Post by Ron on Sept 1, 2015 7:27:49 GMT -6
Had two young hunters over to my shop yesterday to have their gear “Kualserised” in preparation of the season opener. Both are in their early 20’s. One guy has never killed a deer with a bow and the other had wounded 3 and has yet to recover an archery hit deer. A few weeks earlier I had their father and grandfather over to my shop to get them ready for the upcoming season and the elders were happy enough with what we did that they sent the younglings over.
These guys arrived frustrated and unhappy with their gear/setup and how they were shooting. Young/new bowhunters have a lot of ideas and misconceptions based on advertising. It was interesting to listen to them and how powerful advertising can be. Both came with 2 year old PSE Bargain cave bows from Cabelas and cabelas arrows. Both had Whisker biscuits. One guy’s blazer vanes were so destroyed by the biscuit I told him to run over to Buck rub and by a Rip cord and to pick up a new release while he was there.
The other fella was using a PSE lower profile vane that was fletched straight and they showed less wear from the biscuit. Not a fan of that rest. I keep expecting to have a bow arrive at my shop with a biscuit without issue but none so far. Not a fan of that rest.
We spent the day adding new items to the bows, tightening loose items that were already attached, paper tuning, walk back tuning, broadhead tuning (with a few different heads), chrono’ing and sighting them in with broadheads out to 40 yards. They left with big smiles and load of confidence. They asked if there was anything they should buy that would help them. A lot of people ask me, if there was any one thing they should buy they would help them or make them better bowhunters. I tell everybody that there is one single items that they should invest in above everything else.
A broadhead target.
Until yesterday, neither had ever shot broadheads at anything except deer. The fella that had 3 wounded and unrecovered deer arrived with 75 grain practice tips on his arrows but had 3 different broadheads that were all 100 grain. He had never shot any of the broadheads in practice. The main reason I hear from young guys that don’t have much disposable income (except for beer) for them not shooting broadheads is that.
1. The heads they bought were advertised as having field point accuracy
2. Broadheads are expensive so buying extras just for practice was not something they wanted to do
3. They don’t have a broadhead target to practice into
I ended up selling the 3 time wounder a bunch of slick trick magnum 100’s after struggling to get consistent flight from the one Toxic, Muzzy and Allen heads he had. We got the other fella grouping very well with G5 Montec.
When we wrapped up the day’s event I had each of them shoot a single arrow at my broadhead target from 10, 20, 30 and 40 yards. Each of them hit the 3 inch circle from those ranges leaving them brimming with confidence, full of smiles and eager for the season opener.
I wonder what percent of bowhunters these two guys represent? Annually I test and evaluate a lot of guys setups and make adjustments and recommendations and help them become a bit more lethal. These guys were perhaps the least prepared for opening day. They were from the grouping that accepts advertisers claims, buys pre-assembled bow packages, sight in with field points and hit the woods only to be frustrated.
These guys arrived frustrated and unhappy with their gear/setup and how they were shooting. Young/new bowhunters have a lot of ideas and misconceptions based on advertising. It was interesting to listen to them and how powerful advertising can be. Both came with 2 year old PSE Bargain cave bows from Cabelas and cabelas arrows. Both had Whisker biscuits. One guy’s blazer vanes were so destroyed by the biscuit I told him to run over to Buck rub and by a Rip cord and to pick up a new release while he was there.
The other fella was using a PSE lower profile vane that was fletched straight and they showed less wear from the biscuit. Not a fan of that rest. I keep expecting to have a bow arrive at my shop with a biscuit without issue but none so far. Not a fan of that rest.
We spent the day adding new items to the bows, tightening loose items that were already attached, paper tuning, walk back tuning, broadhead tuning (with a few different heads), chrono’ing and sighting them in with broadheads out to 40 yards. They left with big smiles and load of confidence. They asked if there was anything they should buy that would help them. A lot of people ask me, if there was any one thing they should buy they would help them or make them better bowhunters. I tell everybody that there is one single items that they should invest in above everything else.
A broadhead target.
Until yesterday, neither had ever shot broadheads at anything except deer. The fella that had 3 wounded and unrecovered deer arrived with 75 grain practice tips on his arrows but had 3 different broadheads that were all 100 grain. He had never shot any of the broadheads in practice. The main reason I hear from young guys that don’t have much disposable income (except for beer) for them not shooting broadheads is that.
1. The heads they bought were advertised as having field point accuracy
2. Broadheads are expensive so buying extras just for practice was not something they wanted to do
3. They don’t have a broadhead target to practice into
I ended up selling the 3 time wounder a bunch of slick trick magnum 100’s after struggling to get consistent flight from the one Toxic, Muzzy and Allen heads he had. We got the other fella grouping very well with G5 Montec.
When we wrapped up the day’s event I had each of them shoot a single arrow at my broadhead target from 10, 20, 30 and 40 yards. Each of them hit the 3 inch circle from those ranges leaving them brimming with confidence, full of smiles and eager for the season opener.
I wonder what percent of bowhunters these two guys represent? Annually I test and evaluate a lot of guys setups and make adjustments and recommendations and help them become a bit more lethal. These guys were perhaps the least prepared for opening day. They were from the grouping that accepts advertisers claims, buys pre-assembled bow packages, sight in with field points and hit the woods only to be frustrated.
