Many people who are interested in archery wonder if archery is expensive. And if so, just how expensive is archery exactly? Well the answer is going to be different for every archer.
With so many different types and styles of archery out there, how much archery will cost you will vary depending on which aspects of archery you’re interested in.
Are you looking to enter lots of tournaments? If so, there are travel expenses, entry fees, and other random costs of traveling from tournament to tournament. Plus, in order to keep up with the top tournament pros, you’ll need to have the latest gear and equipment – which isn’t cheap.
Or do you just want to go stump shooting in the woods with a few friends? In that case all you need is a bow, a few arrows and some free time.
The long and short answer is that archery is only ever really as expensive as you make it.
For the most part, if you’re interested in getting started in archery – you’ll want to get either a recurve bow, a compound bow or a longbow. Each has it’s own advantages and disadvantages, as we’ll discuss below. Each one has slightly different costs of getting started.
Recurve Archery
You can start shooting recurve bows very simply, or they can be as complex as the recurve bows that Olympic archers use – it’s really up to you. This is a great recurve archery beginner’s set that includes everything that you’ll need to get started in one complete set. The quality is great and the hardshell case is a big bonus as well. This is another recurve set that costs a bit less, they’re both great choices for anyone new to archery.
Compound Archery
Compound bows are mainly used for hunting, but they’re also used in 3D archery and sometimes in other archery competitions. They tend to cost more than both recurve and longbows, but there are still some great models that are perfect for beginners. This is a quality beginner’s set which has all the accessories that you’ll need to get started. Again, here’s a lower cost set that’s currently available at about 30% off the original price.
Longbow Archery
Longbow archery in general could be the most budget friendly type of archery. Longbows are normally less expensive than both recurves and compound bows, but can get expensive if you get a high end, hand made traditional bow. While I was poking around on Amazon looking for good beginner bows, I found this beginner’s longbow which is an absolute steal at the current price.
Just like in any other sport, you can head down to your local archery shop and spend lots of money on overpriced gear to show off and boost your ego. You could buy anything the salesman says that you need to use – the salesman that works on commission, that is.
Or you could look around online, read reviews, wait for an online sale – and pick up an awesome bow for half the price. Any sport can be expensive if you spend your money the wrong way.
This reminds me of when I first started playing guitar…
When I was a kid just starting to learn to play guitar, I started on a used guitar that was fairly priced at a local music store. It wasn’t the best guitar ever, but I was just learning to play.
At the same time there were two other kids at school who just started to play who’s parents bought them the top of the line guitars. These were the expensive guitars that all the kids wanted.
Fast forward a year: I was still playing and getting better, while neither of those two other kids could play at all. They gave up and the guitars were sitting in their closets collecting dust.
This is true of almost any sport or hobby – people think that spending more money will make them better at it. Guess what, it won’t.
Don’t fall into that trap, spending more money isn’t going to make you a better archer – shooting lots and lots of arrows will.
And sure, top of the line pro tournament bows can cost you $1400 to $2000, some cost even more. If you simply have to have the best bows and equipment than yes, those things are expensive.
But if you’re just starting out in archery or are at an intermediate level, bows can be quite reasonable. You can get and great starter bow for $150 to $200, and there are great intermediate bows out there for $500 to $700. If you’re shopping for your first bow, I wrote a post called “How much does a bow cost?“, which covers all the things you need to know before you buy your first bow.
If you’re not planning on going pro, you can shoot, compete and be active in almost all aspects of archery without needing to spend tons of money to do so. There are tournaments out there for target archery, field archery and 3D archery that have nominal entry fees.
If you’re interested in archery for hunting, licenses and tags costs will vary from state to state. Normally, these are fairly low cost, especially if you only have to pay for them once a year for a given archery season.
And if you’re mainly into shooting on private land with your friends, there aren’t going to be any extra costs – as you and your friends will make the rules of your own competitions.
Unlike many other sports or hobbies, there aren’t really any extra maintenance costs when it comes to archery. Boats need docking and storage fees, constant maintenance and upkeep to keep them in working order – and that’s just for starters.
You can leave your bow in it’s case (here’s a post I wrote about the best cases for your bow) as long as you like, and it’s still ready to shoot the next time you are. The only thing that you may pay for year round are club fees, if you decide to join any local archery clubs.
Archery is really pretty inexpensive when compared to other sports and hobbies. Let’s take a quick look at golf:
Golf clubs can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars, not to mention the rest of the gear that you’ll need. It’s not uncommon to pay twenty to sixty dollars per round of golf. Add up how many games you would be playing a month or a year and you’ll see a big difference in price.
In archery, you can shoot at a nice range for the entire summer for around thirty dollars on many ranges. Indoor ranges and private archery clubs are also pretty reasonably priced in most areas of the country.
I know of people who spend more money playing golf for one summer season then it would cost to buy a really good bow and a dozen arrows. That money only covers one summer of golf – while that bow can be shot for the next ten to twenty years or more.
Archery is unique because there are many different pieces of gear, most of them function independently from each other. This means that you can mix and match, buy individual pieces one at a time on a budget if needed. And then you can always upgrade any of them one at a time. You can spend more money later on if you want to, as you get better at the sport.
Another great thing about archery is that there’s a large second hand market for bows and other gear:
As you progress and get better at archery, you’ll be able to shop a wide variety of quality used gear online. There are a lot of archery products that are made to be high quality, durable products that will hold up for years. And that’s just what you want when you’re looking to pick up some used gear.
When it’s time to upgrade some of your gear, just check out sites like Ebay, craigslist and your local paper. And while you’re at it, check out your local archery club and ask if they know of anyone who’s looking to unload some of their gear.
Another thing to keep in mind is that like anything else, the price of archery equipment varies widely across the country. A top of the line bow could cost one price in rural Kentucky – while it costs 4 times as much in New York City.
If you travel a lot you can take advantage of this and pick up some killer gear in other parts of the country that would cost you lots more at home. This is also another way Ebay can help you find great deals on high quality gear for way less then the normal going price.
So how much does it cost to get started in archery?
That will depend on the style of bow you want and the different types of archery you’re planning on shooting, let’s take a quick look at them:
The Different Styles of Bows Used:
If you’re thinking of getting a compound bow, it’s worth mentioning that compound bows tend to cost a bit more then recurve bows or longbows. This is due to the cams and all of the other accessories they use.
As technology gets better and better, the cost of compound bows are coming down. These days, you can get a decent compound bow without needing to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
Recurve bows and longbows will cost you a little bit less than a compound bow, and there are some really great recurve bows on the market today for only $150. Like the Samick Sage, for example – you can pick one up for cheap on Amazon here.
Target Archery & Field Archery
In target and field archery you’ll mostly be competing in tournaments and competitive shoots. If you’re interested, here’s a guide I wrote about getting started in field archery and a post about how archery tournaments work.
The costs for these will vary, but most of these are usually pretty affordable for most archers.
They’ll often times keep them at low price points, exactly for this reason. They want to encourage as many archers to compete as possible.
3D Archery
In 3D archery there are also plenty of tournaments and shoots which are usually pretty inexpensive, similar to target and field archery. If you’re just getting started with 3D archery, I wrote a post here about how 3D archery shoots work.
And if you’re planning on picking up some 3D archery targets for your backyard, those can get pricey. While shooting 3D archery at tournaments can be pretty cheap, 3D targets can costs anywhere from $150 to $1500 or more, depending on the target.
Whether you’re shooting target, field or 3D archery – tournaments will only cost you as much as you’re willing to spend to enter them. Shooting in the occasional tournament or local shoot throughout the year shouldn’t set you back too much, but going pro would.
As I mentioned above, if you’re looking to enter every tournament, expect it to cost more. Especially the higher prize tournaments where it means competing against the pros.
Not only will you have to have all the top gear, which can get very expensive, you’ll be traveling a lot. The costs of hotels, gas, flights, meals, and more could add up if you want to hit every tournament.
Traditional Archery
Traditional archery usually refers to archers who shoot longbows and other historical styles of bows that were used hundreds of years ago. This could be one of the most (if not the most) inexpensive types of archery.
You can buy a quality longbow for between $100 to $200, and that’s pretty much the only expensive piece of gear that you’ll need. As long as you’ve got some arrows to shoot and a quiver to hold them in, you’re ready to shoot traditional archery.
I’m not aware of any tournaments or formal competitions in traditional archery currently, but these might start to spring up as more people get into the sport. That means that there aren’t any entry fees to worry about.
So no matter what type of archery it is that you’re planning on shooting, it’s only really as expensive as how many tournaments you want to enter or how much you pay to practice shoot.
If you have a big back yard or some other land you can shoot on, you’re good to go. If not, you might want to join a local archery club to be able to shoot on their land.
Some other things to consider…
If you’re just getting started out in archery, you may want to consider taking a few archery lessons. Even if you don’t keep them up for a long time, a few beginner lessons can be great to get you started.
Lessons are another one of those things that will vary in price from state to state, so you’ll want to check in your local area. Head down to your local archery shop if you have one in your area and ask about lessons.
You could also check at any local clubs or archery ranges nearby. You might even be able to find people offering lessons on craigslist, too.
If you have any friends that are thinking about getting into archery, it’s a good idea to get them to take lessons with you. In most cases, lessons tend to be a lot cheaper at a group rate – the more archers the better.
If you take private lessons, you’ll be paying your instructor for their time on your own. While in group lessons, many instructors offer group rates. That means that each one of you only pays a little bit each, but the instructor is still making more than they would for a private lesson. This is a win – win for everyone involved.
If your local instructor doesn’t offer group rates, consider coming up with an amount and make them an offer. If your offer is reasonable, they might just agree to it.
So there you go, the simple answer is:
Archery really is as expensive as you make it.
I hope that this guide has helped you to understand the costs for a beginner archer just getting into the sport. If you’re unsure what type of bow you’re interested in shooting, I wrote this guide about some of the best bows for all levels of archers and how to choose a bow.
If you’re thinking about getting into archery, my advice is to forget worrying about the costs involved and just get started with whatever your budget will allow. You can always upgrade your gear as you become a better archer.
Now get out there and get shooting!