Thread: "tikka T3" of compound bows?

Looking at diving down the rabbit whole of bow hunting.. Pretty steep learning process.. been nerding on YouTube...anyway.....

I'm not a fan of buying the cheapest gear to "see if I like it" only to figure out I've been sold the equivalent of a poorly put together "norinco 762x39" . Or it exploding after a year of me practising in the back yard everyday for a year.

If you guys had to choose a mid-range "tikka T3 708 with a 3x9 " Bow Loadout equivalent , what would it look like?

Looking to use on reds eventually, around the $2k preferred, I don't need the new Hoyt flagship.

Buy once cry once

Cheers

Look for one that has a lot of adjustment for draw length. Some like Mathews come in only 1 draw length and you have to buy a new mod to change draw length. Others like PSE come with a rotating module that lets the user adjust from 26-31.5” drawlength. I’d look for a good quality secondhand one, if you can find someone to help you set it up. Not sure who the closest “pro shop” to you is. Arrowhead archery in Darfield is very good.

I'm new as to bow hunting as well. My big lesson so far is understand your eye dominance and buy a LH or RH bow on that basis.

I ended up at Archery Direct (sorry they are NI) and Greg went through and set up a new bow for me plus did a bit of coaching while he was at it which was very helpful. Being a beginner getting set up by a pro-shop is worthwhile IMO.

FWIW I got a PSE stinger, my shooting is going ok and the draw weight is easily adjustable. It feels somewhat like it falls in the T3 range.

Hoyt, Mathews, PSE to name a few. For me if I was going to spend a decent amount would be a Prime

Yep, your basic PSE stinger to mid range range PSE bows are probably the most equivalent to a tikka t3.

Cheers guys. I'll check out PSE. I'll head up to a proshop in a couple of weeks. Spend some hard earned dineroes.

Originally Posted by Glenshee

Cheers guys. I'll check out PSE. I'll head up to a proshop in a couple of weeks. Spend some hard earned dineroes.

the stinger has only one rotating cam at the bottom ,the top is just a wheel, you wont get the same speed ,better to go up to a PSE WITH TWO CAMS

Originally Posted by Glenshee

Cheers guys. I'll check out PSE. I'll head up to a proshop in a couple of weeks. Spend some hard earned dineroes.

Another shout for PSE, as I used to shoot them for target competitions.

Whilst I can vouch for their older models (2009-2018), which had a good range of interchangeable parts and spares, their newer stuff that is aimed at the higher end of the market does not fill me with the same degree of confidence. They were a family owned company for a long time but recently got sold.

Much like in the rifle world, what works now will continue working for a good long while, but the marketing guys don't like that, as they want people to buy new equipment EVERY year, not just when the old stuff is a bit tired and worn out.

As above, look for something with a rotating inner cam module so you can adjust the draw length. Maybe spend some time and money joining a local archery club and hiring a coach for a few sessions, as money spent on that is rarely money wasted. Often guys run out and grab a carbon bow and high end arrows which don't even fit them properly, get frustrated and sell it off, all within a year or so.

Cheers for the reply, Unfortunately no archery club in Oamaru and don't know anyone that shoots so looks like I'm going to havto venture this much like I had to do with reloading ammo.. YouTube & trail and error... I'll keep my eye out on A good second hand bow aswell. Yeah unless they have reinventing the wheel with some crazy advance in tech, I'm not worried about keeping up with the latest and greatest.

Im in oamaru and do a bit of archery set myself up on a pse stinger a few years ago was a hell of a learning curve but can be done. get in touch if you want.

Hey could be well worth hitting Matt up at arrow head archery darfield he stock elite, pse and bear how have great bows from entry level to flagships and he will give you some pointers and show you how to shoot with proper form which will drastically reduce your learning curve with just a little tuition.

I would advise you to get to a pro shop and try our a few bows, because the draw cycle varies greatly. The grip also varies and you may not like the 'Tikka' and prefer the feel of something different.

You can’t compare bow drawing/shooting/hunting to rifle…point n pull. But I get it. Truth is that you should try a few bows and see what’s right for you. I have a Ross Cardiac that I haven’t shot in years that I about to dust off to start my life in NZ as a vegetarian…err, I mean archery hunter.
PSE, Diamond, Hoyt, Bear, Mathews are all good but it’s what works for you and you don’t need a new bow every year just because it shoots 11.4fps faster!!
Here’s something to think about, yes Tikka T3s are great, but just like there’s guys out there who shoot dozens of animals a year in the upper part of the heart with a 50 year old 30-06, there are plenty of archers out there who kill animals each year with a 20 year old bow that works for them and double-lungs animals with ease.
Get a good bow and practice.
I’m not preaching…I quit archery because it was too hard and I’m a sucky enough hunter to begin with

UPDATE -

Visited Matt & his boys @ Arrowhead archery, Darfield in the weekend. Tried out a few different bows He recommended to see what felt/fit me best(most of the PSE range, but being so green I couldn't really feel much in the way of differences)....anyway.. ended up parting with some hard earned dollars. (Ended up with a bear compound)
He went the extra mile giving me one on one tuition, getting everything perfect. what a good bugger and good experience overall!



Excited for things to come,
Let the games begin!

Bear Cruzer. Max adjustments.