my 2cents worth. I tend to buy from the chain store for this reason,If I am not happy in any way guess what? they take it back with a smile and assist me with the next one I want. how many have taken a bow home, 2 weeks later it just flat isn't the bow you thought it was?? Our pro shop in town just smiles and says "sorry, no returns",the chain store says "bring it back ,we'll get ya another"AND they don't care if you bought something out at the pro shop,the pro shop here got mad at me cause I bought the bow from the chain store,I went out there to buy a sight rest and release and you would have thought I had the plague, no service,no talk no nothingand guess what , NO SALE !!

I find them to be all the same. Many of the chains started out as pro shop's, they just got bigger. I've never been in any that could tell, without checking the weight of a vane or feather. Pretty sad considering they build arrows for people. You have to know (be your own pro) to benifit from either otherwise you'll just be getting "I sell a lot of these" in answer to how good something is.

It's a tough business and I'm sure there are some that are in it just to feed their own archery addiction. I could be one for that reason.

I've been in many dozens of bow shops and have never been in one run by a professional archer. 99% are run by business men hoping to make a living or a few extra bucks. Some are very good, some are absolutely terrible. You really can't accurately generalize about a bow shop, though the chains tend to be far more similar. The chains typically are staffed by people that have less experience, but have the backing of a good store guarantee.

If you find the right bow shop, they won't be pushy, won't bad-mouth the competition and will have tons of knowledge. They can truly make you a better shooter. Unfortunately, maybe only one out 20 will fall into this category. It's worth finding that one.

I have to put in a plug for the local sports warehouse. Although there is some turn around in the archery department, it is staffed with competent guys who know how to set up and papertune bows. If you buy the accessories, they install them for free. If something isn't quite right, they fix it. They're set up to paper tune and chrono the bow, and best of all, they carry several brands. Unlike proshops where opinion of what's best is based upon whose product they carry, I feel like I'm getting the staight scoop on what the guy thinks is the best buy or the bottam line best product. Several times, when they could have steered me to a more expensive product, I was steered to something that was top notch, but also a good value.