Wife wants to shoot, I need help
Equipment
My wife has finally come to me saying she wants to start shooting a bow. She has no interest in hunting. Does anyone have opinions on good bows that have abundant draw length adjustment along with weight adjustment? I want the length adjustment because I'm sure her form will change over time. I'm excited to get this journey started with her. Thanks for any input.
Bear, her draw length should not change significantly due to form. If you set her up initially at the correct draw length and help her she should be good to go right out of the gate. The poundage is what will really matter for her until she builds up muscle memory. What kind of price range are you looking in? I have two lady archers in my home, one shoots an Elite Spirit and loves it to death and the other shoots a Hoyt Carbon Spyder FX and according to her it is "lit" whatever that means:) There's obviously far cheaper options available than either of those.
Brotsky, We don't want a high end bow to start. She's not sure how much she'll love it yet. I'm hoping to stay between $300 and $500 for the bow.
Bear, groundhunter gave you a good option. The Mission Craze II is a good little bow as a starter and is right in your wheelhouse price wise. Very adjustable and smooth drawing. Performance isn't great but it'll get the job done!
Scoot, her bow is lit, her broadheads are savage, and she, as a hunter, is legit. I personally don't understand what any of that means. I just ask her how any of that ends with a dead turkey! Ha!
It's funner shooting a recurve than a compound for just the joy of archery. I'd consider getting her a trad bow. The worst thing you could do would be to get her something that's even close to too heavy. A Samik Sage is an inexpensive takedown recurve that you can buy different poundage limbs for and switch out easily. That's what I got for my wife in 60 inch with 30 lb limbs and she likes it.
I think Ike has a great idea. When I practice I shoot my compounds, but for fun, nothing beats my Red Wing Hunter !
I shoot both, well I am not shooting anything currently, I'm dealing with shoulder issues at the moment. I had her shooting a 25# sammick last night. We are exploring all options right now. I want her to try both and see what she likes more. I was just trying to get an idea of what to look at with her when we go to the bow shop next time. I want this to be a fun experience for her and hope it turns into something we do together moving forward.
My Wife (Lady Bowhunter) started shooting a bow about a 2 weeks after we were married (1991). The only things that have changed since then are her draw weight and type of bow being shot. Draw length did change a bit when she transitioned from fingers to a release otherwise it's been constant.
At first she had no desire to hunt, so she started shooting targets in our back yard. It progressed relatively quickly to shooting 'spots' at a pro shop's shooting lane, to 3D tournaments and eventually bowhunting.
As for types of brands bows, I'd suggest you start her with a bow that won't break your budget, possibly something 'gently' used in her draw length and with a weight that can be adjusted up or down commensurate with her strength. There are several brands out now that cater to women shooters, G5's Storm (Quest), Matthews Jewel, Bowtech's Shockey model etc. The important thing is to make sure she doesn't 'over bow' herself from the beginning and that the weight is adjustable over a wide range. You want it to be fun for her from DAY 1.
One caution however, once she catches on and is shooting well, do not change the draw weight without telling her. I made that mistake, and would secretly raise her draw weight each week at a rate of one turn (about 2#). The change wasn't noticeable physically, but it did raise her arrow's impact point slightly. She would get frustrated that she wasn't hitting like she did before the increase was made (I had heck to pay later when I explained it).
Thanks for all of your input. I had my wife shoot numerous traditional and compound bows. She settled on a mission hype dte. It's a nice affordable bow. She's had sore back muscles each day because she's shooting so much. I've never seen her so excited. I'm hopeful that this will turn into a lifelong passion for her/us.
PSE Stinger X best bow for the buck for a new shooter. Huge range of adjustment and they can be had ll set up ready to shoot for around 300 bucks. I even bought one as a back up bows. Shawn
