How Much Does It Cost to Get Started in Recurve Archery?
One of the most common questions I get from new students is:
“How much does it cost to buy my own bow?”
It’s a great question — but the answer depends on your goals. Archery equipment ranges from simple starter gear to professional setups used on the international stage. To make things easier, I’ve put together sample equipment packagesso you can see what it realistically costs to get started.
🎯 Recreational Setup (~$360)
Best for: Someone who just wants to shoot for fun once in a while.
Includes: Basic takedown bow, arrows, quiver, finger tab, and arm guard.
Important note: You’ll quickly outgrow this if you want to practice regularly or compete.
🏹 Starter Competitive Setups ($700–$900)
Best for: Beginners who want to practice weekly and have the option to compete.
Includes: ILF riser and limbs (upgradeable), arrows, quiver, sight, finger tab, arm guard, and bow stand.
Why it matters: ILF equipment allows you to upgrade over time without replacing your entire bow.
🥇 Strong Competitive Setup (~$1,700)
Best for: Archers who are serious about progressing and want gear that can last them for years.
Includes: High-quality riser, limbs, premium sight, stabilizer system, plunger, and accessories.
Why it matters: This is a strong setup that gives you all the tools to train and compete at a high level.
🏆 Elite Setup ($4,700+)
Best for: Archers trying to make a National team and international-level archers.
Includes: Top-of-the-line riser, limbs, stabilizers, sight, plunger, and custom equipment.
Note: This is my personal setup as a professional competitive archer. It’s built for the highest level of competition — but it’s absolutely not necessary when getting started.
Where Beginners Should Invest More
When starting out, I recommend putting your money into three pieces of equipment:
Riser – The foundation of your bow and something you may keep for your entire archery career.
Sight – A good sight can withhold the high level of vibration coming from the set up and is easier and more accurate with fine tuning sight settings.
Plunger – Helps fine-tune arrow flight and can last for an entire archer career.
Other items (like arrows, strings, and limbs) will be swapped out as you improve, so you don’t need the most expensive versions right away.
The Most Important Step
Even with these packages, beginners should not order on their own. There are a million small details — bow length, draw weight, arrow spine, tuning — that can easily go wrong.
👉 That’s where I come in. I’ll help you:
Select the correct specs for your body and goals
Order the right equipment the first time
Assemble and tune everything so it’s ready to shoot
That way, your first investment sets you up for success instead of frustration.