Buying a used bow

[Walks32]

New to the Forum. So Hello out there. I was wondering about used compounds. Is it worth buying? And if so what does a guy look for?

Thanks

[ishootbambi]

absolutely worth looking into. many guys i know buy a new bow or two every year so are selling next to new bows cheaper than new price. things to look for are the same as buying a new one. figure out your price range, try a few models, make sure it fits you well and find the best deal. one thing to watch for is mathews bows. if the draw length doesnt fit you, it will cost some money to change parts to make it right. im not familiar with other brands of solocam bows though so im not sure if this is mathews exclusive. there are several advantages to the solocam as well though. check a few manufactures websites as well and some have forums full of guys who give honest opinions on the equipment they have used, whether they are happy or not.
the best advice i can give you is to find out where your local archery club gathers and go there. archery guys are among the most helpful group of people....especially for new archers. that goes pretty well everywhere i have been.

[Ishpah]

Few things that you should do when you are contemplating buying a used bow.
Use the internet to do research on the different manufacturers and their offerings. Some maintain a list of their past products and list them by the year. You need to know what you're paying for, don't want to be paying top dollar for an older bow that is worth much less.
Most used bows are sold accessorized, so you want to be up on arrow rests, bow sights, arrows, stabilizers and much more stuff.
Of course, having a friend that is up on archery that you can put your trust into is a bonus. A knowledgeable friend is priceless.
Know your draw length, no sense in buying a bow that is too long or too short of a draw and cannot be adjusted.
The more knowledge you have, the better the deal you'll be able to squeeze.

[shorthair ptr.]

These guys are right on it! Just be sure that price isn't the first thing on the list as to whether you buy, no matter how good the person selling tells you the deal is. So many people buy a first bow "just to try first". See if you can shoot a couple bows, you can pick up some brand new bow pkgs up at a reasonable $. Don't think you can only look at used bows.