How to Choose Your First Bow | Beginner Archery Guide

Whether you’re dreaming of hitting bullseyes on the range, hunting game, or simply exploring a fascinating new hobby, archery is an exciting world to step into. One of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a new archer is choosing your first bow.

The right choice can make the difference between enjoying the journey or getting frustrated and giving up. This guide will help you navigate the essentials of buying your first bow, from understanding the different types of bows, to selecting the right size, draw weight, and accessories. Let’s dive in and get you ready to start your archery adventure!

Types of Bows for Beginners

Bows can be grouped into a few different categories that each have different benefits and use cases.

Recurve Bows 

Recurve bows are a favorite choice for new archers because they’re simple, versatile, and affordable. The recurve name comes from the signature second curve of the limb going away from the archer toward the tips of the limbs. This allows the bow to more effectively store the energy you put in by drawing it, allowing for more speed with an equal draw weight to a longbow, which doesn’t have that limb curvature. This efficiency makes a recurve bow a great choice for beginners because you don’t need to strain yourself with a heavy draw weight to shoot effectively. Recurve bows are used in the Olympics and can be commonly found in the archery tournament scene. 

Compound Bows

Compound bows take the efficiency of a bow to another level with the use of cables and pulleys (which are called cams) to reduce the draw weight of the bow as you draw it back fully, resulting in a holding weight that is a fraction of the peak draw weight of the bow. This let off in weight allows you to hold your sight steadier on your target and shoot with a higher draw weight. This additional technology also means that compound bows generally cost more than recurve bows. Compound bows can be found commonly in the target archery scene as well as being more popular than recurve bows when it comes to bowhunting.

Traditional Bows

Traditional bows, such as longbows and horsebows, are very simple and usually have little or no accessory options. They offer a pure shooting experience but require good form and strength, making them slightly more challenging for beginner archers.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Your First Bow

Picking the right bow is a little deeper than just the bow type. Let’s look at crucial factors every beginner archer should consider.

Intended Use

Think about how you are planning to use your bow. Are you going to be just shooting targets in the backyard or the local range? Are you going to be archery hunting with it? Are you planning on competing in tournaments? All these uses can change what the ideal place to start may be.

Recreational target shooting gives you the widest range of options but is best to stick to a lighter draw weight bow that is rather basic in its accessories to give you a solid foundation to build your shooting form.

Bowhunting comes with some extra constraints as most states have minimum draw weight requirements. Check your local hunting regulations before heading into the woods. Archery tournaments have multiple divisions to account for the differences in bow types. Even with these categories, it would be smart to invest in higher quality archery gear and accessories to allow for more accuracy and precision.

Bow Size and Fit

Your bow should fit you and your goals. Recurve and traditional bows come in various lengths and draw weights that are made for different uses. Shorter recurve bows, in the 54–64-inch range, are specialized for hunting and recreation, where they are easy to transport and can be used in several different situations. Longer recurve bows, in the 66–72-inch range, are geared more for the competition shooter, giving them more stability and smoothness. Compound bows also vary in lengths and weights but the key with a compound bow is getting the draw length sized to you.

Draw Weight

Draw weight is the amount of force required to pull the bowstring to full draw. For beginners:

Men: Start with ~25-35 lbs.
Women: Start with ~15-25 lbs.
Youth: Often 10-20 lbs.

Using a bow that’s too heavy can cause bad form, fatigue, and even injury. It’s better to start lighter and increase draw weight as you gain strength and confidence. Weight can be increased on recurve bows by changing out the limbs to heavier ones as you outgrow them. Beginner level compound bows usually have a wide draw weight range that is adjustable with an allen wrench.

Draw Length

Draw length is how far back you pull the bowstring. Knowing your draw length is essential to getting your bow to fit you. To find your exact draw length it is best to go to a local archery shop and have them measure it for you, but you can estimate at home by doing this calculation: Draw Length (inches) = Wingspan (inches) / 2.5.

Right or Left-Handed

Bows come in right and left-hand variations but determining what hand to shoot with isn’t as easy as just choosing the hand you write with. In archery, your dominant eye is a much better reference to determine which hand to shoot with as a beginner. A right eye dominant archer should shoot a right-handed bow, and a left eye dominant archer should shoot a left-handed bow. If you don’t already know, here is a quick way to determine your eye dominance.

Extend your arms out in front of you and overlay your hands to form a triangle to look through. Then, with both eyes open, find an object across the room and center it in the gap you have formed with your hands. Next, close one eye and see what happens to your view. If the object stayed centered when you closed your eye, then the eye you kept open is your dominant eye. If the object moved out of the center and towards one side of the gap, then the eye you closed is your dominant eye. 

Archery Budget

It is important to be able to keep your new hobby within your budget. To do so, we will start by setting out what you should expect to get with a new bow and how much that will cost. A lot of beginner compound bows are sold as packages, with all the bow’s accessories included. All you would need from there are some arrows and a release. These bow packages start at around the $400 mark and depending on what arrows and release you get, you will probably end up in the $500-600 range.

Recurve bows are a little more open ended in how you build your setup. With a lot of the accessories being optional, you can get a take-down recurve bow and all the extra stuff you need to shoot for about $200 when it’s all said and done. That extra gear you will need to set up and shoot your bow includes arrows, a finger tab or glove, a finger sling, armguard, and a stringer.If you are planning to shoot at home then you also need to add a target into your budget considerations.

Where to Buy Your First Bow 

We highly recommend you visit your local archery shop to make your first bow purchase. It is very important to get personalized and expert help in getting your bow to fit you and your needs. Another great benefit of visiting your local bow shop is being able to test out different bows before you commit to buying them.

If you can’t make a trip to your local archery shop to make your first bow purchase, you can shop our collection of beginner compound bows and beginner recurve bows. The gear you need to complete your first bow setup can also be found on our website. 

Tips for Beginners

Once you get your bow we suggest you get a lesson with an archery coach to get your shooting form at a good starting point to prevent bad habits and improve your accuracy. It is important to practice regularly and not get discouraged. Archery is fun and challenging! That challenge is what pushes us to become better as archers. Stay focused on the process and the results will come.

Final Thoughts

Choosing your first bow might feel overwhelming but it’s also one of the most exciting parts of starting archery. Consider how you’ll use your bow, your body size and strength, and your budget. Take your time, ask questions, and invest in quality gear that fits you.Ready to begin your journey? Start exploring beginner bows and discover the thrill of hitting your first bullseye. Happy shooting!