A Guide To Buying A Bow

Professional turkey caller, avid hunter, NRA Country music artist, and host of Headhunter TV Nate Hosie sheds insight to three important elements to consider when deciding to purchase a bow. 

Bow hunting is celebrated all over the country as one of the most challenging methods of hunting for any kind of game. It takes discipline, practice, patience and dedication to fine tune the skills of an archer. For those who are bow hunters or have bow hunted before, you can understand the challenges behind hunting with one. One being the animal needs to be closer than if one were hunting with a rifle. From experienced to new bow hunters, purchasing a new bow surrounds three important elements; comfort, accuracy, and reliability. Each go hand-in-hand and play a vital role in the overall success of shooting your bow.

Comfort

When heading to your local bow shop to begin the process, I encourage you to hold as many bows as possible. In my own experience, I’ve preferred the comfort of Mathews bows. For me, the balance and weight of the bow have been prevalent for when shopping for one. The best way to get to that level of comfort is to test shoot multiple bows, as many as possible, so that you can dial in on what bow fits you best. Comfort with the bow will play a major role in your overall accuracy when shooting. As with anything in life the more comfortable you feel, the better you will do.

Accuracy

Bows have come a long way in the last few years. Many even claim bows are just as accurate as the next with how they’re built. Even if that may be the case, it doesn’t mean you should select just any bow from the store and expect it to shoot well right off the bat. Accuracy is followed by your comfort with the bow. The more comfortable you are with something, the better your performance will be. The same principle applies to shooting a bow. Once you have found a bow you are comfortable with, a bow that feels evenly weighted and balanced in your hands, your accuracy will benefit greatly once sighted in. In my experience, shorter bows will shoot well but often require a steadier hand that can hold a pin dead on. These shorter bows often take an experienced archer. For me, longer bows tend to be more forgiving and take less precision to shoot. Whichever you choose, long or short, remember it is important to practice as much as possible so that your arrow takes flight and makes the most accurate and safe shot in the field.

Reliability 

As I mentioned earlier I’ve shot Mathews for many years because, for me, it checks all the boxes of what I look for in a bow. Take the time to do research and find a bow that is going to fit your particular style of hunting; what you are hunting and how often you are hunting, because it all factors into how reliable your bow will end up being. One of the most important aspects I look for in a bow is its weight. Some bows are adjustable and can be set to different weights. People shoot 40, 50, 60 even 80lb bows! Mine lies at a steady 70lbs. Weight also plays a role in shooting distance and species you are hunting. Do your research before you hit the store. Know what you plan to hunt, where you plan to hunt and factor in how often you will go. Do all this before making your purchase, after all a bow is an investment to your hunt. Do the research and make sure you spend your hard-earned money on a bow that will be able to hang in the tree or blind for years and a multitude of hunts to come.

When you take to the woods with your new bow may your arrows always fly true!