Buying novice archer's equipment. Whats hot and whats not?

ben tarrow

Well-known member
One of our new novices wants to buy her first "proper" bow.
ITs a few years since I bought my last bow and looking through the major retailers theres a few new manufacturers names out there that I dont know.
Krossen
Core
Kaya

How do they compare to the names that I know like Hoyt and SF, particularly in the ?150-?300 for a bow (riser and limbs) end of the budget market?
 

Corax67

Well-known member
Not sure about the three new manufacturers you mentioned as I've not seen them or know anyone who has shot them but last autumn every one of our beginners who have stayed with us bought SF risers in Forged+ and Premium+ variants together with SF limbs & Easton Platinum Plus (XX75) arrows. A couple of these setups are being shot as barebows, most are in service as recurves with a wide variety of sights.

This was down to a mixture of shop recommendations, cost, seeing what other club members already shoot and availability. A couple of sets that became available as second hand were snapped up as soon as they arrived at club for sale.

The bows are all performing really well with seniors turning in scores qualifying up to 1st class (80yds for the guys) and juniors shooting JMB.




Karl
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
Recently bought my 8 year old a Hoyt Ruckus compound bow. ?175 plus a few essential extras; he's loving it and just broke the long standing under 12 club record on his third attempt.
It's adjustable up to 45lbs (currently 17) so should last many years.
 

Rog600

Member
My 11 year old has used Core, SF and Kinetic Bamboom limbs on an Axiom L riser for around a year now. He's shot a 246 competition Worcester today using the Bambooms, and shot JMB Bristol IV scores late summer. Think the Core recurve limbs were around ?40 and the Bambooms a little more. But I would say, plenty of bang for buck.

Totes unfash though, dahhhhrling, and the green does a horrible Christmas thing with his red riser...
 

jonUK76

Member
Someone I shoot with uses a Kaya K3 and it seems like quite nice quality mid range riser and limbs. They certainly shoot well with it. I believe the riser is made of carbon, unusual for the price. I've only personally got experience of a Kaya traditional Korean bow (very nice) and a Kaya finger tab (I'd also highly recommend). Some of their products also seem to be branded as "Soul Archery" now. Krossen is the same company as Fivics, but I haven't seen anyone using these yet. Core is cheap and cheerful beginner kits, I know someone using a Core Air ILF riser with SF limbs. Can't say too much about it, but it is very light compared to my SF Forged+ (made of cast magnesium I believe).
 
If you end up mixing and matching - the quality of the limbs is more important than the quality of the riser - so if you get the opportunity the limbs are where to focus the money (within reason) - cheers

Al
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
Someone I shoot with uses a Kaya K3 and it seems like quite nice quality mid range riser and limbs. They certainly shoot well with it. I believe the riser is made of carbon, unusual for the price. I've only personally got experience of a Kaya traditional Korean bow (very nice) and a Kaya finger tab (I'd also highly recommend). Some of their products also seem to be branded as "Soul Archery" now. Krossen is the same company as Fivics, but I haven't seen anyone using these yet. Core is cheap and cheerful beginner kits, I know someone using a Core Air ILF riser with SF limbs. Can't say too much about it, but it is very light compared to my SF Forged+ (made of cast magnesium I believe).
My son has one of those K3 risers. I paired it with some SF limbs and it seems to work well, after some minor modifications...
Limb fit is a potential issue. The recess for the detente pin is deep, and that can lead to problems taking the limbs out. I had to replace the pins with shorter ones from a different make, after having to dismantle the dovetail to get the limbs out...

<edit> checked tonight: Kap limbs, not SF... better colour match to the riser :)
 

nbuuifx

Member
Another one to consider is the Mybo Rio.

Merlin do a package for ?228 for 25" Riser, Mybo limbs, string and stringer.

Quite a few beginners have had them at our club and seem to be shooting very well with them.
 

English Bowman

Well-known member
Another one to consider is the Mybo Rio.

Merlin do a package for ?228 for 25" Riser, Mybo limbs, string and stringer.

Quite a few beginners have had them at our club and seem to be shooting very well with them.
Another vote for Mybo here, some of our club members have got them and I've been impressed with the value for money.
 
I know for a young'un 'new' is important - but if you can get from a reliable source - second-hand can offer a lot of bang-per-buck - Iv'e just sold a ?1,200 bow for ?450 - cosmetically not perfect - but shooting-wise, as good as anything on the market now. So it's worth considering. Especially for juvenile bows which get handed down after a short usage.

just a thought..
 

Mickle

New member
You mentioned Krossen. I've an armguard from them, while the plastic bit is good the elastic failed within a month, the same thing happened to a clubmate. I didn't bother taking it back, 'cos the fix was easy.

Also consider if cheap, plastic bowgrips are available for the bow you look at, eg Hoyt's are a fiver or so (hmm, quite a while ago that!), then the archer can file it, build it up etc to personal preferance without worrying that they're making a mistake. Perhaps not a beginner subject, but one most archers think about within a few months.

Can the limbs be readily sold off when an upgrade is due? pls, pls, pls encourage the beginner to buy low poundage limbs to enable a good technique before moving up.
 

Kernowlad

Supporter
Supporter
I know for a young'un 'new' is important - but if you can get from a reliable source - second-hand can offer a lot of bang-per-buck - Iv'e just sold a ?1,200 bow for ?450 - cosmetically not perfect - but shooting-wise, as good as anything on the market now. So it's worth considering. Especially for juvenile bows which get handed down after a short usage.

just a thought..
Shucks. Missed out...!

I still wonder how I managed to persuade myself to spend well over ?200 on two "sticks" of metal with a few twiddly bits but it IS nicely made and makes nice clicking noises. Very important for any man toy.
And it's still way cheaper than the madness of MTBing I used to be well into.
My main sport of surfing is damned cheap in comparison!
 
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