A right hand bow is drawn with the
right hand and sighted with the right eye, whereas the left hand
bow is drawn with the left hand and sighted with the left eye. Most
experts recommend choosing the bow based on your dominant eye. Certainly
this is the correct choice if
you shoot with both eyes open. But if you
close one eye, then the open one is the dominant one by default, and the
stronger arm may be more advantageous. My advice is to choose the bow type
that is most comfortable.
In choosing a bow, the draw weight is one of the main factors to consider.
The minimum draw weight for hunting deer should be 45 lbs. Although you
can kill a deer with a weaker bow, you will end up wounding many that you do not
recover. Most bows used in deer hunting have a draw weight of 50-70# and are somewhat adjustable in draw weight.
Bows tend to shoot best
when at maximum draw weight. The major advantage of a higher draw weight
bow is that the arrow trajectory is flatter. You have to estimate the
distance to game when aiming, and a flatter trajectory makes errors less of a
problem. When choosing a bow you should choose one with a draw weight that
you can draw quickly and smoothly. Also keep in mind that a bow that you
could easily draw in practice may be too hard to draw smoothly after sitting in
the cold in a tree stand for an hour or more. To build up my strength for
hunting I set my bow at maximum draw weight for practice and then adjust it down
5 lbs for hunting. This requires changing the sights of the bow.
The next thing to consider in choosing a bow is the draw length. A
proper draw length is one that brings the bow string about even with your lips when
the bow is fully drawn. Most
bows have adjustable draw lengths that will accommodate the arm length of the
average adult, 28-30". The draw length is changed on a bow by changing the
attachment of the cables to the cams. This is better left to a technician
since a limb compressor is required to release the cables. The bow could be damaged if it is not properly bent to release the cables.
If you are buying a new bow from a sporting goods store the seller will probably
set the bow up to your needs. You will pay at least $200-600 for your bow
there. Wal-Mart may have bows for less, but you have to
set them up yourself or find someone to help you. After bow hunting season
Wal-Mart
stores sell out their
remaining bows and arrows for bargain prices.