Currently do all my archery hunting with a crossbow, and may stick with that for this season, but want to start making the transition to a compound bow. Would like some input on a few things that come with it.

Buy new or used?

What’s a realistic price range for the works behind a complete setup? Bow/accessories, arrows, broad heads, tuning/fitting cost, etc.

How much does price correlate to accuracy, reliability, durability over years?

When would be the best time of year to shop for deals on this stuff?

Any suggestions on bows/brands for me to look into? (5’8”-165lbs)

Any suggestions on the best archery shops in North Ft. Worth -> Denton area?

Now is not the time to shop new. Archery shops are all hands on deck and busy. Me, I'd wait until the new lines of bows come out then swoop in on a good used bow. You may be able to meet someone at a place like Cinnamon Creek and find a good deal while they are shopping for a new one.

What would be considered a good deal for a bow I want to use 5+ years?
I know zero about the different brands, models, styles, etc. so would the best option be to start at an archery shop and let them guide me towards a few recommendations? Use that to narrow my search a bit.

You can pick up a two year old flagship bow from any of the big companies for 40-60% of the cost of new. Many times set up wit top end accessories.

February through May are some of the least busy times in a bow shop and good times to shop for comparing bows as far as time to spend with a customer. Buy one then and have plenty of time for setup sight in and practice to familiarize with your new setup before season as well.

I would budget $1500 but may not need it. Wait a few months then start shooting all the models you can and that once rigged is within the budget. Don't shoot anything that is above what you are willing to pay. I would recommend seeing Jim or someone at Gateway Archery in Ft Worth or Cinnamon Creek up by Denton. Maybe both if they carry different brands. You will find what you like most and what feels good. You will find folks that swear by the brand that fits them best and it is because it fits THEM best not necessarily you.
If you are trying to stay under $1000 then look for trade in and consignment bows at the shops and shoot them.

Go buy a ready to shoot package bow from Diamond, Elite, PSE or Bear.

Most can be had for around $500-$600. Make sure you like using the compound bow.

If after a few years you like it, then upgrade to a flagship bow, which will be in that $1500 range.


Of course, as previously mentioned nothing wrong with shooting a 2 year old flagship trade in.

If you want to go used you can get some good deals now.
https://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=850197

Hold what you got until after deer season. Archery shops are getting slammed and it’s only getting busier. After deer season there will be a slump, that’s the time to get your bow. That also gives you most of the year to get it tuned and get your sights and yourself dialed in.

I’ve been keeping my eye out on all the classifieds, here and TBH, but until I go try some out I don’t think I’ll be comfortable in knowing what to look for.


What time of year does the new stuff come out? I’ll spend the post season looking at/trying out this year’s and last year’s stuff, then see what kind of deals I can find when the new round of gear hits the market.

As everyone said, wait. and then visit a pro shop. They will help you. You can start used, if you find one you like and they will adjust it to your pull. Ask for help. Remember - "I'm a man, but I can change, If I have to, I guess."
I recommend visiting -
Nock It Archery Center - Rhome, Decatur
Cinnamon Creek - Roanoke, Haslet area.

I switched a few years ago, and ended up really liking and buying a ready to hunt package from BEAR. Then I upgraded parts, in the off-season, to practice upgrades.

Give you an idea of deals ($350) you can find in the off-season, this was from last summer.

Shoot a large Varity of bows from entry to flagship bows from different manufactures and let the bow tell you which to get. I have owned one flagship bow that was the fastest bow in 1997. I now have a bow that is no where near flagship but is faster and smoother than that flagship bow was.

Bow makers pretty much hit the wall on speed with materials used and started going for smoothness and making them more shooter friendly in the past 5 years or so.

This time of the year bow shops are busy with people getting ready to hunt, new model bows will start showing up in January and some of last years models will start going on sale. Good time to look at new bows.

Agree with this. Bow maker’s flagship lines typically are maxing out around 335-340fps obo, but they are buttery smooth. I shot a bow tech RPM 360 a few years back that had such a harsh draw cycle that it was horrendous to shoot.

I’m currently in an Elite Enkore ( which was a flagship bow ) and don’t plan on trading it any time soon. Shoots plenty fast and is so smooth and dead in the hand it’s almost unbelievable

But, for a dedicated whitetail and pig rig just about any modern compound will be more than sufficient. Smooth and accurate is more important than blistering speed

I just bought a v3x 33. Waiting on rain to go away so I can set my sights tape for my elk hunt next week.

When trying out bows, I about fell over on how dead in the hand and smooth the draw cycles are. I’m scared to shot my xcursion now.

Oh and quiet, I had to change arrows because others where to short. With no time to build arrows I just bought blaze’ed vane ones, and still creepy quiet. I can’t image how quiet it will be once I refletch

The VX3 is a great bow.

You will enjoy it

First 50 yard group while setting right to left on pins. Tuning on this bow was by far the easiest I’ve done in 20 years. Shot 200 shots at 10 yards to stretch strings, then shot 20 and 50, then sixty to set sight tape. I took her to 80 before neighbors started getting nervous

Not as fast as my xcursion but a lot easier on shoulders, ultra smooth draw, very quiet. Set at 70 I’m tempted to change it to 75 but scared since it tuned so well @ 70

Generally I have found really smooth draw bows are the easiest to get and keep quiet, which as fast as todays bows are they even at 20 or 25fps less than the fastest bows a good feeling smooth shootable bow is faster than bows of 20 years ago that were not as smooth and they killed critters.

I’ve basically shot a strothers design for past 14-18 years. Never been a huge Mathew’s fan, I went between this and Hoyt ventrum 33. Overall the newer Mathew’s grip felt better, and being able to go from 60-75 lb won me over

Haven't thought much of Strothers bows in a while. Kevin Strother is a heck of a bow designer but as far as running his company not as much. The bows with his name on were sweet shooters and not bad to work on, better be good with a drawboard to get it right.

Yelp bowtech, elite, strothers and xpedition. Think there are a lot of smaller companies that sub out design work to him, Like Xpedition

I could guess, but go ahead and tell me what a "flagship" bow is.

Top end bows from a company, is that companies flagship.