Disgruntled Wifes Dilemna....
01-29-2002, 09:14 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairmont West Virginia
Posts: 29
Disgruntled Wifes Dilemna....
I have been reading the bulletin board for about a year and a half and all I have heard was "go shoot alot of bows, and see what you like". How are you supposed to do that with a 25"draw length and 40-50lb draw weight??<img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>
With archery becoming bigger than ever and more women and children taking up the sport, archery shops should carry a few bows for us to try! Right now I have been to 3 shops,(2 of which were an hour drive for me) and they had NOTHING in stock that I could take off of the shelf and shoot!! I realize that I am below the "average" length and weight, but what am I supposed to do? Buy something for $400-500. and hope I like it?
And I realize it would be a great expense to keep one of every bow made, and most shops probably couldn't do it, but then I still have the same problem. What is my solution?
So, anyways, PA bowhunter, JeffB, Len, and anyone else, what do you do in this situation?? You own shops, or work in shops, ect, what happens when someone comes in, needing something between a kids bow, and 70# 29" bow?? Searching for an answer.....
Thanks
Debbie Martin
With archery becoming bigger than ever and more women and children taking up the sport, archery shops should carry a few bows for us to try! Right now I have been to 3 shops,(2 of which were an hour drive for me) and they had NOTHING in stock that I could take off of the shelf and shoot!! I realize that I am below the "average" length and weight, but what am I supposed to do? Buy something for $400-500. and hope I like it?
And I realize it would be a great expense to keep one of every bow made, and most shops probably couldn't do it, but then I still have the same problem. What is my solution?
So, anyways, PA bowhunter, JeffB, Len, and anyone else, what do you do in this situation?? You own shops, or work in shops, ect, what happens when someone comes in, needing something between a kids bow, and 70# 29" bow?? Searching for an answer.....
Thanks
Debbie Martin
01-29-2002, 09:27 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Stanton PA USA
Posts: 2,213
RE: Disgruntled Wifes Dilemna....
Debbie, you have a good point! For obvious reason`s, most pro shops cannot stock a big selection of bows in that size range. Do you live near any archery clubs? In SW PA, we have a number of good size archery clubs, and when someone is interested in any type of bow, in any size, it usually only requires a few phone calls until we find one for them to try! For the most part, archers, and all sportsmen/women in general will gladly let a complete stranger try out their equipment, to see how they like it. Hey, this way you don`t even have to set up a bow, it is already set up, and tuned. I don`t know where you and Randy live, but if you are close to SW PA, e-mail me, and I am confident that I can find you any bow that you want to try.
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
01-29-2002, 10:29 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: dallas GA USA
Posts: 4
RE: Disgruntled Wifes Dilemna....
Sorry Debbie ,at least you aint left handed.Im a lefty and so is my wife. Try finding A left handed 26' 50 pounder. If you guys know of a pro shop that will get one of those in for you "just to try" let me know where.
01-30-2002, 06:50 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairmont West Virginia
Posts: 29
RE: Disgruntled Wifes Dilemna....
Hey Big Country, You ain't gonna believe this one! We are in the Northern part of West Virginia! I am not sure where New Stanton is, but I am only about an hour and a half from Pittsburg! Sounds like a great Idea to me, and I hope this helps out more people than just me. As for archery clubs in my area, I don't know of any, but I never really looked for one either. I'll check into it, or take you up on your offer.
Thanks a million!
Sorry Bowhawg, I hear ya. My brother is left handed, but as he was growing up, dad taught him how to shoot right handed, because he "couldn't" show him how to hold anything left handed.
Thanks again, guys
Debbie
Thanks a million!
Sorry Bowhawg, I hear ya. My brother is left handed, but as he was growing up, dad taught him how to shoot right handed, because he "couldn't" show him how to hold anything left handed.
Thanks again, guys
Debbie
01-30-2002, 07:46 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kenosha, Wi USA
Posts: 499
RE: Disgruntled Wifes Dilemna....
When it was time for my girlfriend's new bow we went through the same thing- no shops stocked anything in her range.
When I would go to different shoots around the area, we would get talking to other women shooters and most were very kind and would let her shoot their equipment. We happened to find a shop about an hour and a half away that had a woman co-owner who let my girlfriend shoot all of her personal bows. Very nice of her.
It may take more leg work and time, but you can find some bows to shoot if you look hard enough and find the right people. Local shoots are a great place to meet new people and check out everybody's equipment.
Just be considerate of when the person is shooting- many are very kind but would rather let you shoot their equipment AFTER they have finished thier round/course.
Best of luck!
When I would go to different shoots around the area, we would get talking to other women shooters and most were very kind and would let her shoot their equipment. We happened to find a shop about an hour and a half away that had a woman co-owner who let my girlfriend shoot all of her personal bows. Very nice of her.
It may take more leg work and time, but you can find some bows to shoot if you look hard enough and find the right people. Local shoots are a great place to meet new people and check out everybody's equipment.
Just be considerate of when the person is shooting- many are very kind but would rather let you shoot their equipment AFTER they have finished thier round/course.
Best of luck!
01-30-2002, 09:47 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Adrian MI USA
Posts: 228
RE: Disgruntled Wifes Dilemna....
I actually have the same problem with my draw length. I have a 26 inch draw, but can pull 60 to 65 lbs fairly easy now. But when I first started 55 was pretty hard for me. Rarely will I find a bow that fits me to test. I usually have to shoot one with a longer draw. I do have a mathews dealer close to me that swaped out the cams for me once to make it better, I thought that was nice. It is actually getting harder to find shops that will let you even shoot a bow, let a lone one that fits you. I guess to many people are using them to shop around and then buying off the internet.
It never really bothered me testing a bow with to long of a draw. The only thing I am really looking at is how the bow draws, how it feels in my hand, and what it feel like when I shoot it. So if I shoot one that I like and it is a couple three inches too long for me, it will only be that much better when it is the proper length. I would be scared to go the other way though. I have shot some bows that were very different at long draw lengths and higher poundages than they were at a lower setting.
As far as being left handed, I don't see why you could not shoot a right handed bow just to see how it shot. The only thing you would not get is how the grip felt in your hand.
I guess being little sucks sometimes, but being little and left handed is a real pain(me) but I shoot right handed thank the Lord. I have trained myself to be ambidextrious at almost everything any way.
Paul
It never really bothered me testing a bow with to long of a draw. The only thing I am really looking at is how the bow draws, how it feels in my hand, and what it feel like when I shoot it. So if I shoot one that I like and it is a couple three inches too long for me, it will only be that much better when it is the proper length. I would be scared to go the other way though. I have shot some bows that were very different at long draw lengths and higher poundages than they were at a lower setting.
As far as being left handed, I don't see why you could not shoot a right handed bow just to see how it shot. The only thing you would not get is how the grip felt in your hand.
I guess being little sucks sometimes, but being little and left handed is a real pain(me) but I shoot right handed thank the Lord. I have trained myself to be ambidextrious at almost everything any way.
Paul
01-30-2002, 10:23 AM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lehigh County PA USA
Posts: 12,157
RE: Disgruntled Wifes Dilemna....
Debbie,
It sounds like you have gotten some really good advice. I can't add much.
My best suggestion is to try to locate a shop that is big enough to carry a wide variety of draw weights and draw lengths in several different bows. There aren't that many but they are around. The local shop I tend to frequent has a decent selection of bows in general and at least 6 or 7 bows that are in the "mid range" between a youth bow and a typical male adult bow. Granted, they don't have every top of line Parker, PSE and Hoyt in that range but there are at least one from each major brand so the consumer can at least get a rough idea of the differences.
Though I have never been there I would tend to believe that Len's shop is probably one of those places that carries alot of bows in alot of sizes and has knowledgable people to help you.
I am sure there are probably other shops within a few hours drive from where you live...the tricky part is finding them.
If I were in your situation I would probably head to some of the manufacturer websites that have a listing of their dealers in your state and surrounding states and start making some phone calls.
Ask them how many bows they have in stock and if they have any bows with your particular specs in stock. The only thing it will cost you is a little time and the cost of the call.
I hope this helps some.....and I apologize for not being able to help more.
It sounds like you have gotten some really good advice. I can't add much.
My best suggestion is to try to locate a shop that is big enough to carry a wide variety of draw weights and draw lengths in several different bows. There aren't that many but they are around. The local shop I tend to frequent has a decent selection of bows in general and at least 6 or 7 bows that are in the "mid range" between a youth bow and a typical male adult bow. Granted, they don't have every top of line Parker, PSE and Hoyt in that range but there are at least one from each major brand so the consumer can at least get a rough idea of the differences.
Though I have never been there I would tend to believe that Len's shop is probably one of those places that carries alot of bows in alot of sizes and has knowledgable people to help you.
I am sure there are probably other shops within a few hours drive from where you live...the tricky part is finding them.
If I were in your situation I would probably head to some of the manufacturer websites that have a listing of their dealers in your state and surrounding states and start making some phone calls.
Ask them how many bows they have in stock and if they have any bows with your particular specs in stock. The only thing it will cost you is a little time and the cost of the call.
I hope this helps some.....and I apologize for not being able to help more.