Compound Bows; Informational Guide

So you’re ready for your first compound bow, or maybe your looking to upgrade the compound bow you have. The following are tips and how to’s you should consider.

Buying a compound bow is a worthwhile investment for any archer so follow these steps to buy the right compound bow for you.

First off, determine the purpose you are going to be using the bow for, will it be target shooting, hunting or maybe both. If you plan to do both you will need to make some compromises.
Keep these two things in mind: Hunting bows are shorter with heavier draw weights, because you may only shoot one or two shots in a given day, whereas target bows are generally longer and have a lighter draw weight, for the purpose of shooting several times in a short period. When the power of the shot is important, then a hunting bow is what you want.

Once you’ve determined for what purpose you will use your bow you need to determine the correct fit. There are three questions to answer when fitting your compound bow.
1. Do I need a right hand or left hand bow?
2. What draw length do I need?
3. What draw weight should I shoot?
Right hand or left hand?
For most people this is easy to decide, a right handed person chooses a right handed bow and a left handed person chooses a left handed bow. A small minority of people have their dominant eye opposite their dominant hand. This can create problems when aiming. Some people solve this by aiming with their weak eye and closing their dominant one. Others choose a bow to match their dominant eye and accustom themselves to shooting it against their natural “handedness”. A few even lean their heads far enough over the bowstring so as to be able use their dominant eye for aiming.
we suggest closing your dominant eye as that works well in the majority of cases,
To determine your dominant eye make a small triangle with your hands and thumbs (see picture), hold it at arms length, and look through it at an object a few feet or more away. Close one eye and then the other. When one of your eyes closes you will see the view through the triangle shift. The eye you just closed is your dominant eye. The view shifts because your other eye took over when your dominant eye closed.
Draw length
When your bow is fitted at the proper draw length you will be at your most comfortable and accurate position. If the draw is too short your peep will be too far from your eye for a clear view, and your shortened power stroke will cost you speed and energy. Too long a draw and your release hand may not anchor firmly against your cheek, your bow arm will want to hyperextend causing a loss of control, and your bowstring can contact your cheek or clothing destroying the accuracy of your shot.
Here is an easy way to find your draw length, simply stand upright with your hands stretched out (hold naturally, do not hyperextend) and measure your arm span from fingertip to fingertip. Take this measurement in inches and divide by 2.5. This will give a good working draw length for your bow. If you want to try a different draw length most bows are adjustable by changing or rotating a module (a small metal piece) on the cam or cams. However we recommend you stick with the starting draw length, straying to far will lead to instability and reduced accuracy. Use the following chart as a quick reference on choosing your draw length.

Draw Weight
Your ideal draw weight is one you can pull in a smooth, controlled manner under hunting conditions. If you hunt in cold weather which most of us do, the combined effects of cold muscles and adrenaline will reduce your controlled draw weight 10 to 15 pounds from what you can manage indoors or on a warm day. Every year we encounter hunters who failed to reach full draw in the presence of game animals! Don’t make this mistake, the modern compound bow is highly efficient and maximum poundage is not required for even large game animals.
Most men find somewhere between 55 to 65 lbs to be their comfortable maximum, for women it is 35 to 45 pounds. The following chart shows our recommended bow adjustment range for adults. Keep the following tips in mind when using it.
• A bow works slightly more efficiently when set in the upper end of its poundage range. For example if you would like to shoot 60 lbs it is better to choose a 45-60 lb bow then to choose a 55-70 lb one and back it down to 60 lbs.
• When in doubt choose the lower poundage, you will still have plenty of power for hunting and will be sure to stay in control.
• new archers will increase the poundage they can handle by 10 or more pounds with just two weeks of daily practice.
When your ready to make the purchase of a compound bow, or maybe you still have questions,
feel free to visit TheBowBarn.com. At thebowbarn you will feel like family, ask all the questions you like, we want you to feel good about your purchase. Our goal here is to get the right compound bow into the hands of the archer and to help you be successful at hitting the mark. We carry a great selection of compound bows, for men, women, and youth, give us a visit, see you soon.
If you are unfamiliar with the anatomy of a compound bow the following chart maybe of interest.

Sally Rutten and her husband run the popular website TheBowBarn.com We invite you to come in and browse our selection of compound bows and archery accessories.   And join the many others that have already taken advantage of the great pricing and down home friendly service.

Compound Bows; Maintaining Your Investment

Buying a compound is a big investment, it’s not one you want to make every year.
and is certainly not one you have to make every year.
Even if you’re just getting started, there are compound bows that adjust to grow with you, and depending on your age when you start, may be the only bow you need to buy.

Yes, there are those who need the “latest” and “newest” every year or every other year,
but to truly enjoy the sport of archery, you really only need to invest once maybe twice
in a compound bow.

Now like most things worth investing in, it should be worth investing the time to properly take care of, because the key to a successful hunt is a well maintained bow.
So how do you take care of a compound bow?

the first and probably the most important part of taking care of your bow, is purchasing a
bow case. when is the last time you spent a lot of money on something and left it set outside in the elements? In the back of your truck or hanging in your garage is not a good place for this investment. Excessive heat, dampness, dirt and pests, all play a big role in deteriorating your compound bow. Proper storage in either a hard sided case or a soft sided case is very beneficial.

The next thing you should pay attention to, is the Bow Strings and Cables.
Bowstrings and cables need to be frequently and regularly waxed. This will help keep them strong and from becoming fuzzy and worn.
Inspect your strings and cables after each use and look for signs of “fuzziness”
then give them a wax treatment. Get into the habit of doing this and you will be confident that your bow will withstand hunting in damp conditions and your strings and cables will remain strong.

Other areas to pay attention to is your axles and bushings, for these you want to use a good bow oil, (you’re manual should have this information) give them a few drops after each outing into the brush. Some compound bows don’t require this kind of lubrication
So you want to make sure you check your manual first.

Always, always, always check your bow limbs for cracks, dents, or any sign of ware, before and after you shoot. And then always have a professional look at and fix the problem. Your warranty should cover this. Never try to fix this on your own.
And then check limb bolts and tighten any that are loose, a simple set of Allen wrenches is all you need. Finally wipe down your compound bow of any dirt and grime from the days outing.

By doing this each and every time you use your bow will keep you confident of its ability to perform well, and will help in making your investment last for years to come.

Are you looking to make your first purchase of a compound bow? Or maybe you still have questions? Visit => TheBowBarn.com, we love to help.

Compound Bow Stabilizers – What are They and Do You Need One.

Okay, you bought the compound bow, now you need to accessorise, every accessory you add to your bow serves a primary function. Most of them resulting in better accuracy and precision. A bow stabilizer is no different, understanding its function and how they can help you is the first step in determining if you need or want one.

A bow Stabilizer serves two main functions:

1. Puts a balancing weight on your bow to keep it steady and more stable.
2. It aids in absorbing excessive vibrations and hand shock

Now truly understanding what a Stabilizer is and why its performance is important,
is the first step in determining whether you use one or not. let’s examine the two functions.

What is the makeup of a Stabilizer?

Unlike the first stabilizes on the market, when they were made up of heavy metal tubes. The stabilizers of today are actually made up of carbon or AMS plastics.
Now even though one of the main functions of the stabilizer is weight, the carbon/plastic material remains durable and lightweight enough to perform as well
as metal without causing too much weight to your bow. At the end of the stabilizer tube itself is the weight, the weights main purpose is to counter balance the bow,
thus keeping it stable when being shot. Consequently allowing your arrow to follow a straighter path to its target. The stabilizer is designed so the weight sits at the front of the bow giving you more consistency in aiming. The outcome is better accuracy for the archer, time and time again.

In the tubing just before the weight, in a stabilizer, is a component of vibration absorbing materials, most likely made up of mostly rubber, that is called the dampening device. Its this dampening device that allows the stabilizer to perform its second function, which is reducing the vibration the bow makes when releasing
the arrow. Ultimately, giving you a quieter shooting bow.

A simple bow quiver full of broadhead arrows will serve the same purpose for weight as a stabilizer, if that’s all your looking for is weight. But if you’re looking to reduce vibration or hand shock, then yes a stabilizer is what you want.

There are many different stabilizers on the market today. But again, like most things in archery, you have to determine whether you’re going to be target shooting or hunting with your bow.
Typically target shooting models are much longer (usually 2 – 3 feet) then hunting models which are 6 – 8 inches and only weigh about 3 – 10 ounces.

Another thing to keep in mind, the longer the stabilizer the more steady your bow will be and consequently the more accurate you’ll be. This is why the longer models are used for target shooting or competition shooting. But when it comes to walking the woods during a hunt these can be quit cumbersome.

Hopefully this has helped with any questions you may have on stabilizers and helps narrow your search.