nodog

I've bought bows off the net and in retails stores "pro shops" no difference. If you can find a real pro in a retail store by all means tap him for all their worth. I doubt you will though speaking from experience.

The reflex bows are not cheap just cheaper, still $300+. Only looks good because the others are around $700+. They are very adjustable and forgiving. He can work hisway into the form that best suits him with no problem. Only thing he needs to know is how much weight to pull and you should be able to help him there. As far as accessories he'll walk outof a retail store with what he won't want just as much as he would off line maybe even more so. Do some homework first. It's not rocket science even though you'd think so some times.

You might want to take my advise with alittle scepticism. I also repair my ownvehicles. How crazy is that.

Roger46982

www.hunterfriend.com the only place to buy a bow on line.

dws

Theres been several people on here that have bought from huntersfriend. It seems they have been happy with the service and price. You might want to check out some local shops to see if they have any deals on leftovers or used bows. Three weeks ago I bought a leftover Reflex Timberwolf from a shop for $329 six months ago it would have cost me $549.

NY Harvester

Classified section at "archery talk" has some good deals , you can check the sellers history also.
I think alot of the guys there get a new bow every 6 mo. LOL, then they sell the "old "one.
My .02

Paul L Mohr

I'm going to have to agree with the others here and strongly advise you against ordering a bow. I only do it if it the was the only option you had, like there were no shops at all with in a 100 miles of you. I would suggest driving to another state if you had vrs ordering one off line if you are a new shooter.

I am a fairly decent archer with a fair amount of knowledge about the subject. I still don't think I would buy a bow off the internet. If I can't shoot it first chances are I'm not paying that kind of money for it.

There is so much to learn as a new archer I just can't in feel good about suggesting to someone to get a bow by mail order. Even if you go to a shop and get fitted for draw length and weight. Every bow is different, if you don't get the exact model you looked at it may different. And you can't go by what the limbs and modules say either. Just because it says it has a 29 inch draw doesn't really mean it does. Some or up to an inch off! It's really something you need to have fitted to you. Even what sort of release you use effects your percieved draw length. Would you buy a $600 dollar suit off the rack and hope it fits? I wouldn't, for that kind of money I want it tailored, and I'm going to do it wear it. (not that I would spend that kind of money on a suit)

And in my opinion cabela's, bass pro and gander mountain are not any better. You might get lucky and have a good one where you live, but most have like one guy that actually knows what he is doing and the rest are just people that work there, they may not even work in that department every day. And I agree, some so callled pro shops are not much better. However it's a risk I would take.

I can't begin to tell you how many bows I have had to re set up that came from the internet or big chain stores. Nothing wrong with the bows per say, just poor chioces in equipment, wrong spine arrows, poor fit and crappy set ups. Not to mention no one spent any time giving them an inkling of proper form or good shooting technique. I good pro shop will bend over backwards to make sure a new archer is happy and has a good idea what he is doing before he leaves the shop.

I also agree there is nothing wrong with getting a used a bow. Or one that is a few years old and discounted.

Oh and a good shop will set a bow up for you to shoot. Not just hand you one off the rack and let you shoot it. They will change the modules or adjust the draw length and poundage and let you test it that way. Shooting a bow that does not fit you is not going to tell you much.

Good luck, and if you get one from a online store I expect we will be seeing more of you

"He doesn't want to put a lot of money into a bow until he is sure he will like it. Does anybody know any good places to look online that has decent prices for new bows?"

This statement contradicts itself. If he buys a cheap bow off the internet I can almost assure you he will not be happy with it in the long run. Sounds like a future fisherman to me.

Paul

jamiebuck

I have to agree ,sorry guys my problem is iam left handed,its hard for a pro shop stock leftys in every model out there because they dont want to get stuck with them,i tried a couple shops around me,but no dice so i chose to go with huntersfriend and i more then happy with my setup,and they had great service. if i was a righty,it would of been proshop all the way

Paul L Mohr

You can shoot a right handed bow left handed to test it out if you want. The bows are the same, just load and have the sights on a different side. Niether of which should make a big difference when testing one out. And I am sure the shop could have ordered a left handed bow for you.

Paul

cmullis

I bought a Reflex Excursion from Cabelas about 3 years ago. I absolutely love it. Don't get me wrong, I got my eyes on a new Trykon but that not because my Reflex is a bad bow. Mine is set-up with a Muzzy Zero-Effect rest. 4" Groups at 50 yards is no problem. When I shoot with my two hunting buddies I can hang right with them. They were impressed when a sub-$300 bow would shoot right with a Hoyt MT Sport and a Bowtech VFT.

Straightarrow

The problem isn't whether the bow will be a good one or if you will like it. Most bows are good and most can be shot well under the right circumstances. The trouble comes when you buy something that doesn't fit properly, isn't tuned or needs some attention to the strings or some other adjustment. Beginners simply do not have the experience to handle these situations.

You need a shop that can guide your decisions, make sure the bow is setup exactly right, match some arrows to shoot properly, help you tune your new setup, give some basic instruction on how to keep it tuned, and maybe some shooting instructions.

Whether you enjoy archery or not, will largely depend on your ability to hit what you're aiming at. A good shop can get you doing this radically faster than you can on your own. Most quit because they didn't get expert advise and guidance. Online bows and ebay bows are for experienced archers, not beginners. If you need to save money, buy used or a low-end model.

If you decide to ignore all the advise that says to buy at a bow shop, at least take the bow to a good shop and pay to have it set up properly and get the proper arrows for it. Arrows are far too important to success, for a beginner to buy them online and tune them without expert help.

jtb1967

If he's new to archery, he would probably be better off at a proshop. You can save a great deal of money shopping online if you know what you're looking for, either by actually buying online or by using the online dealers and asking your local shop to price match or at least come close. Last year I saved $200.00 on an 06 Bowtech by ordering online.