To those who replied to my post, let me explain. The reason I did not mention the company is because I did not want to bash them in anyway. The bow in question is the Parker Phoenix 32. I like the bow very much and have great respect for the company from the posts I have read. This was one reason I chose this bow. To answer some questions, I narrowed my choice down to two bows; one weighing three pounds eight ounces and the Phoenix advertised at three point eight pounds (3.8 or 3lbs. 12.8 oz.). I picked the Phoenix because of Parker's reputable customer service. I figured the few ounces between the two were tolerable since due to a handicap, I was looking for and needing a light bow. I did shoot the bow before I bought it and it did feel a little heavy to me, but I thought it was me and that I could work up to it. I checked the bow later on a digital scale that is maintained regularly and it weighed 4.3; five tenths of a pound or eight ounces more than it specified in its catalog with no visible disclaimer by the way. Some may think, probably because it is not an issue to them, that bow manufacturers might weigh a stripped down version first and use that weight for their specification then add the finish, etc. If this is the case, in my opinion, that is deceiving the consumer. You may also want to look up the definition of the word mass as in mass weight. Anyway, in this case, eight ounces or a half pound is a lot on a bow that is rated under four pounds. I did ask Parker to return the bow, but they said that it is not their policy to take it back since it was shot a few times at the dealer's place when I bought it. I do not want the dealer to have to eat this bow since it wasn't his fault. I think I will call Parker again and ask them just to send me another bow that meets the specification that they advertised and that I thought I was getting. I also hope they stand behind their product. We are spending a lot of money on these bows todayand should get at least what they advertise.
Unscrew the limb savers on the riser and remove the limb savers from the limbs and weigh it again. Those are accessories that add weight to the bow. Even though they come factory installed they are still accessories that can be removed.
Bet you'll be very close to the advertised weight.
When manufacturers come up with their specs they do it with a bare finished bow. Ie... riser, cam(s) and string/ cable(s). Same when they come up with their speed ratings. They do it with a bow that has no accessories attached to the bow or to the string other than a single brass nock. Even though none of us will ever shoot a bow like this this is what the bow is fully capeable of.
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What you didn't mention was what was on the bow when you weighed it. Was there a rest, sight, string nocks, string leeches, limb savers, anything else? None of these are part of the bow. They are accessories and not part of the bow's weight. I also wonder why you didn't weight it with nothing on it before the purchase, if that is such an important feature to you? To me, the most critical feature of a bow is the actual measured draw length and the cam alignment. I carefully measure these on the bow I'm considering. I realize that these measurements vary and that some manufacturers do not come very close to the advertised specs. It just makes sense to check the actual bow for the features that you are most concerned with.
Myself, I've never weighed a bow, because I know it's going to about double by the time I add all the accessories, and that the weight will vary depending on the accessories that I use at any given time.
I checked the bow later on a digital scale that is maintained regularly and it weighed 4.3; five tenths of a pound or eight ounces more than it specified in its catalog with no visible disclaimer by the way. Some may think, probably because it is not an issue to them, that bow manufacturers might weigh a stripped down version first and use that weight for their specification then add the finish, etc.
I tend to somewhat agree with the others. When the bow weighed in at 4.3 pounds was that bare bow (no accessories at all) or with a sight, rest, etc... on the bow?
Second, is there any chance you can get a different scale just to double check?
Parker Bow Mass Weight Overweight
