32 things I wish I knew when I started with compound bow

1. What are good Compound bow brands?

The compound bow being far better than the traditional bows are suitable for all level of hunters either that be a beginner or an experienced hunter. A compound bow guarantees to take your archery to the best level.

Depending on the money you can afford, you should opt for the best compound bow. You might get confused among the selection of the good compound bow brands among the hundreds of options available these days. After trying many brands of compound bow, I’ve found these 6 best among all of them which are offering market’s best product with great customer services.

Bowtech

Being the top leading brand in the market, Bowtech is manufacturing and distributing the finest compound bows of the world. Being obsessed with accuracy, it produces high-quality compound bows. With a positive lasting impact, Bowtech was created by Kevin Strother and John Strasheim in 1999.

Producing the company’s first model in 2000, its growth is quite impressive. Known for its enhanced quality process in designing and manufacturing phases, it gives lifetime warranty of their compound bows. Giving superior support to its dealers and customers alike is the pride of the company.

Bowtech is the parent company of many industry-leading brands including Diamond archery. Read in Detail.

Barnett

Hunters have opted Barnett for years for producing durable and dependable compound bows. Because of Barnett, excellence is not an option. Being primarily crossbow manufacturers, they also produce quality level compound bows.

Barnett’s engineer’s team is actively busy developing new technologies for compound bow products. Enhancing all-new versatile and innovative features, Barnett was founded in 1962.

PSE Archery

PSE archery claims to have the best bows of the world and to some extent they are right. Offering a variety of compound bows, it’s the only company who manufactures its units with an original Allen Archery Patent.

Founded by Pete Shepley, it’s among the first manufacturers using aluminum for making bows and other accessories. Providing a maximum strength, PSE has designed an extremely lightweight bow. For improving compound bows development, the company is using many modern manufacturing processes.

SAS

Southland archery supply (SAS) has been contributing to the archery market for 10 years. SAS incredible and competitive prices along with their field testing are its pride. It offers most economic products without compromising on the quality. Once hooked with the SAS brand, you will experience a perfect blend of stability and power.

Bear Archery

The bear archery is an American company founded in 1902 by Fred Bear. Promising of making ethical and reliable compound bows, it is having impeccable knowledge about crafting and designing of the best products. With a long life passion for hunting, it is making the best possible compound bows.

Mathews

Combining engineering with superior materials and rigorous testing, Mathews sets high-quality standards. Providing ultimate versatility to its products, it elevates your archery experience to the next level. Making a less complicated bow technology is what they are proud of. Using a single cam in their bows, they are still accurate and reliable.

2. Can a Compound bow kill a Human?

Compound bow arrows flying fast against the objects with the power and speed they have. I would say most likely YES especially if the person is being hit in the head or chest area. Humans can survive if they are shot by a compound bow either on their arms or legs but they need to be rushed to the hospital immediately.

A human can die easily with an arrow of a compound bow than an animal because the weight of an average human is around 65-75 kg. As we walk upright and have thin skin so our organs are directly exposed.

An arrow destroys the heart or any other organ surely but doesn’t kill instantly as often shown in the movies because the blood flows through the heart for a second or few thus retaining oxygen a bit longer. Cutting deep through your organs and body, you bleed so heavily. With this massive blood loss depending on the area of shot placement, a person dies.

There are 2 ways in which a person can be killed by a broadhead.

First is due to blood loss.

Second is due to internal bleeding, filling up the blood in the lungs causes’ death within few seconds.

Arrows are believed to be deadlier than bullets because they cut your organs inches deep inside and sometimes tear apart your organ coming out the opposite side. Lastly, I would like to tell you that longbows being deadly weapons have been used by men since ages for self-defense and war. Bows being silent are a better option than the loud guns and rifles.

3. Can a Compound bow Pierce Body Armor?

The history of armor is being old as almost the evolution of mankind. Arrows can SAIL even through KEVLAR or any ballistic fiber armor. Armors either ballistic or correctional must be bought from a well reputable manufacturer and must have certified testing of a recognized standard.

In soft body armor, three materials are most commonly used. They don’t break easily as they are having a high tensile strength unless a pointed weapon or armor is used. Soft armor is made mostly from a fabric called KEVLAR. An arrow can cut right through a Kevlar as its woven.

Kevlar can catch a bullet and stop it but not an arrow as arrows are pointed and sharp. It will easily go through the fabric and cut it. Some Kevlar vests have shear thickening fluid. Its material is flexible unless something hits it hard and it hardens up.

The hard armor plates being most popular are made of either CERAMICS or CERAMICS COMPOSITES. Plate armor can stop arrows easily. Some slab resistant vests can slow or stop the arrow but not a Kevlar. As safety and comfort always have a balancing act so increasing the fabric layers will ultimately result in heavier and thicker body armor.

This will make it less flexible and warmer. The stab resistant vests are incorporating a rigid layer in its fabric layer for providing stab resistance, thus making it uncomfortable to wear as it gets stiff.

Ballistic woven armor having multiple layers, with high tensile strength, can disperse or blunt any initial forces that would pierce the body armor. The fabrics weave is often rotated to give it a tear-resistant quality.

4. Can a Compound bow kill a Bear?

Bear hunting is popular and most thrilling adventure for a hunter. A compound bow can EASILY KILL a bear if it’s strong enough. Using the right equipment is very necessary here. Remember an untrained person won’t be able to bring down a bear even with a perfect compound bow.

You need to have accurate information on a perfect place to aim as you want to kill the bear rather than making it upset with you.

It’s intense to be within the bow range of a bear. For this purpose, you need to learn the anatomy of a bear and practicing a 3D target for choosing the right placement shot with different angles you may encounter.

Selecting an accurate draw length with a perfect draw weight is the most vital thing you need to know while going for a bear hunt. For black bear hunting, the good draw weight is from 42 to 65 pounds. Well, this obviously depends on the size and type of bear you want to hunt.

Your compound bow requires KINETIC ENERGY of at least 65 lbs to kill a grizzly bear, again depending on the bear’s size. A bow accelerating 500 grains at 250 feet per second is ideal to kill a bear. A grizzly bear can be easily dead within almost 50 YARDS.

As you need penetration, a small diameter is needed. A 3 bladed arrow with a broadhead is recommended to kill a bear as they are having a very thick skin. Shafts like axis will do the job. Forgetting the best hunting experience; you need to set the draw weight accurately for bear hunting and a wise broadhead selection. You need to be prepared for circumstances that are less than ideal so a heavy arrow with a solid and tough broadhead will maximize the effectiveness of killing a bear.

The final step towards killing the bear is practicing. As they say, practice makes a man perfect because this one-shot will differentiate between a dream trip and a nightmare so it all depends on you.

5. Can a Compound bow String Break?

Compound bows being advanced today are well tuned and magnificent machines giving you an enjoyable and relaxing experience. Many people today are confused that a compound bow string break while shooting? Well, the answer is YES, although it depends on the usage, frequency of use along with its wear and tear in the field.

SOME OF THE REASONS ARE:-

You need to check your bow from TIME TO TIME, CRACKS and SPLINTERS before going hunting especially torn or frayed portions near the axles. Because if it previously hit something hard, there may be chances of its string to break and you are putting yourself in danger while going hunting the next time. Read how to check your bowstring if it needs replacement.

Related: 27 things I wish I knew about Crossbow – Complete Guide

6. Can a Compound bow be Restrung?

As compound bows are built from various hardware, they require skill and expertise for operating it along with proper information for its maintenance. YES, a compound bow can be restrung.

The old models of a compound bow can be restrung with a hand having a teardrop shape attached to the string. You can’t safely change the compound bow string by hand if the old string is not available.

If you want to restring the bow with hand, you should lose the limb bolts slightly. Now flex the bolts of old string and attach a new string. Slip on its new string and lower the bow stepping on the new string and removing the older one.

For changing the string in a safe manner, you can replace it with a bow press. A bow press facilitates manual restringing done at home. Getting a compound bow restrung right is essential because an inadequate restring will result in lousy shots at the field and make the string life shorter.

The actual cost of restrung done by a professional is relatively low so I would suggest better save yourself from the risk and opt for a professional so you can use your bow in the long run.

Being a regular user, you need to save yourself from the trouble of restringing often, so you need to choose among paying a little more for the string and having a long-lasting compound bow.

On the other hand, if you are using it occasionally, decent strings with a low price range would be a good option. The string needs regular maintenance if it’s kept indoors and waxed frequently; it will save you from restringing for about 4-6 YEARS. Whatever price you want to pay, the target is always a high-quality bow.

Now I hope you got to know that restring has 2 aspects. Either pay more for the string and a professional to restrung it or compromise on the quality.

7. Can a Cracked Compound bow Limb be Repaired?

Repairing a CRACKED compound bow is risky because parts of compound bow can harm your hands while doing it. A cracked compound bow can kill or severely injure. There are many factors due to which a cracked compound bow limb can’t be repaired.

HERE ARE SOME OF THEM:-

The limbs of compound bows are being made of ALLOYS. They aren’t made of just aluminum so it’s impossible to match its filter rod to the base metal.
Forgiving shape to a compound bow, their limbs are cast in a mould. Many air pockets are needed for casting so welding on this cast would change the shape and make it harder.

Even if the base metal reaches the filler rod, it won’t FLEX after it’s cooled. When you draw the string, the welded area might snap too.

First of all, you need to check your bow limbs properly either it’s cracked or not. If you are sure it’s cracked with the grain without showing weight loss or hinge, you can repair it yourself, there are two ways to do the job.

I would advise you to contact your manufacturer in this case and see if they can help you. A small archery shop will do the job but remember you are risking your life. So it’s better to contact the manufacturer, they might repair or replace it if it’s in WARRANTY.

We better exercise caution as a new compound bow won’t cost much as our life or body part. Right?

8. Can a Compound bow be used for Bowfishing?

Bowfishing being a flexible sport can be done using a small boat in shallow waters. Any type of archery bow including the compound bow can do the job. All you need to have is an arrow, a bow, and a reel.

The reel is attached to a bow at one end, while the other end of the reel is attached to the arrow. Many archers use compound bows for bowfishing because the pulleys used in the compound bow help the hunter to TRAP the fish easily.

Compound bows being smaller, provide sufficient force for propelling an arrow along with occupying limited space in the boat. You must keep in mind that during bow fishing, an arrow travels through DENSE WATER for trapping the target that is why the typical archery arrows being made of wood or fiberglass won’t do the job.

Along with aiming for compensation of water diffraction, you have to change sights for a bit closer ranges.

The swamp lot bowfishing compound bow is specially designed for bowfishing. Being a perfect tool for hunting big fishes, this compound bow makes it easier for holding and drawing the bow with a 20% LET OFF.

The smooth draw and release of compound bow makes it an outstanding choice for bow fishing. You can easily hunt both small and big fishes with a draw weight of 40-5o lbs. no matter what your height is, you can easily adjust it between 15” to 30”.

An effective way of bow fishing while using a compound bow is wading and shooting. wading is very useful as long as the shooter is ready to get soaked. While wading a hunter gets close to the fish, making its target easier because fishes optically distort their location in water so aiming directly at the target is usually missed.

9. How to Adjust a Compound bow?

It is essential to tune the bow in order to acquire its specific attributes, incredible balance, and precision along with knowing the technique of shooting while going hunting. Thus modern compound bow mechanisms need to be adjusted to get the weight you need.

For doing so first of all you need to change the draw weight, by looking for limb bolts near the center of the compound bow. For tweaking the draw weight, these bolts need to be manipulated.

Now you need to loosen the screws locking with an Allen wrench or a screwdriver, to allow adjusting the limb bolts.

For achieving the desired weight you need to loosen or tighten the limb bolts accordingly. In order to tighten it, you need to rotate the wrench clockwise and to loosen it, turn the wrench counter-clockwise. Now adjust each arms tension to the desired weight. The tension on both the limbs needs to be adjusted equally.

For testing the draw weight, hold the bow and pull the bowstring back, if you can draw the bow in a controlled and smooth motion, you are done but if not you should continue tinkering the draw weight until you are satisfied.

You should determine your draw weight by the level of your UPPER BODY STRENGTH. A very heavy draw weight would result in wear out and throwing off the shot. Taking your draw length in the account, a longer draw length means more on the bow and a heavier bowstring. It must suit your body measurements.

If you want to go hunting you need a heavier pull WHEREAS for practicing and sports competition you will need a lighter weight for shooting over and over again. If you are a newbie you need to try out different draw weights and bow sizes to check which one can be handled best.

10. Can I use Compound bow broadheads on a Crossbow?

Any broadhead which can shoot effectively from a compound bow can also WORK FINE with a crossbow. The energy delivered and cutting ability is almost the same both for a compound bow and crossbow. You should choose your broadheads according to your need that you use it in hunting or in sports. Depending on the design of a broadhead and the firing cycle and energy of the bow, they can be used with a compound bow or a crossbow or even both.

Either fixed or extendible, some broadheads can be easily used with both. EOOENOON hunting broadheads and hunting broadheads by Sinbad Tech are 3 blade archery broadheads which compatible to both with compound bows and crossbows. Similarly, there are many other broadheads which can be used for both compound bows and crossbows. You will have to shoot them both to check.

Arrow broadheads mostly weight around 100gr WHEREAS crossbow broadheads mostly weight around 125 gr. As the broadheads are heavier than the bolts, ultimately the bolts would bend the broadhead. If broadheads were to be designed for a crossbow, they would face the same issues as compound bows. Crossbows along with being more powerful have a shorter stroke.

If the bolt + head weight is weighing below the minimum of the crossbow, then your crossbow will be irreversibly damaged. Once you achieve a safe weight, you have to do the math yourself. The next limiting factor will be the speed. While using the expanding type, the sharp acceleration of crossbow causes premature expansion. You must check it before shooting an animal. Some people still are of the view that using broadheads, arrows can’t fly straight.

Related: 27 things I wish I knew about Crossbow – Complete Guide

11. How Compound bow works?

The modern compound bow designs are the most powerful, fastest and most accurate bows made ever. They have replaced the traditional bows in the market while offering many advantages over them. First, let me introduce you to the parts of a compound bow. Check my detail review.

Riser: Being the bows chassis, it needs to be strong and light without flexing at all.

Limbs: they flex, store and release energy.

Cams: there are 3 types of a cam, a single cam is easy to pull and adjust but not fast, while two cams being harder to pull and synchronize are quite fast. Hybrid cams give the power of 2 along with the easy adjustment.

Bowstring: it releases the arrow while rotating the cams and flexing the limbs.

Cables: they connect the limbs and cams, and enable them to pull each other

Brace height: the distance between the string and the grip while being at rest. Shorted brace heights have fewer chances of shooting error.

For shooting an arrow faster, every compound bow uses the leverages mechanical advantage for storing energy in its flexed limbs as you draw it. The traditional bows are storing this energy directly, so it requires more effort to draw it.

On the other hand, the cams on the compound bow (big wheels at the ends of compound bows) allow a LET-OFF, while your draw ends. Normally it is between 60-80 percent of its draw weight. This allows it holding at a full draw, aiming more carefully on the range while searching for the perfect shot.

Ultimately the compound bow can be held steadier while applying less effort and increasing the ACCURACY. As we all know that a faster arrow is more powerful, thus compound bows increase the bows relative accuracy too.

12. How far Compound bow can Shoot?

Under the right conditions, modern bows can shoot HUNDREDS of yards away. It’s up to the shooter to predict where the arrow can go before releasing. It depends on the two factors, ARROW SPEED and KINETIC ENERGY.

The arrows speed predicts how fast it can travel, if it’s fired from a long range it is more useful, thus helping it with a steady flight while maintaining the energy.

Kinetic energy helps the arrow to fly and penetrate through your target. Gravity force obviously affects the kinetic energy. The technical improvements in good compound bows amaze you with high values in these features.

Well, it also depends on the ethics and ability of the person who is shooting the bow. Ethics and ability should always go together. Even if at a specific range, you are confident enough of your ability, mitigating situations always take priority. Sometimes crosswinds, branches in the path, or an animal moving away too much cause concern so an ethical bowhunter in this situation will let it down unless he is certainly sure of a clean and quick kill.

If you consider practice for long range shots, using a compound bow, you need to take extreme caution. You should test your shots in an area away from any civilization. The best effective range for the shooting is 30 yards because in this range an arrow will not miss its target.

Many have shot a deer at 30 yards away, some can shoot at 40 yards away and some might even take it to 50 yards. Medieval legends could even hunt wild goats at 100 yards with early compound bows.

<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0″><aside class=”pquote” style=”float:right;color:#E54132;line-height:1.2;font-size:25px;font-weight:bold;margin:0px 0px 0px 100px;”><p>A COMPOUND WORLD RECORD WAS MADE WHILE SHOOTING A 30 KG BOW AT 1162 YARDS.</p></aside>

13. How to Restring a Compound bow?

Bowstring being a vital part of a compound bow comprises of very smaller strands draped together for forming a sturdy string. Withstanding over a hundred pounds of force, if you take sufficient care of your string by waxing it regularly and inspecting it periodically, it may even last as long as the compound bows.

On the other hand without proper maintenance, the bowstring gets bad due to fraying promoting safety risks as it might snap without warning resulting in violent outcomes. Thus restring becomes important at this stage.
Archery shops use tools like bow press which relieves tension and restring the bow. You can even restring a bow yourself without using a press.

For doing so, you only need 2 THINGS:-

• BOWSTRING
• ALLEN WRENCH

In order to restring a bow, you need to carry out the following steps properly:-

Step 1: Locate the limb bolts and with the help of an Allen wrench turn the bolts anticlockwise making three full revolutions.

Step 2: Step on the bowstring with both feet and pull up the bow riser with your hand for attaining a full draw position.

Step 3: Hold the riser with one hand and put the replacement bowstring with your other hand on the new strings tear drop fittings.

Step 4: Lower your compound bow till the limbs are back to their default position.

Step 5: Make sure that the bowstring loops are fully seated on the grooves.

Step 6: Step on the replacement bowstring with both feet. Now pull the bow riser till it attains full draw position.

Step 7: Take the bowstring out which you want to replace and lower the compound bow.

Step 8: Tighten the bolts with an Allen wrench.

14. How to Adjust Compound bow Draw length?

A compound bow is made of a group of pulleys, also called cams. The perfect draw length always makes a perfect shooting. As the draw length of every person can be different, so adjusting a compound bow draw length isn’t that easy.

Measure the draw length

First of all measure and adjust the draw length by standing straight across the wall and opening your arms and palms. Once your arms are in a straight line, ask someone to measure the distance between right-hand middle fingertips to left-hand middle fingertip. Subtract 15 inches from the total and then divide by two. By drawing a bow you will get your answer.

Using proper tools

Loosen the cam screw by using an Allen wrench. Draw the bow string and ask someone to tighten up the cam screw by using an Allen wrench. By doing so, you can set the perfect draw length.

Changing the cams

You can adjust the draw length of a compound bow by using cams. There are many cams that allow you to set the draw length according to your size. Switching out a cam isn’t easy so you might need to take help from an archery shop.

Here are a few types of cams:-

• Draw specific cams: check for the ones marking your actual draw length. They are marked either with a number or letter.
• Adjustable cams: you can easily adjust these cams according to your draw length by using an Allen wrench. This cam is the best option for a newbie. Some of the adjustable cams are having a 10 inches range or even more.
• Common cams: as the mods are adjustable to fit in these cams, they are good for new hunters. They are inexpensive cams and also known as modular cams.

Cams can make a great difference in your shooting way. Your shots are made comfortable with the draw length and cams make your shots further accurate.

15. How to Measure Compound bow draw length?

A proper draw length results in increased accuracy of your shot. The mechanical systems of your compound bow control your draw length. Thus the hunter’s physical size should match to the compound bow’s mechanical setting.

You can either measure the draw length of your compound bow at home or go to an archery shop and ask them to check it for you. There are four ways to measure your draw length at home.

Step: 1

Stand straight turning your back to the wall. Open your arms and keep your shoulders back while your palms and chin are parallel to the floor. Ask someone to measure the distance from your middle fingers tip on your left hand to your middle fingers tip on your right hand. Then divide the answer by 2.5

Step: 2

Stand straight turning your back to the wall. Stick out your arms straight while your palms are facing down. Ask someone to put a piece of tape out on the wall where the middle finger of your left-hand ends. Similarly, put a tape on the wall where the middle finger of your right-hand ends.

Take a tape to measure the distance between these two marks. Subtract 15 from it and divide it by 2.

Step: 3

Wear a button down shirt and stand against the wall. Now fully extend your arm and make a fist. Ask someone to measure the distance between your top button and wrist.

Step: 4

Stand at an arm’s length distance from the wall. Stretch your arms in a position as if you are holding a bow. Ask someone to measure the distance between your mouth and fist.
For measuring your accurate draw length, It would be good if you try these four tricks simultaneously and compare the result of these altogether. By doing so, you can get the better average result of your draw length.

Related: 27 things I wish I knew about Crossbow – Complete Guide

16. What Compound bow should I buy?

There are many compound bows in the market and making the right choice has become a hassle. No compound bow is perfect in all aspects of quality but still, there is one that fits for you perfectly. Whatever energy you put in a compound bow is directly proportional to what you get out of it. With a compound bow, one can aim carefully while shooting from a long and distance.

There are different types of cam systems used by compound bows. The most common types of compound bows are single cam, dual cam, hybrid cam, and binary cam.

Single Cam

This type of compound bow has an idler wheel at the top whereas at the lower end is the elliptical power cam. They are quiet and easy to use but have a harder tuning than other cams.

Single Cam Compound bow

Twin Cam

They use dual cams either round or elliptical at the ends of the bow. Along with being more accurate, they feature a high velocity with a level nock travel. Being a very complex design it needs frequent tuning and maintenance.

Twin Cam Compound bow

Hybrid Cam

At the top end, they feature a control cam whereas at the bottom they feature a power cam. Requiring less maintenance, it’s easy to tune too. But on the other hand, it has reduced nock travel.

Hybrid Cam Compound Bow

Binary Cam

Being almost similar to dual cams, the top cam is connected to the bottom cam instead of the limb of the bow. Having a very complex design, it needs frequent tuning and maintenance. Along with level nock travel, it ensures a high velocity too.

Binary Cam Compound Bow

Before buying a compound bow, you need to know these FEW THINGS:-

• If you are a newbie, you need to keep it simple and well designed.
• You need to know your strength for achieving the speed consistency. Choose a compound bow which is comfortable to use because you are the one who needs to apply the energy to pull the compound bow and make its mechanism work.
• You need to know the technical considerations while choosing the compound bow. Shorter bows are harder to shoot but easier to maneuver, requiring more practice too. Long excel lengths are easier to shoot on the other hand. Choose the correct draw length. Lower brace heights are difficult to shoot but are faster whereas a higher brace height is easy to shoot but are a bit slower.
• Choose a bow you can slowly and easily pull back, as the draw weight gets higher, the bow gets faster and heavier. You also need to consider your overall bow weight if you are going hunting. Heavier bows can be tiresome but are quiet whereas light bows are easy to carry but are louder.

17. What Compound bow is Best for a Beginner?

Archery can be really fun especially the moment you hit your first ever target. This entry level can be a bit tough with compound bows as they are a bit complicated. So you need proper guidance and need to consider a few factors before buying any compound bow if you are a newbie.

• As a beginner, you shouldn’t spend much on a compound bow. You should go for good quality at a low cost.
• It’s difficult to draw a faster bow as the cams feel more aggressive so beginners should better stick to the bow which is below than 330 FPS.
• Your brace height should be between 6” to 8”.
• A beginner always likes to hold a bow drawn for a longer time.
• 50, 60 or even 70 lbs draw weight would work better for beginners.

Here, check my best compound bow for beginners in 2020.

18. Which Compound bow is the Quietest?

The maximum amplitude of bow limbs initial sound and the string returning to its original position till the sound vibration stops, resulting in a noisy bow. Nowadays there are many compound bows in the market with minimum noise so it’s easy to trap your prey while releasing your bow in silence.

Here are some of the QUIETEST COMPOUND BOWS so far.

Alpine SS Stealth

This is the quietest bow I’ve ever shot. Once the bow is decked with the string silencers for removing string oscillation, its noise level is relatively dropped. Being a quiet system, this bow is also light in weight. With an axle to axle length of 36 inches, it features a brace height of 6.75 inches at 259 FPS.

PSE Enforcer

Featuring PSE’s NV system, it is a noise and vibration absorbing donut on every limb bolt. With 34 inches axle to axle length and 8 inches brace height, this is one of the quietest compound bows.

Mathews Legacy

Along with being one of the fastest bows with 259 FPS, it is also a quiet bow. The string suppressors make the bow really quiet. Having a comfortable shooting design, it offers 34 inches axle to axle length and 7.5 inches brace height.

McPherson 38 Special

Weighs only 3.9 pounds, this bow has 7.25 inches brace height at 260 FPS. Featuring Macpherson’s vibX system installed between the riser and stabilizer insert aids the bow to soak up noise and vibration.

Hoyt VorTec

The silencers installed in Hoyt VorTec assist to drop its noise level. With 9” of brace height, this quiet bow offers a 36 inches ATA length.

19. Where to buy a Compound bow?

You can buy compound bows from the top brands of archery like PSE, Bear Archery, Martin Archery, Barnett, blackout and many more. Either you are an expert archer or a beginner; you will find everything you need including packages and kits at the lowest price possible.

A Compound bow can be purchased from TWO WAYS:-

1. Purchasing from a local pro-shop by paying top dollar along with getting competent technical help.
2. Saving money by buying online from Amazon with setting up and tuning on your own – Tuning a bow by yourself is what makes you more technical about parts of your bow.

There are numbers of videos available at Youtube that can help you to adjust your bow at home.

From an ONLINE STORE, you can have more buying choices and also can compare different compound bows of different brands with a click and take all the information regarding them along with their specifications and prices. Especially Amazon being the top-rated website is offering a number of compound bows online along with providing detailed specifications of each bow and their prices.

Amazon offers the best prices online along with free shipping to many countries of the world. We took feedback from many customers who have bought compound bows from Amazon, their purchasing experience was GREAT. You can just log in to Amazon, select a compound bow by having a detailed view of its specs, read the customer reviews and then COMPARE them with other compound bows.

So, in this case, you don’t need to TRAVEL way long to an archery shop for buying your compound bow. It saves your time and you will get all the information regarding the product from an online store. You can get great updated discounts on your favorite bows and can easily know the new developments in the archery world by SURFING ONLINE.

Many archery shops sell compound bows. Many compound bow shooters grab bows by selecting them physically. If you are the type of person who has to see and feel a product before buying, then it’s better for you to visit an archery shop and try different compound bows and select whichever suits you the best.

These shops normally provide competent technical help regarding how to take care of your compound bow, which is the best compound bow brand, which compound bow would suit you the best along with teaching you the tactics for effective shooting.

You either have to choose among getting a fair deal (ONLINE) or a good technical service (ARCHERY SHOP).

20. Why buy a Compound bow?

A compound bow is simply a pulley and lever system. With a compound bow, you can improve your bowhunting skills and get a comfortable landing on your shot. Compound bows are better than other traditional and recurve bows in many ways.

Whatever energy you put in is directly proportional to what you get in result. Every hunter wants a speedy bow, along with giving back a high proportion efficiency, so it’s simply a GIVE AND TAKE relation. They require less body strength as compared to other bows. 

Here are some factors which ATTRACTS me more to a COMPOUND BOW than any other bow:-

• It is easier to aim a compound bow as due to letting off the string forced are reduced at full draw.
• Being a heavier and longer bow, they shoot more accurately.
• The cams and string of a compound bow are more efficient in flinging arrows, ending up more powerful in the field.
• The size of a compound bow is smaller than the recurve bows, so its easier to carry and handle making it more portable.
• Various compound bows provide smoothness and quietness with relative speed. You can shoot faster with a compound bow than others.
• For archers, shooting with accuracy is the key. Skill and experience along with using a compound bow ensure perfect accuracy. From a greater distance, the compound bow provides more accuracy and power.
• You can easily customize compound bows according to your own choice and need, so they are more versatile.
• They can accommodate different tools like stabilizers, scopes, and silencers.
• Compound bow limbs are much stiffer than other bows granting more mechanical advantage to users. Thus making it more efficient than other bows.
• Compound bows are easily available and you will find a large selection among them.

Related: 27 things I wish I knew about Crossbow – Complete Guide

21. Will rain damage a Compound bow?

Compound bows are made for all weather conditions so it’s FINE if there’s rain. They are made for all weather conditions either rain, snow or storm. It can overcome them all. Being made of anodized aluminum, they are waterproof. The wood in these compound bows is vacuum stabilized, thus completely saturating it with a polymer resin. Its effect is like a plastic composite rather than natural wood.

This process makes the material impervious to the moisture, so rain and hail aren’t any problems. You can use them without thinking of any damage. The varnish, wax or paint used on these wood bows also helps repel water.

Here are a FEW TIPS you need to follow after hunting in rain with your compound bow. If you follow them properly while taking care of your bow, it can be saved from any damages in the rain.

• Wax the string before going in the RAIN.
• You need to wipe it down with a CLEAN TOWEL afterward and don’t put it back in the case till it’s completely dried out.
• Check whether the case is wet; if YES, you need to dry it completely before putting your bow in it.
• Dabbing some VEGETABLE OIL on the screws will save it from rust.
• A can of COMPRESSED AIR will do wonders for removing moisture and water.
• Applying SCENT FREE WAX on the exposed metal saves it from rust.

22. Compound bow and Recurve bow difference?

When you get into archery, the first thing you do is to start searching for a good bow. You will find two major categories of a bow, compound bow and recurve bow. Check my review.

The main difference between these two bows is that compound bows are more advanced and complex than the simple recurve bows.

The recurve bows are normally used in Olympic archery. It is made up of 5 parts. The first three parts are the riser and the remaining two parts are the limbs that bend together when a string is drawn. The riser is normally made of a metal like magnesium or aluminum while budget bows are made of wood or polymer.

Some limbs are made of LAMINATED WOOD while others contain FIBER GLASS or WOVEN CARBON. The site is used for aiming while the set of stabilizers is made of carbon fiber.

A compound bow is, on the other hand, isn’t only a bow and a string but much more. They are the most POWERFUL because of having cams. Once the string is pulled, the two wheels (cams) at its top and bottom ROTATE together.

These cams take about 70% of this force needed to pull back the string so it’s quite easy controlling at full draw, that’s why it’s mainly used in hunting. A compound bow uses a scope of 2-8 x zoom power for targeting.

The modern compound bows are using asymmetric pulleys and cams for giving the advantage of power and speed in the shooting. Being the most powerful, it’s easy to learn along with proper equipment like STABILIZERS and SIGHTS. Compound bows allow for shorter bows with parallel limbs, that’s why they are mostly used for hunting.

23. Who makes the Best Compound bows?

Archery is known as a game of precision. For achieving this precision, you need a keen eye to focus, drawing back the bowstring and perfectly hitting the mark. Along with these, you need a perfect compound bow which works fast and accurate. Many compound bow brands are available in the market today offering remarkable specs with great prices.

Being new to the market, all these options can be pretty confusing as HUNDREDS OF MODELS are available with a variety of brands. Manufacturers advertise their materials and products with scientific sound features and technical terms for attracting their customers like mentioning the compound bows brace height, FPS, draw length, draw weight, ATA length, weight and many more features.

The brands you select depend on your own requirements and preferences, for some people speed might matter whereas others would prefer a lightweight to carry. There isn’t a perfect product, no matter what the manufacturer is assuring to produce. Every design has its own advantages and disadvantages. So you have to decide what is more important for you.

The top of the line bows, which are known to be most durable and accurate in the market. Most of these brands are serving archers from decades and have spent years to season their products with quality. Leaving a trail of happy customers behind, they are having a reputation of the best compound brands.

Here are the top FAMOUS BRANDS which recognized to produce the best compound bows:-

1. Bowtech
2. Hoyt
3. Mathews
4. Bear Archery
5. Diamond Archery
6. PSE Archery
7. Barnet Archery
8. SAS Archery

I hope you had a quick round-up of the top manufacturers of best compound bow brands. This insight to the top manufacturers will give you a new direction while choosing your compound bow.

Many archers believe that their favorite brand makes the best compound bows but sometimes less famous brands with a cheap price are offering very good alternates.

24. What is the Difference between Compound & Recurve bow?

When it comes to choosing a compound bow or a recurve bow, several differences need to be considered. Both of them shoot arrows with intense speed because of the tension in the string. Both of them are used for target practice and hunting, these were all the similarities they had. The difference between them makes both of them exciting in unique ways. Check my review here.

Bow Accuracy

Compound bows are more accurate than recurve bows. The string in compound bows are longer than the recurve, so they are easily pulled back with a powerful release. They need a limited strength to fire, making it the best hunting tool with an easier and perfect shot. As compound bows mostly come with SIGHTS, the hunter is easily able to find the target for an accurate shot.

With a recurve bow, the hunter uses his OWN strength. Sometimes when you pull the string for a long time, your muscles can quiver altering the direction of the arrow and ultimately compromising on the accuracy. The recurve bow has improved its accuracy as the pulleys assist in holding them in a pulled back position.

Recurve bows normally don’t have SIGHTS but you can install them but they can upset the BALANCE. As you need to completely rely on the naked eye, it can be a bit challenging at a distance especially if it’s foggy or dim light.

For target practicing recurve is a perfect choice. As target practice needs skill so you don’t need to hold an arrow back for long, whereas for hunting, compound bows are the best choice.

Bows shape

The shape of both bows is very different. The recurve bow resembles the traditional bow. A curved bow with a taunted string at bows ends. As you draw back the string, a deeper curve appears. Recurve bows were mostly made of wood but nowadays they are made of carbon or fiberglass.

Compound bows along with having a bow and a string use strings and pulleys creating the tension needed by the bow for firing. The bow is made of aluminum or carbon. It’s made of different parts including pulleys, limb, grip, and strings. A compound bow is smaller than a recurve bow.

Shooting

There is a huge difference in shooting both the bows. Recurve bows require skill and practice to hit a target whereas compound bows don’t need much skill, as they have many tools and accessories assisting you to a perfect shot.

Power

A compound bow is more powerful than a recurve bow as the parts and pulleys help the bows fire faster and harder.

Weight

Compound bows are heavier than recurve bows. As recurve bows are very simple so they are light in weight. Compounds have many accessories and parts, responsible for their quick weight increase. If you want to carry a bow all day around, recurve would make a perfect choice.

Jerk factor

When you pull the string back, compound bows jerk whereas recurve bows don’t.

25. What is the Brace height of a Compound bow?

A key feature of a compound bow is brace height. The distance between the string of a bow and the bow grips deepest part is called brace height. In modern compound bows, this brace height is set by the manufacturer. Forgetting the PEAK PERFORMANCE out of compound bows, you need to stick to these settings.

Brace Height

A short brace height will help the arrow to push longer and generate faster arrow speed. Let’s say you have 2 bows with 70 lbs. and a draw length of 29 inches, one having a brace height of 7 inches and another having a brace height of 6 inches. If the same arrow is shot from both bows, the bow with a brace height of 6 inches will shoot faster.

Compound Bows having short brace heights are less forgiving than the ones having long brace heights. Compound bows are primarily intended for precision, so for 3D target shooting and hunting, they have 5-7 inches brace height.

You can even measure the brace height by yourself. Lay the bow in front of you horizontally so that at your left side is the hand grip and at your right side is the string. Now with a ruler, measure this DISTANCE between the string and deepest part of the grip. Make sure it’s lined up with brace height measurements. By twisting or untwisting its string, you can change its brace height yourself.

You can determine the brace height of a compound bow by measuring how long it is. Longer the bow, the longer will be the brace height. Brace height is shown as 2 measurement sets, MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM.

Accuracy of compound bows is also affected by brace height. Thus a compound bow is more difficult to shoot with a shorter brace height as the arrow will shoot faster.

Related: 27 things I wish I knew about Crossbow – Complete Guide

26. Will heat hurt a Compound bow?

Compound bows are investments you need to take care of them. As compound bows remain strung always, their case should accommodate a strung compound shape. Now a day’s compound bows are more weatherproof than they used to be in the old days. Still, the temperature is not a big issue but direct exposure to the sun obviously is!

Limbs are having many different layers and each of them is directly AFFECTED by heat. The glue holding the limbs together is also affected by direct sun exposure. Persistent moisture and extreme temperature can permanently damage a bow and wrap its limbs. Stretch string is the biggest drawback of exposing a bow to heat.

If you draw it back, it can come apart in a few shots. The limbs can also come apart due to excessive heat inside a closed vehicle. The timing or synchronization can also be affected if the synthetic cables stretch due to heat.

Here are some tips you need to follow to prevent a compound bow from heat exposure:-

• A hard bow case is the best option for compound shooters ensuring their bows are well protected. Made up of high-density plastics, these hard cases can protect your bows from heat exposures.
• Try to park your car in shade, if that isn’t possible, keep the bow under a shade. It shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight.
• Keep it away from sunlight directly hitting the windows.
• The best thing would be to keep it back in the case and keep the case in your trunk.

27. How to aim Compound bow?

A compound bow uses a set of pulleys for propelling an arrow towards the target at a faster speed than the traditional bows. The key for successful target shooting of a compound bow is to aim it correctly.

Here are a few steps you need to follow for aiming the compound bow correctly.

Step 1: As tense muscles may interfere with the shooting form, ultimately producing a less consistent shot. So you need to warm up and relax. Now adopt a shooting stance. Your weight needs to be balanced evenly.

Step 2: Now you need to grasp the bow standing in a natural position, resting most of the pressure, on the thumb’s lower part.

Step 3: Nock an arrow in your bow string. Now draw the string back while keeping the wrist relaxed and straight. While bringing the string towards your face, search for your anchor points.

Step 4: Aim your shot while looking through the peep sight. In compound bows normally the peep sight is attached to the string.

Step 5: You need to attach the sight somewhere with an easy sight once the bow is drawn to its anchor point.

Step 6: After aligning the bow your forward sight and target should be visible through the peep sight. Either close one eye or keep both open, it’s your choice. Now choose a pin from the several lined up inside the bow, according to the distance between you and the target and then align your pin directly with the target.

Step 7: For a consistent result, let the pin to “float off” the target before you shoot. Drift your pin in small distances around your target and once you are relaxed, release it.

For a precise and focused target, the pins and peep sight are a perfect way. However, some archers prefer focusing on the target without peep sights.

28. How to Tune Compound bow?

Learning bows tuning can be an endeavor. A common practice for tuning guide is to find out the adjustments to your bow by arrow shooting through a paper.

For tuning a compound bow in a simple way, you need to FOLLOW THE STEPS I have mentioned below:-

Step 1: First of all, evaluate the strings. Then install all the accessories. Install the peep sight, then the silencer and arrow rest if you want to use.

Step 2: Check your draw length. To the center, the knocking point with your arrow rest uses a bow square.

Step 3: The use of correct arrows is necessary for setting up the bow.

Step 4: Now set a framed piece of paper a few feet away from the arrow backstop for making adjustments of a bow.

Step 5: Fletch the arrow and shoot it at the target while standing almost 5 – 10 feet away from the paper. Now examine the hole in the paper made by your arrow.

Step 6: If the hole is having three vein marks evenly centered with a neat tear, then your bow is in shape.

Step 7: Adjust the nocking point on the base of the holes vertical appearance. Finding the accurate knocking height for the arrow prevents it from vertically wobbling during the flight. You need to eliminate horizontal wobbling but adjusting the arrow rest right or left.

Step 8: Now again test it from a further distance. Once you get well shaped and consistence tears from this specific distance on the paper, your bow is perfectly tuned.

29. How to check the Compound bow IBO speed?

IBO stands for international bowhunters association; it’s a method of testing arrow speed. A hunter is always curious about the speed of a bow. With the passage of time, new materials along with smart engineering have encouraged brands like PSE and BowTech introduce compound bows claiming to fire arrows at 370 FPS.

For keeping consistent speed rating across the board, IBO testing standards are used by compound bow manufacturers. The IBO standard has quickly gained acceptance because it translates the high speed, impressing the bow hunters with their rating. As bows speed depends on many factors like draw weight, draw length and arrow weight, a set for common testing conditions has been developed.

The standard measurement of bow speed is 30/70/350, known as the IBO speed.

• 30″ draw length
• 70 lbs draw weight
• 350-grain arrow

Now if you buy a compound bow of 338 FPS IBO speed listed, but when you shoot it, only 319 fps is clocked. Draw length will be your first culprit in this case. With every inch of shortening the draw length, 10 FPS is loosed. A draw weight of fewer than 70 pounds or an arrow weight more than 350 grains can also slow the bows speed.

Thus you should never expect of achieving the FPS speed advertised by the manufacturer. Thus the actual difference will vary significantly while depending on the setup of your compound bow; still, some difference is always there.

p.c : outdoorlife.com

30. Speed Difference between Compound & Crossbow?

Both crossbows and compound bows are used for shooting but they have a lot of differences. The speed of compound bow and crossbow is determined by 2 factors.

Here, Check my review.

Power stroke

The distance traveled by bowstring between full draw and rest position is the power stroke of the bow. Along Powerstroke will result in a fast arrow flying at the same poundage. A compound bow having a draw length of 20 inches will shoot faster as compared to another compound bow having a draw length of 18 inches.

For making the draw length longer in a compound bow, a module change is needed. WHEREAS in a crossbow you have to increase the length overall which makes the bow heavier.

Draw weight

This is the maximum amount of force for drawing a bow. Crossbows have more than half draw weight of a compound bow, so they require an almost double amount of draw weight for sending arrow from a crossbow than a compound bow at the same speed.

A 60# compound bow will be faster and energetic than 140 # crossbow. Crossbows have much higher draw weights and also greater kinetic energy than compound bows.

As the draw weight of crossbow is more, so a compound bows speed would be faster than a crossbow because compound bows require less draw weight. Also, the compound bow draw length can be made longer easier as compared to a crossbow. In a compound bow, you can load an arrow much faster than a crossbow.

31. Accuracy Difference between Compound & Crossbow?

Compound bows and crossbows both are useful hunting tools. The answer to this can be subjective as it depends on the shooter and their experience to use the bow.

Many people consider shooting with crossbows easier because it’s easy to handle and it helps them to aim better. For those hunters who need a little help from their bow for aiming accurately, a crossbow will do the job as it has got an easy grip handle and design. The mechanism of a crossbow is similar to that of using a rifle or shotgun for hunting.

Thus they are easier for accurate shooting as you can hold the aim for a longer time to pinpoint your target and shoot accurately. Even those hunters having physical limitations can hunt easily with a crossbow as it’s easy to operate. You can shoot from a crossbow without putting physical energy, you just have to aim it to the target and pull the trigger to release the arrow.

On the other hand, some people believe that compound bows are more accurate due to a consistent anchor point factor. For having extreme accuracy, string loops play an important role. The arrow adjusts between the knots of the string loop in the compound bow while releasing it on the same point of string loop making it more accurate.

But your shooting can be accurate with compound bow only if you have experience of using it because with compound bows you can’t hold for long due to the tension in it. That’s why they require training and practice for becoming proficient with them.

32. How can I determine the Compound bow Range Yard?

The range yards or effective range of compound bow hunters is the maximum distance you can shoot lying within your comfort zone or the distance from where a bow can easily deliver an arrow. For some, it may be less like 30 yards while for others it may be more like 60 yards. There are 2 factors which determine the effective range of a bow.

• ARROW SPEED
• KINETIC ENERGY

At a certain target distance at which the bow can deliver an arrow easily is considered to be range yards. When an arrow is traveling down range, aerodynamic drag and gravity decay the arrow affect its flight. Every compound bow delivers arrows with a defined speed being at a certain target distance.

If you determine a bow performance at a certain distance then you are able of making a decision of your range yards. For finding the bows effective range, use SIGHT PINS. Then you will come to know the specific range of the distances on which each pin can deliver a lethal shot.

For finding the range yards of your bow, mark an 8-inch kill zone on the target. Now shoot at 20 yards along with the 20-yard pin. The first arrow will hit the dead center at the 8-inch zone, as the pin is sighted for 20 yards. Then move 1 yard forward and shoot again. Now move 1 yard closer to your target with every shot. Now you will notice the arrow will hit above the kill zone at a certain distance.

At this specific distance, you exceeded the 20-yard pin ability to deliver a lethal arrow.Note the distance. Now repeat the same process at 20 yards while moving back 1 yard with every successful shot. A point will come when your arrow will seem to drop out from the kill zone.Note down this distance.

Now you have reached the yard range at which the 20-yard pin will deliver an arrow. For every pin repeat the same process and in this way, you can find out the range yard of your compound bow.