Son's wanting a bow, thoughts guys?

[JayH]

Hello Texas bowhunters forum,

It's great that you added me to this forum and I greatly appreciate it! I am here for a little advice on what I should do next, but let me start from the beginning.

Three mornings ago my boy came to me and asked if I could get in a bow for his next birthday, he even had examples in magazines that he was showing me. Now, I'm no expert when it comes to bows but I know that they can become dangerous if not handled correctly. Knowing this, my son will be turning 11 in 5 weeks and has his heart set on a bow but, Would you guys say 11 is safe to be handling a bow and arrow? and can you even get lessons for an 11-year-old?

These are some thoughts that are popping into my head right now but, there are much more when I get passed this stage like the bows themselves, Equipment, clothing and anything else that comes into this sport.

Really looking forward to speaking with you guys and seeing what you views on my boy getting his first bow is...

Thanks

[Trailerman3]

Both of my kids started at about 6 yrs old my daughter is 15 and son 14 and both love it. If they are taught properly it can be a very safe sport. You can find lessons for your son depending on where you are and how far you wish to travel. Welcome to you as well.

[flywise]

Yes, you should buy him a bow

[firehot]

First, Welcome to the fire! All three of my boys started at the age of 4. Teach them right, get um hooked and enjoy!

[JayH]

Looks like my son might be starting a little later than your children, better late than never. This makes me feel good knowing I can get him a bow!.

Now, Do bows come in different strengths? and things like that? what should I be aiming for? (no pun intended)

Thanks guys

[ChickenWilly]

My little girl will be 4 in may and has had a little bow for almost a year now. She loves it! And like sad above it really is pretty safe when done properly. If you don't have one yourself get one for each of you and do it together! You won't regret it

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[bownutone]

What part of the state are you in? There are many good bow shops that can help you get a bow that will grow with your son.

[dustoffer]

There are two primary "measurements" on a compound bow--draw length and draw weight. Length is how far your son would pull the string back to a proper anchor point, and a bow shop can measure him and recommend appropriately. Draw weight is how "hard" the bow is to pull back. Bows are adjustable for both draw length and weight, some with a considerable range that can "grow" with your son.

A good bow shop is the best start IMO.

As far as safety--supervision is key until you are sure and satisfied your son is safe. My aluminum canoe has a hole in it--yep, my son was shooting in the back yard unsupervised and punctured it by accident.

[popup_menace]

I'll echo what others have said about finding a good shop. Post up what area of the state you're in and we can direct you to a good reputable shop.

[jerp]

Where are you located Jay? I'm sure someone can recommend a bow shop in your area. Oh, and welcome to the campfire!

[Lone_Wolf]

He's plenty old enough to shoot a bow. He just needs someone to help him get started off right. My 11 yr son loves to shoot and he's just now starting to hunt. Best bet is find a good shop like the other guys are saying and they can get you fixed up. Worst thing you can do is just going out and buy a bow without first talking to folks who know what kind of bow will fit your son and possibly grow with him as his draw length gets longer, and as he gets stronger, he'll most likely want to increase draw weight?

[splitfinger]

I would highly recommend a recurve to start with. You can buy him one about 35-40 pounds at 28". Him being 11,he will have a shorter than 28" draw length and as he grows, he will in tease both his draw length and draw weight. Besides, a recurve is fairly easy to shoot (like throwing a baseball) plus it doesn't have all of the mechanics of a compound bow. Check out Bob Sarrels as he makes great bows at reasonable prices.

[glpoe1]

Check out NASP (Nation Archery in Schools Program) at a local school. If they have that in your area it is a great way to get started. I am a NASP Instructor out here in WT and we start at 4th grade level up to 12th. The equipment is the Mathews Genesis bow which will fit everyone in that age group. It is truly a beginners bow and not really suited for hunting but great to learn with. Other bows you might consider: Bear Apprentice, Mathews Menace, Mathews Craze, Diamond Razors Edge and Hoyt. These bows can be adjusted to fit almost anyones draw length and draw weight and can be suitable for hunting.

[super_dave]

We bought our 10yo a Diamond Archery Infinite Edge for Christmas. This bow will turn down to 17lbs and 15" draw weight or something close to that and will go all the way to 70lbs and 30". This bow will be able to grow with him as he becomes bigger and stronger.
I recommend it. Like stated above, give us a hint as to where you are and most of us will steer you in the right direction.

In the mean time, you can measure his draw length by taking his finger tip to finger tip wingspan and dividing it by 2.5 .
At 11 years old, he should be able to pull at least 30lbs.

[JayH]

This is all awesome news! Looks like the best start would be to take my boy down to an archery shop and get him all measured up and see what them guys have to say.

As of the bow and arrows themselves, what kind of maintenance needs to be kept to keep them in prime condition? And what kind of costs are we looking at?

You guy have been a huge help and very eye opening!!

And I'm located in Kent, England but when searching for a bow forum i found you guys and so pleased that i did.

Thanks again guys