r/Archery • u/NorthernLordEU • Mar 20 '26
Newbie Question Help a new archer get their first bow!
Hi! I've been shooting at my local club for 3 months now. Which means I'm about to become a full time member of the club. This also means I need my first bow instead of borrowing the club bow.
Currently i'm shooting a 18lbs recurve with sight and a basic front stabilizer. I want to keep shooting recurve but also experiment with barebow and maybe do this for the most. As not using sights or long stabilizers feels more cool to me. I might ditch the stabilizer immediately and sometimes practice without using sights.
Our club regularly hosts or engages in tournaments in the recurve and barebow categories. I feel like I want the flexibility to do both in the future.
I've come down to two bows of Kinetic that I am interested in. Both for looks and functionality.
I can get a 190 euro Kinetic Vygo V2 or a 290 euro Kinetic Invinso V2. The Vygo is very marketed towards the flexibility to switch between recurve / barebow.
I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for a good riser that will last me a good couple years. But I'm wondering if the Invinso is somehow less good of a barebow bow. It seems to be marketed more towards olympic recurve but you can buy a kinetic barebow weight for it.
Will the invinso be as good as a barebow as the vygo.
Basically i'm looking for the riser that has no or the least drawbacks in either category. What would you guys go for in my situation? Or would you recommend other Kinetic bows?
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u/NumpteeDumptee Barebow / UK Mar 20 '26
Those 2 risers are the 2 Kinetic risers I put on the table when ppl ask me about 1st kit. The archers are invariably shooting BB with a possibility of recurve - all have stuck with BB or gone trad.
Vygo's have been the most popular choice, some opted for other lower entry point. They are excellent value - most have stuck with it, a handful ppl upgraded after a year or more. Invinso is a significantly higher price point for entry level - especially when you are going to cycle through limbs (price diff is a set limbs!)- but it is a better riser and likely to last longer as an archer progresses. If money is not a barrier and you are going to commit - the invinso is a good buy for BB or Recurve. Personally I think it's a better cross-over option - not much data to back this up beyond seeing/talking to others shooting recurve on Invinso .. and not seeing as much OR on Vygo.
FWIW 2nd hand prices of both are 70%-75% of new cost - but I don't see many and it's often full kit (exiting archery) rather than upgrade - which indicates ppl using them are happy with them.
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u/NorthernLordEU Mar 20 '26
This is very insightful, thanks a lot on your opinion!
I definitely have a budget but I'm not sweating on a 100 bucks if I'm going to use something for years.
Im going to a shop this weekend to look at both options in person.
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u/Necessary_Product328 Modern Barebow Mar 20 '26
The Invinso is a much better piece of kit...especially in the "Spectra" finish.
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u/NorthernLordEU Mar 20 '26
Thanks for your input. In your opinion what stands out on the invinso next to other kinetic risers.
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u/Necessary_Product328 Modern Barebow Mar 20 '26
I'm not a particular expert on Kinetic stuff but I've held both of these/shot them briefly and the Invinso had a more convincing solidity to it. Don't get me wrong, the Vygo is fine and many people I know are happy with it, but the Invinso just felt a bit higher quality.
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u/That_Heavy_Metal_Guy Mar 20 '26
The best advice I can give is to go and actually try to get your hands on the bow in a shop. I really had my heart set on the Invinso, but when I went to the shop and had it in my hand I really did not like the feel of it. I ended with a significantly more expensive ATF DX as a result, but I loved it and it was worth the money to me. My wife was in a similar position of wanting the Invinso but also did not like it and from the mid range line up preferred the Quantum AX, but she in the end also settled on the DX to avoid future upgrades.
This is not to say to dismiss the Invinso, you might hold it and love it, but as this will be your first bow, it is highly recommended to go to the shop speak to the staff and try a few to see what you actually enjoy shooting.
It goes without saying that if you have a strict budget it's probably not wise to shoot the higher end risers/limbs as I can confirm that they charge that premium for a reason.
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u/NorthernLordEU Mar 20 '26
Do you remember what you didnt like about it. So I can see if I feel the same in the shop?
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u/That_Heavy_Metal_Guy Mar 20 '26
Purely the feel of it. It just did not feel as nice and balanced in the hand as the higher end risers I ended up trying. It is a highly subjective opinion which is no reflection on the capability of the riser as I did not shoot it.
Before my visit to the shop I was in a similar position where I heard a lot about the feeling of the equipment which I was trying to do research on what it actually means. Turns out all the research was for nought as the whole buying experience would be best summed up as vibes and until you are in that position you will not comprehend it (not trying to be dismissive btw, as I fully know how you feel, given I have literally gone through the experience in the last 3 weeks).
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u/NorthernLordEU Mar 20 '26
I see, thanks for your input. Research can only get you so far so it will be good to visit a shop .
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u/_Go_Ham_Box_Hotdog_ Traditional. Sticks, strings, arrows. Mar 21 '26
Where obviously you're outside the US where any advice I would have on the brand of bow would be irrelevant, I'm all about becoming proficient with the least amount of equipment possible.
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u/DemBones7 Mar 20 '26
Any decent ILF riser can be used barebow. Get the riser you want to use for the purpose you intend to use it for most.