Need some advise and help

[ArrowHawk]

My 8 year old daughter has had a serious interest in bow hunting and shooting or the past years. She has asked for a Bow several times and wants to start shooting with me and my wife. So I have been thinking hard about getting her started but not sure if she is ready for it or not.

The part I'm having trouble with is finding the right person to help set her up with a bow of draw weight she can handle and she is still on the short side. We talked to her about just shooting and that she is to young to hunt but she has her heart set on it. So we mentioned target shooting to her and she really wants to strat.

What does everyone think?
Is she still to young??

[HookDaddySlayer]

I assume she sees you shooting and that has sparked the interest. I started my two oldest boys at 8 and 6. Six was a bit young. The cool thing is they enjoy shooting a bow. They are not that concerned about sticking 1" groups. I started with the cheaper bear compuond and recurve bows that you can get pretty much anywhere. My older son (9 yrs)has since moved on to a pse genesis. Pretty steep for a youth bow, but, it is completely adjustable and will grow with him. I was able to crank it all the way down to about a 10 lb. draw so he could work on his form. Like anything else, just try to keep it fun and stop the sessions before they get tired, frustrated, etc. Good luck, i hope you have as much fun with it as I have been having! If you do start her on one of the cheaper set ups, the recurve seemed to be much easier for both of my boys to start on.

[MuskyDan]

At our archery pro shop when we set up kids it seems better to go all out. From a peep sight to a release and carbon arrows. Older people dont give kids enough credit they learn more in 5 years of life then we learn the rest of ours. There is nothing better to see then a little kid pulling back the bow and looking through the peep then nailing a spot. With new bows they fit the kids. Hoyt Banshee is a nice bow and so is the Browning micro midas 3 both bows are under $200.00. But here at the pro shop Start them Right First it builds there selfconfedence.

[KalamazooKid]

At our archery pro shop when we set up kids it seems better to go all out. From a peep sight to a release and carbon arrows. Older people dont give kids enough credit they learn more in 5 years of life then we learn the rest of ours. There is nothing better to see then a little kid pulling back the bow and looking through the peep then nailing a spot. With new bows they fit the kids. Hoyt Banshee is a nice bow and so is the Browning micro midas 3 both bows are under $200.00. But here at the pro shop Start them Right First it builds there selfconfedence.

:yeahthat: Those Browning Micro Midas and Micro Adreniline bows are great setups and will grow (adjustable) with your daughter - I'd give them a look.

[mich buckmaster]

My son is four and he shoots his small bow with me all the time. He just has a small recurve, but when he gets a little older I will get the genesis or comprable bow for him to use for a couple of years. I think 8 years old is fine and just go to a bow shop that you are comfortable with.

[Michihunter]

Here's another vote for the Micro Midas. I started both my boys at 7 & 8 on one. They will be good for at least 3 years and maybe up to 5 or 6.;)

[cr_3006]

i have pics of me when i was three with my little recurve, had to stand it on the ground! anyway, my son is 2 1/2 and i got him a little bear recurve. he cant shoot it by himself but i help him hold it and pretty much do all the shooting but he has fun anyway and loves trying to pull the arrows out of the target. when i was actually taught by my brothers they would not let me use sights even though they did, i shoot instinctive to this day but i also shoot with sights.

[The Nailer]

ArrowHawk- I see you live in Davison, have you taken her to Brown's in Goodrich? They are a pretty good shop and have always been helpfull. I bought my grandson's Mathews Genesis there, plus they sell other brands. I set his up myself, but they have a good staff that should be able to help you.

[GVDocHoliday]

For a beginner the Mathews Genesis would be a great bow. No specific draw length, it'll just allow your daughter to get a feel for what shooting is and allow her to get comfortable.

The Genesis Pro has a draw stop to set, but a little trick I learned was to just put a brass nock on the cables to stop their movement when they hit the cable slide...works like a charm.

[magnumhntr]

It is never too young to get them shooting. I truely believe my life was changed forever for the positive because of my father buying me my first bow. Bow shooting and hunting are one of the things that have helped keep me sane over the years, even when I was a teenager and up to my neck in trouble. I will never forget the first time my father took me to the local bow shop to shoot for my first time. The one and only league we shot together is another one I will relish until the day I die. You will forever change your daughters life the day you get her her own bow. It's never too early to guide your kids life in the right direction ;)

[junglecat]

If your daughter wants to shoot, then let her. What a great chance to spend more quality time with your kids and keep them interested in healthy, safe and moral activitys. My daughter is 6 and has been shooting a little longbow with me for 2 years. The draw weight is 12lbs and when she started she could only pull it back a few inches. I would put the target at about 5 yds and if she sent the arrow anywhere near the target that smile on her face was worth a million bucks. Now she can hit the target everytime at 5 yds with half dozen arrows. Its great to watch them gain archery skills. Keep it simple! Let them experiment with the bow, grip, distance! But mostly keep it fun! It doesnt matter what the bow is longbow, recurve, micro compounds, my only recommendation is get something with light poundage. As long as the string goes twang, they will love it. Your a lucky man to have your wife and daughter interested in something you love to do. Remember; Its supposed to be fun!

Dave