Bow for a 6yr old?
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: McCree
19-Nov-18
My daughter wants Santa to bring her a bow so she can shoot with daddy. She's 6 years old with a 18.5" draw length. Any recommendations? I looked at a Mission Craze at the local shop. I want something decent but being her first bow I don't want to spend too much in case she doesn't like it. The local box store has a Bear Brave. The Brave obviously isn't the bow the Craze is but it's about $175 less. Let me know your thoughts please.
From: Glunt@work
19-Nov-18
Recurves and longbows work great for kids. They are simple, inexpensive, take a beating and can fit multiple kids. As they grow a bit their increased draw goes along with a little extra draw weight. My 12 year old son and 9 year old daughter have been shooting trad bows from Fleetwood Archery since the were 4 or 5. My son also has their Envoy compound that has a huge weight and draw length adjustment without needing extra parts. Its too big for a 6 year old but a good fit for around 10 through adult.
If you think a Brave is a fit, shoot me a PM. I have a couple in the garage they have outgrown.
From: Duke
19-Nov-18
I went with a Craze for my six year old four years ago now... A great investment as he has grown A LOT since and the bow just keeps growing with him. Big picture, it is an initial investment, however worth it if your daughter stays with it... If not, you can always sell it and get back a good chunk of the investment.
From: Franklin
20-Nov-18
I`m with Glunt…..I think some form of plastic/glass longbow type might be in order. At 6 we had a yardstick and some string...lol. Holy crap Duke....your kid is a beast if he can pull that thing.
From: CPAhunter
20-Nov-18
I’ve got my daughters mini genesis with a whisker biscuit rest barely used with 6 arrows. I’ll send it to you for $100 plus shipping.
From: oldgoat
20-Nov-18
Having started them with both, a trad bow is the way to go! One of the most important things is sharp arrow tips!!! If their arrows are bouncing off the target instead of sticking in they get really pissy! Check out Black Rhino longbows!
From: LINK
20-Nov-18
My 6 year old
My 6 year old
My 6 year old bought a Brear Cruzer lite with her Christmas and birthday money. 5-45#. I like it better than my older daughters Hoyt Ruckus but both are bows they can and will hunt with. Don’t critique her form and no we haven’t adjusted the peep yet. We are just working on building muscle and flinging arrows.
From: LINK
20-Nov-18
You can get the cruzer lite on eBay, sportsman guide and Walmart.com for $250. 12-27” draw or they come with an extra set of draw modules that make it essentially an any length draw without stops so multiple kids could shoot the same bow at the same time.
From: bas4109
21-Nov-18
I went with a Diamond Atomic for my son when he was 5. I wanted him to start with fingers just to get a feel for it. That is how I started. He is now 6. He is getting a peep and release for Christmas.
From: Redfisher
21-Nov-18
I have a Mission Craze with attachments I was thinking of selling, my son has moved up to an adult bow. If you are interested I will see what a fair price is and get back with you.
From: LINK
21-Nov-18
My oldest at 7
My oldest at 7
My oldest, now 9, started with a “real” bow at 7. The mass weight is a lot the first few times they shoot it, then they quickly get used to it. My oldest was pulling 28# at 7. Don’t be scared of the investment. My daughters love having their own “real” hunting bows.
From: Little Bear
21-Nov-18
Diamond Atomic is a great little bow. Lots of adjust-ability. Mini-Genesis is also a good option and are shot with the fingers but be ready to teach proper anchor as there will be no let-off.
From: Trial153
21-Nov-18
New breed spawn
From: elkstabber
21-Nov-18
The kids that I've started showed a lot more enthusiasm shooting traditional bows than compounds. With compound bows there are just way more moving parts and it takes away the fun. It seems that the simpler is better.
Like oldgoat stated above - make sure the tips are sharp. Kids hate it when their arrows bounce off of targets. It absolutely deflates them. Sharpen the tips by stroking them across concrete if you have to.
From: GF
21-Nov-18
Here he is at 5
Here he is at 5
Same boy, same bow, six years later
Same boy, same bow, six years later
Black Rhino LB Model 48L
From: Vids
22-Nov-18
I agree with Glunt and the others about starting them with a trad bow. My kids are 8,5,3. We have two of the Bear traditional bows that they sell at Cabela's for $30 or so, and two Hoyt Ruckus compounds. None of my kids are strong enough to shoot with the compounds yet, and they love shooting the trad bows.
From: BoggsBowhunts
22-Nov-18
I started with a Matthews Genesis when I was 5 or 6 I believe, loved that thing. I’m sure their current Mission equivelant is even better
From: LINK
22-Nov-18
Vids, that’s what’s nice about the bear. It will get down to 5 pounds. At 5 pounds the nock will barely turn loose of the string, lol.
From: Tony Phillips
22-Nov-18
From: McCree
25-Nov-18
Redfisher, please let me know about the Craze...I may be interested. Thanks,
From: jmiller
26-Nov-18
I am planning on getting my 9 year old daughter a Bear Limitless. Looks like a good bow for a fair price. She's pumped to hunt next fall
From: rooster
27-Nov-18
I made the mistake of buying two Bear Brave bows for the oldest 2 grand kids. At 10 years old the grand daughter was already too big for it. Sam at 6 loves it but they are simply "toy" bows. I'm now in the OP's boat looking for something better for both. I think Aubrey may like a trad bow that she can "decorate" but, Sam may want one more like Pappy's.
From: LINK
27-Nov-18
My oldest shooting her Brave when she was 4.
My oldest shooting her Brave when she was 4.
Rooster right on with the Brave. My oldest daughter had a neighbor pass one down when we helped them move. They are good until the age of 6-7 but that’s about it. The mass weight of a “real bow” is slightly more than the brave but stripped of their quiver theres not much weight difference. Pick your brand but get one that goes down below 10 pounds draw weight and skip the toy bow market for any kid 6 or over. My 6 year old is as weak as they come and she can handle the cruzer lite just fine.
From: tobinsghost
11-Dec-18
So what brands or models do NOT increase draw weight automatically when you increase draw length?
From: Muddyboots
11-Dec-18
I have a Maddog youth longbow which is a real nice bow. I paid about $105 for it including 3 youth arrows. Agree with many of the posts above- A light recurve or longbow will get the kids started and plenty happy.
From: drycreek
11-Dec-18
My kids are all grown and only one grandkid ever took up the bow, but I'm delighted to see the pictures of these kids that y'all posted. Maybe all is not lost....
From: Urbncwby
18-Dec-18
Mission Craze II
Mission Craze II
I started mine out with a mini genesis when he was 4-5 years old. For his 10th birthday last year, he got a bow “he could hunt with”. He reached 35lbs after a few months and here we are in October.
