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Bear Super Kodiak too much for a beginner?

26K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  jocala 
#1 ·
Hi. I am a complete newbie at archery and have never shot any bow. (except from a homemade one from alder bush when I was 8). I love the thought of traditional shooting and plan on getting a recurve. Not knowing where to look I checked out cabelas on-line and they have a couple of Bear recurves. I like the look of the Super Kodiak. I don't know if these are good or too good or should I be looking somewhere else. I really don't want to spend more than $800 dollars. Also what length of bow should I get. I did the measurement from chest to fingertips and I measured 22inches. I am 5'6" tall. I have reasonable strength and thought 50pounds would be a good draw weight. The Bear Super Kodiak comes in 60 and 64 inch lengths and 50 and 55 pound draw weights. This is from the Cabelas.ca site. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I will be using this bow for target and white tail deer hunting. Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
I was stuck between the super grizzly and the super kodiak and ended up with the kodiak because it was longer then the grizz by two inches . Shes 60" i got a 30 1/2 " draw by the way. shoots very smooth and no hand shock i was a little worried that it was to much but dont regret it at.all it was worth every penny. That was my first bow i got and now i love bear recurves. The super grizzly will be just as good too i think. I could be wrong tho im still new to this trad archery
 
#3 ·
If your new, 50# is too much to start. The Super Kodiak is a nice bow. I would get a used bow around 30# to start. You will build up to 50# before you know it and if you like archery you will end up with more than 1 bow.

Look at the Are you? thread.

dave
 
#4 ·
Welcome to TT.

I'm a target and field archer, not a hunter, so my comments are made with that in mind.

My question is what accuracy level do you want to achieve?

'Good enough to hunt' or to think about hitting up Vegas? If you want to learn how to shoot well you must be willing to put in the apprenticeship. Start with a low poundage to learn the trade and build up as you go along. Accuracy, not ego, is the mark.

IMO, 50# is much too much to learn proper form with. We start off beginners in the club with 14-16# bows. Some will be kids but not all. They're not going to be hunting in this country but they will be expecting to be able to hit close to centre at 30-70m over time. A good archer with the advantages of stabilisers, a sight and a clicker will be hoping for not 'pie plate' but 'dust bin lid' accuracy at 70m (nearly 80 yards) after, maybe, 3 years. They won't be holding 50#, maybe 42-44# but they will be controlling it. The top archery elite will be holding in the gold in practice (<1' diameter) with similar poundage.

I won't advise on bows but if you intend to start low in poundage you will be changing up poundage as you go along so it makes sense to buy a handle with limbs you can change as you climb up. Once you top out, accuracy or poundage, then buy the bow of your dreams.
 
#5 ·
Welcome to the forum Tyler.

$800 is a lot to plunk down on a bow when you're just getting started. Let me suggest a couple changes in your plan.

First, I'd recommend you start at 30 to 35 lbs. It's not that you can't pull 50 lbs or more, but when you start you want to be able to focus completely on proper form. Adding more weight will come later.

You can get a very good bow to start with for under $200. The Samick Sage is often recommended. It's about $130 at Lancaster Archery. The takedown design means you can add other limbs later when you're ready to go up in weight. There are also inexpensive ILF risers or you could watch the Trading Blanket for a Warf riser. This is an old compound riser that has been converted to accept ILF limbs. ILF gives you an unlimted selection from which to choose.

As far as length, 62" would be an excellent choice. Not that you couldn't go shorter, but the 62" for you estimated draw would be fine.

The Super Kodiak is a good bow, but you might want to hold off and give the lighter weight a try first. Used Sage bows are very easy to resell.
 
#7 ·
good advice, start less expensive and a LOT lighter, 30-35 pounds is best. used bows are most logical way to start. starting with a 50#+ 800.00 bow is pretty much a recipe for failure.
 
#9 ·
Check out the Samick Polaris or the Samick Sage. I doubt anyone would call them "great," but they are very nice starter bows. It's been said, start with a lower limb weight and replace the limbs with a higher weight when ready. Replacement limbs are inexpensive too.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the great input. You guys really helped me out. I decided to go with the Samick Sage 25pound. I think this would be a good choice. I will practice with this all summer and then get heavier limbs if I feel confident enough to hunt with it. Thanks again for your help.
 
#12 ·
Strength is reasonably easy to build up, it just takes time. Technique will help you tolerate the weight better and be more accurate when you there.
After my beginners course, I started with 28# limbs, maybe 30-32# on the fingers. I quickly could shoot that weight for hours, doing the repetitions necessary to I grain my form. With light carbon arrows you'll still get a reason cast. Looking back, there was probably more fun to archery with that weight. Poundage is only a means to an end, IMO.
 
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#18 ·
Wooden arrows are great! I've dabbled with them, but if you decide to go that direction I'll defer to someone that has a better knowledge base.

For beginners I suggest aluminum arrows. I suggest these as they are relatively inexpensive, available in a great range of spines, durable, and are easy to assemble.

Do you know what your draw length is? That will be needed to determine the correct spine for your arrows.
 
#21 ·
As Nuthatch said, most accurate is a measurement by a pro shop. There is a formula that will give you a good estimate if going to a shop isn't possible:

1. Have someone measure your armspan, middle fingertip to middle fingertip. Stand with your arms out and palms facing forward, not stretching or straining.

2. Divide that number by 2.5. The result is your draw length in inches.

There's also an online: draw length calculator
 
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