Archery recommendations

[RobA]

I'm thinking about getting a bow and arrow setup for target shooting. No hunting. Nothing too expensive. Purely for the fun of it. Wouldn't get heavy use. Any recommendations?

 

[meos1]

I have a 20 pound draw genesis. Its a equal weight (no let off) that works for any draw length. I shoot a carbon arrow that's not modified. Your going to spend about 200 all total and have a inexpensive bow that performs. Its strong enough to have fun and can be adjust up to 30 pounds of draw weight.

 

[davesl708]

Stores like Cabela's, Sports Authority or Academy Sports do a good job of fitting you to a bow and have some lower cost bows available.
Provided you have some of these stores close by.

 

[paulharvey]

I'm thinking about getting a bow and arrow setup for target shooting. No hunting. Nothing too expensive. Purely for the fun of it. Wouldn't get heavy use. Any recommendations?

Wife just bought the Barnett Vortex Hunter Extreme from Dicks. Think it was $209 or so with sight, quiver, peep, and adjustable modules for 45#-62#. It's surprisingly compact, and has a 5 year warranty. I'm sure it's not on part with a $1500 Mathews but so what.

 

[Soundguy]

I'm thinking about getting a bow and arrow setup for target shooting. No hunting. Nothing too expensive. Purely for the fun of it. Wouldn't get heavy use. Any recommendations?

do you want recurve, or compound bow, or even crossbow?

Easy light pulls and fun target shooting can be done with recurves at easilly 1/3'rd the cost of compound bows.

Crossbows can give you 'gun like' accuracy using a scope, out easilly in the 40-80 yard range.

Crossbow use heavier targets, and once you get past the 'toy' types, you can get cocking assist pull ropes that make them a breeze to cock. Beginner models that are still hunt capable start around 80$.. usually have cheap scopes.. so figure more like 100-110$ for the crossbow ( like a jaguire ) .. toss the cheap red dot scope and put a 20-25$ cheap short range carbine scope on it.. like a tasco or leapers, 4x24 or 6x32... the jaguire I mention comes with 3 or 4 bolts. You CAN hand cock it.. or pay another 15 -20 for a cocking assist string.

I have one.. it's fun and accurate, and is a recurve style crossbow. I'd feel very confident hunting with it in the 0-40 yard range and up to 60 with clean targets.

From there you move up to things like ten point and similar offerings at gandor mountain or dicks sporting goods.. IE.. major sporting goods box stores. Dicks usually clearances their crossbows right at the end of hunting season. Me and a buddy picked up 499$ xbow that were dropped to 299, then 279, then 249$.. GREAT bows, and good scopes already on them. For sure need cocking assist.

Up from there you start getting into minor pro and up equipment. stuff like parker. $ 350+ bows ( both parker and some other small players also make women / youth models that have shorter stocks. )

Bows:

Recurve can go from about 100$ and up new.. both wood and fiberglass. Kingfisher makes a kit for as low as 140$-150$ that includes a takedown fiberglass recurve bow and a fishing arrow or 2, plus a spool. I see the bows alone for 130$ that bow and an allen wrench will disassemble into a string and 2 limbs and the central grip, and store in a mans long tube sock. Lots of hikers like these take down bows. Stores in less space than a wooden one piece job. Pull are usually in the 24-40# range

From there the sky is the limit for combound bows.. as much money as you want to spend.. fps over 325 and up.

 

[paulharvey]

The Jaguar and several other 170-175 lbs recurve crossbows are readied Man Kung Mk-175. They seem to be fairly powerful, but often quit a bit less so then a 150 lbs compound crossbow, and they Can be drawn by hand, but after 10-12 shota, that honestly stops being much fun. I also have a Mk-180, that is actually a 130 lbs recurve crossbow, and it's Slow, and realistic max aimed range is 25 yards. Crossbows are very depended on "power stroke" more than actually draw weight.

My Mk-180 was in the $89 range with a 4x20 scope and 12 of the cheapest, poorest made aluminum arrows you can imagine. The rebadged Mk-175 is much better shooting, came with a nicer red dot, stringer, draw assist rope, quiver, and 4 reap arrows for around $220.

 

[Soundguy]

25 yds... wow.. that's horrid.

I have a reproduction medieval danish styled crossbow.. steel prod 120#

open sighting down the tiller.. I can make 40yrd head shots on my 'undead fred' foam zombie archery target. ( it shoots 2 feather 12" cedar bolts with bodkin tips )

My jaguire will toss it's 14-16" aluminum bolts a bet further and with slightly more accuracy.

I DO notice a fps difference in my parker and tenpoint vs the jaguire. I know the is in the 245 fps range.. thus less than the 325ish of the more pro bows.

I believe my medieval job is closer to 200-225 fps.. but still gets the job done.

 

[Soundguy]

25 yds... wow.. that's horrid.

I have a reproduction medieval danish styled crossbow.. steel prod 120#

open sighting down the tiller.. I can make 40yrd head shots on my 'undead fred' foam zombie archery target. ( it shoots 2 feather 12" cedar bolts with bodkin tips )

My jaguire will toss it's 14-16" aluminum bolts a bet further and with slightly more accuracy.

I DO notice a fps difference in my parker and tenpoint vs the jaguire. I know the is in the 245 fps range.. thus less than the 325ish of the more pro bows.

I believe my medieval job is closer to 200-225 fps.. but still gets the job done.

 

[paulharvey]

25 yds... wow.. that's horrid.

I have a reproduction medieval danish styled crossbow.. steel prod 120#

open sighting down the tiller.. I can make 40yrd head shots on my 'undead fred' foam zombie archery target. ( it shoots 2 feather 12" cedar bolts with bodkin tips )

My jaguire will toss it's 14-16" aluminum bolts a bet further and with slightly more accuracy.

I DO notice a fps difference in my parker and tenpoint vs the jaguire. I know the is in the 245 fps range.. thus less than the 325ish of the more pro bows.

I believe my medieval job is closer to 200-225 fps.. but still gets the job done.

When I say 25 yards, that's before arrow drop becomes to much to make up for with the scope, I think there's 12" diffence between 20y and 30y.

It has folding prods, which I can't see anyone really folding, and only like an 8" power stroke. It's in that space between toy and real crossbow. The 175 is deffinently not a toy. I'll look up the name I bought it as, but on the prode, there is a small sticker saying "mk175".

Edit: Man Kung is made in the Republic of China, not the PRC.

Re-edit: I bought the Mk-180 on ebay, where the seller said it was 180 lbs draw, which is clearly a lie, if I new it was 130lbs I probably wouldn't have bought it.

 

[Soundguy]

ill post some pics later.