Compound Bows: Beginner’s Guide

Today’s hunter has a vast array of weapons to choose from, but perhaps the most fascinating is the bow. For thousands of years, humans have used bows to hunt. While modern hunting tools are way different from the Stone Age tools, the expertise needed for successful bow hunting remains the same.

The modern arrows can fly faster, further, and penetrate deeper. Bows are lighter and sturdier – and compound bows are much more sophisticated. And unlike our predecessors, we have stands and blinds that can bolster our bow hunting efforts.

But, bow hunting remains stimulating and challenging. To nail a quick and clean kill, you need you to get close to your prey. This means you must find a way to outwit the typically sharp sense of hearing, sight, and smell of most prey.

Of course, you also have to consider the laws and regulations that direct modern bowhunting. So bow hunting takes more than just heading to the woods with a quiver packed with arrows and camouflage gear.

Who Invented the Compound Bow

Due to the increased interest in bow hunting in the early 1960s, took place in the USA, a more advanced bow compared to conventional Bow raised. An inventor known as H. W. Allen ( Billings, Missouri) made a complete revolution in the archery industry across the countries and more so in the USA by inventing compound bows (the 1960s). 

The invention of the compound bow brought about the end of the conventional Bow. H.M Allen took a conventional bow and sawed its ends, adding cams to each of its tips. With the help of Tom Jennings (a bow maker), Allen becomes the first manufacturer of a compound bow. Precision Shooting Equipment (PSE) manufacturing company is the only surviving company that retains the right to make a compound bow using H.M Allen’s patent and design.

Points to Consider when Choosing the Best Compound Bow 

When you are new in the field, looking for a compound bow may be hectic due to the varieties of models available in the market. 

Having the best compound bow will increase the effectiveness of pulling and generating the needed force to start the arrows precisely and accurately. 

The following are the features of the best compound bow to consider when choosing a bow to purchase:

The Distance from the Axle to Axle

Space either in centimeters or meters between pulleys of the Bow found on the tips of the limbs is simply the distance from axle to axle. The compound bow design that is in the form of a wheel enables the Bow to transmit the required power. Your compound bow axle to axle distance should always suit the type of hunting or shooting. For instance, using a long-distance is fit when shooting animals from a direct tree stand featuring open openings.

Weight of the Bow Draw

In most cases, the weight of the compound bow is primarily the one that determines its strength. Heavy bows may not be sufficient for you if you are getting started. To start productively, it is advisable, to begin with, a low pound bow as you advance with time. An accurate bow and a top-rated one should be able to promote optimum power and power performance. Again, too light Bow will not be valid even if you are getting started.  

The Draw Length

Compound bows are manufactured differently as per the manufacturer’s specifications. As a result of the bows model difference, there are those bows with adjustable draw weights and the existence of others adjustable draw length. While taking a compound bow that will improve your skills, consider having an adjustable bow in both height and weight. With an adjustable compound bow, you have an assurance of competency in each level of your skill attainment.  

Right or Left Handed Bow

Due to the advancement of the compound bow, both right and left-handed makes are readily available in the market. Depending on the hand one uses, either right or left-handed, you should be able to choose a suitable compound bow that will fit your strength accurately. When selecting a right or left-handed compound bow, the determining factor isn’t all about your hand (left or right), but it is the dominant eye that will help you to choose.

Eye Dominance

Being able to determine your eye dominance will be of great advantage in helping you to choose the Bow that will fit you. The eye dominant is simply the same as the hand that you usually use while writing, and this makes it simple for you to identify your eye dominant. Some people use both sides when printing, and this should not be a challenging factor at all because, at this point, you only need to identify your most dominant eye. You may end up either prefer left or right-handed Bow. 

Speed and Noise

The speed of the arrow in a compound bow is critical. Most of the recently made compound Bow have high speed and reduced noise, which is an advantage to the user. Other compound bows have a top speed of the arrow and also produce some sound when the arrow is released. The rate of the shaft in a compound bow mostly depends on the draw weight and the weight of the arrow.

Best Girls Compound Bow:

Leader Accessories Compound Package

This type of compound bow is excellent, having everything we may be looking for in the girl’s Bow. 

It has an adjustable draw weight that you can adjust from 30 to 55 wide range. The adjustable draw weight enables the young archer to develop the strength to be able to increase the draw weight. This type of Bow usually comes with an aluminum arrow, but there are varieties of indicators that you can choose. 

For beginners, the whisker biscuit is the best as they are much easier to set up. The Bow is designed for both left and right-handed users and is durable enough for hunting. Check it out on Amazon.  

Best Compound Archery for Growing Archers

PSE Ready to Shoot Compound Bow

The PSE compound bow is incredible archery for the archers who are still growing both in terms of physical size and addition of skills. If you are new to compound bows, then you can’t go without having this model of archery. You can be able to purchase the Bow at a range of variety draw weights. The archery comes with quite a good number of accessories that help you to get started with a lot of ease. This type of Bow has a lightweight that makes it best for anyone to use it. For the pricing and the latest update on PSE bow. ​Check the current price on Amazon…

Best Compound Bows for Beginners:

Diamond Archery

When in the archery store or market looking for a bow to start-up, it will be hard to make a decision due to the varieties of Bow available in the market. 

This type of Bow is a subsidiary bow of the giant Bowtech Archery is one of the manufactures’ success and one of the quality bows. 

The Bow has excellent adjustability prospects hence being the best for any beginner. The adjustability of the Bow makes it suitable for teenagers and for archers waiting to increase their draw weights. 

The Diamond Archery has an impressive scale (5 to 70 pounds), making it very versatile to varieties of archers more so the beginners. The Bow also has an adjustable draw length of 13 to 31 inches. 

Another advantage of the Bow to the beginners is that it has a lightweight of only 32 pounds, and this makes it easy to carry. If at all you are looking forward to moving on faster to a different bow shortly, using Diamond Infinite Edge will facilitate your skills more quickly. This product is available on Amazon, buy it now!

Best Compound Bow for Women

G5 Outdoors Radical

This type of compound bow is purely a make that perfectly fits women. Any woman archer, trying to figure out the kind of Bow to go out for, Quest Radical bow is the best for you. This compound bow has all the accessories that you need to either practice shooting or to use for hunting purposes. Again, the Bow is one of the most lightweight options the market is offering you. It is easy to adjust the Bow and also use it. The Quest Radical bow having a relative and a reasonable price makes it a better option for both the novice and professional women archers. Click here to check the current price.

Best Left-Handed Compound Bow

Diamond Archery Infinite Edge Pro

The left-hand compound bow is more or less the same with the right Bow. The only difference is the use of hand and eye dominance. When it comes to choosing the left-hand Bow, the same points that you will consider while selecting the right-hand one, you will still use them. The evolution of right and the left-hand compound bow was to ensure that no one has less privilege. 

The Diamond Archery Infinite Edge Pro is the best left-handed compound bow available. It is affordable and readily available in the market, buy it here on Amazon.  It is also very versatile and durable. 

Even though the price of this Bow is low compared with some other bow, it is one of the best that the market can produce as per now. It has a draw length of 13 to 31 inches and a draw weight of 15 to 17 pounds. The Diamond Archery only weighs 3.2 pounds, and it is easy to use.

How to Shoot a Compound Bow Accurately Each Time

I will not promise you that accurate shooting is an easy thing. Even professional archers have a story to give. But with time and your commitment, it becomes an easy thing to do. To help you know how to shoot a compound bow, I have prepared some easy steps for you to follow:

Pick the Right Bow

The choice of the right or suitable archery inaccurate shooting is a great deal. Beginners tend to have a bit of accuracy while using long, heavy, and slow archeries. It would be best if you tried to pick a bow that will deliver optimal accuracy and silence shots.

Attach (Nock) an Arrow to Your Bowstring

The snapped part on the arrow’s bowstring is called a nock—you out to ensure that you put the indicator on the rest. Rotate the shaft such that the colored vain faces upward, and lastly, ensure to press the nock with some pressure onto the bowstring.

Hook the Release

The release is critical as it helps you avoid accidental archery discharge. It also keeps the fingers secured from injuries. For beginners, using a wrist strap aid would do you better. You should attach the release to your hand using Velcro straps. After drawing the bow, the archer pulls the trigger to release.

Release Style

To release the arrow accurately, you should choose a release aid and hook it to the D-loop. When having a handheld release, you have to use some muscular strength to trigger it.

Cautions to Remember

The hand’s back should be stable and flat, and little tension applied on the fingers to ensure that you don’t lose the release. Ensure that your hands are on a particular release spot. While using some release aid, ensure that you rock your version in place. The type of grant that you are using determines the duration to have the lock.

Align the Bow with the Bowstring

If you aim to have a powerful shot, ensure that the arrow is right in the center point of the power stroke string. Have your arrow placed accurately in front of the bowstring while moving the string forward? The series should come in alignment with the riser and the limbs.

Grip the Bow

The way to hold the bow is very crucial. Bow grip determines your whole process of shooting. Your part of the palm is between the lifeline and thumb in the bow’s midpoint. This part of the palm is known as the pressure point. Ensure while holding the bow, you have a relaxed grip having a little tension.

The Perfect Stance

To have a perfect stance while shooting is essential. The stronger your posture is, the more accuracy you will end up being. You should ensure that you stand tall with a flat back, neck, and shoulder relaxed. The neck should be in a neutral position and stick straight towards your target.

Draw Your Archer

At this stage, it is not all about drawing the bow and releasing it. Once you pull the bow, aim at your target, and then shoot. Ensure that you use the extended arm to draw your archery back.

What You Need to Know

Compound Quiver

In any given time, when you decide to engage yourself in hunting, three things must be considered as a must-have. These three things are a quality bow, arrows, and the best quiver to safeguard your arrows. If you are new in the field, you may not be familiar with the quiver. A quiver is a must-have hunter’s gear that you need for keeping and carrying arrows. Lack of quality quiver will make your hunting unsuccessful.

One of the best and quality quivers to use is the APEX Gear Game Changer 5 Arrow Quiver. This quiver is best in many aspects, such as price, performance, and design. 

When looking for an exceptionally outstanding quiver to use, then Apex takes the vote. The quiver’s make it in a way that there is a loop included on it that you can use to hold it on trees or even decide to rest it on the ground as the design allows you to. 

The quiver is adjustable according to your preference. The quiver can take in any arrow without any problem. This type of quiver is excellent in every way. The Apex quiver makes it easy to carry, easy to load darts with broadheads, easy to release the arrows, has a hanging loop, and can fit both right and left-handed hunters.

Compound Bow Draw Length 

The setting that simply determines the far you can pull the Bow’s string back is what we call Draw Length. Depending on the way the Bow setting is if the settings are from 28 or 29′ you can’t pull the string beyond that point.

The hunter or the archer usually has a personal draw length, and this means the duration of your arms contributes to the distance that you will manage to pull the bowstring. If you can identify your draw length, then you will be able to choose the compound bow that will fit you (personal draw length). In most of the models, you can adjust the draw length using the pulley modules on each end of the limbs.

You can simply be able to determine your draw length by one, knowing the arm-span length. To know your arm span length stand relaxed, with arms out, palms open and facing forward. With the use of the second party, measure the distance between the two middle fingers from both hands, and then divide it using 2.5. 

Secondly, you need to have a scale printed arrow. Attach the range-printed arrow on the string, draw it to the maximum point, and note the value of the outer part of the riser. The measurement that you get gives you the drawing length. The last method to help you check on your draw length is through the use of a folding ruler. Be on a relaxed stance, get hold of the folding ruler, and note the number where the tips of your center touch. This method might not be as accurate as the first two methods are.

The Parts of the Compound Bow

Riser 

The riser is the center part of the compound bow. It is the section that offers full support to the entire Bow. Most of the risers are either made of aluminum or carbon to facilitate durability and lightweight.

Bottom and Top Limbs

The two limbs usually come in different variations and are made of fiberglass. The arms minimize vibration. They are either spilled or solid

Limb Bolt

It helps in ensuring that the limb is in place; this simply means that it is what causes rising and failing to draw weight on compound bows.

Limb Pocket

The limbs are connected at this point then attached to the riser. The machine limb pockets tend to be more accurate, especially at longer distances.

Bow String

The bowstring is the string that is attached at both ends of the Bow and starts-off the. The bow ring is very vital in any given bow and should be maintained. Using a damaged string may end up causing severe injuries, and if not so, a hunt fails.

Cable Slide

The cable slide is a mechanism developed to and fixed to ensure that no Buss cable is making contact with the arrow when shooting.

Buss Cable

It is the cable that runs from one point of the cam (s) to the other. The Buss cable helps the cams to move when drawing the Bow.

Cable Rod

The cable slide keeps on moving to and from on the cable rod. It is attached to the riser and usually goes parallel to the limbs.

D Loop

It is a small piece of string fitted above and below the nocking point that connects you in between your release and the series. The loop ensures accuracy when shooting.

Silencer

The silencers are found all over the Bow. The muffler is usually a vibration dampener in bows. When the vibrations are done away with, then the noise is reduced in a bow.

The Grip

It is the holding part of the Bow. Factory grips are large hence an increase in the surface area contact with the hands.

Stabilizer

This part helps in ensuring that the Bow is well balanced when on your hands. You should ensure you get the stabilizer that will ultimately work well with your Bow.

The Peep Sight

The peep sight is the small opening you use to see through when pulling your Bow at full draw.

The Serving

Serving is simply an additional string wrapped around the Bow, and it gives you extra protection. In most of the Bow, the serving part is in areas where abrasions are likely to occur.

Frequently Asked Questions on Compound Bows

How do I Adjust the Draw Weight of my Bow?

To adjust the weight of your Bow simply, turn the weight adjustment limb bolt. If you set it counter-clockwise, you will be decreasing pressure while if you turn it clockwise, you will be increasing weight.

How Often Should I Replace my Strings and Cables?

Bows strings should change frequently after every two years of service under normal conditions or when wear is very evident in the series

How Often Should I Wax my Bow String?

Applying bowstring wax is part of maintaining your Bow. Wax around once every two weeks to maximize the duration of your bow.

How Far Can I Back the Weight of my Compound Bow and still be Safe?

The best way to draw is to ensure that you don’t, at any given time, exceed the maximum pull back. Never go beyond eight full rotations of you Bow’s limb weight adjustment bolt.

What are the Components of the Compound Bow?

Top and bottom pulleys, riser. Top and bottom limbs, buss cable, bowstring, brace height, and a limb bolt.

Are Compound Bows Dangerous?

The modern compound bows are lethal weapons due to their sophisticated design. Still, on the other hand, they are readily available to be purchased by any person who has no access to a firearm.

Compound Bows in recent years have dominated the bow market. Dominance is a result of the improved make design and their advancements compared to the other types of bows. The durability and the availability in different models and sizes also make them outshine the other bows. Being a beginner in this field of archeries will require you to have a compound bow of your choice, quality arrows, and a quiver. Compound bow usually comes with all the things that a beginner needs to start off the journey in the field of archeries.  See also our bow hunting guide for hogs.

I highly recommend you check out this guide to the different parts of the compound bow