With the holidays right around the corner, there’s no better time to surprise a loved one with an archery gift of their own. But if you have no idea where to start and don’t know what to get them, don’t worry! Our picks of the best archery gifts this season have you covered.

How to Choose an Archery Gift

With so many things to choose from when it comes to archery, selecting the right gift for someone can be challenging. To help guide you in your search, ask yourself a few of these questions:

What Kind of Archery Do They Enjoy?

There are many different types of archery, including target, hunting, 3D, Olympic, bowfishing, and others. All of these styles use a variety of different gear and tools. For example, a piece of equipment that a target archer uses may not be useful or ideal for someone who only bowhunts. Knowing the style of archery that a person participates in will help significantly in the search for the right gift.

What Is Their Style?

Even within the various types of archery, there are different styles to be aware of. A person might be into competition shooting, but they utilize a recurve bow and not a compound bow. Bowhunters might use traditional equipment or even a crossbow on their hunts, which are very different from compound or recurve bows. If you can, try to find out what style they like and what type of bow equipment they are using.

What Is Their Skill Level?

Every archer will be at a different skill level, and the tools they use will coincide with their experience. Ask yourself what this person’s skill level is and how long they have been shooting. The gear that an experienced archer uses will be very different from that of a beginner. Even if you don’t know anything about archery yourself, knowing the skill level of the person you are shopping for can help get recommendations from others.

What Equipment Have They Mentioned?

Perhaps the easiest way of buying the right archery gift for someone is to remember something that they have mentioned before. If they have ever said anything about wanting or wishing for a specific piece of gear, this can give you a great starting point. Be sure to take notice of anything they’ve mentioned they need and you are sure to surprise them.

The Best Archery Gift Ideas

Once you’ve got a good idea of where to start, now it’s time to start shopping! We’ve got you covered with some of the best archery gift ideas, from gear that works for beginners all the way up to the best equipment for veteran archers. Let’s start with the basics:

A Full Archery Set

For someone who is completely new to archery, a complete set will provide them with everything they will need to get started. This is also an easy way to provide a gift, as you don’t have to pick and choose specific pieces of gear and can get the complete package. With a full archery set, you can simply choose the right one and get them started extremely quickly. Our favorite archery sets include:

Lanneret Compound Bow Kit

Monleap Takedown Recurve Bow Set

Bear Archery Limitless RTH Compound Bow Package

A New Bow

If you don’t want to get a complete archery set and want to let the person pick out their own arrows and other gear, you can simply get them a good bow to get them started. Many of these bows are highly adjustable and will be able to be customized to the person. Some of them can even be upgraded as the person grows stronger or increases skill level. You can choose from longbows, compound bows, recurve bows, and crossbows. A few great bow options include:

Cabela’s Warden Recurve Bow

Bear Archery Legit Compound Bow

SAS Pioneer Traditional Longbow

Nika Archery ILF Recurve Bow

A New Target

Targets are an essential part of archery and believe it or not, there are plenty of different types to choose from. Choose from regular paper targets, foam block targets, 3d animal targets, and more. These targets will last a long time and provide plenty of ample target practice. Our favorite targets that cover these bases include:

Field Logic Foam Block Target

Big Shooter 3D Deer Archery Target

16x16inch Paper Archery Targets

A New Quiver

Quivers are used to hold and carry arrows. No matter which style of archery a person is participating in, quivers can play an important role with your arrows. You have different styles such as bow-mounted quivers, hip quivers, and back quivers. A few options that make great gifts include:

Trophy Ridge Hex Light Bow-Mounted Quiver

Blackout Combo Back Quiver

Blackout Field Quiver

A Protective Bow Case

Bow cases serve the important job of keeping a bow safe while traveling or in storage. Some bow cases will also hold other archery gear and arrows. Soft bow cases are seen the most often, and while they don’t provide as much protection, are much cheaper and easier to carry around. Hard cases provide the most amount of protection but will cost a little more and be heavier. Both options make great gift ideas, and a few of our favorites include:

BlackOut 1.0S Compound Bow Soft Case

Plano Protector Compact Bow Hard Case

Flambeau Formula Hard Bow Case

New Arrows

Arrows are one of those things that you can never have enough of. Over time, arrows will start to degrade and can break. A new set of arrows or even a higher quality set can make the perfect gift for someone who is involved in any type of archery. Our favorite arrows are:

Carbon Express Maxima Red Hunting Arrows

Gold Tip Velocity Valkyrie Arrows

Western Archery Ramin Wood Arrows

A New Release

Releases are devices designed to help shoot a bow. They come in many styles, from simple finger gloves and tabs to mechanical release aids. Within each type, there are more options to choose from depending on the material and design. For example, mechanical releases can come in caliper, thumb, hinge, or tension styles. A new release is a great gift idea if you know what type and style an archer prefers. A few great options for releases include:

BlackOut 3-Finger Thumb Release

Neet Products Camo Shooting Finger Glove

Scott Archery Longhorn Pro Back Tension Release

B3 Archery King Swivel Caliper Release

Neet Products Pinch-Free Shooting Tab

Protective Gear

Protective gear can make a great holiday gift. Armguards are great for protecting your bow arm from getting a painful slap by the bowstring, while things like chest protectors prevent your clothing from getting caught in the bowstring. A few ideas for protective archery gear include:

SAS Archery Armguard

Easton Diamond Archery Chest Guard

Vista Tuff-Lite Armguard

A Rangefinder

Rangefinders go with archery as peanut butter goes with jelly. These electronic devices tell you how far away you are from your target, which greatly increases accuracy. Almost every archer that you see will use some type of rangefinder, making them a great choice for the perfect gift. A few notable rangefinders include:

Vortex Crossfire HD 1400 Laser Rangefinder

Sig Sauer Kilo1000 Laser Rangefinder

Bushnell Prime 1500 Laser Rangefinder

New Binoculars

Along with rangefinders, binoculars are a widely used piece of optics that can make a world of difference on the archery range. These can be used to see your target and where you hit, allowing for more accurate shooting. Thanks to more and more companies entering the optics industry, high-quality binoculars can be had at amazing prices. Some of the best binoculars for gifts include:

Vortex Diamondback HD Binoculars

Leupold McKenzie Binoculars

Bushnell All-Purpose Binoculars

New Sights

Bow sights are the key to accuracy and consistency. These come in many types and varieties and are essential for those who aren’t shooting their bow instinctively. From fixed sights with 1 to 5 pins (or even more) to adjustable sights that can move depending on your range and needs, there’s a lot to look at. That’s not even considering scopes commonly used on crossbows. No matter what type of sight that you are looking to give, we have you covered with a wide variety of different bow sights to take a look at:

Trophy Ridge React H5 5-Pin Bow Sight

Truglo Range Rover AC Wheel Sliding Bow Sight

Bear X Speed Crossbow Scope

A New Arrow Rest

Arrow rests support an arrow on the bow. You have stationary bow rests like whisker biscuits and simple shelves to high-tech drop-away rests that fall out of the way of the arrow at the shot. A new arrow rest can be a great gift for the archer in your life, and you can find a few of our favorite picks below:

Custom Bow Equipment Arrow Mane Whisker Biscuit Rest

Ripcord Max Standard Drop Away Arrow Rest

Cartel Infitec Crux Arrow Rest

A New Stabilizer

Stabilizers are often overlooked as gifts since they are often ignored in general. But a new stabilizer can be an excellent addition to any bow, and you can even get an entire set of stabilizers depending on the person’s setup. A few popular options include:

LimbSaver LS Hunter Micro Bow Stabilizer

Bee Stinger MicroHex Bow Stabilizer

Sharrow Archery Stabilizer Set

Tools

No matter the experience level or style of archery, tools are an important part of maintaining equipment and fine-tuning. There are many tools and accessories to choose from, including hex sets for adjustments to arrow pullers for removing arrows from a target. A few handy tools that would make excellent holiday gifts are:

Pine Ridge Archery Archer’s Allen Hex Wrench

Bear Archery Recurve Bow Stringer

Burt Coyote Arrow Puller

Final Thoughts

If you have an archer in your life that you want to surprise, we hope you now have a better idea of some different gifts that are sure to impress them. Archery is an amazing pastime and hobby with lots of gear and equipment that goes into it, so good luck on your search for the perfect gift this holiday season!