Recomend me a Good Hunting Bow

Ok, i'm from the UK, never fired a bow since school but i think with a bit of practice i could get quite good at it...I have plenty patience and i'm willing to put the hours in...

Being from the UK, it's illegal to hunt with a bow so it would be for Target practice only..

I would be looking for a bow the would have the extra power to drop a Deer, not that i would ever consider doing such a thing but i would just like to have that extra bit of power in case a Fat muscular Zombie attacks...

It's not Illegal to have a bow in your possession or buy one here in the UK, but i would probably just import one from the states, i just feel i would get value for money and i would be buying something that does what it says on the tin.... so could someone point me in the right direction with regards to a excellent Hunting..eh..(target practice/Zombie Killing Bow)...

Cheers SP

G,day mate. re your quest. i imported a pse bowmadness from the states and it cost me less with security shipping than buying the bow in aussie. its a really good hunting bow. pigs goats rabbits plus red and fallow deer.i searched the net and got the bow from cabela's. i also own a 1980's pse gamo sport and it is still a good goer. hope this helps.

reply to post by pronto


Ok, Cheers Pronto...I'll check it out...

G,day again. you blokes or should i say our ancesters, yours and mine invented the long bow the weapon with the supposedly highest kill rate until the advent of the ak47 and you blokes are not allowed to hunt with a bow. stuff a duck robin hood must be rolling in his grave and his merry men must be totally papa oscar-ed. come to think of it i bet the french wish this had been so several hundred years ago.

Can you get compound bows there?
I don't use a bow,but I have several friends who do.

Here is a help website to help with choosing what you need.

www.huntersfriend.com...

Originally posted by pronto
G,day again. you blokes or should i say our ancesters, yours and mine invented the long bow the weapon with the supposedly highest kill rate until the advent of the ak47 and you blokes are not allowed to hunt with a bow. stuff a duck robin hood must be rolling in his grave and his merry men must be totally papa oscar-ed. come to think of it i bet the french wish this had been so several hundred years ago.

I know, it's crazy aint it.....i think the Welsh were the masters with the longbow...500 yards sort of stuff....wow....easy enough to kill at that distance when those stupid French were all bunched up like The big girls bottoms they were....

Originally posted by kdog1982
Can you get compound bows there?
I don't use a bow,but I have several friends who do.

Here is a help website to help with choosing what you need.

www.huntersfriend.com...

Yeah, were are allowed to buy them and use them on Targets...we just cant kill the French no more...

Ps, thanks for the link.....very informative.....just what i was looking for...saved.

Well, as a female my family are all trying to talk me into getting a compound bow. I, however, much prefer my recurve. I'm accurate with it to 20 yards and decent with it to 30 yards. It has only two components - string and bow. The compound requires special equipment to restring and it's very unforgiving of an off center draw. The compound is absolutely more accurate and powerful at greater distances but the recurve IMO are more durable. Now, not everyone can shoot a recurve but for those who can instinctively aim them I recommend them.

reply to post by SeenMyShare

Thanks...keep that in mind...maybe go check out a archery club for some ideas...I dont think i'll be joining though..

Originally posted by SeenMyShare
Well, as a female my family are all trying to talk me into getting a compound bow. I, however, much prefer my recurve. I'm accurate with it to 20 yards and decent with it to 30 yards. It has only two components - string and bow. The compound requires special equipment to restring and it's very unforgiving of an off center draw. The compound is absolutely more accurate and powerful at greater distances but the recurve IMO are more durable. Now, not everyone can shoot a recurve but for those who can instinctively aim them I recommend them.

I would second this or learn to build your own longbow. there is lots of information out there and it is fairly cheap and fun

I own both compound and recurve. I hunt from a stand with a compound, but stalk with a recurve.

A compound bow has incredible advantages from a stand. Because a compound "stacks", (gets easier to pull the further you draw it), you can hold it at full draw much longer, while you acquire the perfect shot. I can barely hold a 50 lb recurve for 3 seconds, while 8 seconds is mundane with a compound. A compound can mount a magnifying scope, front and rear sights, and all sorts of other gadgets. And it has the force to push an arrow completely through a deer's torso!

But the thing is, I love to stalk.

For me, stalking is the very heart of hunting. Creeping up to within 20 yards of the target, without being heard or seen, then getting off a shot. By the time I begin the draw, my quarry can usually sense that something is predatorial in the neighborhood. That's when it all comes down to overcoming your buck fever, and knowing how you'll respond as things change with every passing second.

You can't really drag a compound bow through the brush. Compounds have sights that will got knocked out of alignment against a branch. Blades of grass will get caught on the cables, and hang up in the pulleys. Compounds frequently weigh four pounds or more.

More than that, compounds are ... not silent. Stand next to a compound shooter, and listen to them draw. I have never found a completely silent pulley-bow. There's always a creaking, a hiss, a scrape. That doesn't matter when you are 40 yards away and 30 ft up a tree; but when you're 15 yards away behind a gamble oak, it will end the hunt right there.

The compound is an incredibly specialized, even delicate, piece of machinery. A traditional bow is basically a stick and a string.

Yes, I am strongly biased against compounds. I believe that they are designed by "The Industry" for sportsmen who don't have time to develop the skills of stalking and instinctive shooting. Think about it; every part of a compound bow is designed to remove the "art" of archery---to make the weapon more and more like a rifle and less like a bow.

Lighted scope sights (just like a rifle). a mechanical trigger (modeled after a rifle). A faster and faster projectile so there is negligible drop (like a high-powered rifle). A built-on quiver (almost like a magazine).

I love rifle hunting. I love tree-stand shooting. But I live for stalking....

Get your hands on a traditional recurve,.
start with the basics

reply to post by tovenar


I would call my compound anything but delicate and there is still quite a bit of skill required to hunt with a compound. Plus I shouldn't have to say that many compound bow hunters still prefer stalking over sitting in a tree stand all day.. I know I do..

Sure you have a bias and you are entitled to your opinion but I must strongly disagree. I personally like my compound because there is a lot more power behind the arrow (mine is 300fps) which results in good penetration not to mention having a slightly larger effective range doesn't hurt anything.

I do understand the purist mentality though, but to say that firing a compound does not require skill is a definite fallacy.

Crossbow hunters on the other hand.......

To The OP:

If you do decide on a compound I would recommend PSE. That's what I prefer, but it's a matter of opinion.

Sorry, a bow won't do much against a zombie (I don't care what The Walking Dead shows us).

Cut off the head, only way to be safe.

Then again, bash the head in with a baseball bat, that is better than using a bow/arrow on a zombie.

I say go with this one.....or several of them

reply to post by Soloprotocol


My experience is with compound bows.

I agree that a traditional bow is easier to maintain, as it is a much simpler design.

The technique is different.

A compound bow has a "let off" which allows you to hold on target longer in hunting situations.


The best American compounds are Mathews, Bowtech, Hoyt, PSE etc.


Make sure you get the proper Draw Length, it is extremely important......

Decide on what bow you want OP and go to Craigslist.com and search in the states
for a used one, see if someone will ship one to you for cost.
You can get used bow's at good prices, just have to look.

I've had a PSE and a BEAR both decent bow's, you need to pay attention to the draw
length and the draw weight.

Mathews and Hoyt are some great bows, but you are going to pay for them. Mathews came
out with one last year that would shoot a arrow at the speed of a .22 it was impressive to read about,
but waaaay out of my budget to even think of having one to play with.

I've picked up bow's on craigslist and ebay before for $20 One was a PSE, needed strings
and prity much everything else fancy wise, but as a basic bow it was all there and solid.

Could save your self quite a bit of change that way.

The poster is right, compound bows are loud, nothing quiet about them, but the speed they shoot and
places they allow you to get make up for it.

Be sure to get graphite arrow's, they are expensive, but last a LOT longer than metal or wood,
esp starting out, you miss a lot and the old standard's shatter or bend or break, graphite are around
$20 each just for the arrow, you still have to buy the tip's, but they last so much longer.

Thank for the replies guys...some useful info here....question on Draw length...how would i know this...i dont really have a place where i could go and try one out here in Scotland....and what is Draw Length BTW

reply to post by Soloprotocol


my Son uses an Alpha Max, that is all I know. Basic one I just bought for him (well he sold his other one and with the money he got from that, I bought the new one + 50 dollars)

he has another one he is selling as well. Pretty sure that is also an alpha max.

abbey archery rang and said he could have the latest one that they had in stock and he said, no way, I want that one and now waiting for it.

he even turned down the latest one.


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