Women's hunting bow?

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The girlfriend has been bugging me for awhile now that she wants to start shooting archery and to start archery hunting. Being as I'm mainly an archery hunter and not an archery shooter (I don't keep up with the latest greatest in the archery industry), I need some advice for a solid bow for her to start hunting/shooting with. I really like Hoyt for a "big name" bow, but that's just a personal preference thing.

I honestly have no idea what poundage she should even start at. I shoot 70 lbs and I know she couldn't ever shoot that, but I think she would be fine with something in the 45-50 lb range...?? She's in the gym a lot and for her 5'7" 135 lb frame she's pretty dang strong. Thoughts? Thanks!

Mike
 

Beastmode

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My daughter is 11 and last year I got her a bowtech heartbreaker. Great bow. Has basic sight rest and quiver. She shoots @ 37 lbs right now. I would say 45 to 50 lbs would be about right for an adult woman. Let us know what you choose.
 
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Look into the new martin bows. A few of them have a weight range of 35# down from max. These are actual adult hunting bows, not youth bows or ramped up youth bows, which is what some women's bows are. They don't cost a heck of a lot and they would be easy to get rid of if she doesn't like it, because they can be adjusted up to fit any adult. And I get a sweet discount on them. I just ordered another '13 Nemesis, Martin really turned around this year. Just my opinion.
 

Mckinnon

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I would look at the diamond infinite edge as mentioned before. Huge range of adjustments in draw length and weight. I have looked into them for the same reason as you. The shop guy I talked to said good things about the Passion too...
 
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Once you find out her draw length, you don't need a ridiculously adjustable bow, she's not growing anymore. Find out what she can pull, her draw length and choose a bow in that range. Regardless of what anyone says, the Infinite edge is a youth bow.

I have a youth bow that I started my wife on. It maxes out at her draw length, but I also have 3 young boys that will be able to shoot it very soon. I will be buying her an adult bow to hunt with, when she's ready. If if was for her and her alone, I would have started out with an adult bow.
 
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HellsCanyon
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Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone. I'm can about guarantee she can pull 45# but don't know her draw length. Unfortunately this isn't a gift where I can pick it out without her input so it won't be that big of a surprise for her. I'll be seeing her this weekend and will get her draw length. Not sure on the poundage at this point...

Mike
 

ckleeves

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I would also look at "men's" bows. You can get a lot better deals on them (women's bows bring a premium) and it opens up a lot more options. My wife started with a Switchback xt and then got a Hoyt maxis once she knew more what she wanted.

She shoots 53lbs but had to work up to that. She started at around 43 and she is also pretty fit.
 

Lawnboi

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First thing I would do is figure out her dl. Thatl tell you if you will be limited to the short draw bows or if you can get her a normal sized one.
 

Becca

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Get her into an archery shop and have her try shooting a bunch of bows. Once you know what her draw length is you will have a better sense for what is available to her, and once she shoots a bunch she can tell you what feels best. I ended up with a men's bow (bowtech equalizer) because it felt most comfortable to me of the ones I tried out...I have a 24" draw length so that limited my options somewhat, but there were still men's bows available for me...


If she can pull back 50 pounds from the get go awesome, but be sure both of you are prepared for the possibility that she won't be able to at first. It was my (limited) experience that once I started shooting regularly I built that muscle memory up really fast. In fact as I recall I couldn't initially pull back 50# at all without having someone to put a finger on the string and help me past the break point. When I was shooting daily last spring I was up to 50 shots before I felt too tired, and that was after shooting at least 4x a week for two month to get ready for my bow hunter Ed class.I am a little out of the habit this winter, but imagine my strength will come back fast if I get practicing again...
 

OR Archer

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Find a reputable shop in your area and take her there and let her shoot a few bows. Not all bows will fit the her the same, so getting a bow properly fitted to her is important. Most women I have worked with have a hard time pulling much more than 30# starting out even if they are in good shape. So finding a bow with good draw weight adjustment is also important. Another piece of advice. Let her pick the bow. I've seen guys lead their significant other toward a specific bow and they end up not even shooting it because it wasn't what they really liked or wanted.

Now for a few bows to have her look at:

Mission Craze
Mathews Jewel
Hoyt Charger
Mission Ballistic
PSE Chaos 1

I really don't like any of the Bowtechs that have been listed. I've worked on enough of them to know they are a PITA to tune and keep tuned. Plus the accessories they put on their kits just plain stink.
 

CaseyU

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well i know how the hoyt thing is. I've shot hoyt a long time so of course she had to have a hoyt. i ended up finding a hoyt selena (06,07) bow on archerytalk for a great price. but her problem is she has a 23..5 in draw. so most of the adult womens bows like vixen will only go to 24 or 25" there are some great people on archerytalk that burn through womens bows. but if she must have a new one and she is 5'7 i bet she has at least a 24.5" draw. so plenty of hoyts will slide right in the spot
 
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Mike,

Personal thoughts. I like to start women in a CRAZE or a RIOT from Mission (it sounds like you have more of a RIOT girl on your hands). It has the adjustability to play with more draw weights to see where she is comfortable and see her limits PLUS it has a great range on Draw Length and we can use that as a tool to put her into a higher end bow.

The physical geometries between men and bows and woman and bows is different. We are typically 28+" DL and in the 70# range where most women I work with are closer to the 24.5-25" DL and peak out around 38-42# range. So throw out everything in your head about ATA lengths and BRACE heights!!! I would rather see a woman in a 30-32 bow with a 6" Brace! It'll work because of our stature differences.

Great bow to look at:

Mathews Jewel
Hoyt Spyder 30, Element G3, Charger (Vixcen packages)
Bear Siren

Just some personal thoughts on how I approach female shooters and what I look towards.

Evan
 
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On a MUCH more personal note....

My wife is 5'5 and she shoots a Hoyt Vector Turbo 40-50 limbs. Winter we have her around 41 for target and she hunts at 52 peak on those limbs with a 25" DL. I have her hunting with an Easton Axis 600 spine cut at around a 24" overall length and an 85 grain tip (slick trick 85). using 6 (SIX) 1.5" Fusion vanes. for her a $$$$$ set-up it shoots like a STUD and she loves it!!!
 

c5mrr270

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As others have said figure out her draw length. If she has a draw over 26" and can pull 45 plus pounds she will also be able to shoot "men's" bows. My best advice is to get a bow that is easily adjustable for draw length because as her form develops and she experiments with different anchors, releases, etc. you are going to want that adjustability.

My wife shoots both a hoyt alpha burner and bowtech invasion.
 
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I shoot a G5 Torch, which is designed specifically for those with shorter draw lengths. It is adjustable from 30-45#. I am planning to upgrade to a G5 Bliss, which seems to be the newer version of the same bow. One additional benefit of the Bliss is that there are two versions, 30-45# and 45-60#. I figure if I keep my Torch and get the Bliss, I have a wider range of weights for more versatility. I did try several other bows and found that the G5 grip was most comfortable for me. I have a fused left wrist as a result of a horse riding accident and have found that some bow grips force my wrist into a very uncomfortable torque. My only complaint with the G5 bows is that they seem a bit noisy....despite several modifications, I still haven't been able to get it very quiet. Other than that, I love it!
 

gulicemo

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I bought my girlfriend a PSE Chaos, set it at 30 pounds and 25 inches. She loves it and we are going to bump it up to 40-45 pounds in the summer. It's great, every time i want to go shoot, she can come and I don't catch any flack for leaving her...
 
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