Hey guys,

Any of you that have read my "would you trust this" thread know that I am looking for a hunting rig for this season after my bear grizzly broke last summer and am low on funds. I am looking for a decent hunting bow for under $250 bucks if possible. Preferably new, but I have been scanning the classifieds constantly to see what pops up. Any recommendations would be great. Times running out. Thanks.

Jon

Jon I would say scan the ads with a type of bow you want in mind. Recurve or longbow , take down or one piece. Length of bow and weight of pull. I think you will find most all that have ads on here are trustworthy. Most are passing along bows that are not fitting them perfectly or once they get their hands on them , is not what they wanted. I have some bows for sale. ecowden_1@yahoo.com

Jon,

I'd personally go the classifieds route.

There was just a great Bob Lee Dark Archer sold on the classifieds for $200.

Whoever snatched that bow up got a heck of a steal!

A lot of great bows for great prices on here.

Matt

I see you're in ny, what area? if you're not too far from denton hill Pa, it might be worth it for you to check out the blanket sale next weekend. last year I got a hill country longbow for $250.

Check RMSG on the web. I have two lefties for sale on the web page.

If you cant find one in the used route, Samick Sage, put a fast flight string on it and you have a sweet shooting little bow and still have money for arrows and broadheads!

3Rivers has a Martin Jaguar right hand only for $249. I think it was a new item in the most recent catalog,and it's showing on their website.

Jon,
Sent you a pm about a Hornes Traditionalist.
Dave

Check out Kustom King also.  They have some great choices, made in Germany, 30 year warranty!!  Pete Ward's website reviews most of them quite favorably.

I have one word for you: used. Almost any used vintage bow is going to be better quality than anything you can get new for $250. I know there are a lot of Samick Sage fans out there, they're OK, but they are what they are.... Beyond the obvious Bears, which seem to bring the highest prices, look in the classifieds and on the auction sites for Wing, Damon Howatt, Shakespeare or Ben Pearson. Lot of great old bows out there for less money.

Check the classifieds. Pick up something around 40-45lbs at 28" and learn to shoot the darn thing. You can even post a wanted add with some criterion.

I have loved grizzly bows for a while.  You shouldnt have any issues finding another one of them matching your criteria.

not sure how I managed to double post here

I have about a buck and a half in all my bows for the string and arrow rest, the rest is free plus some shop time.

Cut my own wood and start shaving off the excess.

I find my bows to be up to the task on any deer.

Once you start making your own bows, the idea of spending a pile of money on bows won't make sense to you anymore.

Eric stop teasing, next thing you know is his entire property will be covered in shavings, saw dust everywhere, staves all over the place and all his and his neighbors trees cut down, then while hunting he's too busy looking up at trees to look eye level for deer.

agree with you 100% though,, 8^)

QuoteOriginally posted by mahantango:
I have one word for you: used. Almost any used vintage bow is going to be better quality than anything you can get new for $250. I know there are a lot of Samick Sage fans out there, they're OK, but they are what they are.... Beyond the obvious Bears, which seem to bring the highest prices, look in the classifieds and on the auction sites for Wing, Damon Howatt, Shakespeare or Ben Pearson. Lot of great old bows out there for less money.

Mahan' makes an excellent point.  Eric does as well.  You've got options.  Have fun with it.

Okay guys, maybe this was bit misunderstood. I'm definitely not a novice traditional archer by any means,I've been shooting since I could walk and consider myself a good shot say consistent 3-4" groups at 20-25 yards, a lot of the time better. I'm in the college boat though, and like all of us college students I am dirt poor.

I had a 45# bear grizzly that I bought when I was 13 and shot probably close to 200000 arrows through her before it developed some twist and a small crack last august after a long 3d shoot.

The main reason I don't want to go the cheapo samick sage route is I feel like after shooting a grizzly for so long it would be a small downgrade. Not sure. My bear wasn't perfect and the finish wasn't great from the factory, so maybe it wouldn't be.

Eric thanks for the self bow idea, and guess what, I've made close to 3 dozen self bows. some are pretty good even, but I am not as confident shooting them as I would like.

So I guess from your suggestions I'm gonna be looking at a lot of used bows and see what I can get until I manage to get through school and snag that 80k a year job.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Jon

I would reccomend an older Damon Howatt Hunter.
In my opinion it is the best bow you can buy for under 200 bucks and better than most costing 3 times that much.

John

You can't beat the classifieds here.  Some great folks to deal with and all of them will be happy to answer any questions you might have.  If you find something you like and don't have all the $$ right now....just send a message and politely inquire if they might be willing to work with you.  I've bought a couple and the sellers were happy to work with me.  Especially if the bow had been listed for a little while.  Just offer to pay half now and half in 2-4 weeks....or whatever you can afford and comfortably work out.  Let them know that you DON'T expect them to ship the bow until they receive full payment and that will certainly let them know you're on the up and up!  Just make sure you are understanding and polite if they can't work with you.  Sometimes we need the cash asap for personal things (or another bow).   Can't hurt to ask and you will end up with a great new bow that's better than you might be able to rush out and buy with the money currently in your pocket and might even end up with a new friend!!  

There have been some amazing and desirable bows on here lately at incredibly good prices!!!  Wish I hadn't just lost my good job!!  HA HA....

Just a thought....that and 5 bucks will get you a cup of coffee.....not including the "tip"!!     :D

if you look on Raptor archery's website he has used bears there that are hunting weight and very affordable.