Choosing The Best Hunting Bow!

This is my opinion and experience on the best hunting bow. I promise to be as honest as I can, but it's some fact, and more opinion.

If your a new bow-hunter you are probably looking at the vast number of compound bows. There are many bows, but also variations of length, cam, draw weigh...

How you will hunt is important. I'll assume deer hunting from an elevated platform of some kind. If you'll hunt from the ground it could skew your choice in another direction. We will come back "to the ground" a little later.

1. Don't spend too much money on your first bow. You will learn from your first bow what you like and don't like. You are very likely to want something different in a few seasons. It's not likely your first will be your best hunting bow.

2. Don't buy too much draw weight. A common mistake! After sitting out in the cold for hours you may find it hard to draw a heavy bow. More draw weight makes the bow harder to handle, and it offers little advantage. The small increase in arrow speed makes only a slightly flatter shooting arrow. With good broad-heads a 50 pound bow is enough for whitetails.

3. Handle and shoot as many bows as possible, but buy a normal, average "middle of the road" bow. Why? Because as stated in #1 above: "You'll learn from your first bow". An average, normal, first bow is what most hunters like best. Such a bow will give you a better point of reference for a second bow. If you buy a 70 pound bow, the fastest extreme cam bow, the shortest bow, or longest bow made; your point of reference is then extreme.

Now a disclosure: I have never owned a compound bow, or shot one often. I believe the best hunting bow 'for me' is a short light weight recurve bow. How can I be so bold and give you advice on compound bows... The advice I'm giving is a simple common sense approach.

I've always been interested in compound bows. I've shot 3D with, listened to, read, and studied what many compound shooters say and do. The simple advice I'm giving may be better than what they tell you. Some would tell you to go out and buy what they like best.

Although I've never actually hunted with one, I believe most bow-hunters should use a compound bow.

Most bow-hunters today hunt from an elevated stand. They often have the time to measure the ranges around them. If the range (distance) is known, even a new shooter should shoot a target bow fairly well. Did you notice I called it a target bow?

Shooting 3-D targets a freckle faced kid with his new compound often shoots better than an old pro with a stick bow. Using sights, and knowing the range; the compound can be deadly.

Some compound bows shoot arrows almost twice as fast as some stick bows. But their arrow's still drop rapidly, and still require one to adjust for range.

I seldom climb. On the ground I'm more likely to need to make a quick shot at an unknown distance. If a shot must be made quickly, the target pops-up at an unknown range, is moving... the compound shooter is often slow and less practiced at guessing range.

Using sights is a slower process for any shot. Stick bows have been used without sights for thousands of years, and they can be shot from less than perfect positions. The stick can be very accurate, but it's more difficult to shoot with consistent accuracy "bare-bow" without sights.

Take the sights off a compound and you can learn to shoot it more quickly, but it's still three to five times heavier, not as smooth, nor as versatile as a stick bow. (Note: compounds continue to loose weight and improve in smoothness.)

How about adding sights to a traditional bow? You would likely become more consistently accurate using sights. But you loose the simplicity, the fluid movement of a shot, some of the ability to shoot from different positions, and most important the speed of target acquisition.

I decided the best hunting bow for me didn't need sights. I reasoned that bow-hunting is a short range sport, a deer (kill zone) is a relatively big target, often poor low light... and that sights would be a handicap.

I also reasoned the compound bow is heavier to carry, and inherently slower to put into action. Choosing a bow for hunting on the ground,
a light weight, fast handling, stick bow, could have some advantages.

My theory was perfect until I shot completely over several deer. As a responsible bow-hunter, I still question my wisdom when I make a poor shot. But! Compound shooters miss too, especially when they shoot quickly!

I was attracted to the recurved bows, "I like curves." I like long bows too, but they are... long. If your bow or string is touching anything when you shoot; it usually spoils your shot.

Longer bows are more difficult to keep out of the vegetation. (Another reason I keep my eye on the compact little compounds. If they continue to get lighter and smoother I could become even more interested in them.)

My first bow was a typical 62 inch take down recurve. It was marked to have a draw weight of 53 pounds at the standard 28 inches. My draw length is almost 29 inches, so I probably pull 2-3 pounds more than what is marked.

For only $20 some years later I bought a nice old one piece recurve. It is a 62 inch bow which only draws 42 pounds. I don't hunt with it, but love to practice with it, and especially when I haven't shot for a while. I'm more consistently accurate with it than any stick bow I've ever shot.

Even if your best hunting bow is a compound bow I believe you will learn the most from your first bow. I often wished for a more compact bow which would be easier to keep away from the vegetation. I found I didn't use the take-down feature.

I've also learned that an easier draw helps my accuracy. A reasonably easy draw is more desirable than slightly more arrow speed. I'm 6 foot 1 inch, an athletic build, 235 pounds, but I sit at desk most days. Fifty to fifty-five pounds is all the draw weight I want.

My second hunting bow is the same brand (Jeffery), and almost the same pull 52 pounds. It's not a take-down, even lighter weight, more graceful, maybe a little smoother drawing(?). My best hunting bow is a very light and short 52 inch recurve.

Many would say the bow is too short for my draw length. I agree shooting a bow only 52 inches long is slightly harder for me. But! I love carrying this shorter lighter bow. I'm happy with it. Still, if I found the same bow with a 45-48 pound draw I think I would like it even better.

If I were looking for the best hunting bow for moose or big bear I'm not sure what I'd do. I have confidence in my little bow, and maybe I'd just use a heaver arrow/broad-head. I could try to build myself up to a heaver bow, or maybe use a 60 pound compound. Thinking about a big bear, maybe the best hunting bow would be a .30-06, or a .338 Mag rifle :-)

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