How to Choose Archery Equipment by Bill Wee
9 April 2004.
Edited by Colin Wee
Choosing the right equipment is to get the best your budget allows you to buy. For every item there are so many alternatives. Let’s start with the basics.
How to Choose your Bow Handle/Riser
Starting with the old trusted die-cast, Hoyt GM is still cheap and good performing all the way to 90m. Samick’s Mizar and Agula are good buys for Intermediates. Then we go upwards in performance and price to the fancy CNC machined ones: Hoyt’s perfectly aligned Aerotec, Matrix and Samick are top of my list.
How to Choose your Bow Limbs
Stick to the best made for reliability & performance: Hoyt’s Edge glass, carbon Vector, and the new G3 and FX. They come with 3 years warranty as against the Korean one year. Cheap and good is Samick’s Universal glass and carbon. Samick Master is good and gets close to the US made ones. The fancy carbon gives 2-4% speed advantage. But remember the foam core of Hoyt’s makes them waterproof and not heat sensitive, with lateral stability on release.
How to Choose your Bow Sight
There are so many fancy looking ones. You need to choose one that is silent and doesn’t fall apart and yet not too expensive. I’d recommend France’s Arc system as the best in its price range and reliability. For intermediates, the Cartel 2000 is budget friendly.
How to Choose your Plunger Button
Cheap and best is the new Cartel Triple we helped develop. Then it’ll be USA’s Cavalier and Beiter’s, in that ascending order in pricing.
How to Choose your Long stabilizers
Need to fit each archer in length. The stabilizer’s absorbing vibration is most vital criteria in helping your performance. Mostly I’d say 26″ & 28″ are sufficient. Carbon/aluminium and not plain carbon and glass mixed with no core like many Korean copies. Best is still Easton ACE. Cartel’s new Triple and their gold labeled ones. Beiter’s is heavy and pricey. A shock absorbing end cap will be advantageous.
How to Choose your Short stabs
Not critical in absorbing vibrations. Any cheap Korean carbon will do. [Ed: what he means is 'inexpensive'.]
How to Choose your Clicker
Beiter adjustable is best. A bit less is Spigarelli’s. Need shorter ones for Korean bows – use Korean (though they use poor steel). Bend it before screwing down to increase sound effect. Want something fancy? Cartel Korean magnetic – a copy cat version worth trying out.
How to Choose your Arrow Rest
Best to use Spigarelli’s but it may not always fit the curves in some handles. My preference is for the US Cavalier’s champion, Holland’s Regi. Hoyt plastic is cheap and good but will not last long. Cartel metal and W&W magnetic can be tolerated for intermediates.
How to Choose your Bow String
The vital one! I compare it to the driving force of your car engine. You can have the best bow. But if this is not correctly fitted out and chosen, your fancy bow will NOT perform to your expectations. I will go for Dyneema 75 from Brownell or BCY 02 (it’s identical). 14 strands average, going up to 16 strands for heavier bows (44lbs and above). Have a pro make a good string to get all the strands equal in tension. Leave the commercially made ones to intermediate shooters. Black for outdoors and white for indoors. Get your brace height and tiller correctly set. And the nocking point must be at the correct uplifted angle. Have seen too many archers who shoot with no idea where their nocking point is. Worn out strings will have serving which moved and so goes the nocking point. A constant check is important.
Good luck with the sport!
How to Choose Archery Equipment by Bill Wee
Edited by Colin Wee
Choosing the right equipment is to get the best your budget allows you to buy. For every item there are so many alternatives. Let’s start with the basics.
How to Choose your Bow Handle/Riser
Starting with the old trusted die-cast, Hoyt GM is still cheap and good performing all the way to 90m. Samick’s Mizar and Agula are good buys for Intermediates. Then we go upwards in performance and price to the fancy CNC machined ones: Hoyt’s perfectly aligned Aerotec, Matrix and Samick are top of my list.
How to Choose your Bow Limbs
Stick to the best made for reliability & performance: Hoyt’s Edge glass, carbon Vector, and the new G3 and FX. They come with 3 years warranty as against the Korean one year. Cheap and good is Samick’s Universal glass and carbon. Samick Master is good and gets close to the US made ones. The fancy carbon gives 2-4% speed advantage. But remember the foam core of Hoyt’s makes them waterproof and not heat sensitive, with lateral stability on release.
How to Choose your Bow Sight
There are so many fancy looking ones. You need to choose one that is silent and doesn’t fall apart and yet not too expensive. I’d recommend France’s Arc system as the best in its price range and reliability. For intermediates, the Cartel 2000 is budget friendly.
How to Choose your Plunger Button
Cheap and best is the new Cartel Triple we helped develop. Then it’ll be USA’s Cavalier and Beiter’s, in that ascending order in pricing.
How to Choose your Long stabilizers
Need to fit each archer in length. The stabilizer’s absorbing vibration is most vital criteria in helping your performance. Mostly I’d say 26″ & 28″ are sufficient. Carbon/aluminium and not plain carbon and glass mixed with no core like many Korean copies. Best is still Easton ACE. Cartel’s new Triple and their gold labeled ones. Beiter’s is heavy and pricey. A shock absorbing end cap will be advantageous.
How to Choose your Short stabs
Not critical in absorbing vibrations. Any cheap Korean carbon will do. [Ed: what he means is 'inexpensive'.]
How to Choose your Clicker
Beiter adjustable is best. A bit less is Spigarelli’s. Need shorter ones for Korean bows – use Korean (though they use poor steel). Bend it before screwing down to increase sound effect. Want something fancy? Cartel Korean magnetic – a copy cat version worth trying out.
How to Choose your Arrow Rest
Best to use Spigarelli’s but it may not always fit the curves in some handles. My preference is for the US Cavalier’s champion, Holland’s Regi. Hoyt plastic is cheap and good but will not last long. Cartel metal and W&W magnetic can be tolerated for intermediates.
How to Choose your Bow String
The vital one! I compare it to the driving force of your car engine. You can have the best bow. But if this is not correctly fitted out and chosen, your fancy bow will NOT perform to your expectations. I will go for Dyneema 75 from Brownell or BCY 02 (it’s identical). 14 strands average, going up to 16 strands for heavier bows (44lbs and above). Have a pro make a good string to get all the strands equal in tension. Leave the commercially made ones to intermediate shooters. Black for outdoors and white for indoors. Get your brace height and tiller correctly set. And the nocking point must be at the correct uplifted angle. Have seen too many archers who shoot with no idea where their nocking point is. Worn out strings will have serving which moved and so goes the nocking point. A constant check is important.
Good luck with the sport!
