Determine what you need to know before you go shopping for archery equipment as a gift.  
 
1.   Consider the age and level of experience of the archer you are buying the gift for. There are lots of good start-up kits for beginners that won't be appropriate for an experienced archer. If your recipient already has a bow, maybe you're better off buying accessories. Do a little snooping if you need to find out. 
 
2.   Consider what the bow will be used for. Is the person going to be target shooting, or are they going hunting? 
 
3.   Shop for a beginning archer at a major sporting goods store. You can buy good start-up archery kits for kids for around $50. Make sure the kit includes arrows, targets, an arm guard and a form of finger protection. Ask the clerk about these items if they are not in the kit. 
 
4.   Check the age limits on the package of a kit. Make sure your recipient fits within those limits. For older archers you may have to buy each item individually (see "How to Buy a Bow" and "How to Outfit for Archery"). Ask the clerk in the store for help. 
 
5.   Find out if your experienced archer really needs a new bow. If he does, find out why. What's wrong with his old bow? You don't want to repeat a mistake. If he does need a new bow, find out the draw length and draw weight of the old bow (assuming that wasn't what was wrong with it). Find out what type of site he uses. This will make your shopping a lot easier. 
 
6.   Find out what else your experienced archer needs. Maybe all your archer needs is some new equipment. Find out what type of arrows he uses. Does he need an arm guard, a shooting glove, or new targets? 
 
7.   Shop for an experienced archer at an archery shop, a gun store or an outdoor outfitter. These types of store are more likely to have high-end archery equipment and hunting supplies. A quality bow, fully equiped, runs around $150 to $250. 
 
8.   Look into other hunting gear if your archer is a bowhunter. Check out bow sites, arrowheads, quivers, fishing arrows, camouflage, tree stands or a bow travel case.  Ask the store clerk about what sort of bowhunting gimicks are out there - you might be surprised by what they come up with. 
 
9.   Talk with the clerk about the features of the bows you look at. For target archery a recurve bow is usually better, but for hunting you more likely want a compound bow. A good compound bow should have an adjustable draw weight. 
 
10.   Talk with the people your archer shoots with to find out what he wants or needs. These people will be your very best source of information. 

 Tips
 Does your archer already have somewhere to shoot? If you're buying someone a bow, make sure you consider this. A range is easy to set up. Some open space and a couple of hay bales is all you really need. Make sure arrows that miss the hay bales won't fly somewhere they can do damage. 
 
 If you don't know what you need to buy, maybe you're better off buying a gift certificate to a sporting good store.  
 

Warning
 If you live in an urban area, a bow is probably not a good gift for a child. Children want to use their gifts after they open them, and city streets are no place for archery.