the question says it all. im kinda of asking if there is any way to tell if a bow will shot good for you without shoting it. its not that a dont want to shot before i buy i just dont know where i could go to shot before i buy. Thanks for any responses :)
I have bought alot of bows over time and in thinking about it nearly all of them have been purchased without shooting them. Most have been bought without holding them too.
Going to a local / semi-local traditional archery shoot is always a great way to shoot all sorts of bows. From vendors to other shooters there are usually lots of bows to try.
A great majority of the bows I have bought. I have not shot before I purchased them. I always check the reviews and ask questions on here. I figure if it does not work for my applications then there is always the classified ads on here to put it. Typically the grip is what I do not like on bows.
Nope!
1. Most bows, even twins, will shoot slightly different.
2. I have tried a number of bows where I looked at all the specs and was really amped up over the bow. Then, I went and shot what I thought was going to be the perfect bow for me and was totally underwhelmed by it.
3. I am rediculously picky about the grip on my bow. It has to be "exactly" right or no deal.
My point is, go shoot BEFORE you spend the cash!
Never have bought a bow I shot prior to purchasing. So far So good though.
yes, every bow I own has been bought without shooting it
No regrets. YET!
I've never shot or held a bow before I bought it. Not by preference, just no way up here to do that. Getting out to the shows is a dream, but not much chance of me making a trip southward. The grip is definitely the problem, so either it's rasp and sandpaper time or into the classifieds. Maybe into the classifieds even after the rasp. I'm envious of the opportunities most Americans have around archery. We never had it in school and although there is some trad up here, most shops are wheel oriented.
No worries as long as you trust the seller when he or she says the bow is sound.
Not much for trad events where I live and I have yet to make it back east to the shows where there are lots of vendors so I buy almost exclusively without shooting first. I have had a few bows that didn't work for me but was able to recover most of my money when sold.
If I am ordering a new one, I gotta shoot first. Buying used is a different matter for me.
I do read the reviews and ask questions, but also know that a bow can be re-sold or traded if I don't like it but it still has a good reputation.
if the price is right! That way I can get rid of it for what I paid for it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Blackhawk:
If I am ordering a new one, I gotta shoot first. Buying used is a different matter for me.
I do read the reviews and ask questions, but also know that a bow can be re-sold or traded if I don't like it but it still has a good reputation.
X 2
all my bows bought without shooting new and old only had issues with one
May not shot before I buy, but I need to see and feel it in my hand. Some bows just dont fit my hand or style of shooting.
I bet I've bought/sold/traded 150+ bows here on Tradgang, Archerytalk and that auction site .... I reckon most of them I'd not shot before.
Some stunned me, some disappointed me, most were just good shooting bows.
heck I just bought two bows from a Tradgang member, didn't even see pictures of them! Zipper Extreme and an SXT ....... and both are stunning bows !
All but 1 of my bows were bought without shooting.
My first was bought from a TG'er who told me to try it first, and if I liked it send the money, if not return the bow. Who could pass up a deal like that? Thanks Manny.
All my bow deals have been good, no regrets.
Depends what it is and whether you have faith in the seller. I have bought more than my share of bows off the classifieds here and so far the seller have been up front with me and I have not been disappointed....have I kept all the bows..no but traded or sold them to other Trad Gang members and so far all have been pleased or they resold or traded them....not one was shot before hand.
I have bought new bows both ways.................these days if it is a bow from a new-to-me bowyer I will havta' shoot it for several days first.
All of my bows were purchased without shooting. Only one regret out of a dozen bows.
I would never order a custom bow without living with a used specimen from that bowyer for a while. Even then, every bow is different. I have never bought a bow that I have shot before it showed up at the post office. I ordered my first made for me custom this winter after owning two different bows made by the bowyer.
Half the fun of traditional bows is buying, trying, and selling all the different models. Fortunately if you take care of them you can usually re-sell a used bow for about what you paid for it. The classifieds are addicting.
Most of them I bought without shooting....when you are a lefty, your options are very limited when it comes to trying them out--even at a big shoot.
I think the government should pass a law that requires bow makers to make equal numbers of left and right handed bows to take to shoots--you know, "spread the wealth around."
JUST KIDDING ON THAT LAST SUGGESTION! :saywhat: :bigsmyl:
The only bows I ever shot before I bought them was a one piece Bear Super Kodiak and a one piece Red Wing Hunter. Bear and Red Wing bows were everywhere when I first started bowhunting back in 1964.
The custom bows I bought, I never got to shoot them first. I did my research on them and all of they were highly thought of by their owners.
I have bought bows before shooting them and have had it go both ways. Have got some that were great and others that I just couldn't make myself like. I have been frotunate enough in the fact that the bows I bought without shooting have been used so it was fairly easy for me to get my money back out of them. However I would have to say that I would probably not buy a new bow without shooting it, that's just too much cash that you can't get back if it turns out to be a bow that you don't like or can't shoot well.
I have only shot 1 bow before buying it. It's just not an option around here.
It doesn't matter. They never shoot as well after you pay for them anyway.....
most of these are not like wheel bows, mass produced. Where you can go to any dealer and shoot one.These are works of art, each one is diffrent.This is what I did.I liked several diffrent bows,kept checking the adds here and found a morrison I liked and bought it. I have had a real learning curve being consistent with it. I like it but I want to try one of big jims bow and I will wait until I find one used here that fits me and hope I have enough money when it does. Then I will be able to see wich one I shoot better and will sell the other one.But for now the morrison shoots fine.So many bows, so little money.Good luck in your search.
I have bought nunerous bows, both new and used, and never shot any of them first. Some, both new and used, didn't fit me as well as I like, so I just sold them or traded.
Quotewould you feel comfortable buying any bow before you shot it?
yes and no.
yes - 'cause there are more than a few bowyers that i would (and have) bought a bow sight unseen, unheld, unshot, and i trust them implicitly.
no - if i don't know the bowyer or the bow, i'd not commission one to be made or buy one used (unless it had a return policy).
I've bought plenty of bows before shooting them and they all turned out to be great bows. Now-a-days most bows are built very well. It is hard in my opinion to find a bad bow.
Hell, yes! No other option in Outback Australia. Most bows, used within their design limits, are good. The first time I've seen my various bow models was when they were delivered. Research on TradGang helps.
I sent one bow out for a man to try that was on a buy , trial basis. This bow was custom built for him to his specs. He sent the bow back and it looked like it had fallen into a gravel pit. I had to completely refinish it.
This makes me wonder how any bowyer can send a custom bow out on a buy trial basis. If they send out a bow that they have built as a try bow then how does the customer know that is what they are going to get when they get their custom?
From what I have read here there are quite a few that say they will not buy a bow unless they try that particular bow first. So do you go through a ton of bows just in order to get the perfect grip, the perfect poundage and perfect feel? I see no other way you can get it. Butttttttttttt
When you do it that way you are missing out on buying some of the best bows being made since those bowyers are too busy to build a bow that might or might not please a particular person.
I have done this. If a customer does not like a particular bow I will either rework the grip for them or build them one more bow to their specs with their exact instructions about what did not work for them on the first one. Exception is if they custom order something that is super high poundage or that I do not consider resellable.
With this policy I have had two people that said that they did not love the grip that they got. One called me back the next day and changed his mind. The other was My good friend , Larry Altizier. I had him send the bow back, It was so nice I did not want to rework the grip so I just built him a new bow. If anyone cares to hear how it worked out read the reviews.
This forum gives enough member input that a prospective buyer for a new bow ought to be able to determine whether he or she is going to get a quality product and great service from any particular bowyer and just how far that bowyer will go to please his customers.
God bless you all, Steve
While not professing to be an "expert" in any way, I am at a place in my traditional journey where I can pretty well look at the grip and riser section of a bow and know whether it will fit my style of shooting.
I have shot enough different bows to be able to tell enough about the "grip area" by even looking at a picture. The only thing that I can't tell is how thick through the throat of the grip it is........so I have occasionally been wrong, but not to often.
I have a weakness for beautiful, well designed and put together pieces of wood. What I have learned is that no matter what the whole package looks like......if I can't shoot it consistantly well, then it won't be on my rack very long.
To answer your question, I have only had the opportunity to shoot one bow before I either placed an order, bought one used or traded for one. The one that I had the chance to shoot before ordering was my Crow Creek "Blackfeather".
Winterhawk1960
QuoteOriginally posted by Sixby:
I sent one bow out for a man to try that was on a buy , trial basis. This bow was custom built for him to his specs. He sent the bow back and it looked like it had fallen into a gravel pit. I had to completely refinish it. ...
that's just plain despicable. dang.
when i build or assemble a custom guitar for a long distance client, i take lots of good images before shipping it out. knock wood, i've never had any returned so far, but those images (which i also send to the buyer and i keep on file) are there so that we both know the condition of the guitar before it's double boxed and left my shop. you ding or scratch it, it's yours. period.
With the exception of a few fine company's that can replicate a grip bow after bow because of CNC (Computer Numeral Control) technology, most of your Bowyers freehand their grips and although they might look the same each has subtle differences. I'm a big fan of John McCulloughs Griffins and Fiftyniners. John is a true artist. I've bought and sold about fifteen of them to wind up with one of each that I kept. All super shooting bows but the two I kept have the perfect grip for "ME". IMHO anytime you buy a new bow from a Bowyer you're shooting a bow you've never shot before even if you may own or shot several of his creations. That's what's great about the Classifieds, try something out and if it doesn't work for you trade it or sell it and try something else.
yep
Sorry but I don't know how Charlie can manage to shoot bows before he buys them. I have owned over 110 custom bows and have shot maybe 4 or 5 before I bought them. I do a lot of research and speak to the bowyer if possible but Yes I still feel comfortable buying bows I have never shot. Shawn
Probably half the bows I buy or trade for, I haven't shot. However, I always make it a point to become familiar with a particular bow/bowyer before buying and usually shoot a bow of the maker/model I want. It may not be the length or weight I want, but it gives me a good idea as to whether I'll like the bow or not. If I do, I have no compunction about buying or trading for a new or used one with the specs I want without shooting it first. Don't believe I've ever received a bow that I was entirely disappointed with, except one or two in which the condition was misrepresented. Those went back.
Yes, and that is why I have sold a lot of them to find what I like. Like some have said already it almost always comes down to the grip. I am very picky about the grip. Wish I could try more of them to decide if they are right for me before purchasing.
It doesn't really matter, because most bows do not play well with me until we get to know each other better.
I've never shot a bow before I've bought it. They've all turned out somewhere between alright and fantastic. I'll probably get burned someday, but haven't yet.
If you get one you don't like for some personal reason (not a poor work/broken/etc), someone else probably will like it.
The only bow that I tried before buying broke after 3 months. I had bought it from a friend I hunted with. We worked it out and all was fine, but the other bows I've had were researched and then bought without trying them out.
QuoteOriginally posted by Shawn Leonard:
I have owned over 110 custom bows and have shot maybe 4 or 5 before I bought them. I do a lot of research and speak to the bowyer if possible but Yes I still feel comfortable buying bows I have never shot. Shawn
Maybe if you tried them before you bought them, you wouldn't have needed 110 of the darn things.
:biglaugh:
Sorry Shawn, couldn't resist....
I like to shoot them before I buy them but I have ordered a couple having only shot a like model.
Buying bows without trying them does keep the classified section well stocked...
I've virtually never had the chance to buy shoot a new bow before I bought it, and generally not used ones, either, except when I was a teenager. I DO ask a lot of questions and look at pictures closely, mostly for features that I know I DON't like.
I've had uniformly good luck buying bows off this Website. Often, it's the question asked by the original poster in reverse. I want to shoot a particular bow, and know that the only chance I'll ever have to shoot it is to buy it. I'll either like it and want to keep it, or I won't. If it's in the condition the seller said it was, and the people on this site are pretty honest, and if I'm any good at knowing the value of used bows, then I can sell it again for about as much as I put into it if I don't like it. The price of postage is worth it for me to try a bow I might not ever be able to try otherwise.
Buying used bows, yes. If it doesn't work for you, there's a good chance you can sell it for what you paid (as long as you didn't overpay). Or you could work out an agreement to return the bow if you don't like it. I did that once in a trade. Sent the person a bow and he didn't like it, so he sent it back. Ended up sending another bow which he did like and we made the trade. Just do some research on the bow and the person you're buying from. Look at their posts to see if they've had good or bad deals in the past. Get everything in writing concerning the sale, purchase, or trade.
It depends, on a used bow, that I feel comfortable getting back what I have into it (or fairly close), then yes. Especially older bows that I like to use for hunting.
On a custom hunting bow at this point, maybe. But I would be sure to have the bowyer make the grip oversized so I can personally shape the grip as I want it a little bit at a time.
QuoteOriginally posted by Shawn Leonard:
Sorry but I don't know how Charlie can manage to shoot bows before he buys them. Shawn
Shawn, I have never ordered a custom bow that I have not shot, In fact I only have one custom bow. And then bought another (used) from the same bowyer which I like even more.
When I said "if the price is right" I should have said if the price is "really" right. I have picked up a lot of bows in the 100 dollar range just for fun, usually I sell them for what I bought them for. Typically they are old ben pearsons, bears, brownings and such. I enjoy refinishing them for fun if they need it.
If you were referring to another Charlie please disregard.
I hope everythings good down there :wavey: Octobers a coming ;)
I have bought a bow without shooting it 4 times. 3 times I was happy, one time, not so much!
i have bought a ton of bows without shooting them first. If I don't like a particular bow, it gives me an excuse to sell one and buy another. It has become an addiction.
I've only shot one before I bought it. I like taking chances.
I did,bought a Cari-Bow from Abe Penner over the phone and could not be happier with it
QuoteOriginally posted by BradLantz:
I bet I've bought/sold/traded 150+ bows here on Tradgang, Archerytalk and that auction site .... I reckon most of them I'd not shot before.
Brad,
Me, too. I've bought, sold and traded 150+ recurves and longbows while only seeing pics of them. I never shot them until I received them.
Bill
Charlie, I was refering to a different Charlie from Ohio. Shawn
QuoteOriginally posted by Gordon Jabben:
It doesn't matter. They never shoot as well after you pay for them anyway.....
I have to disagree, most of them shoot real good for the first two weeks.
with trad gear all my buys are going to be buy then try. just the way it is but you can usually sell them for almost what you payed and not loss to much if you dont like it.
I hang out with some old boys they always tell me shoot it before you buy it.I never do.but the bows I buy are from high end bowyers with a good handle on what there doing plus we talk alot before I order so I know what Iam getting.You should know as much about the product as you can before ordering.you can spend alot of money an not be happy.most of your high end bowyers are going to have a real nice shooting bow,with real good materials.but if the grip is not what you like you are going to want to throw it in the trash or loose 300.on selling it. an this ofcourse is all after waiting a year to get it.