Bow Shop Etiquette Question

[Holmes Cycles]

So, I have never bought a New bow from a dealer/shop. Only ever used bows from individuals.

Im looking at finally buying a new bow and after some research online and videos, I have it narrowed down to 3 or 4 different brands and models.

My question is what to expect from a Bow Shop when trying out and buying new bows. I have only been to a couple small shops browsing and it seems like the ones I have been to only have 2 brands or so that they stock and push selling. I also have noticed that (Unlike these Bow Review YouTube video guys) that the bow shop seems a little impatient or interrupted with people wanting shoot multiple bows and the time that takes....just what I thought anyways

So, back to my question, is it normal to go to a shop and request to be shown 4 or 5 different brand bows, have them all setup to your DL and DW and shoot everyone of them to experience which ones you like and ultimately choose the best bow for you?

Thats the way I would prefer and whats shown on these youtube videos (but it seems like they get VIP experience with a private showing), just want to make sure that I'm not going to get laughed out of the shop for asking/expecting that type of service

[Bullseye07]

Anyone not willing to be patient and courteous while setting up bows for you to try doesn’t deserve your business.


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[Bucknaked]

If you get laughed out of there they did you a Huge favor! It’s their job to help you get fitted even if it takes 5 hrs!!! A good tech will mostly focus on you but should be allowed to help other customers with smaller or emergency items! You May very well walk out with a totally different bow than any of the ones you have researched if the tech has done their job right! If the tech has a bad attitude do not waste your time with them!

Also, get to the shop as soon as they open so you won’t be rushed!

[James]

Last time I bought a new bow I did a lot of research online and narrowed it down to 3. I called the shop and set an appointment to have all three setup with my draw length. I showed up and they had 6 setup ready for me (3 of their recommendations). Shot all them and bought one that fit me

It’s worth road tripping to a good shop.

[AntlerCollector]

Most folks who work in bow shops are shadier than a used car salesman

[Fishndude]

You can come shoot every bow in my shop with me. But I’d expect you’re gonna buy one of them.

[Knox]

I recently just bought my new bow from on target archery in canton. This isn’t my first bow purchased from there and have had several set up by them in the past. Every time it’s a great experience and super helpful. I went in and shot every flagship bow- even ones that I thought I normally wouldn’t shoot but because I wanted to find which one truly fit me not a brand. They set every one up for me to shoot and even encouraged me to shoot others just to try it out. Find a bow shop like that and if it isn’t go to another one.

[AntlerCollector]

Originally Posted by Holmes Cycles

So, back to my question, is it normal to go to a shop and request to be shown 4 or 5 different brand bows, have them all setup to your DL and DW and shoot everyone of them to experience which ones you like and ultimately choose the best bow for you?

No




But you can go to a couple shops and try 2 or 3 at each one.

Time is money for those guys. If you’re near Fishndude. I would suggest going to him. You will also be wise to schedule an appointment wherever you go. Don’t just show up expecting that kind of service.

If the Spring/Humble area is possible for you then call and ask for Joey. He’s a TBH’er and knows his stuff.

West Houston Archery and Triple Edge are worth mentioning as well.

Good luck in your search.

[hoythunter02]

Originally Posted by AntlerCollector

Most folks who work in bow shops are shadier than a used car salesman

….Remember Wolverine Archery


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[hooligan]

I bought my only new bow at Cinnamon Creek. I went in with an idea of what I wanted and 2 hours + and shooting close to a dozen different bows later I ended up with something that wasn’t even on my radar. The entire staff was super helpful and patient. If you aren’t getting that treatment from your local shop find somewhere else. I’m sure they didn’t make much off that bow sale but they sold me as a customer for life because of their service. Oh but if you’re gonna out em through all that buy it all there. Don’t waste their time then go home and try to save 10% online

I actually need to reach out to Fishndude. I was planning on getting new strings for this year but nah just need a bow upgrade finally

[AntlerCollector]

Originally Posted by hoythunter02

….Remember Wolverine Archery


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Yep.

[Sleepy]

A good bow shop will let you shoot however many bows for however long you want if it’s what you need to make a decision. But.

Here’s my advice. If you’re going to walk in and expect great customer service, which you should, plan on buying whatever it is you want from them.

My personal opinion is that with all the marketplaces and forums on the WWW, it’s so easy to find a used flagship bow that may have barely even been released a couple of months ago. I would wager a lot of people go in and take up time trying a bunch of bows out to see what they like and then walk out and buy a used one.

I could have easily done that with my new bow last year and saved hundreds on the set up. But with the customer service I received, my conscience wouldn’t let me do that and walked out with a brand new bow. Mind you, it was a bow that wasn’t even one I considered shooting when I walked in the door.

People’s time is worth something. Be ready to buy if you go in and expect to shoot a bunch of bows. Only if one of them fits the bill that is, of course.

[EarleyBird]

Best thing is to walk in with one nut partially hanging out of some really short shorts. Then those mofos will make a deal just to get rid of you.

[Smart]

Its normal around here at CCR but you better make sure your bow shop, first, sells 4-5 brands of bows and has them in stock. That's always a good start for a request like yours.

[hoythunter02]

Originally Posted by EarleyBird

Best thing is to walk in with one nut partially hanging out of some really short shorts. Then those mofos will make a deal just to get rid of you.

Yahahahahajah, bro you kill me
Heath. This guy **** near got me kicked out fire school from not being able to contain laughter.


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[hoythunter02]

Originally Posted by Smart

Its normal around here at CCR but you better make sure your bow shop, first, sells 4-5 brands of bows and has them in stock. That's always a good start for a request like yours.

Great advice Jason, that’s before you make the drive over.


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[Mudslinger]

Go to as many shops as you can, shoot as many bows as you can, go back to shoot them again if possible and the you decide which bow you like.

How does it feel in your hand, how do you like the draw, how do you like the hold or back wall and how does it feel on the shot. If you find the one that fits these points, buy it. That is the one you will enjoy shooting and-shoot the best

Just my opinion from a former shop owner.

[Electrican]

I hear it’s best to do this the week before bow opener.

[Jesus is Coming]

The only thing I would add to the advice here is try to go during the week when they’re not as busy. Saturday can be one of their busiest days and hardest for them to give you their full attention if they get slammed.

[sboudreaux]

Based on your location listed are you going to Uvalde or Boerne to try them out? If Boerne, leading edge will let you try different bows with out an issue. Not sure about bow shops closer to you. If coming all the way to SA Mesquite Creek will set you up on multiple bows to try.

[Holmes Cycles]

Originally Posted by sboudreaux

Based on your location listed are you going to Uvalde or Boerne to try them out? If Boerne, leading edge will let you try different bows with out an issue. Not sure about bow shops closer to you. If coming all the way to SA Mesquite Creek will set you up on multiple bows to try.

There aint sh*t in Uvalde but Outback and there is never anyone there nor have a range to even try them. Been to Leading Edge but only have a couple brands.

Honestly Im the kind of guy that I'll drive hours in order to find the bow and the experience in buying/testing them if I need them. I stepped foot in Hoffys in Lampasas but not for a Bow.....was super impressed with the looks of their shop. The other small ones have all been on N and NE of Houston when i lived back there in the past

[sboudreaux]

Originally Posted by Holmes Cycles

There aint sh*t in Uvalde but Outback and there is never anyone there nor have a range to even try them. Been to Leading Edge but only have a couple brands.

Honestly Im the kind of guy that I'll drive hours in order to find the bow and the experience in buying/testing them if I need them. I stepped foot in Hoffys in Lampasas but not for a Bow.....was super impressed with the looks of their shop. The other small ones have all been on N and NE of Houston when i lived back there in the past

Which brands are you looking at?

[Smart]

Originally Posted by Holmes Cycles

There aint sh*t in Uvalde but Outback and there is never anyone there nor have a range to even try them. Been to Leading Edge but only have a couple brands.

Honestly Im the kind of guy that I'll drive hours in order to find the bow and the experience in buying/testing them if I need them. I stepped foot in Hoffys in Lampasas but not for a Bow.....was super impressed with the looks of their shop. The other small ones have all been on N and NE of Houston when i lived back there in the past

Drive to DFW and go see Fishndude at CCR. One stop shopping..

[DUKFVR]

Originally Posted by Holmes Cycles

There aint sh*t in Uvalde but Outback and there is never anyone there nor have a range to even try them. Been to Leading Edge but only have a couple brands.

Honestly Im the kind of guy that I'll drive hours in order to find the bow and the experience in buying/testing them if I need them. I stepped foot in Hoffys in Lampasas but not for a Bow.....was super impressed with the looks of their shop. The other small ones have all been on N and NE of Houston when i lived back there in the past

Aaron & Jason are great at Hoffy's. Nothing but good service from them.

[Paycheck]

I live in Waco and go the Hoffy's in Lampasas.

[BarBBar]

Aaron remembers my name even though I usually only go in once a year for string work or replacement. They have a nice shooting range. It is a two hour round trip for me.

[trophy8]

Double G in Georgetown and Archery Country in Austin were awesome to deal with on my last purchase. I shot all the flagship bows. Had to go to AC as Double G didn’t have Mathews. They were both awesome. Knew I was serious. Walked out of Archery Country with a loaded Vertix. I shot that and the Elite Kure side by side for half an hour as I narrowed it down and couldn’t decide between them. Not once did they rush me. I dealt with Tank at AC. Highly recommend them. Pleasant experience start to finish.

Double G is awesome as well (Paul). Just didn’t have the Mathews to compare. They have Elite though! Sometimes I wonder if I shoulda bought the elite. I nearly got both

[mtac767]

Hoffy's in Lampasas is the greatest. Aaron is so knowledgeable and honest. Been a customer for years.

[tx_basser]

I don't think that is unreasonable, but you are going to have to go to a big shop that carries all of the different lines and models.

Adding to this: Buying from your bow shop is going to be your long term friend and support.

[eaglegolfj]

Agreed as said above, if they are not willing to help they dont get my business.
The guys down in Dayton at Triple Edge Archery are very helpful. I went in not knowing a whole lot about bows. I was shooting a hand me down for about a year and a half. I went in to test drive some new bows. They set up like 3-4 demos for me to try out. DL and DW. I ended up buying one about 3-4 months later from them while I was in Indiana. They set everything for me and shipped it to me up there, out of the box it was pretty much dead on, only slight mods needed to sight. TOP NOCH GUYS down here. So if they want to sell a bow I would think they would take the time to set some up for you.

[TxDispatcher]

Originally Posted by Fishndude

You can come shoot every bow in my shop with me. But I’d expect you’re gonna buy one of them.

Originally Posted by hooligan

I bought my only new bow at Cinnamon Creek. I went in with an idea of what I wanted and 2 hours + and shooting close to a dozen different bows later I ended up with something that wasn’t even on my radar. The entire staff was super helpful and patient. If you aren’t getting that treatment from your local shop find somewhere else. I’m sure they didn’t make much off that bow sale but they sold me as a customer for life because of their service. Oh but if you’re gonna out em through all that buy it all there. Don’t waste their time then go home and try to save 10% online

I actually need to reach out to Fishndude. I was planning on getting new strings for this year but nah just need a bow upgrade finally

Originally Posted by Sleepy

A good bow shop will let you shoot however many bows for however long you want if it’s what you need to make a decision. But.

Here’s my advice. If you’re going to walk in and expect great customer service, which you should, plan on buying whatever it is you want from them.

My personal opinion is that with all the marketplaces and forums on the WWW, it’s so easy to find a used flagship bow that may have barely even been released a couple of months ago. I would wager a lot of people go in and take up time trying a bunch of bows out to see what they like and then walk out and buy a used one.

I could have easily done that with my new bow last year and saved hundreds on the set up. But with the customer service I received, my conscience wouldn’t let me do that and walked out with a brand new bow. Mind you, it was a bow that wasn’t even one I considered shooting when I walked in the door.

People’s time is worth something. Be ready to buy if you go in and expect to shoot a bunch of bows. Only if one of them fits the bill that is, of course.

Bingo...if you're going to have the shop spend serious time with you, for the love of all that is, do your business with them

Now, if they don't have every brand you're interested in, by all means visit multiple shops. But I would personally be upfront about the fact that I'm going to be visiting other shops to try out other brands. I would think that any good bow shop will understand that...but I could be wrong

[Geezy Rider]

Originally Posted by Fishndude

You can come shoot every bow in my shop with me. But I’d expect you’re gonna buy one of them.

Truth!
Last time I bought a new bow, I walked into Cinnamon Creek with a list of bows I wanted to try out. I was looking for a bow that fit me. I went in on a day and time where they weren’t busy and they set up every bow on my list and I crono’ed every one of them. There was just one bow on my list that they didn’t have and that was a Mathew’s (this was before they got their dealership) but the owner came out and handed me his Mathew’s and let me try it out.
Customer service equals success and they prove it.

[Kirby86]

A lotta great responses.
Keep in mind with whatever shop you visit as to how busy they are if you're just dropping in.

If they're absolutely slammed (like on a Saturday or a holiday) you're gonna likely have to wait a bit. Swapping mods to your draw length isn't exactly hard, but it does take them away from other customers.

My preference was to try to go mid week and shoot everything they have in my draw length just so I get an idea for feel, brand unbiased. But keep in mind that you're gonna be shooting a bare bow at 5 ft from a blank bale.

I don't ever wanna be pushed to buy one brand or another, but I do want their opinions. Some brands have better warranties and customer service than others. Some companies are flat out like pulling teeth to work with, and if your dealer is honest they will tell you that.

If you do decide to buy, what kinda tuning services do they offer? Do THEY paper tune the bow or are they going to tune the bow to you? Your level of experience is definitely going to come into play with that. If you expect to come in on a saturday and buy a new bow and want them to take the time to bare shaft tune it on the range, I doubt that's going to happen if they're busy. And if its a bow that requires shims... thats a good way to make your tech hate you! Some bows are easier to tune than others!

And I can say from experience, if you grip the bow all squirrelly and have a ton of face contact, its gonna be a bear for the tech to paper tune it to you.

Whatever shop you go with, also keep in mind that every shop has a slightly different way of doing things. As long as its within spec, timed and centershot is setup correctly, theres a lotta ways to skin that cat. I have been in one particular shop where the owner blasted every other shop in the area, and it left a sour taste in my mouth. There are too many other good places for someone like that to get my business.

When you buy a bow, you're buying into a relationship with that shop. Thats what seperates them from the box stores where you might get joe bob from housewares working on your stuff (because I've seen that kinda stuff too).

[haas0311]

A lot of folks don't look at APA Archery but speaking as a guy that loves to shoot them all and tries A LOT of bows, the APA Black Mamba is one of the best bows on the market, hands down.

[Kirby86]

Originally Posted by haas0311

A lot of folks don't look at APA Archery but speaking as a guy that loves to shoot them all and tries A LOT of bows, the APA Black Mamba is one of the best bows on the market, hands down.

Do you have to speak French Canadian to speak to customer service?

I’ve always wanted to shoot one, but every dealer has been halfway across the state every time I’ve checked.

[Hoytbowhunter]

This is why I like dealing with the folks at West Houston i Archery. I’ve been working with Rick since ArcheryArsenal days. Back when Mike Palmer was running both shops, they treat you like you’re the first person that’s ever walked in the shop, no matter if you come in there to have something replace or buying new they take the time to help you with your needs..

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by Hoytbowhunter

This is why I like dealing with the folks at West Houston i Archery. I’ve been working with Rick since ArcheryArsenal days. Back when Mike Palmer was running both shops, they treat you like you’re the first person that’s ever walked in the shop, no matter if you come in there to have something replace or buying new they take the time to help you with your needs..

I drive 2 hrs to deal with Rick! He is an excellent tech!

[MathewsHNTR]

Just go to Legacy Archery in Fort Worth. It’s worth the drive and you will receive THE BEST in customer service!

[Mudslinger]

Originally Posted by haas0311

A lot of folks don't look at APA Archery but speaking as a guy that loves to shoot them all and tries A LOT of bows, the APA Black Mamba is one of the best bows on the market, hands down.

I tried when I bought my Obsession Def Con 6 at the same shop and set at the exact same draw and weight, I could not draw the Mamba!

[Huntindad]

Originally Posted by trophy8

Double G in Georgetown and Archery Country in Austin were awesome to deal with on my last purchase. I shot all the flagship bows. Had to go to AC as Double G didn’t have Mathews. They were both awesome. Knew I was serious. Walked out of Archery Country with a loaded Vertix. I shot that and the Elite Kure side by side for half an hour as I narrowed it down and couldn’t decide between them. Not once did they rush me. I dealt with Tank at AC. Highly recommend them. Pleasant experience start to finish.

Double G is awesome as well (Paul). Just didn’t have the Mathews to compare. They have Elite though! Sometimes I wonder if I shoulda bought the elite. I nearly got both

I thought Paul retired and sold the shop.

[Burnadell]

Originally Posted by Holmes Cycles

So, I have never bought a New bow from a dealer/shop. Only ever used bows from individuals.

Im looking at finally buying a new bow and after some research online and videos, I have it narrowed down to 3 or 4 different brands and models.

My question is what to expect from a Bow Shop when trying out and buying new bows. I have only been to a couple small shops browsing and it seems like the ones I have been to only have 2 brands or so that they stock and push selling. I also have noticed that (Unlike these Bow Review YouTube video guys) that the bow shop seems a little impatient or interrupted with people wanting shoot multiple bows and the time that takes....just what I thought anyways

So, back to my question, is it normal to go to a shop and request to be shown 4 or 5 different brand bows, have them all setup to your DL and DW and shoot everyone of them to experience which ones you like and ultimately choose the best bow for you?

Thats the way I would prefer and whats shown on these youtube videos (but it seems like they get VIP experience with a private showing), just want to make sure that I'm not going to get laughed out of the shop for asking/expecting that type of service

I will cut to the chase...of course.

[James]

Originally Posted by Holmes Cycles

There aint sh*t in Uvalde but Outback and there is never anyone there nor have a range to even try them. Been to Leading Edge but only have a couple brands.

Honestly Im the kind of guy that I'll drive hours in order to find the bow and the experience in buying/testing them if I need them. I stepped foot in Hoffys in Lampasas but not for a Bow.....was super impressed with the looks of their shop. The other small ones have all been on N and NE of Houston when i lived back there in the past

Not sure when you were at leading edge but they carry Matthews, Hoyt, Prime, Elite, PSE. It sucks they don’t carry Bowtech because that other shop in San Antonio is suppose to carry them.
The college station shop has every bow in the world to try.