On The Line - Episode 25 - Getting Started in Target Archery

When you get somebody coming into the shop, Jonathan, they wanna start target.

Now, do you tell them right away, invest in a $2,000 rig or something like that? 'Cause I know I don't, and I kinda think maybe you don't either.

No, not at all.

Um, I, I tell them, "Listen, go with what you can afford." And because in all honesty, they...

My first competition, um, the first year I was shooting, I did a bunch of competitions with a Bowhunter setup.

I went to the PSA Championships with a Bowhunter setup.

Well, it was a Bowhunter bow, but I was shooting open setup.

And they have a Bowhunter category, so, like, you can shoot a Bowhunter set- setup.

You don't have to shoot an open m- insane priced competition bow.

You don't have to do it.

So I guess that's the main thing, that people don't have to start with a $2,000 bow to get, get started at all.

Matter of fact, I suggest against that because most of the features you're gonna see in these high-end flagship bows, you're not gonna know how to use them, or you're not g- it's not gonna make a difference to you because your level of shooting may not be there where it would make any kind of a difference.

Um, so that's a very important thing, but especially when it comes to kids.

Kids, when they get started, you don't know which direction they're gonna go.

Are they gonna keep with it? Are they not gonna keep with it? So in particular, it's good not to spend a lot of money.

Now, some of the companies, Elite's one of them, they have some bows that are pretty low priced and kids bows that come in colors.

I remember when I had Steven Hann on the show and he was saying, you know, most important thing, especially for kids, is I want something in a color that they like, and sometimes seeing an all black bow doesn't do anything for anybody.

If they don't like it, they're not gonna wanna shoot it.

Mm-hmm.

So there are some companies that still make affordably priced bows.

As far as PSE goes, they, their big thing used to be having the Stinger that came in a whole bunch of different colors, and it was cheap at the time.

I think it was like 350, under $400 for that bow.

And a lot of my girls started and won a lot of, lot of titles and tournaments using Stingers.

Mm-hmm.

I mean, that's what they did.