When I was first getting into 3d archery, one of the most important things to consider was what bow should I spend my money on? I previously only ever used those plastic (high school archery) type bows growing up, and later on a longbow that I randomly found in an antique shop.
I ‘ve always leaned towards the more traditional archery feel of things. And after looking at all of my options, I decided that a recurve bow was the choice for me. If you’re looking for the right 3d archery bow – you have to first know what all of your options are, so you can be confident that you’ve decided on the best bow for you.
That means forget anyone who tells you that any one bow is simply the best 3d archery bow ever, period. Anyone who would tell you that is ignoring huge volumes of information – at your expense. Remember, you don’t want to have buyer’s remorse after you click that buy button, right?
What type of bow should I buy?
With all of the different types of bows on the market today, it’s easy for a beginner archer to feel overwhelmed when trying to decide on their first bow. Let’s quickly cover the various types of bows so you’ll have a better idea which one is best for you.
Firstly, no matter what kind of bow you buy – you’re going to want one of these to protect your investment. I’ve heard horror stories from guys who didn’t make sure that their bow was secure and free from any risk of damage.
Recurve Bows
My personal favorite type of bow is the recurve bow. Recurve bows are all around great bows for most uses. They’re good for hunting, as long as you use bows that have forty pounds or more draw strength.
Recurve bows are the primary bows used for target archery, in fact they’re the only type of bow used in Olympic level target shooting. And they’re perfect for 3D archery as well.
In fact, recurve bows may be the most beginner friendly bows out there.
Compound Bows
While mostly used for hunting, compound bows are used for target shooting and 3D archery as well. The main advantage of a compound bow is it’s fast speeds and piercing power, which makes it ideal for hunting.
If you’re primarily interested in hunting, compound bows might be worth looking into.
Longbows
Longbows are the medieval Robin Hood style bows of European history. Normally made of wood alone, if you’re into the idea of traditional archery – a longbow might be the right bow for you.
Longbows have a few advantages over their newer peers, they’re generally far more inexpensive than recurves or compound bows. They’re much faster and easier to setup and use and are quite a bit lighter. They’re more stealthy, too, as they shoot far quieter then the other types of bows.
However, they don’t shoot as fast or as accurate as recurves and compound bows. They are still great for 3D archery and target archery, though. If you’re thinking of using one for hunting, just be sure it’s strong enough to get the job done (forty pounds or more draw weight should be fine). I also wrote this guide on longbows vs. recurve bows, you can check it out if you’re having trouble deciding which one to buy.
Crossbows
Crossbows are the only main type of bow that aren’t generally good for 3D archery. Because they’re shots are so strong, compound bows can tear apart many 3D targets. If you’ve ever priced 3D archery targets, that idea will surely scare you.
Most 3D archery shoots and tournaments do not allow the use of crossbows, so if those are your main interests – stay away from crossbows. There are currently a few 3D tournaments that have a special crossbow class, but there aren’t very many of them at the present time.
So basically, recurve, compound and longbows are all great choices for 3D archery. The only factors when choosing one of these is what else you plan to use your bow for.
Now that you’ve got and idea of what type of bow you want, there are a couple of other things that you need to know before you buy your bow. You need to know what draw weight you should use as well as what your draw length is.
Don’t panic, it’s quick and easy to figure these out:
What draw weight bow should I buy?
All bows have a draw weight, this is the largest amount of weight that you’ll pull back when drawing back your bow. Draw weights are measured in pounds. For your beginner draw weight, just use the guideline below.
Kids: 15 to 20 pounds
Women: 25 to 35 pounds
Men: 40 to 50 pounds
For most beginners it’s better to start with a bow that’s on the low end of your recommended draw weight range and work upwards later.
How do I measure my draw length?
If you’re interested in a recurve bow, it’s good to find the right size bow for your draw length. The following are just recommended guidelines, you don’t strictly need to follow these by the letter, they’re just a guide to help you in choosing the right bow.
Get a friend to help you with this one, it only takes a minute or two. Stand up straight and hold your arms out at your sides and turn your palms forward so that they’re facing ahead of you. Now have your friend measure the length from the tip of your left middle finger to the tip of your right – that’s your draw length.
Buy the right size bow for your draw length:
14 to16” draw length = 48 inch bow length
17 to 20” draw length = 54 inch bow length
20 to 22” draw length = 58 inch bow length
22 to 24” draw length = 62 inch bow length
24 to 26” draw length = 64-66 inch bow length
26 to 28” draw length = 66-68 inch bow length
28 to 30” draw length = 68-70 inch bow length
31 inches and above = 70-72 inch bow length
So for example if you’re an adult male with a draw length of 21 inches, you ideally want to buy a 58 inch bow with a 40 to 50 pound draw weight.
Note: Ignore bow size when it comes to compound bows and longbows.
Longbows go anywhere from 5 ½ to over 6 feet, there’s no need to worry about size when it comes to compound or longbows.
The Best Recurve Bows for 3D Archery
As I said before, my personal favorite kind of bow is the recurve bow – and it’s for a lot of different (and very cool) reasons. These days you can get a high quality recurve bow that’s great for both beginners and intermediate users alike for a very reasonable price.
As far as traveling with your bow and storage goes, a take-down recurve beats all the other types of bows, hands down. The limbs can be detached and the bow and its limbs, arrows, sights, etc can all be stored in one compact (and cool James Bond like) case. You can even leave it in the trunk of your car so it’s ready whenever you hit the range or find a cool spot to fire off a few shots.
Plus, if you’re a beginner, you may eventually want to start shooting a heavier draw weight after a while (this is very common). While with all other types of bows you would have to buy a brand new bow, with most take down recurve bows you can just buy new limbs for your bow that are a heavier draw length! That makes recurve bows a smart economical choice as well.
So for Example:
If this is your first bow you could order forty pounds limbs (my beginner suggestion for most adult guys), and then work up or down if the weight is either too much or not enough.
Plus, recurve bows are great if you have more than one archer in your house using your bow. The kids can shoot their lightweight shots in the backyard with 15 pound limbs – while you can shoot the same bow later on with 40 pound limbs.
If you’re into target shooting other than the 3D variety – recurve bows are also used in the Olympic style target shooting. You know, those guys that look like they have a bunch of space age attachments on their bows.
Plus recurves are just all around great for casually shooting at targets with your friends in the backyard. Recurve bows are my recommendation to almost all who are new to archery.
Here are my picks for the best recurve bows for 3D archery:
Perfect for new and experienced archers alike, the Samick Sage is my personal go to bow for most types of shooting, 3D shooting included. It’s also perfect for almost all men’s draw lengths as well.
It’s a take down recurve bow with limbs that range all the way from 25 to 60 pounds draw weight. The Samick Sage is my number one best bow for 3D archery, period.
Spyder XL Takedown Recurve Bow
This bow is great if you’re a larger size guy, or have a bit of an overdraw. Also good for beginner to intermediate archers. A good bow at a great price.
The Best Compound Bows for 3D Archery
As I mentioned above, compound bows tend to be the choice for hunters. They’re also great for 3D archery and target archery as well. Just be sure to choose a compound bow that supports your recommended draw weight range.
Here are my picks for the best compound bows for 3D archery:
Leader Accessories Compound Bow
With a 30 to 55 pound draw weight, fiber optic sight and an included peep sight, this is a solid compound bow for most archers. Comes with several accessories, a one year warranty and even includes a couple of aluminum arrows to get you shooting right out of the box.
Featuring an adjustable 15 to 70 pound draw weight, bow sight with sight light and several more accessories if you choose the premium kit (available on Amazon.com), the iGlow compound bow is a great deal for any beginner or experienced compound archer.
The Best Longbows for 3D Archery
If you really want to go the traditional route, longbows and wooden bows can be a lot of fun. As I said I’ve got and old longbow that I’ve refinished and I’ve had a lot of fun shooting it over the years. Especially if you’re into that medieval feel – you’ll love shooting traditional bows with real wood and real feather fletched arrows.
Here are my picks for the best longbows for 3D archery:
Available in various draw weights from 35 to 55 pound, the SAS Pioneer is an awesome bow for anyone into traditional archery. And at it’s current price a great deal for killer longbow.
Longbowmaker Horsebow Style Longbow
An affordable longbow with a really cool, ancient archery look. Comes in a large range of draw weights from 30 all the way to 60 pounds. A solid bow for any longbow archer.
When you’re buying your bow don’t forget all the other accessories that you’ll need just to be able to shoot it. Pick up a good quality bow stringer to string and unstring your bow, and watch a couple of Youtube videos on this before you try it yourself.
You’ll also need a high quality bowstring if there isn’t on included with your bow, and an arrow rest to protect the finish of your bow on the arrow rest (the point where the arrow sits while aiming and shooting).
I hope this guide has helped you to find the right 3D archery bow for you. If nothing else, maybe it’s helped you to figure out what type of bow that you’re interested in picking up. Hopefully I’ve taught you something or at least given you a few ideas as to what you’re looking for in a bow.
3D archery is not only fun, it’s super addicting! You want a bow that just feels great to shoot – so you can keep on shooting. Finding the right bow for you just makes the sport that much more fun, and it keeps you feeling comfortable while shooting for long days, especially if you’re thinking of entering any 3D archery tournaments.