Probably the most popular and widely used design of hunting bow is the compound hunting bow.
The famous Browning Mirage bow
Using modern designs and technology, this style of bow has vastly more power, precision and ease of use than traditional designs.
Some of the leading manufacturers include Browning, Martin Archery and Fred Bear. Although before you set your heart on a great looking bow – you need to make sure it’s suitable to you specifically! This is important because a hunting bow that doesn’t fit its archer will lead to lots of wild shots and unhappy moments.
There are basically three things to consider when choosing a compound hunting bow, draw length, draw weight and the rather obvious left or right hand.
The draw length refers to how far back you pull the arrow and string, and ideally should be firmly level with your cheek.
This is important to get right, as too short and you won’t be able to see through the sight properly – too long and you’ll be overextending your arm and this’ll cause you to lose control.
At the very least, an incorrect draw length will result in poor accuracy and a general feeling of uncomfort. This is relatively easy to check and get right though, just be sure to ask the person or retailer to help you select the correct settings.
Modern bows can shoot a good 40 yards, although even getting that close is often difficult
Draw weight is another important factor to consider when buying a hunting bow. Draw weight refers to the amount of energy it takes to pull back the arrow to the optimal draw length – ready to let loose the shot. While this should be reasonably heavy to ensure good power it should also be easily achievable with calm, non-strained movements.
Compound bows actually aid the hunter with this and mean you can achieve a significantly higher draw weight relative to traditional bows.
Again, make sure you get an experienced friend or check with the retailer when buying a hunting bow to set it up especially for you.
The popular Martin Bengal compund bow
Choosing a right or left hand bow – this may seem silly but a surprising number of people actually have a dominant eye that is not on the same side as their dominant hand. For example, if your right handed you would naturally feel more comfortable holding the bow with your left and pulling back the string with your right hand. However if your dominant eye was your left, you would be uneasy using your right eye to aim with. People get around this either by training their right eye (for example) to focus and adjust to taking aim, or by choosing a left hand bow and adapting to using that.
It really is a matter of personal preference, but at the same time it’s also an important decision as you really need to feel comfortable with all your equipment.
It would be a great shame to be out in the field tracking a trophy class buck, stalk close enough to take aim and end up firing wild because your draw length was too long, or you we’re shaking slightly when struggling to pull back the string because the draw weight was too much.
Archery hunting takes some skill and practice, but with the right gear it can really pay off and be a great experience.
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Check out this video! How to shoot a compund bow – some good tips.
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