Ok --- bows, arrows, and broadheads
BowsNot too long ago, you had to stay away from cheapy brands like Bear and PSE. Today, those brands as well as house brands from cabelas and bass pro, are pretty good products especially in their upper end (considering companies like Hoyt actually make the product).
If you go to a dealer, he's of course (is likely) going to try to sell you his most expensive brand like Matthews (or Hoyt or perhaps bowtech if he doesn't sell Matthews). You don't have to buy these 3 brands if you don't want to. Probably the very best bow on the market is the Matthews Monster but you also pay through the roof.
Honestly, there are a lot of good bows out there from Matthews, Hoyt/Reflex, Browning, Bowtech/Diamond, Bear, Parker, PSE, Martin, Cabelas, Bass Pro, and I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two.
As Jim said, it ought to be bought from a local pro-shop so long as this person is not horribly unreasonable in his prices/services. This isn't like a gun where it should work flawlessly and then years later something happens and it requires a fix of a worn or broken part. They are going to always be tinkering with the thing, peepsight tubing/silncers breaking off, you need more arrows, you need arrows repaired, etc.
So this is a case where I would pay a few more dollars for the bow if the pro shop staff is knowledgable and friendly because they'll likely give you breaks in the future far surpassing online or other retail prices.
Here's what you do
- Look online to find the specs, prices, and to see if you like the looks of the bow
- Go to Cabelas or another store and handle the bow...maybe shoot the bow.
- Then go to the local sop you trust and see if he can order it for you
Something to keep in mind, the advertising fps speed is misleading. They are considering optimal equiptment and with the bow in it's optimal position.
Backing off pull weight as well as shortening the draw, both slow down the bow.
Furthermore, if they want to shoot 60 pounds they would be better off buying a 50-60 pound bow than a 60-70 pound bow because the bow is better in it's max position.
ArrowsEaston Gamegetter II's if they want to save money and shoot alluminums.
Easton ACC's if they want to shoot a very good alluminum wrapped carbon arrow. They are a lot more but as I found out this year, they are quite a bit faster than alluminum.
I would not get a straight carbon arrow. They've come a long way in recent years but they still are inconsistant from one arrow to another and if they are weak they can blow up right in your face.
BroadheadsWow, there are so many on the market !
Zwickey broadheads appear to be making a comeback (think the old 1 piece bears) but require a perfectly tuned bow. These things have a tendancy to have a mind of it's own after a certain yardage. They will also require you to adjust your sights.
Other fixed broadheads like Thunderhead, Wasp, Muzzy, etc have always had their following. Muzzy is still a good product but they have went downhill and turned a lot of people off since they are now made in Asia. Fixed broadheads do require a good tuned bow and sight adjustment.
Mechanical heads are very good products if you buy the right ones. For deer, 100 grains is the standard. For animals bigger than deer, you do not use mechanical heads.
The Wasp Hammer and Vortex are popular.
RAGE is probably the best and the price is very similar. Being pretty new to the market, these things are going to jump in popularity and will be the #1 broadhead for deer hunting barnone.
Mechanicals are nice because they really do fly like a field point.
