A rough guide for families: what a first bow setup typically runs, and what memberships and tournaments add once your archer starts competing.
Club bows and arrows are provided for the intro class only. To keep shooting after the class, you will need to purchase your own equipment. Below are estimates for three different styles of archery. Each total includes the bow, a dozen arrows and the accessories that go with it. These are starting points, not limits — you can always spend more if you want to, and the options for equipment are endless.
A youth archer's first compound setup: bow, arrows and accessories.
A youth archer's first takedown recurve setup: bow, arrows and accessories.
A youth archer's first Olympic-style recurve setup: riser and limbs, arrows and accessories.
Example prices from lancasterarchery.com, checked October 2026, rounded out to the nearest $50. Brand and model names are examples, not endorsements. Some bows come as ready-to-shoot packages that already include a sight, rest or quiver, which lowers the total.
Tap a bow style to see the example bows and every accessory behind its estimate.
| Archer | Example bows | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Archers under 12 | Hoyt Kobalt Youth ($349 to $389), Mission Menace XR ($400 to $500) | $349 to $500 |
| Archers 12 and older | Elite Ember ($580, value option), PSE Lazer X ($899, target option) | $580 to $899 |
| Item | Example products | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Arrows (a dozen) | Gold Tip Warrior fletched arrows, about $6.33 each | $76 |
| Hip / field quiver | Easton Flipside 2-tube ($17 to $19) or 3-tube ($23 to $27) hip quiver | $17 to $27 |
| Release aid | Scott Vibe Youth release ($70) | $70 |
| Arrow rest | Trophy Ridge Quick Shot Whisker Biscuit ($15 to $45), Whisker Biscuit HTR ($40 to $45) | $15 to $45 |
| 3-pin sight | TruGlo Veros 3-pin ($75), CBE Tactic 3-pin ($75) | $75 |
| Peep sight | Trophy Ridge Tru-Peep ($6), G5 Meta Pro Peep ($10) | $6 to $10 |
| Stabilizer | Bee Stinger Sport Hunter Xtreme, 6 to 10 inch ($60 to $80) | $60 to $80 |
| Bow stand | Pine Ridge Kwik Stand ($26), Elevation Raptor kickstand ($38), LP Pro-Pod 2 folding stand ($42) | $26 to $42 |
| Bow case | Easton Genesis Max 4017 ($50 to $53), Plano 1110 Protector compact ($55) | $50 to $55 |
| All accessories | $395 to $480 |
Some bows are sold as ready-to-shoot packages that already include a sight, rest or quiver, which lowers the total.
A takedown recurve comes apart for storage, and stronger limbs can be bought later as the archer grows.
| Archer | Example takedown recurve bows | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Archers under 12 | Galaxy Bullseye 48" or 54" ($120 to $130), Galaxy Little Fox ($150) | $120 to $150 |
| Archers 12 and older | Galaxy Bullseye 62" or 66" ($135), Galaxy Sage 62" ($150), Galaxy Sage Elite II ($200) | $135 to $200 |
| Item | Example products | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Arrows (a dozen) | Easton Jazz or Easton XX75 Genesis fletched arrows, about $5.96 each | $72 |
| Arrow rest | Hoyt Super Rest ($2.50) | $3 |
| Finger tab | Avalon Tec One finger tab ($20), WNS SF-200 finger tab ($35) | $20 to $35 |
| Arm guard | Easton Comfort Flex ($8), Easton Deluxe arm guard ($11) | $8 to $11 |
| Chest guard | Avalon Classic ($14), Easton Chest Protector ($26) | $14 to $26 |
| Hip / field quiver | Easton Flipside 2-tube ($17 to $19) or 3-tube ($23 to $27) hip quiver | $17 to $27 |
| Bow stringer | Cartel bow stringer ($10), Saunders No-Twist ($19) | $10 to $19 |
| Bow case | Tarantula recurve case ($37), MTM Take Down recurve case ($50) | $37 to $50 |
| All accessories | $181 to $243 |
A bow stringer is needed to string and unstring a recurve safely; never step through the bow to string it.
An Olympic recurve is assembled from parts: an ILF riser (the handle), a pair of limbs that set the draw weight, and target accessories such as a sight, plunger, clicker and stabilizers.
| Archer | Example riser + limbs | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Archers under 12 | 23" riser: Sebastien Flute NEO 23" ($170) with Galaxy Bronze Star ($100) or Sebastien Flute Atom ($140) limbs | $270 to $310 |
| Archers 12 and older | 25" riser: Galaxy Crescent ($120), Sebastien Flute NEO ($170) or Kinetic Novius V2 ($280), with Galaxy Bronze Star ($100) or Sebastien Flute Atom ($140) limbs | $220 to $420 |
| Item | Example products | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bowstring | Stone Mountain DynaFLIGHT ($18), America's Best Olympic ($29) | $18 to $29 |
| Arrows (a dozen) | Easton Vector fletched arrows, about $7.50 each | $90 |
| Arrow rest | Avalon Tyro rest ($7), Shibuya Ultima recurve rest ($45) | $7 to $45 |
| Plunger | Avalon Tyro cushion plunger ($20), Shibuya DX plunger ($40) | $20 to $40 |
| Clicker | Terry Klickit ($18), Beiter Klicker ($22) | $18 to $22 |
| Sight | Avalon Tyro metal sight ($30), Sebastien Flute Pro sight ($70) | $30 to $70 |
| Stabilizers | Avalon Tyro A3 set ($120), or Sebastien Flute Pro 3K rods and extender with an Avalon Tec-X V-bar ($210) | $120 to $210 |
| Finger tab and sling | Avalon Tec One tab ($20) or WNS SF-200 tab ($35), plus a finger sling ($3 to $4) | $23 to $39 |
| Chest guard and arm guard | Avalon Classic ($14) or Easton ($26) chest guard, plus an Easton arm guard ($8 to $11) | $22 to $37 |
| Quiver | Avalon Tyro 2.0 range quiver ($25), X-Spot Triple Threat ($25) | $25 |
| Bow stand | X-Spot Trident ($18), Avalon A3 recurve bow stand ($20) | $18 to $20 |
| Bow stringer | Cartel bow stringer ($10), Hoyt recurve stringer ($18) | $10 to $18 |
| Bow case | Avalon Tyro recurve backpack ($50), Avalon Tyro A3 hard case ($60) | $50 to $60 |
| All accessories | $451 to $705 |
A coach can help match riser length, limb length and draw weight.
Please talk with a coach before you buy. A bow that fits your archer properly matters more than any single accessory, and our coaches are happy to help — just ask.
What it costs to take part once you have a bow. Tournament fees are per archer, per event — families choose which events to go to, and travel is extra.
| Intro to ArcheryEight weeks. Club bows and arrows are provided for the class only. | $100 |
| JOAD (Tuesdays)Included with junior club membership | Included |
| S3DA team (Thursdays)Currently free to junior club members, by invitation | Free |
| USA Archery Youth membershipPer year. Needed to earn JOAD pins and to enter USA Archery tournaments. A family membership is $150/year. | $50 |
| Pennsylvania State Indoor ChampionshipJanuary. $50 if you register late. | $40 |
| Pennsylvania State Outdoor JOAD ChampionshipSummer. $55 late. | $45 |
| JOAD Indoor NationalsFebruary. $65 late. | $45 |
| JOAD Target Nationals & U.S. OpenJuly. $225 late. Plus travel and hotel. | $190 |
| S3DA youth membershipPer year. Every S3DA archer must be a member through a registered team. | $30 |
| Regional eventsIndoor target, outdoor target and 3D, per event. | ~$30 |
| State championshipsIndoor target, outdoor target and 3D, per event. | ~$40 |
| Eastern NationalsIndoor, 3D and outdoor target, per event. Plus travel and hotel. | ~$60 |
Membership and entry fees from usarchery.org (2026 events) and s3da.net, checked October 2026. Organizations change their fees every season — check the event page when you register.
Ask before you buy. Coaches can tell you what your archer actually needs right now — often less than you'd think.
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