TJC -

I would recommend that you take your son to a shop and see if he can test out certain bows. However, many shops do NOT carry target bows from Hoyt or PSE or Mathews normally as part of their in store stock. So - take your son to shops and see if he can test out bows that are owned by other shooters. I know that if you were in the Phoenix area, I would be more than happy to let you shoot some of my own personal bows. 

With that being said - You can get your son a very competitive rig by doing some judicious shopping. The aforementioned PSE Supra is a sleeper bow, along with the PSE Bow Madness XL. For the shop I teach at, I had a choice of a PSE Supra or a PSE Dominator Pro as my 2011 shop bow - I chose the Supra. 

Truth to tell, you can get your son a 2009-2010 PSE Bow Madness XL used in the 300-400 dollar range (and I regret selling mine off - I won some decent local tournaments and a 3D league with that bow). Combine that with a used SureLoc sight with scope for about 200 bucks here on the AT Classifieds, a used stabilizer setup from B-Stinger/Doinker/Bernie's/Smooth Stability/Vendetta plus V-Bars for another 200 bucks, a good rest, and a decent (used) release, you'll have him instantly competitive for FITA and NFAA at a very low cost (in archery standards). 

Getting a used Hoyt UltraTec/ProTec/ProElite/UltraElite, Mathews Rival Pro/Apex/Apex7/Conquest, PSE Bow Madness XL/Vendetta XL, Athens Exceed, Elite XLR, or other pure target bows should be relatively easy - it's a buyer's market here on the AT Classifieds. Shop around. 

The other raw reality is that to be competitive in FITA and NFAA, you need good arrows. Spend the money on arrows - that will make a huge difference. For pure outdoor paper punching, Easton ACE's, ACG's, ACC's, Harvest Time HT-1's, Carbon Express Nano Pro, or Victory VAP's will be great. For indoor paper punching, any aluminum 23/64th or 22/64th sized arrow will do fine.

To give you a great case in point regarding how critical arrow success is - I have an 8 year old recurve (yeah, I know we are talking compound, but hear me out) shooter who had to shoot 30 meters for the first time at a local tournament. He's small and has a low draw weight. With properly spined and weighted arrows, he was able to nail the target out to 30 meters consistently, and got a podium finish.

So, I'll take your $1500 as an example and do a breakdown on used gear that will put your son on an equal footing competition wise. All of the pricing save for arrows are off of the AT Classifieds, and as a instructor as well as a shooter, I would have ZERO issues shooting a rig like this.

1) 2008 Hoyt Ultra Elite. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1487048. $450 asking price. 50-60# (fits within FITA rules), and maxes out to 28" DL (most people average there for adult males. That leaves you $1050.

2) Sureloc Challenger sight with TWO scope heads and 4x lens (good all around lens). http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1483553. $200. This leaves you $850

3) Doinker Elite 34" stab and 12" side Powerbar. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1485817&highlight=doinker $65 for the front stab, $35 for the side stab. That leaves you $750

4) Doinker AVBM side bar mount. $50-60 bucks new. That leaves you $690.

5) Carter Target 3 release. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1485991 $110. That leaves you $580.

6) Easton hip quiver. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1465916&highlight=quiver $60. That leaves you $520. Belt you can snag locally from a Walmart.

7) BriteSite Pro Tuner rest. http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1480063&highlight=blade $50. That leaves you $470.

You now have a competitive setup that is complete save for arrows.

Arrows - Outdoor.

Easton A/C/G - ready to shoot, cut to your spec and built - Average pricing I've seen is about $200. That leaves you $270.

Arrows - Indoor.

Easton Eclipse 2312's - ready to shoot, cut to your spec and built - about $80 for the raw shafts, 120 if you have them built. That leaves you $180.

So - you can have your son competitive and ready to go for under $1500 bucks if you shop right. Some of the links are closed - I used those links as an example for pricing.

-Steve


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## tjc45

Steve, great stuff!!!! We're considering several options. THX!!!


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## oldpro888

Being on the circuit for 30 years, and having 4 kids grown and gone I'll wiegh in. Start with a used bow total with everything 500 or under. Kids don't stay interested in anything for long. the vast majority of adults leave target archery after a year or so. I have coached hundreds of kids and the good ones can be spotted on the first class. they possess a certain calmness, attention to detail way beyond their years. Most would excell at any sport, not going to archery because they are no good at team sports. Don't get caught up in the attraction being the shiniest bow. be sure he has that special something to excell befor dropping a year of college tuition on a shiney toy.


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## sps3172

tjc45 said:


> The Genesis makes a lot of sense. How did you complete the bows? Rests, sights, etc and what arrows would you suggest?
> 
> Thx


Here's the Genesis Pro setup for my folks(they're shooting these with release aids):

- Cavalier 'badger' rest ($20 closeout from Lancaster) I KNEW that a blade rest would frustrate them to no end until they learned to draw smoothly.
- Carter Medalist Sight ($55). No Scope...they use the aperture that comes with the sight
- Cartel CR carbon stabilizer (another Lancaster closeout...$30)
- Beman Carbon Flash 750 arrows. (I've since learned to HATE the external nocks....tons of clearance issues with the rest. They're shooting the Easton Alum Genesis arrows now)
- Fletcher Tru Peep

Also, I'm not sure how important it is to have him try a bunch of different bows. He's got nothing to compare them to, right? Just make sure the DL is correct (if compound) and find a GOOD COACH ASAP.


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## Beastmaster

oldpro888 said:


> Being on the circuit for 30 years, and having 4 kids grown and gone I'll wiegh in. Start with a used bow total with everything 500 or under. Kids don't stay interested in anything for long. the vast majority of adults leave target archery after a year or so. I have coached hundreds of kids and the good ones can be spotted on the first class. they possess a certain calmness, attention to detail way beyond their years. Most would excell at any sport, not going to archery because they are no good at team sports. Don't get caught up in the attraction being the shiniest bow. be sure he has that special something to excell befor dropping a year of college tuition on a shiney toy.


Out of curiosity - what would you recommend as a total package to where one can be competitive and keep everything 500 bucks or under?

-Steve


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## Dado

Lets be honest - nothing...



Beastmaster said:


> Out of curiosity - what would you recommend as a total package to where one can be competitive and keep everything 500 bucks or under?
> 
> -Steve


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## Beastmaster

I've even priced out Rival Pros and ProTec/UltraTec bows that are 2004 era. Those are still going for 300 bucks on a low-medium average. 

500 dollar limits are hard. Even a High Country Medalist target bow was still going for the 300 dollar range. 

One thing I would like to point out as a warning. Each of the bows I've mentioned in the above posts still have parts you can get. You can still get cams/limbs/limb pockets for every one of the bows I've mentioned.

For my own personal edification, I would still like to know the recommended rig setup that OldPro888 was putting together for 500 bucks. It's not being confrontational, I would truly like to know what setup is being spec'ed out so that I can learn from what he's recommending.

-Steve


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## oldpro888

i admit 500 would be hard. my point, pick a used one up. The atraction needs to be about archery not the cool bow. I sold an 2005 ultratec for 350 this year.


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## tjc45

Considering that the Genesis and Genesis Pro are on the list, definately not looking for a cool bow. Just the right tool for the job. Right now we're leaning in that direction as full set up can be had in the $300 - $350 range. New bow, easy to set up - easy to use - plenty of time for the shiny cool stuff later. 

That said, the suggestions for picking up a used bow are excellent. THX!


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## rkilbr11

Anybody shot the Prime "one" for indoor?


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## Maxroe

As mentioned above a bow with a longer ATA (40 inches plus) will provide more lateral stability when shooting FITA and Field Shoots. If your primary focus is 3d then look for a bow in the 37.5" range. Draw weights are available in 10 pound increments and its better to be safe and go for a lower draw weight than risk screwing your back up with too much weight to start off with. Also, if you are serious about shooting target style of archery, shoot through risers are best. This is when the arrow can go straight through the riser instead of around it. Stick to known Bow manufacturers (Hoyt, PSE, Mathews) as you will find they offer a better warranty and customer service than some of the small companies.


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