Rough first day of Archery...
 

Hey guys/gals,

I posted a thread on here a couple weeks ago asking for help on which beginner bow to choose, what to look for etc and I got a great response. After about 2 weeks of shopping around (and holding bows) I finally made my purchase from Cabelas. A PSE Fireflight 33 CF 28" draw and 50-60 pound. Package deal came with quiver, rest, sight, peep, stabilizer, and 4 free arrows.

Well after getting it in I hold it, and really like it and cant wait to getit to the local shop to get it tuned in etc. I take it up to the shop and everything seems to be going well, we cut some arrows, tighten everything up etc.

I asked them to loosen the bolts on the limbs, so that the draw weight would be reduced. I wanted it all the way down to 50. (it was tightened all the way down at 60, which i could pull back but wanted to work my way up). They got the PSE allen wrench, and tried to loosen it and couldnt! They said it was really tight, so I tried and I couldnt budge it either! They said, contact PSE or try a different wrench, in the meantime just shoot the 60 pound draw but only 4 arrows at a time then rest.

Well, i need somthing to shoot at, so I ask what is a good target. I was recommended Morrels Yellow Jacket Broadhead target. Allan (the guy helping me) quickly made a point that it wasnt for broadhead use only, that it was a typo on the box...he said it was a great target that lasted him over a year and even his 4 yr old cousin can pull the arrows out! I said GREAT, Ill take it!

Well i get home, and sling 4 arrows into this Block at 10 yards, I go to pull them out and [:@]I am really struggling, I was scared I would break an arrow! I finally get them out and think "ok, wow, that was a little harder than i was expecting" maybe next time will be different..nope same thing, they were in there buddy. I call the archery shop and speak to Allan, he tells me I was shooting in the broadhead side (the yellow jackets on the target) and said, shoot the blank side they will be easier to remove... then tells me to use a knife and cut a slit to remove the other arrows from the yellowjackets. I shoot the other blank side and still same thing, those arrows are jammed in there big time. Even after cutting slits I cant get them out. My buddy Ian was able to get one arrow out but he is 6'4" 270.


TO Make a long story short, my brand new bow that I so desperately want to shoot and play with has extra tight bolts I cant loosen. I may have to send it back to PSEand wait another month turnaround time.Additionally, I have a Block target sitting in my room with 3 arrows in it that I cant get out.

Im trying to stay positive and keep my chin up...Allan said he was sorry and to bring it back tomorrow for an exchange. PSE said I can ship the bow back to them If i need to...but it may have just been the wrench.

Hopefully I can get this all taken care of and worked out. I really am intrigued by the world of Archery, and would love the chance to learn more and extend my hunting season. Hopefully this isnt a sign of whats to come!

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

Your learning Grasshopper. Stick with it there is almost nothing like it in the world. You'll learn how to pull your arrows out, you'll build your muscles up to enable you to pull more weight and then you'll be shaking in your boots when you see your first deer with the bow in hand and you miss. After all that you will still be smiling and hooked. Then when you get your first deer with your bow you will be smiling even more. Good luck! Your at the right place for advice and encouragement.:)

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

ETW Taken....your story made me smile. Oh...the trials and tribulations of bow hunting. But it really is all good. Once you get everything working, you won't look back. After 4 years of bow hunting, I have turned into an archery addict. I hate to see gun season come. Just remember to practice as much as you can and it will all work out. You will love it. And as Fieldmouse said, this IS the best place to be for help and support.

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

confused do you have the block or the morrel cause you kept refferring to a block and a morrel i have heard great things about bothe but neither should have a hard side to get arrows out of the only things for me i cant get arrows out of is my cheap 3d target

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

I have "Morrels yellow jacket broadhead target" Its in a block form. It says broadhead use only, but i was told field points would work fine...but thats not the case, I have shot at 3-d decoys and layered block targets and they are10x easier to pull out field points than this thing.

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

:D:);)I feel your pain it sounds like you have my luck. It will all be worth it in the end just keep your head up!

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

Everything,

As confused and POed you might be, welcome to the sport we all love to hate! LOL Trust me, most or all of us have gone through everything you are and maybe more. Everytime you shoot...you'll be learning something new which is probably what drives 99% of us. Stick to it, take your lumps....but keep going at it. Once you are dialed in with your bow, your arrows, your target...you'll be lovin life!

Best of luck bud!

Pat

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

First off Grasshopper, the Yellow Jacket IS... I say again IS for BROADHEADS ONLY!! You buy something from someone like Cabelas, chances are they've had it a while. It's been in warehouses and all sorts of places exposed to moisture etc. Call PSE first and talk to them. You have to call them anyway to get a return order number. Tell them the deal on the bow. Cabelas has a great return policy also. You might want to just return the bow and let them send you a new one or buy somewhere else. Right now as it stands, you're going to pay freight one way, probably $40-50 bucks with insurance. So, the great deal by buying catalog has been erased. I believe when you were here we said, go to a pro shop for your first bow. We told you to shoot them and all that. I'm sure the proshop charged you to set the bow up. They screwed you on the target. You know, it would have been a lot cheaper probably to just buy from a proshop. You might want to ask the proshop what he'll charge you for the same bow and set it up. It might be cheaper to send it back to Cabelas on their no question ask deal and start all over.

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

Yep, David's hitting all over what I was thinking; you may save $15-$20 or so (or maybe more) by shopping from Bass Pro or Cabelas, but you have no set-up help that usually comes free by purchasing from a pro shop. Even if the pro shop didn't have the bow you were looking at in the catalogs, chances are they could order a very comparable model in.

RE: Rough first day of Archery...
 

Hey guys/gals,

Thanks for the response....


In my area I only have 1 archery pro shop, and another outdoor store that sells archery equipment. The pro shop only carries Hoyt and Mathews which are way out of my price range. The other Pro shop can only order bows they stock and offered PSE, Fred Bear, mathews etc...I almost got the PSE nova, but after speaking with them they said the grip and feel is the same on the PSE fireflight (only sold at cabelas). I Ended up ordering from Cabelas because a better bow (the Fireflight)that fit everything I wanted was actually 100 dollars cheaper than what the NOVA (alesser model)would have cost me from the Pro shop. They were selling the PSE Nova without a package for 299.00, when from Cabelas I believe it is 249.00 for the package...(The outdoor store im referring to is called Kevins Fine Outdoor Guns..there a very high class store and prices reflect the class.) There service was great, and there the ones who told me PSE's are great bows, measured my draw length, recommended single cam etc etc. They said wherever you decide to get a bow come back and we'll help you set it up. I mean they spent 2 hours with me talking to me about bows etc and what to look for, and I would have loved to buy a bow from them, but im in college and money is tight! They couldnt price match, or order in the Bow I wanted...So i didnt want to settle for somthing else, and pay overpriced.

So After getting the bow from Cabelas (whichIknew had a great return policy)I brought it in and they put on all my accesories and tuned everything to my liking for free...because I was buying The Yellowjacket target, and because I got 4 arrows cut and got feild points.

As far as ordering the bow from Cabelas and them having it for a while I know this is not the case...I also posted a thread a few weeks ago entitled "where to find a pse fireflight?". After I decided I wanted that bow, Cabelas was out of stock and they were on backorder. I was frustrated and made that post... thena new shipment of 30 PSE Fireflightswas recieved from PSEto Cabelas onWed. May 10th, I was notified and was able to order the bow that afternoon. It couldnt have been in the warehouse more than 24-36 hours. It is Cabelas best selling bow.

The outdoor shop has been great so far, I just dont know why Allan would tell me that target works great for field points. He told me his 4 yr old cousin can pull the arrows out. I guess it was just an honest mistake, because they have been right by me other than that!

Im going up there tomorrow morning, and im bringing my set of allan wrenches to see if we can loosen the limbs, if not im going to send it back to PSE. I will also be returning the Yellow Jacket target, and exchanging it for a different target that Field points can be removed. Wish me luck! Thanks again.