School Me: Learning Bow from a Rifleman's Perspective

Mason326

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Midland, TX
I'm a rifle hunter and rifle shooting enthusiast thinking of picking up bow hunting (mule deer, elk) for a few reasons. Can y'all give me some tips for getting into it from a rifle hunting perspective?

My wife is uninterested in rifle hunting much besides lease WT for meat anymore and has only expressed interest in hitting the mountains for muleys and elk with pointy sticks. Additionally, many of my dedicated back country hunting friends down here in TX only/mostly bow hunt in the West. I would also appreciate more flexibility in when I can hit the mountains, doing so with a bow would help that significantly. I used to shoot trad bows for fun when I was a kid, but would prefer to go compound for hunting as I'm primarily a meat hunter and anything that increases my capabilities is preferable. Unfortunately, the only things I know about the pursuit is that people debate bow brands like Ford/Chevy/Dodge trucks... Let's not do that here :cool:

Any tips for getting started are greatly appreciated!
 
The best thing you can do is find a mentor or get lessons. Tryig to learn on your own will devleop bad habits and possibly some you'll never break. The mentor will answer questions on gear, equipment, hunting strategy, etc, all based on their experiences. Once you get a handle on it, you will expand your own skill set.

After that I would extol patience. It takes many of us a few seasons before we harvested our first with a bow.
 
A visit to a reputable local bow shop is the place to start. You're comment about Ford/Chevy is spot on. A good shop should be able to help get you set up with correct draw length and weight. Shoot as many different models as you can. Any good shop will help you out and let you shoot a bunch. It's a good idea to make said visit at a time when the shops not busy.
 
Buy once, cry once. That isn't just about the bow and major accessories either, that goes for arrows and cases and practice quiver and the whole lot.

I went back to a compound recently and bought 3doz arrows so I don't have to even consider that for 5 years or so. I have been in a crappy situation when a mfg. discontinues my current shaft and the closest replacement is different weight/ spine and I had to start from scratch with tuning the beast.

And... Have fun! The flight of the arrow is a beautiful thing...
 
Buy what your budget will allow. A mid level pkg setup will do just fine till you get a year under your belt and understand what you need and what you want. As noted, shoot all that interest you; fit is more important than function.
 
Once you've decided on the bow and all the components have someone show you function and form. Just like shooting a rifle you need to understand how everything works in relation to the other components. Good form is paramount once you have good form practice practice practice. No different than shooting a rifle good form and practice makes you a better shot.
 
Good form is important. High dollar bows are not as important. Archery equipment has effectively hit a wall in relation to speed gains and sound dampening. This is a great time to buy a bow since really good equipment is available all along the price spectrum.

There is nothing more rewarding or frustrating to me in the hunting world that archery hunting. I truly believe archery hunters become better overall hunters simply because we have to spend more time watching the animals on close proximity than others do. Good luck and I hope you find it as addicting as many others have.
 
The learning curve is a little bit steeper with becoming proficient in accuracy with a bow over rifle hunting.

1. Quality equipment that fits you. It's Chevy/Ford/Dodge between most bows. Shoot several and you will find one that is for you. A good archery shop with technicians that know what they are doing will be a big help.

2. Everyone has a different draw length. Make sure you have help from either a bow shop or an experienced archer to help you find out how long a draw you need. Anyone can shoot about any gun reasonably well regardless of fit. If a bow doesn't fit you, you will not be accurate.

3. After you get your draw length determined it is very important to have a properly tuned bow. Tuned meaning the nock point and arrow rest at the proper height and center shot, and also the correct spine in arrows. If you are patient and persistent you can figure this out with a lot of help from Youtube videos but get a bow shop to show you the basics. Learn how to do it for yourself as soon as you can. Most shops will get you close and you'll have to do the fine tuning on your own.
4. Consistent form in the way you shoot. Shooting each shot the same way every time makes for consistent accuracy. There is no "only" way to shoot, but a lot of solid "rules" that help with consistency and accuracy. Youtube is your friend.
It is way better to learn good form and shooting habits from the beginning rather than having to make major corrections later on. With form, you are training your muscle memory so each shot becomes instinctive and "second nature" instead of having to think through every step of a shot during a shot at live game. If you have to think through each step when an elk is bugling in your face you will be very lucky to have everthing go well. Also, you are training your mind to focus on the important execution of shot mechanics. I find it helps to keep the "buck fever" under control if I have prepared concious thoughts to execute the shot at the moment it presents itself rather than just freaking out.


That's just the shooting side of the equation. The hunting part is just like rifle hunting except there is a lot less margin for error in your hunting skills.
 
Buy what your budget will allow. A mid level pkg setup will do just fine till you get a year under your belt and understand what you need and what you want. As noted, shoot all that interest you; fit is more important than function.

This.

You’re better served spending money on shooting lessons than a top of the line bow.
 
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Shoot as many different bows as you can before you buy.

Don't practice in the house. You might have a pass-through that might poke a hole in the front door that the landlady specifically said "Please don't put any holes in this particular door". It was fate.
 
And if you do happen to shoot a hole in the door, and the door happens to be white, a smear of toothpaste just might disguise the hole before your wife sees it. Or so I've been told.
 
'18 is my first year with a bow. Texas bowhunters forum is a great resource. You can't beat this forum for helpful people. My insight is once you start you can't stop. With archery you can practice at the drop of a hat (provided you have a back yard). I'm enjoying it immensely. There are some public hunting locations here in Texas that are archery only and have seasons that last from September to late January.
 
All good advice above. Make sure you have someone professional set up your bow and pay them if you have to for a lesson or two. I find that bow hunters are even more helpful than rifle hunters when it comes to giving tips and offering to teach things, so if you can find a buddy that knows something hit them up. Otherwise, make a friend at the local archery range, bow shooting club, BHA pint night, etc. Teaching someone to shoot bow is much easier than learning.
 
Go to a reputable bow shop not some box store to get you setup. Talk to local bow hunters in your area and try to get a little more knowledge and tap into some of their experiences
 
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