Hi Rob & Matty,
Many thanks to both of you - very steep learning curve from your feedback.
Special thanks to Matty for taking the time to give me a call and explain everything.
Here is the gist of what we discussed in case there's anyone in a similar situation to myself.
Quick usage case-
- I want to hunt feral game, dogs and pigs being the largest animals
- I am interested in Bow hunting, not target archery
- I am COMPLETELY new and have never shot a bow before.
- Interested in Traditional Recurves and Longbows
- I want a light and quick to set-up kit for portability.
Important Steps as a Beginner
1) Join a forum and ask questions
2) Research local clubs in your area. Some clubs focus on Target Archery only. If you want to practice hunting skills Field Archery is more appropriate -
- you will be moving through the bush and shooting animal size targets at varying distances. This won't allow you to get used to a certain distance, and force you to learn to shoot in awkward positions.
For those of you in Melbourne CBD - Western Melbourne Field Archery in Laverton North is a good place to start
NB: Many if not all clubs will require you to join the ABA or Australian Bowhunting Association. For a small fee you get insurance and you can legally shoot at many clubs. Definitely do this as i'm sure most of us didn't tick the "Shoot yourself in the foot" option on our health insurance.
3) Learn to shoot before you go hunting. Repeatable form is the only way you are going to learn to tune your arrow to your bow and ensure that you are making kill shots and not wounding animals.
4) Start with a lower poundage bow and work your way up once you have achieved that repeatable form.
5) TRY a bow before you buy. Some shops won't allow you to try the bow before you buy.
6) Before you go hunting, take the time to read the laws and regulations for your STATE. There are so many differences its not funny. It can be extremely confusing. Game Authority websites are the best place to start. Victoria has a good manual that goes through everything.
For example - Bowfishing is simply considered spearfishing in NSW and Queensland but is ULTRA illegal in Victoria. So while I am interested in bowfishing, that is completely off the cards.
7) Understand that legality and morality needs to come first. Hunters and Bowhunters have been under intense scrutiny for decades and even a small mistake can blow up in the media and tighten down the whole sport for everybody. Read the hunting guides on your Game Authority website and follow those laws to the absolute letter. F#%k it up once and there is a chance you will F*&K it up for EVERYBODY. Note that laws surrounding hunting don't just concern game, they concern equipment, camping, fires, waste and carcass disposal, and specific locations and specific times. Be mindful and be respectful.
Gear Considerations
Let's start by TOTALLY IGNORING the gear list in my above post. Apart from being a poor choice for a beginner, it's sort of half a compound kit and half a traditional kit and makes no sense at all.
I'm going to leave that part of it up because I think it highlights just how confusing getting into bow hunting can be when you are trying to sift through the whole internet.
1) There are great options for bows at all price ranges. What you are paying for is flexibility in terms of set up and various features.
2) Start with a lower poundage, and work your way up with repeatable form. Starting with a 50lb will slow your form curve, as you will be fighting the bow constantly until you build the necessary back and arm strength.
3) Understand that a 35lb bow with a tuned arrow within range can put an arrow through and through most game. If you are not meeting legal poundage requirements (for Deer in VIC) a 50 pounder to hunt rabbits could be considered overkill, especially for a beginner.
4) Understand the limitations of traditional and traditional recurve bows. 50lbs means you are holding 50lbs on three fingers while you acquire the target, aim, adjust for wind and movement and wait for the animal to turn broadside. The longer you hold, the more wobbly you get and the less chance you have of hitting the target.
A compound bow's cams will reduce that 50lbs significantly when drawn, meaning you can hold it for much longer with less effort. Compound bows also dramatically increase the RANGE you can feasibly shoot at. Some compound bows will extend out to acceptable rifle ranges. If you want to shoot traditional you are going to have to get closer to your target. Much closer. You also don't have the conveniences of sights, stabilisers and sear releases etc.
5) Start buy buying pre-fletched arrows and don't stress too much about the details of them. Take the recommendations of the shop you are buying from. Once you develop repeatable form you can really delve into balancing arrows and tuning them to your bow and the game you are hunting.
Traditional
- A Samick Sage 35lbs can be purchased for about $250 bucks and is a great bow for the price and good for learning on.
Remember that if you ever want to move up to deer or larger game you will just have to buy a whole new bow. Enter that gorgeous Bear Archery Kodiak 55lbs.
Takedown Recurves
- With this option I am paying more money, but I am gaining flexibility. I can purchase a riser and some 35lb Limbs, making it a great bow for learning on and hunting small game. Later i can purchase 50+ pound limbs to meet legal poundage limits or hunt larger game. 2 bows in 1.
- This also allows the bow to be deconstructed into 3 smaller pieces. This can be more suitable for dudes like me who won't be in the bush solely to hunt and need to haul other gear.
- Purchasing a bow with ILF (International Limb Fitting) mechanisms means you are not locked into that brand. Purchase any ILF limbs and fit them to your ILF riser.This really allows you to dial in a custom bow later, and take full advantage of Archery Shop sales.
If you do not purchase a bow with ILF, just know that you will need to stick with that brand for later on (so probably best to pay a bit more and buy something known for quality)
- A Gillo Ghost riser is a very decent ILF riser, but of course you are paying many times more than a Samick Sage and you still have to buy the limbs and other gear! Take your budget into serious consideration when buying a bow.
- It's also made of metal and not wood so if you're really into the craftsmanship of a traditional wooden bow then this might not be for you.
- A Hoyt Satori riser is another great option.
So with all that said - i've had another crack at coming up with a shopping list. i'm willing to pay a bit more for something that appeals to me visually and something that is adaptable for the future. I'm too new to the sport to be thinking about having more than 1 bow (but something tells me that's where all the guys with 10 bows started)
I'm also seriously geeking out over Bear Archery's craftsmanship. I guess if you have to look at it all the time it should be beautiful to you.
- Bear Archery Take Down B Handle Riser RH
- 35lb Take Down Limb #3 (I will start with these and purchase 50-65lb limbs if I want to move up to deer or other larger game.)
- Bear Archery Recurve Stringer
- Bear Archery Take Down String
- Any brand Leather Shooting Glove or a Safari Tuff Rod Jenkins 3 Under Tab (Thoughts?)
- Any brand Full-length armguard - whatever is breathable and light.
- Bohning Broadhead Wrench
- Bohning Bow String Wax
- Bear Leather Pocket Quiver (seems good for my usage, light/small)
Pros:
- Its absolutely gorgeous
- Bear Archery have a great reputation
- Flexible between small/big game and novice to expert
- Can be packed into small package for bushwalking or motorcycle travel
- Satisfies my need to run around the bush looking like russell crowe in tin cloth leggings (this is the most important one)
Cons:
- This setup is 4 times the cost of a Samick Sage
- Its not a compound bow so everything that comes with that
- I will need to buy Bear Archery limbs later as their locking system is proprietary
- It's not the lightest, strongest or most expandable system for accessories.
- Bear Archery products are not sold in every Archery shop in Melbourne, I might have to find someone with this set up and try it before I buy it.
Arrows
Arrow wise i'm just going to start cheap and learn to shoot... once I have repeatable form I will be tuning some arrows for two main purposes.
1-Some cheap arrows for the 35lbs Limbs. These arrows will be for practice and hunting foxes/rabbits and probably set up with bunny blunts or cheap 2 blade broadheads. This is also to account for the probable act of me shooting constantly as i practice and breaking/losing some.
2- Once I have 50lb+ limbs I will purchase some much heavier, more durable arrows with some proper broadheads for deer/water buffalo/kangaroos and other larger permit game.
3- I will probably look at improving my small game arrows later and purchasing some better broadheads and more durable arrows.
Hunting
- Foxes are a great place to start. Rabbits are flighty, small and move like Keanu Reeves.
- There's a $10 Bounty on all fox scalps, so I can learn to skin/and dress an animal and get used to the visceral nature of it, even if i don't intend to use the meat or skin.
- I will hold off on hunting deer and larger game for some time.
- I will aim to hunt wild dogs for the $120 bounty. The reward for skilled hunting is a free weekend camping trip - arrows/fuel and food all paid for
Thanks all for reading. Huge post but a massive learning curve. Big thanks to Matty who provided a lot of information.
If anyone has anything to add, correct or any suggestions - feel free!