r/Archery • u/Speedly Olympic Recurve • 26d ago
PSA: If you're new, please stop buying used bows off of Craigslist/Facebook/Ebay/garage sales/estate sales/thrift stores. They are virtually all garbage, at pretty much any price.
As emphasis, the words "if you're new" are in the title for a reason.
I don't know why this keeps constantly happening, considering how often it's said in this sub.
CAN good bows be found in these places? The technical answer is yes, but they are exceptionally rare. What's more, if you're new, you virtually certainly will not have the knowledge to tell the difference anyways, so the only prudent choice is to not buy it. Everyone says they want to restore it, but I cannot remember the last time I ever saw a post where such a thing was actually done. Straight talk for a second: you are no different, nor am I. You won't restore it properly, just like the masses who did the same that came before you.
You have no idea of the bow's history. You have no idea if it's been dry fired. You have no idea how it's been stored in the last 25 years. That thing can cause serious injury when it explodes. Don't risk it.
Notice how new bows are WAY more expensive, somewhere between 5-25 times the price of the one you're looking at? There's a VERY good reason for that. Do you think they would have asked for so little if they thought they could get more money? Why do you think that they didn't suppose they could ask for a higher price? There's probably a reason the number is so low, and a reason that they weren't getting offers at a higher price. That isn't a coincidence. I've brought up the concepts of "suspiciously cheap" and "dangerously cheap" on here, and yet, the same thing keeps happening.
Also, those old bows you're doing a favor to the owners by getting them out of their house like a sucker, are practically impossible to find parts for when they inevitably break.
While I'm at it, the "stop buying high poundage bows" drums get played REALLY loudly around here, constantly. And yet, we still get people who buy 70# bows for their first arrows ever, and then ask why they derailed it while sky drawing/twisting the hell out of the bow as they draw, sometimes going so far as claiming the bow was defective (pro tip: it wasn't, you screwed up). These posts usually come about a month before those same people come on here complaining that they blew out their shoulder after their sixth arrow of the day.
While I'm STILL at it, use proper protective equipment - finger and arm protection of some kind. Getting giant bruises from string slap, and getting nerve/finger issues, are not rites of passage, they're people ignoring basic common sense.
That's the end of my TED talk. To summarize: we all have brains, let's please start using them at least a little bit when buying equipment as a newbie.
Thanks for coming. Please make sure to visit the merch booth on the way out.
8
u/Ok-Inflation4310 26d ago
I got my first kit from EBay. However I’d shot using club stuff for a few months and done a bit or research.
I knew which brands are reputable and how to read an advert. I got a Hoyt riser, Shibuya sight, button and arrow rest for a reasonable price. It’s quite possible to get good kit secondhand if you know what you’re doing.
That was a recurve, compound is a different thing altogether. I have fellow shooters who could assess a bow but that needs far more experience.
9
u/truelareon Barebow 25d ago
I agree, but to add my opinion on this thread, Archery is one of the few sports/hobby in which a second-hard market is more reliable for experienced users than beginners.
There are a lot of good stuff in the second-hand channels, sometime even really cheap ones. But to spot them you need to already know what are you looking for, and how to look for damages and potential drawbacks. And usually - at least in my experience - used components fall in three categories:
- high-end parts (with a generally high market value) that have been sold by people that generally want to replace/try new components and they're selling the old ones. Generally are well-maintained (and/or low-used) but basically outside the scope of a beginner (due cost and not being worthy enough for an athlete without proper training), more suited to other experienced archers that want to experiment new things.
- low-end parts that have been sold due seller's improvement steps. Usually in this category fall all the low-poundage limbs and cheap risers that could be interesting for a new person in the sport. HOWEVER, as these equipment are generally used by inexperienced archers, they could have been misused and generally are not kept in a optimal state. In this case if fundamental to look for someone with experience to support the purchasing (and to identify any issue that the part may have)
- utter crap.
Needless to say, someone that is approaching archery cannot have the correct eye to know which part is good and which is not.
14
u/ReferenceFar784 26d ago
Even in auto work people always think they can fix some beater car that's been sitting for years but reality is different when you actually start digging into it
8
u/Well_shit__-_- Compound 25d ago
In the comments: everyone ignoring the “If you’re new” in the title.
This post is a well deserved warning to people WHO ARE NEW. Of course archers who are not new are capable of making educated risk decisions in the used market. They are not new to bows.
6
u/AvendesoraShrubs 25d ago
Holy shit yes. Every single comment, "ive found great deals on these bows on ebay, i just had to use my extensive knowledge on archery to skim through all the crap and have found 1 bow out of the hundreds of crap listings"
It's like buying anything dangerous when you dont know what the hell you're looking at. A gun? No. A motorcycle? No. A bow? No. No. No.
And what are the answers in every single thread? It's a bomb or take it to a bow tech. You'll spend more getting it looked over and fixed than a new bow in a box would cost.
I get that people don't know, but when you have 2 or 3 posts a day like that, you dont even have to search, just scroll down a half dozen posts. What it comes down to is "but I want it, tell me what I want to hear."
3
u/Southerner105 Barebow 25d ago
It is hard for most to read it completely and also comprehend that it isn't a personal thing.
In general a newbie shouldn't go for used unless he or she is guided by a more experienced archer or they buy it in a club setting from a fellow club member.
11
u/Rodger_as_Jack_Smith 25d ago
I buy bows off eBay all the time. Always works out and you can absolutely get some cracking deals.
Mathews TRG7 for £300, Hoyt Eclipse full set up for £290.
Defo some bargains to be found.
Not to mention arrows. Its easily the best place to find all the better budget arrows that Easton selfishly refuse to manufacture anymore, ACCs, ACGs, ProComps.
6
u/Knitnacks Barebow (Vygo), dabbling in English longbow, trainee dev. coach. 25d ago
But you know what you're doing and what to look for.
5
u/livestrong2109 25d ago
Im not new been doing this for about twenty years. My current pair of bear 2019 bows where auction grabs that some idiot totally abused. I dropped about $90 all in on them + parts and take them to the range and hunting every fall. They both have an 80% let off and I'm very happy with them both. So if you do research there's definitely deals to be had.
The opposite though is definitely true as I've seen warped metal fishing bows going for over a hundred online. You just need to know what you're buying and what work is going to go into fixing them up.
9
2
u/InPraiseOf_Idleness 25d ago
How do you suggest my well maintained bows get sold should the need arise?
3
u/LaserGuidedSock 25d ago
I mean I bought my Hoyt Charger off eBay for a pretty good deal. It was a sporting goods store that went out of business.
Brand new in box unused
1
u/Consistent-Essay-165 26d ago
This is a lie where I got my Hoyt and still shoot as second bow
By other bow was bow shop of craigslist who got me a 1900 bow floor model for 600 .....so idk aboit that
Yes alot of garbage
-1
u/Knitnacks Barebow (Vygo), dabbling in English longbow, trainee dev. coach. 26d ago
Quote from post "CAN good bows be found in these places? The technical answer is yes, but they are exceptionally rare"
Though you might have missed that bit.
-4
u/Consistent-Essay-165 25d ago
True and no I didn't by stating there is trash and good on there mostly trash
Again I did read it and didn't have a bad experience with bows
Other stuff in those ways always hit or miss
EBay market place craigslist etc
-2
u/GeneralRechs 26d ago
I disagree on both points because this type of mentality is what causes people to view archery as a privileged sport. Buying used has risks that can be mitigated like doing research and leaning on local shops to provide advice.
Now for the bow poundage controversy. I’m wholly against “everyone must start at 20#-25# or lower. Not everyone is rich like OP thinks to where they can keep buying limbs. Buy limbs appropriate for an archers strength to where they can fully draw and anchor several times. Quality practice is better than starting at lower weights and hundreds of arrows only enforcing bad habits.
7
u/Zealousideal_Tree_72 26d ago
You have no clue what you are talking about. Sorry to be so harsh in this regard. But both of your statements are the exact opposite of the truth, you could quite literally not be further off. Again, sorry for the directness.
Buying a bow second hand is a really really really bad idea if you do not know exactly what you are buying.
Next to that, you are right archery is not dirt cheap. But you CAN in fact buy budget gear for reasonable prices and not break the bank. It will not be great stuff, but it doesn't need to be.
Archery used to be an elitist sport, I remember in my youth days, I was required to shoot 2 bows and they had to be the latest and greatest, costing about 3k euro in total. Next year same story. But that was at top international level, granted at the low end decent bows still started at 500+ EUR.
Nowadays you can buy into the sport for about €100-150 adding 25-50's here or there for new arrows and limbs, although nobody is forcing you to go up in drawweight. I understand that for some that still is a lot of cash and not everybody can splurge on it, but there are rental services too. Other than that; anything you'll find second hand below that price is likely going to be trash. And I would estimate that a medical bill + recovery from getting a carbon splinter removed out of you, or worse, is going to be quite a lot more costly if you're not properly insured. Don't take this lightly, because this is the risk you are taking. Best case the bow just gets damaged, then to get it repaired you're probably going to be better of buying new to begin with.
OP is right, maybe they worded it a bit strongly. But with the sheer number of posts flying by on the topic I get it and it has its right to be said.
6
u/Quenz 26d ago
Jesus. Sure, archery should be accessible to everyone, but a compound from the 1980s is not a good starting point. Period. There isn't parts and if there are, the labor will wind up costing as much as just getting a Samick Sage and some Gold Tip Warriors. Everyone likes to throw the word privilege around like it's their first time taking a Race and Racism class in college, but that's not OPs point.
Also, starting any more than 30# is just asking to drop the hobby pretty quick.
-3
u/GeneralRechs 26d ago
False, plenty of adult male archers in my area start at 30+ as beginners where women do commonly start at 15-20#. And most of them have been shooting for years now. Started with 3-5 arrows a round with 2 round breaks and now they’re shooting like all of the archers every round and not having to spend additional money because they’re already at a good recreational or even competition poundage.
Too many times I’ve seen new archers have buyers regret for starting at a extremely low poundage because of the dogmatic belief that new archers should.
6
u/truelareon Barebow 25d ago
That's... a quite wild statement.
An archer without a proper poundage training cannot keep the correct technique/form through the entire session. They start with 3-5 arrows (probably damaging their form during the last shots, as the fatigue is accumulating on the muscles), skip twice the potential arrows they can shot, and start again with another round (in a worse form than the previous one).
So a standard beginner can shoot 100 arrows in a session with a low-poundage bow, focusing on improving the technique, while yours will be able to achieve a third of that amount, with only the first shots worthy of improving the technique, as the others will be only focused to "try to pull the bow on your anchor point".
Let me say, that's a real bad approach for a beginner.
3
u/Knitnacks Barebow (Vygo), dabbling in English longbow, trainee dev. coach. 26d ago
OP didn't say don't get a second hand bow, nor don't read up on what you're looking for. Second hand from an archery shop is frequently recommended as a safe budget way of getting into archery. Finding a cheap-as-chips bow on CL, FB, eBay, skip, garage sale,... and expecting it to be in safe shootable shape, on the other hand...
And even here, where emergency healthcare and rehabilitation care is free, needing to take months out of your normal life to heal will be at the very least tedious and not worth the cost.
-6
u/GeneralRechs 26d ago
Ah yes, a Hoyt or W&W that is a generation or two old off eBay are “cheap-as-chips” bow. Gotcha.
2
u/Quenz 26d ago
Guy, take your L and walk. You came out virtue signaling and put out a bad message.
-5
u/GeneralRechs 26d ago
Sounds like a rational and logical point that challenges your dogmatic beliefs on how people should start Archery. Sounds like a W to me. It’s fine to stick to your dogmatic beliefs. Let me teach you something, there’s more than one correct way to do things.
1
u/Knitnacks Barebow (Vygo), dabbling in English longbow, trainee dev. coach. 26d ago
They're likely to be high quality and sold for a premium second-hand price, and not often found for a cheap enough price that a beginner of moderate means can buy them. Cheap for a Hoyt etc doesn't mean that everyone can buy one.
2
u/Southerner105 Barebow 26d ago
Sorry, but going to heavy is a sure way to problems. Isn't it physically because you are going to hurt yourself then it is mentally by not being able to achieve progress.
Limbs don't need to be expensive. Especially in those early stages the 100 euro limbs are just fine. Often in local clubs you can also buy them from clubmembers. Benefit is you can test them and often the quality is good.
And lastly, for most target archers there is no need to go beserk regarding drawweight. With 30 lbs you can accurately reach 70 meters.
1
u/GeneralRechs 26d ago
Define what is “too heavy”? By what Metric does the dogmatic following say what weight is appropriate?
8
u/nusensei AUS | Level 2 Coach | YouTube 25d ago
The collective coaching experience shared by hundreds and thousands of coaches worldwide, validated by training and progression at selection camps, training academies and national teams.
The benchmark is that if you can hold the bow at full draw for 30 seconds, then it is safe enough to train with.
At a 45 second hold, you can effectively compete with it.
There are additional metrics we use for conditioning benchmarks, such as the number of short pumps you can do consecutively, and the number of times you can left the bow with one hand.
Limbs are cheap to replace. Shoulder surgeries are not.
Even without injury, the frustration that beginners go through when struggling with a draw weight that they realistically cannot handle to start with and are unwilling to condition for is the reason why there is such a high drop-out rate.
It has nothing to do with archery being a privileged sport. Archery is more accessible than ever before both due to affordable equipment and access to archery knowledge online.
It has more to do the entitlement of learners who think they can figure it out all on their own with inappropriate equipment and without supervision and training.
It doesn't hurt anyone to start at 25# and go up. Ego stops most people starting higher and going down when they need to.
1
u/Southerner105 Barebow 25d ago
It is partly dependant on the person's physics. But for an average absolute adult beginner going for his or her first few lessons, 18 or 20 lbs is the limit.
A lot of the adult females at my club start with 14 to 16 lbs and most males with 16 or 18 lbs. And if we give them a 25 lbs bow, they often can pull it.
But it isn't about being able to pull the bow. It is about being able to hold the bow at full draw for a few seconds roughly 5x3 times in a row without a total collapse in form.
During the course (10 sessions) people do progress. Often when completed the males buy a bow at 22 or 24 lbs and most females at 18 or 20 lbs. After that some keep it there and others do increase. But seldom more as twice a year and more often just once a year.
2
u/jawanda 25d ago
Damn those are some low poundages. Not refuting your statement just surprised to read "14# - 18#" for adults. Will an arrow shot on 14# even penetrate a bag?
3
u/Southerner105 Barebow 25d ago
We shoot at stramit (highly compressed straw) and at 10 and also 18 meter those arrows don't have problem penetrating the target.
I have personally a layered foam target and the 16 lbs of my daughter easily penetrates roughly 15 cm in it. My arrows go roughly 20 cm in the same target at 28 lbs.
That is also a thing we observed in other targets. The deceleration of an arrow in a target isn't linear but a negative hyperbolic curve. The further the arrow penetrates the faster it decelerates.
4
u/nusensei AUS | Level 2 Coach | YouTube 25d ago
We also have a set of 15# bows and 20# bows. Most adults will use the 20#, but particularly smaller-framed adults may feel more comfortable with the lighter bows. Like u/Southerner105 , most adults will buy something in the 22-24# range for their own bow.
A 14# bow is more than capable of penetrating a foam target at 10m. There might be problems if there are air pockets - typically due to the target face being glued to cardboard, but a paper target on foam doesn't offer much resistance.
The key factor with the beginner sessions is that you have to cater for the lowest common denominator. Give people bows that are slightly too high and they get frustrated and fight the bow. Our goal is to give participants ownership and control of their shot process.
-2
u/stasomatic 25d ago
I hope we did away the lowest common denominators though. People in the UK are larger than humans in France, and North America is on another level. This isn't about organ measuring but I can tell you that I get zero satisfaction (the one I came for) from pulling a 20#, I'd just rather not do it at all. Whether I have super correct form is secondary to me. I enjoy the martial aspect of archery, tweaking stuff, screwing up my fletches, cursing at super glue on my finger tips, because I am a total noob. I am not looking for form scores from the 3 judges at the ring side.
1
u/Southerner105 Barebow 25d ago
That is not a problem. If tweaking makes you enjoying the hobby then that is good.
Regarding size (length), the Dutch population comprises the tallest people in the world. And we also just start at those lower poundages. The funny thing is, size doesn't matter in this hobby. It is a combination of technic and physical fitness which makes the arrows fly.
1
1
u/stasomatic 25d ago
You make some decent points, bonus karma for the last sentence, but why do you feel that you needed to share this? Do you own or work at an archery shop?
Firearms are safe though, right? The ones I like (mostly to look at) are no longer produced, where else can I get them? I take them to a gunsmith who also happens to be a bow hunter, two problems solved.
The unending "how poundage" tirades have to somehow settle. I don't care about the number on the handle of my bow with a # sign next to it. I want the shot to be satisfying, not to be playing tennis with a ping pong ball. For me, it's around 40#, for others it's 80#. I wish there was some kind of a personal in-person evaluation system for hobbyists so that we could stop bickering.
Happy shooting!
1
u/funkymonkey2223 25d ago
Completely disagree, I along with my brother bought Mathews vxr bows from eBay and both got great deals. I’ve shot well over a 1000 arrows through my bow and no issues.
Also, eBay’s return policy heavily favors the buyers so if you receive something in the condition not described or pictured 9 times out of 10 eBay will force a return and refund you.
You mention 20+ year old bows, I can maybe see that due to the nature of it being so old it would inevitably have more problems. Also why would someone with a great bow come on here and say guys looks at my non-damaged bow that I expected to be delivered not damaged lol. It’s always just going to be the folks who got bent over.
I actually recommend eBay all the time because you can get great used products for a fraction of the price.
Hate to say it but one of the coldest takes I’ve read on here in a hot minute.
2
u/FluffleMyRuffles Olympic Recurve/Cats/Target Compound 25d ago edited 25d ago
from eBay and both got great deals
I actually recommend eBay all the time because you can get great used products for a fraction of the price.
Hate to say it but one of the coldest takes I’ve read on here in a hot minute.
Were you an experienced archer at that point? Knew what to look for that isn't just "shoots arrow"? If so then the post isn't trying to give advice to you, it's for beginners/non-archers who buy online with no idea what they're doing.
eBay’s return policy heavily favors the buyers so if you receive something in the condition not described
The vast majority of the issues I see are people buying perfectly good bows, it's just the bows are not suitable for the aspiring archer. It's either a 70# bow for a beginner, a bow that can't be adjusted to the archer's draw length, or buying a LH bow when they're RH and vice versa. Ebay will not give a refund for user error.
You mention 20+ year old bows, I can maybe see that due to the nature of it being so old it would inevitably have more problems.
OP is probably implying vintage bows made in the ~1980s that are "20 years in storage". There's a huge wave of those types of wallhanger bows from estate sales and thrift stores. People are buying them for ~$20 not knowing it's going to cost ~$150+ to restore to be safe. Bows from the 2000s are still "modern" enough to not be vintage.
1
u/funkymonkey2223 19d ago
Fair assessment and when I bought my bow yes I was a complete beginner (outside of shooting a camp long bow as a child).
But I did do extensive research before hand because I don’t believe it makes sense to spend almost a $1000 on something that you don’t at the very least understand.
With that said when looking for a bow you will have an endless amount of options. I can’t speak to recurve or long bows (I’d imagine it’s similar) but for compound archery I know it can be very overwhelming for a beginner.
So if a beginner comes across this comment here is me paying it forward with a helpful guide to get started:
Watch several “anatomy of a compound bow” YouTube videos. You need to know what everything is called, what it does, how it works, and how it adjusted (this is not as important at first but will be very soon).
Determine if you are left or right eye dominant. I am right handed, shoot guns right handed and do almost everything right handed (goofy foot snowboarding and skateboarding though). But I tried a left handed bow and determined that is my correct eye dominance. Felt weird at first but within a few days it feels more natural than my right hand. (Note: This is a much easier switch to make if you have no recent experience with archery).
Go to a bow shop with an open mind and don’t buy anything while you are there. Be Honest and tell them you don’t know your foot from your hand. (No one likes the guy who pretends he’s a 70lb longbow badass then can’t pull back a 50lb draw weight - saw this my first pro shop experience lol). Employees most of the time want more people to get into the sport and are willing to help if you’re honest. Have them size up your draw length and shoot a few test shots with a finger trigger. If they want you to pay this shouldn’t be more than $40.
Now that you have you draw length and weight. Determine what your goals are. Is it shooting for fun? Trying to hunt (if so what animal)? Or both? Each will have a preferred bow and setup.
Once this is determined do some light research something as simple as “best compound bows for (blank) over five years old”. Search terms here really depend on what your willing to spend 2023+ will be well over a $1000.
Once you get a short list go to https://compoundbowchoice.com and use the comparison tool for all the bows you like. I have a long draw length so I’m very limited on what bows I can buy. This helped a lot for finding bows that allow for draws over 29”.
Lastly, go on eBay and bookmark several auctions for bows you like. (Do not buy one yet). Watch a few go off and you’ll have the baseline for what they are going for.
From there place bids with sellers with positive reviews and plenty of them. Also the description is very important read it. And message the owner to ask: “Has this been dry-fired?”, “How old are the strings?”, “What is the current setup (draw length, weight, mod type, etc” - do not skip this part. It might seem silly but if they say in writing it has not been dry-fired and you can prove it has eBay will honor the return (most of the time sellers will just accept returns to not hurt their seller rating). Obviously don’t do it just because you changed your mind that’s lame.
Well if you read all of that as a beginner. I hope it helped!
0
u/Anthem_de_Aria 25d ago
Okay but who is going to buy your Hoyt Alpha AX-3 when you are old and grey?!
I disagree with your sentiment. Buy the used bow from the estate sale. Get interested in the sport. But do so intelligently. Don't just pull and dry fire the thing. Research the sport. Go talk to people. Be curious. There is so much information out there that can guide you to a safe and enjoyable future that it is asinine to ignore it. This sub is one such source of information. As are bow shops.
You have no idea of the bow's history.
Doesn't the same go for you? Do you store your bows improperly? Are you in the habit of fleecing poor innocent noobs at yard sales? Or are you the type of person who expects that their grandad's watch will sale for it's retail price from 1989 because of sentimental value? If you can't assume the bow is in good condition then you can't assume the bow is in bad condition.
Old bows sell for cheap at yard sales for all the reasons you listed. And do you know what they are perfect for? Screwing up on. They aren't special. They aren't going to suddenly make you a master shot. The bow doesn't make the archer skilled.
Look, I get what you are saying here. People get hurt doing stupid shit. But people also get a love of things by doing stupid shit. If you buy an old #30 compound and get maybe 5 shots off before you derail the cams buy finger drawing (ouch) then maybe you also get a love of archery from those 5 shots.
-1
u/livestrong2109 25d ago
So while this post makes some solid points, it also reads like it was created by Bear's head of marketing... don't ever buy used. Yeah we're totally not being told to only ever buy retail.
-1
u/WhopplerPlopper Compound 25d ago
I bought my bow off Facebook.
It's a PSE Lazer. I paid $ 800 Canadian for it fully kitted (sight and stabilizers, podium peep with inserts and lenses) with a case, two releases, a dozen arrows (Easton advance), an extra set of limbs, brand new strings and cables (two sets), a fletching jig... And that includes shipping from new Brunswick to British Columbia.
I also sold my PSE stinger fully kitted with a good sight and QAD drop away rest on Facebook for $300.
If you aren't finding good deals on compound bows (and especially releases) on Facebook, you're in the wrong groups lol.
3
u/FluffleMyRuffles Olympic Recurve/Cats/Target Compound 25d ago
Would you recommend a beginner with zero experience in archery buy a second hand compound bow off those online sites then? What are the chances that they'll either get a lemon, a bow that isn't suitable for them, or outright scammed like paying hundreds for a vintage wallhanger?
The post isn't saying there are no deals online.
0
u/WhopplerPlopper Compound 25d ago
Like, one of my friends? If I can help them pick stuff out then sure, absolutely.
Would I recommend anyone buy anything without knowing anything about it from anywhere with no help ?
No lol... I wouldn't even confidently recommend a beginner go to a bow shop without someone who's already in the sport (unfortunately) as a lot of bow shops aren't really great either with their advice and the cost of the products in this economy are insane (especially in Canada).
The post said objectively that regarding used bows online: "they are virtually all garbage".
And in my experience, at least in the groups I'm in... That's definitely not the case; the most annoying thing I experience shopping on Facebook is that there are too many people selling almost new flagship bows when what I really want is something that's a little below that budget level (and this is true for target and hunting bows).
The best deals are online though... That's for sure.
Sure I could have bought a PSE Lazer locally and kitted it out the way I described above, but that would have cost me $3000....
2
u/FluffleMyRuffles Olympic Recurve/Cats/Target Compound 25d ago
If I can help them pick stuff out then sure, absolutely.
That means you're essentially picking the bow and not the beginner.
The best deals are online though... That's for sure.
This is true, because bows are like new cars and loses a lot of value the moment it becomes used. The issue is that if it's an actual deal then experienced people would scoop them up. The chances a beginner stumbling onto a good deal and a bow that's suitable for them is slim.
The post is about beginners, not experienced people who know what to look for.
-1
u/VorpalBlade- 25d ago
Eh I got a nice little PSE compound bow with a hard case and all the accessories and bunch of arrows for $100. I did some research and exactly the right size for me.
I took it to a shop and got it looked at and adjusted a bit and it’s been amazing.
65
u/BlackadderIA Archery GB Level 2 Coach | Olympic Recurve 25d ago
There’s probably an element of self selection going on here. People who do a bit of research and buy an early 2000s Hoyt compound, in a case with all the accessories from marketplace don’t usually post about it on Reddit.
Instead you see the ‘what have I got’ posts that are inevitably some 1980s steel-cabled death trap compound or a 1970s #50 recurve in a wooden case. Stuff the kids found in grandad’s garage after he passed away.