BR014 – Top 3 things to ask for when looking for a new compound bow!

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Hey guys, we are excited to be releasing our first addition to the Bowhunters Educational Training series that we’ll be publishing throughout the year.  We hope that these specific episode will be useful for any bow hunter no matter what experience level.

So today we brought back Anthony Dixon to share with us what we should be thinking about and what we should be asking a bow shop sales guy when buying a new bow.  Plus, we get into some of the basic bow shop terms that usually gets said and yet sometimes we forget what they mean.  This episode should allow you to be more engaged in the conversation at the archery shop which should give you a better experience overall.

 The 3 things to ask for when looking for a compound bow at a local archery shop.

1. I want a bow that has a smooth draw cycle with the highest let off.
2. I want a nice back wall.
3. I want the largest brace height  –  7 to 7 1/2.

** write those three things down and bring with you to a bow show and let the sale rep know thats what you are looking for.  This is hands down the best tip Anthony gave us for any new archer when choosing a bow.

General Terms that we talked about on the show.

Surprise Brake – is the best way to shoot a bow and what you are trying to achieve as you become a better archer.

Arrow – The arrow is the projectile that is shot from the bow.

Arrow Shelf – is located just above the grip and below the sight window.

Axle to Axle Measurement (ATA) – The axle to axle measurement of a bow is the distance (in inches) from center axle to center axle of the two cam. Try to keep this measurement within the manufacturers spec range which is most often within 3/16 of an inch of specified ATA.

Cable(s) –  The cables are tied into the bowstring and work with the cams during the draw process and execution of the shot.

Let Off – Let off is the % of the bow’s draw weight that is subtracted after reaching full draw. A good example would be a bow having a let-off of 80%.  This will require the shooter to only hold back 20% of the actual draw weight: 70 pound draw weight – 80% let off = 14 lb full draw holding weight.

Paper Tuning – is done by shooting an arrow into a piece of paper at a very close distance. This will reveal to the shooter how the arrow is behaving.

Riser – The riser is the long section of the bow which the limbs attach to and what you hold on to.

String Stop – These are attached along the riser or at the ends of the limbs, and extend back toward the bowstring.  Any excess vibration is quickly transferred from the string and soaked up by the stopper.

Nock – The nock is a plastic piece inserted into the rear of the arrow, that allows the arrow to be “nocked” onto the bow string.

Nocking Point – The nocking point is the location on the bowstring where the arrow attaches.

IBO Speed – is the initial velocity in feet per second.

Draw Weight – A bow’s draw weight is measured by the amount of force (in pounds) that is required to bring the bow to what we call “full draw”.

Cams – Cams are located at the end of each bow limb. The cams store energy and essentially transfer power from the limbs to the bowstring and to the arrow during the shot. Bow’s can have either one or two Cams.

Bow String –  is where the arrow is attached and the strings ends at the cams.

Back Tension – Back tension is a technique that involves using your back muscles to trigger the shot rather than simply pulling the trigger finger.

NOTE** you can find these terms anywhere by just searching google.

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Share a badass catchphrase?

If you’ve listened to the whole podcast of each episode, you might have noticed that we added a catchphrase at the end that was sent to use by a listener.  The next one could be yours, so comment below and or send us an email with what you come up with and if we like it, we’ll use it.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.