the cost of arhery hunting

[fly]

What do you think Ishi paid for this set up?

[GWSmith]

Great Point Fly!!!!!!!

It still all comes down to sending the arrow to where you want it to go...the deer dont care if thier killed with a 1,400.oo Bow or a yardsale special;)

"It aint what you got...it's how you use what you have"

[Mach1]

I won't buy the top of the line bows. It's not worth it to me. I would rather go with the mid-level bow, which is what I did when I got my Bear Instinct package for $300 through a VIP program of a former employer. I upgraded the sight on the bow, bought some Carbon Express arrows, and broadheads and I was ready to hunt for around $500.

[JasonLester]

I too bought a Bear instinct recently. I paid 299 at Bass pro. I had the arrows already just needed to get them cut down. This bow is alot faster than my previous bow. However, I paid 100 for it in 1993 or 1994 at walmart. It was a PSE Team Fitzgerald and I bought it on clearance. It had the rest sights and quiver. I set it all up and have been bowhunting with it since. Many deer have fallen to that bow. I can shoot 3 inch groups at 40 yards with it. (something I have yet to try with my Instict) Why buy a new bow. Well the fact is the older bow had cracks starting in the limbs. PSE says they will look at it but I have yet to take it in and thought it was time to get something better.

The top of the line stuff is WAY out of my price range. And I was supprized to find the one I did. It shoots great and hits hard. IBO rated for 306 fps. So its no slouch for speed either.

I can remember people were all about speed when I bought the bow 14 years ago. I couldn't afford the newest fastes then, and I refuse to spend that now. Sure you can easily get wowed by the advertising but what they do not want you to know is 150 fps kills just as well as 350 fps. And actually 150 fps is alot more forgiving of form errors etc.

Now to be honest I haven't hunted the whole 14 years with that same bow. I got into Traditional Archery and have built a good number of selfbows. My current setup is shooting a whopping ~150 fps obsidian tipped, turkey feather fletched, rivercane arrow. Sure I cant shoot 40 yard groups but at 12-15 yards.....It will kill them too....Best thing is the cost...My entire trad hunting setup cost me....drumroll pease.......ZERO.... OK maybe not exactly 0 but very close I have a little money in a couple hand tools (maybe 40) and the string and obsidian cost me a little (very cheap) So if you average the tool cost over all my bows and the string and obsidian cost....I probably have 5 bucks in it (and a good bit of work. But I enjoyed that part too.)

I think the newest greatest fastest prettiest thing will always cost way more than you need to pay. Look at anything Electronics for example. The newest advances in computers cost twice what they do six months later. The newest game system, tvs, movie players(VCR,DVD, Blue ray) all have had thier time at the top and are all getting cheaper.

The archey industry has gotten huge. There are a bunch of bow manufactures. This usualy means cheaper prices. Unfortunatly the need for speed has caused them to compete driving prices through the roof. That and good old inflation.

OK I got long-winded. I hope some of it makes sense at least.

[wildthing]

I sat in my tree once while archery hunting and added up the price of all the equipment and apparel I had with me that day. It didn't take me long to approach the $1,500 dollar mark. However, I rationalize the money spent in this way...I work hard for it, it is MY money, it is what gives me the most enjoyment, the most is going to be spent on something regardless. I do diligence in really keepin an eye open for sales, clearances, after season sales, and look for stuff on Craigslist.

[Adjam5]

If you are going to keep your equipment for the long term, cost is not a factor. When you amortize the cost of equipment over the years, that $1500 rifle will add up to pennies over a lifetime.

That don't hold true with bows. New technology is always coming out. They cannot improve the firearm and has been basically the same since its beginning. Sure all bows are basically limbs and a string, but weight, speed and size is always being improved upon.

I guess to some archers, bows are like shoes for women:D

[bigbuck145]

7 yrs. ago i started bowhuntin with a PSE Nova that i bought from wal-mart. Totally rigged out for $200. I could shoot that thing like a champ. Then me and my dad bought the Mathews Legacy after i rigged it out i think i had about $850 in it. Sold it 2 yrs. ago and bought a used Mathews LX rigged out for $500 from my dad because he wanted the switchback. You don't have to have the top of the line equipment to harvest an animal. Start out with the cheaper equipment and later on if you want to upgrade then do so its your money.

[dbHunterNY]

I bought a Bear Buckmaster BTR32 at Walmart for $250 that was a package. I then bought some Muzzy broadheads for $19, aluminum Easton Fall Stalker arrows (ready to shoot) for $4 a piece, and a Cobra release for $20. My total with tax and all that was under $350. It had a plastic sight and I didn't feel comfortable shooting past 30 yards, but I still took game with it. I shot deer and a fox with it. This year I have top of the line equipment, have practiced out to 80 yards, and still my shot was only about 22 yards on my buck taken this season. I have no doubts I could've taken it with my old equipment. You've got to do what you've got to do, even when buying new.

- Dan

P.S. - My upgrades not just archery equipment but everything was expensive these past couple seasons (in the thousands of dollars).

[arrow32]

archery is only as expensive as you want it to be.

while i have bought a few Hoyts brand new from a local shop. i also have my best hunting bow ever i bought from Ebay. a camo 04 Hoyt Ultratec was only 325 dollars and it had new strings. i also bought a 03 Hoyt Protec in camo from the AT classifieds for only 200.

i saved so much money buying arrows from Ebay, that my 4th dozen was basically free. finding rests and quivers and releases are just as easy if i person just takes the time to look in the right places. there are many deals out there, if you just know what your looking for and are able to pull the trigger when you see them.

Tony

I've got to agree here. I have some of the top of the line names and have got hardly anything in some of them buying off of ebay and people I know. I'm not going to lie I have bought alot of things brand new and have dropped a ton of money on it. My last 2 bows were new and I'm ordering another new Hoyt.

It's all about the effort. It took me a little longer to find one of the sights I have but I saved about 175 bucks. Deffinatly(sp?) worth it.

[Adjam5]

I've got to agree here. I have some of the top of the line names and have got hardly anything in some of them buying off of ebay and people I know. I'm not going to lie I have bought alot of things brand new and have dropped a ton of money on it. My last 2 bows were new and I'm ordering another new Hoyt.

Look at the deal someone got here on E Bay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180314174291&ssPageName=STRK:MEDW:IT&ih=008

This was a deal and a half.