What type of bow should I get?
I am thirteen years old, almost fourteen and I would like to get into archery again. I quit for about 4 years. I pull the string with my right hand and hold the bow with my left. Should I get a left handed or right handed bow? My height is 5′8. I can also aim with either of my eyes closed. Could you please tell me what draw weight I should get and if i should get a recurve, compound, or crossbow. And please tell me the difference between recurve and compound besides the compound has a weel on the sides. If you know of any good bows please send me a link of them. Best answer gets 10pts.
The main difference between a recurve and compound is the wheels. Other than that, in a tournament, a compound class may use the following equipment that a recurve may not use
-Mechanical release
-Magnified scope
-Peep sight
Those three contribute more to the compound’s accuracy than the wheels alone.
Now on to the things that affect you more. How to decide between the two bows. First and foremost, money. Compounds, generally cost more than recurves, just the bow itself tend to cost more, specially on the low end. You can get a recurve bow today for $50, and get a decent bow, with a compound you have to go up to about $300 to get a decent one. At the top end, the gap is narrower, top of the line recurve goes for about $1500, about the same as a compound. But, and it’s a big but, a compound will still end up costing you more because all those gadgets cost more money. A world class recurve rest, for instance can be had for as little as $3, world class…Now a compound rest, think more in the line of $100 or more. You can get a world class recurve sight for $180, with a compound sight $180 will only buy you the sight bar, the scope will cost you another $200. Then you have maintenance, you can replace a recurve string for $10, compound string will cost you upwards of $90 because you need to take it to a shop to get it replaced.
Then there’s the use factor, what do you want to do with the bow. If you want to go to the Olympics, your decision is easy, you go recurve, compounds aren’t allowed at the Olympics. If you want to go out hunting next week, then your decision is also easy, you go compound, because there’s no way anyone can be ready to hunt with a recurve in a week. How much time do you have to shoot, and will you practice a lot. Recurves demand more time practicing than a compound. You can let a compound down for half the year and still shoot ok, do the same with a recurve you’d be lucky to hit the wall.
As for the bow, you do need a right handed bow. And the gentleman above me is quite right, the genesis is a great bow. I heard someone shot a genesis bow at the World Archery Festival in Vegas this year and did great. A genesis is a compound bow with no letoff and no set draw length. It is rather expensive, at around $300.
Learning Archery – How To Aim, Set, Release, Follow Through
