Originally Posted by SwampCollie (Post 3423948)

It has been my experience over the years that any pro shop that has been in business more than 5 years will not produce crappy workmanship like Rob described in the orginial post. Otherwise they would have been run out on a rail inside of 3 years.

I don't know if you knew this guy or not, but in my experience here, quite often a customer will have monkeyed with a bow A LOT, and after toying with it to no avail, will bring it to another shop swearing up and down that they had it over at XYZ shop and they messed it all up. I guess it saves them face.

I do have a sign back by the press (hidden from public view) that reads: "ARCHERY PRO SHOP LABOR RATES: $60/HOUR.....$75/HOUR IF YOU WATCH.....$100/HOUR IF YOU HELP.... $150/HOUR IF YOU WORKED ON IT FIRST." Of course, this is meant as a joke.

I have personally seen this happen as well. I have a couple good friends who work regular jobs (one in the Navy, another a mechanic) that work over at Bass Pro in the archery department part time. They are both quite comepetent bow techs too and I'd recommend either of them to someone in a heartbeat..... and they recommend our shop to folks several times a day. Anyway, I brought one of them a new set of cams for his Hoyt he ordered and stopped by at BPS just to say hey. A guy came walking up with a newish looking 82nd Airborne and said, "I swear I'll never go to Wilcox again! They got my bow shooting all backwards. I just picked it up from there... cost me a mint.... shot it at the range and its shooting cork screws....." I held my tounge and looked the bow over. There are two main techs at our shop.... Tom... who is flat out amazing when it comes to bows.... and myself.... who ain't no slouch either. We do things exactly the same way, so that no matter which of us works on your bow... the look and quality is uniform. We tie knots and do things differently than any other shop I've ever seen.... I recognize my own work.... and considering 15 minutes prior I had been at the shop and never seen this guy or his bow before.... he was clearly full of what made the bull famous. My friend at BPS let him know as much before I asked him who he had spoken with at our shop.... he said he couldn't remember his name.... middle aged guy.... kinda tall... he said.... ... nobody like that works there...... Tom is 50 years old.... 5' 7" and bald.... and I'm 26... look like I'm 21 and I am tall. This dude, it turns out... hadn't ever hardly set foot in our place..... and yet here he was bad mouthing us..... don't know where his bow came from or who worked on it..... but it for sure wasn't who he claimed it was.


And if a Reezen and an Admiral shot the same weight arrow, at the same draw weight, and same draw length at the same speed.... either somebody or somebody's chronograph is woefully mistaking. The Admiral is the quietest, most shock free bow right out of the box I've ever shot... but it ain't no speed demon..... and its draw is stiffer than the Reezen's (thanks to its short limbs). Compared to most Mathews bows.... the Reezen is quite a departure from the norm.... and while it has grown on me a bit.... I'll still be carrying a Drenalin in the woods. Everybody has their own favorites.... and nobodys favorite is ever wrong.... variety......its the spice of life.

Originally Posted by SwampCollie (Post 3423948)

It has been my experience over the years that any pro shop that has been in business more than 5 years will not produce crappy workmanship like Rob described in the orginial post. Otherwise they would have been run out on a rail inside of 3 years.

I don't know if you knew this guy or not, but in my experience here, quite often a customer will have monkeyed with a bow A LOT, and after toying with it to no avail, will bring it to another shop swearing up and down that they had it over at XYZ shop and they messed it all up. I guess it saves them face.

I do have a sign back by the press (hidden from public view) that reads: "ARCHERY PRO SHOP LABOR RATES: $60/HOUR.....$75/HOUR IF YOU WATCH.....$100/HOUR IF YOU HELP.... $150/HOUR IF YOU WORKED ON IT FIRST." Of course, this is meant as a joke.

I have personally seen this happen as well. I have a couple good friends who work regular jobs (one in the Navy, another a mechanic) that work over at Bass Pro in the archery department part time. They are both quite comepetent bow techs too and I'd recommend either of them to someone in a heartbeat..... and they recommend our shop to folks several times a day. Anyway, I brought one of them a new set of cams for his Hoyt he ordered and stopped by at BPS just to say hey. A guy came walking up with a newish looking 82nd Airborne and said, "I swear I'll never go to Wilcox again! They got my bow shooting all backwards. I just picked it up from there... cost me a mint.... shot it at the range and its shooting cork screws....." I held my tounge and looked the bow over. There are two main techs at our shop.... Tom... who is flat out amazing when it comes to bows.... and myself.... who ain't no slouch either. We do things exactly the same way, so that no matter which of us works on your bow... the look and quality is uniform. We tie knots and do things differently than any other shop I've ever seen.... I recognize my own work.... and considering 15 minutes prior I had been at the shop and never seen this guy or his bow before.... he was clearly full of what made the bull famous. My friend at BPS let him know as much before I asked him who he had spoken with at our shop.... he said he couldn't remember his name.... middle aged guy.... kinda tall... he said.... ... nobody like that works there...... Tom is 50 years old.... 5' 7" and bald.... and I'm 26... look like I'm 21 and I am tall. This dude, it turns out... hadn't ever hardly set foot in our place..... and yet here he was bad mouthing us..... don't know where his bow came from or who worked on it..... but it for sure wasn't who he claimed it was.


And if a Reezen and an Admiral shot the same weight arrow, at the same draw weight, and same draw length at the same speed.... either somebody or somebody's chronograph is woefully mistaking. The Admiral is the quietest, most shock free bow right out of the box I've ever shot... but it ain't no speed demon..... and its draw is stiffer than the Reezen's (thanks to its short limbs). Compared to most Mathews bows.... the Reezen is quite a departure from the norm.... and while it has grown on me a bit.... I'll still be carrying a Drenalin in the woods. Everybody has their own favorites.... and nobodys favorite is ever wrong.... variety......its the spice of life.

Originally Posted by kwilson16 (Post 3424253)

Good post Swampcollie!

I have spent a lot of time watching Tom Wilcox work on bows and he is a wizard. If you live within driving distance of Newport News, it is worth the time to go to Wilcox Bait and Tackle!

After two years of watching him, I finally figured out how to mimic his peep tying:

Originally Posted by Rob/PA Bowyer (Post 3424066)

Same chrono for both bows Swampie, :p It may very well be off but then it was off for both bows. Either his Reezen was a dud or my Admiral is exceptional. :s1: I was quite surprised. Thus my shock and wondering. I assumed the Reezen was faster, probably is but not that one. :deer:

My chrono matches what most others say they get from their bows and what my birth certs say when my bows come in. It's a phenomenon. LOL

Originally Posted by killzonearchery (Post 3424761)

i no that feeling, i took my girlfriends bow to bass pro one night just to get some pluffy silencers put on it. they tied one on the right way and zip tied the other one on. i thought i was goin to kill the guy