Tips for Buying Your First Bow

Make your first bow the right one for you.

Bowhunting and archery in general are becoming more and more popular. Hunters are flocking to it everyday, which is great for the hunting community. If you're just getting started, though, make sure you're set up with the right compound bow for you.

Avoid big box stores

I'll be the first to admit that Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops are the closing thing to heaven for me and a lot of other outdoorsmen and women. However, this is the one case where should avoid those stores. There are always exceptions to this rule, but your smaller archery shops are going to be your best friends when it comes to buying hunting bows. These shops offer a level of expertise those bigger stores unfortunately can't always compete with.

Shoot it before you buy it

Try before you buy is nothing new. Most bow shops will have a range of some sort to test out your new bow. Take full advantage of it and test out more than one. Shoot as many as your arm can draw back. On that note, start doing pushups and build some upper-body strength so you can handle more draw weight.

Know how to shoot

Seems simple, right? You should have a rough idea of how to operate this expensive piece of equipment. It's not that simple, though. You'll soon learn all about the finer details of archery. The keys for now are finding your anchor points, having a relaxed bow grip and getting your stance right. These points will help you pick out the best bow for you.

Get a bow that fits right

This is another advantage of avoiding a big store. The staff will tend to do a better job fitting you with the right bow. First, you need to know your draw length. You can find this by measuring your arm span from middle finger to middle finger and dividing by 2.5. Ideally, you want to get a bow that allows you to place your strong hand along your jaw line. Another great option is to get a kisser button. These little things are a huge help in developing solid anchors and form.

NEXT: TESTING OUT DIFFERENT TURKEY LOADS