My First Bow

PSE Rally

I have never shot a compound bow before buying the PSE Rally, so I might be a bit biased in my lack of experience, but this bow is a great bow to start out on! It is not heavy or cumbersome in any way, it adjusts greatly in draw length and weight, it is not difficult to handle, and it was in my price range. 

I was originally looking at the Diamond Infinite Edge because of the similar characteristics, but the Rally happened to be left handed and physically at Cabela's when I went looking to try out a bow or two - and it was on clearance! I am right handed in most of my daily routine, but a few things here and there I do with my left handed - including shooting guns, which made me more confident in picking a left handed bow. 

The only problem with buying a left handed bow is that at least 80-90% of bows in stock at almost every archery supplier I have been to is for right handed shooters. Finding a left handed bow in stock is lucky, but finding the one you really want in stock is a borderline miracle! Sometimes, as a lefty you can wait months before a store will get the bow you are curious about in stock, so it can make it difficult to be patient. 

In my case finding a bow on clearance, that was left handed, that when I test shot it felt really good in my hands and made it impossible to say no to without knowing when I would find this good of a price or fit again any time soon! So, I caved and purchased the PSE Rally right then! 

These are the front and back of the two cards that came attached to it in store:

These cards mean something to people that are educated at archery, but when I first started looking at bows I didn't understand any of it, which made it difficult to know what I was looking for. What it boils down to, to get started you need to know your draw length and draw weight and which eye you will be shooting with.

As I mentioned before my bow is left handed, this is because I am left eye dominant - which means I can see more clearly with my left eye than I can my right, which makes it easier to hit the target if I use my dominant eye. 

My draw length is 25.5" and the way you find your own draw length is by measuring from fingertip to fingertip then divide that by two and a half.  I recommend measuring from your backside since your chest can add extra length if you are a women or a man with a barrel chest. Then draw weight is something that varies from person to person and is the amount you can pull back - my draw weight right now is 45 pounds! 

Once you know these important pieces of information you can start looking for a bow that will fit you before you start pricing the equipment you will need. I decided to go with the bare minimum necessary to get started, since I was on a budget. Everyone has a different opinion about what you need, so I am just going to mention what I purchased and what was given to me to get started! 

Purchased:

PSE Rally $339.88

                 Came with Peep, D Loop, Quiver, and Sight

Stalker Xtreme Carbon Arrow Shafts $54.99

Filed Tips $7.99

Cyclone Release $64.99  

McKenzie Target $39.99

Total After Tax = $546.23

Given to me:

Prices are estimated

String Snot $4-5 

Soft Case $30-40

PSE Wrist Strap/Sling $11-13

Blazer Veins $11

Stabilizer $?? varies widely 

Rough Total = $56-80 or more 

This is not a cheap hobby and if I had bought everything myself I would have spent close to $600 or more. I was lucky to find a left handed bow on clearance - Merry Christmas - and to have a friend that has out grown or found products he prefers over the one's he gave me to help get me started. I suggest heavily, do your research, take your time in finding a bow that you can grow with, and take the time ahead of time to find out which eye is your dominant eye so that you know exactly what you are looking for!