New to Bow Hunting!

Hello to all! With some words of encouragement from the fishing side, they finally persuaded me to come over to the hunting website instead of bugging them the whole day with hunting questions. I have been an avid gun hunter my entire life, but the past few years have been harder and harder to find land that is not claimed in western WI. I’m very fortunate to be marrying into a great family that loves to bow hunt. They have enough land for the whole family and do a great job running their land. And now that I have the time and the money, I figured it was time to get into all the action. I have done a little bit of research and figured how to find my draw length, which is going to be a 32, and know what the best manufactures are going to be, but I am keeping an open mind in this process. I am hoping to get some insight information on what other people with a giant draw prefer to hunt with. Manufactures, models, etc. I know I missed out on this season, but I am trying to get a head start for next year. And by buying one now I have a whole year to practice with. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Holy smokes, IDO has a fishing site???

I’m sure several people will chime in to help you out!! Head to a good pro shop near you and shoot as many as you can that fit your draw length… Also, see this post from flatlandfowler…I think he may be able to give you some opinions on bows for guys your size. At, one point he refers to himself as having the wingpan of a whooping crane I bet he will have some good info!!!

Thread!

Welcome to the fun side of IDO I would suggest going to a reputable archery shop and shooting as many different bows as you can The one for you will jump out at you !! Have fun !!! Its addicting

The new mathews z9 is for long draw lengths.

MNick just curious how tall are you? Boy I am almost 6’5″ and I have a 31″ draw and I thought mine was long. Like others have said go shoot some different brands and models and see what ones fit the best. As far as buying a used bow (if you go that way) I like the Bowtech Guardian, Mathews Outback(that’s what I shoot), Mathew’s Switchback and switchback XT….I can’t speak for some of the other bows out there as I have not shot them.

Musky, I am just a hair over 6’5”. I have found a bunch of reviews for the Mathews switchbacks. Just curious if you have ever shot the Switchback LD? It says the speed isn’t comparable but it’s ideal for a longer draw?

I have a buddy that is 6’4″ and shoots a 31″ draw Swtichback LD, loves it. Don’t worry about speed, how the bow feels and shoots if more important. Speed is over rated! Make sure you go to a shop and get fitted. Very important!

This is what I needed guys! Like I said, all my research has lead me the switchback L.D. Not the I will go with it, but at least it gets me going in the right direction!

Lots of good info above and if we ever get an iDo basketball team we will look you up

If I was you I’d head to Hudson and see the boys at A-1 Archery

Those guys know there stuff! They are located a couple blocks east of Fleet Farm

It’s not a very good picture, but if it was closer it would scare you for life….

mNick at work in River Falls WI

The story is that if a FF gets his photo in the paper he’s responsible to buy a round of soda for the Fire Dept.

Wonder what this is going to cost him….

heres a question for you… why do you need to shoot your max DL? since you are already maxxing out most bows dl, try shooting 30″ dl. the shorter DL will mean that you have an easier time maneuvering for a shot in close quarters. bennyj showed me that trick this year. plus you can hold full draw a lot longer cuz your arms arent fully extended. especially since you are new to bow hunting and havent developed an anchor point yet, you wont have to alter your form since you are just building one.

also, you can add some length to the overall draw length in the D loop. you might lose a few fps with more string being pulled through the release, but i dont think it will matter that much.

the best advice is go to an archery shop and shoot a bunch of different brands.

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heres a question for you… why do you need to shoot your max DL? since you are already maxxing out most bows dl, try shooting 30″ dl. the shorter DL will mean that you have an easier time maneuvering for a shot in close quarters. bennyj showed me that trick this year. plus you can hold full draw a lot longer cuz your arms arent fully extended. especially since you are new to bow hunting and havent developed an anchor point yet, you wont have to alter your form since you are just building one.

also, you can add some length to the overall draw length in the D loop. you might lose a few fps with more string being pulled through the release, but i dont think it will matter that much.

the best advice is go to an archery shop and shoot a bunch of different brands.

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I like this thought as well, to a point as long as it’s still comfortable for you. I’d also recommend shooting a loop, which will take up to a 1/2″ off your draw. This opens up so many more options. Not that the Switchback LD isn’t a good bow for you, but it would be nice to compare/contrast lots of different styles, draw cycles, etc.

I would re-measure your DL at any reputable bow shop. Schaffer’s in Eagan, MN has always had my business and was where I purchased my last bow. I wrote a short article about the experience – Consumer’s Bow-Buying Guide

I like the approach they take in having you shoot many different bows and not worrying about price, model, etc. Just picking out what fits you best. Price is always an issue, and you can address that later. The problem is that it’s amazing how much price will drive people’s decisions in a negative way, both up or down.

Good luck and let us know when you get your new bow. Pics please!!!

Joel

Thanks Joel! I’ll be heading to the archery shop right after gun season. Thanks for all your help!

Again, I would like to thank you guys for helping me with this. I’ve gained a lot of info from here and past posts.

I see that Schaffer is a sponsor here. I thought I would pass on my impressions because you would be interested.

A number of the members suggested to go their Burnsville location. When I went to their website, it did not do anything for me. In fact I was starting the rethink going there.
Now I know I shouldn’t be judging a book by it’s cover.But in todays market a good looking website does mean business. I’ll still go there because you guys recommended them, but I’ll be honest. That’s the only reason I’m going.
That’s a long run for a guy that lives in my neck of the woods.

I hope this is taken constructively as it was meant to be.

I bought my last bow from them. It was well worth the 4 hour drive (twice)

i agree with you nick, their site leaves a little to be desired, but their shop has everything you could ever need. and the service is what sets them apart from the other shops.

stop in and take your time, they will be more than happy to help you out. remember to ask lots and lots of questions!