My brother's step son who is a teenager wants to try out bow hunting next year. He will have to start from the begining. My brother asked me for a little help being I have dabbeled in archery & bow hunting. My first question is what is a good bow to get the the boy? I don't want to advise a cheapy as they are usually replaced rather quickly. I'm interested in a bow that is a good value for the money & not junk either. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Rich Jake

[ 11-27-2003, 21:38: Message edited by: Rich Jake ]

OK A couple of questions:
1) How old is the teenager?
2) How big?

Take him to a archery pro shop and have his draw length measured to begin with.
Then have him try(shoot) several bows and find something he says feels good. Take the time to try several and go from there. There are several starter kits avaliable at Cabelas for around 200 bucks add a dozen arrows correctly spined to the draw weight and draw length and go from there.
Make sure the first bow is light enough to be usable but not too heavy as to cause problems as he begins. An adjustable weight from 45 - 55 pounds would be great to begin with.

Don't forget to look at traditiona bows as they might tickle his fancy.

Rich,

There are several 'youth' models available - I don't have any particular suggestions other than to agree that the best way to start is with a properly set up bow. This applies to ALL bowhunters - the best way for a shooter to focus on skill improvement is by knowing that he and he alone is the reason for the off-center shot, not the components on his bow.

I will add that getting the proper bow will only be the start, as it is equally important to have a mentor to guide and encourage him. There are many winter indoor shooting leagues, maybe some in his area.

Once spring starts, there are many 3-D tournaments that frequently have youth categories. The emphasis, of course, should be on having fun and improving skills - the competitive aspect being last.

Don't forget that he'll also need the mentor to accompany him during his first archery deer season, and that he must first complete the mandatory NY Hunter Education (10 hours) and NY Bowhunter Education (8 hours) courses before being able to purchase his license. Information can be found at www.dec.state.ny.us, or by calling the DEC Regional office in your area:
(Region 3 Sullivan, Ulster, Orange, Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties:
(845) 256-3098).

Good luck.

Thanks Guys for the responses, sorry I didn't respond sooner as I was away hunting with no computer available. I pretty much had the same toughts as you guys stated. He is 14 & I really don't know where he got the idea from but would like to try to help if possible.

I know the proper fit is very important for good accurate archery. Do any of you have a suggestion on a brand & model of bow? I was hoping for a little real world experience going down the same path. I don't want to have my brother & son get a bow that wouldn't at least be servicible. Thanks for the help so far.

[ 12-01-2003, 22:53: Message edited by: Rich Jake ]

I'd suggest looking at the Martin line, they've got a great reputation in both the traditional and mechanical archery lines. If he's interested in a recurve I'd start with the Martin X-200 in 40 or 45# draw weight. It'll do nicely for deer hunting as well as being manageable for learning proper form. 2016 easton aluminum shafts would probably work for both draw weights I mentioned, in a carbon shaft I'd start with Easton epic in the 500 spine class. All arrows for trad bows shot from the shelf need feather fletching for good flight, no plastic fletching.

Also, if he's interested have him check out stickbow.com and bowsite.com, tons of good info there. Good luck!

Seriously ANY name brand bow sold by the larger mailorder houses(not that you shouldn't buy from the local dealer but these are proven commercial bows that wouldn't be sold long if there were major problems) should serve as a starting point about brands. Ask 10 bow hunters and you will probobly get 10 respomces about the "best" bows out there. Have him fitted and a starting lesson at a local shop and have him shoot as many bows as they have avaliable. Let him decide what feels best as this is a feel game and what I like the next person won't and vice-cersa.

Hope this helps!

[ 12-02-2003, 21:08: Message edited by: amosgreg ]