How Can One Rate An Untuned Bow?

[Keuka]

I've been to several large shoots like Denton Hill, etc. I see alot of people trying out and judging a bows' performance with unmatched arrows and no brace height adjustments. I'm curious, how can one judge or rate an untuned bow?

I own two custom recurves and I spent hours adjusting the bows and matching arrow spine and weight before I bought. The difference in performance between my tuned and untuned bow is incredible. I honestly would not have purchased either bow the way they performed before things were adjusted.

I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

[tukudu]

Your point is well taken and alot depends on what your expectations are at that moment. If your experienced you can play a number of what if scenarious while getting a look at the bow and most times you will be correct. If you are unexperienced than you have no idea what really lies within the capability of the bow you have in your hand. Hopefully the latter individuals will seek out some help.

[BWD]

Have shot some untuned bows, and just got the feeling, if I played with this bow a bit, I could shoot it. Shot a few I didn't feel that way about.

[GRINCH]

You know it when you shoot it,you get that feeling that you can make it work or not.

[Stumpkiller]

How do you know which girl to ask out at a bar?

There are things you can tell about a bow without shooting it.  Does it appeal to your eye, is the grip comfortable in my hand, is the pull smooth?

If you look at a target and close your eyes, then draw, and then open your eyes does the arrow seem to be pointing where it needs to be?  Was the draw smooth?  Did it feel like it loaded up more initially, or at the end of the draw, or equally throughout?  Are you fingers pinched at full draw?  Can I pull the darned thing?  Does it seem squirrely or stable in my hand at draw?

And then, even with an approximately spined arrow, was the release quiet?  Did it seem to be relatively fast or slow?  Did it feel good in my hand during and after release?

Some bows yopu can tell right away: grip too fat, too thin, too high, too low, etc.  And if it plops that arrow smack in the bullseye you tell yourself "just think what it will be like when I get it tuned".

Shooting an untuned bow tells you much more about in than not shooting an untuned bow.  ;-)

[Over&Under]

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
How do you know which girl to ask out at a bar?

There are things you can tell about a bow without shooting it.  Does it appeal to your eye, is the grip comfortable in my hand, is the pull smooth?

If you look at a target and close your eyes, then draw, and then open your eyes does the arrow seem to be pointing where it needs to be?  Was the draw smooth?  Did it feel like it loaded up more initially, or at the end of the draw, or equally throughout?  Are you fingers pinched at full draw?  Can I pull the darned thing?  Does it seem squirrely or stable in my hand at draw?

And then, even with an approximately spined arrow, was the release quiet?  Did it seem to be relatively fast or slow?  Did it feel good in my hand during and after release?

Some bows yopu can tell right away: grip too fat, too thin, too high, too low, etc.  And if it plops that arrow smack in the bullseye you tell yourself "just think what it will be like when I get it tuned".

Shooting an untuned bow tells you much more about in than not shooting an untuned bow.  ;-)

I agree with those statements - you can't tell everything about shooting an untuned bow, but you can tell ALOT!

[Apex Predator]

Yep, that's why one guy loves a bow, and the next can't stand it.

[Covey]

Stumpkiller purdy well nailed it! Jason

[TWarrows]

arrow tune you can fix..But if you hate the grip or look of a bow you will shoot it poorly. when testing a bow we look to the future and what it can be...IMHO if you LOVE the look or feel of a bow you will take the time to tune it..If not you just walk on or trade it..just my 2cents

[joe skipp]

First thing you want to check..the grip. Is it comfortable in your hand and can it be altered to fit your style of shooting(high/med/low).

Then the workmanship, most bowyers today do a great job of building beautiful bows. Third, how smooth is the bow at your draw length. Grip/Workmanship/Smoothness.

Then, especially at Denton, try to find a bow in weight that will handle the arrows you brought from home. Chances are they won't match but by shooting them gives you the opportunity to see the bows performance at 20 yds.

Take into consideration the amount of centershot, radius shelf or not, sight window. If your pleased, then you can find the right arrow to fit that bow by your own tuning methods.

[Keuka]

I can't tell any more about an untuned custom bow than I can an untuned car or an untuned woman!
Seems to me a little more pre-purchase effort could save alot of frustration and money.

[hvyhitter]

When going to Denton Hill I usually have a few arrows of the half dozen different sizes I shoot just to try bows. Even if not tuned and a bit missmatched you can still get a pretty good idea on how well the bow shoots and if you like it or not. I also only shoot the bows in the weight ranges that I normally shoot........YMMV

[kadbow]

So Keuka, how were you able to spend hours shooting and tuning your custom bows before buying them.  I have never had that luxury.  By custom bows I assume you mean built by a custom bowyer, not custom built for you (you can't shoot a bow before it is built).  I'd have to agree, your way is better if possible.

[Shawn Leonard]

The thing is like Joe said, if ya like the grip and the workmanship and hear good thing on performance and quietness that is what counts. Half the fun is gettin a new bow and tuning it. If I worried about having to shoot and tune a bow before I bought it, I would have had maybe a handful over the years instead of over 100 customs. Shawn

[oxnam]

Unfortunately many may not realize how much better it could be if were tuned properly and so a snap decision is made that there is a better one out there.  And if people shoot enough different bows, they are bound to find one that is tuned relatively close and fits their grip and style.  

I went to a show and met Gary Sentman several years ago.  He took just a little extra time to sort through his arrows to make sure I shot the right arrows with that bow.  On top of the arrow selection, he actually went with me to shoot.  I was a recurve man so he made sure I was gripping appropriately and that I really had the best chance possible to like his bows.  Not surprisingly, I had a great first experience with his product with good results and I took that bow home.  His attention to all the details helped me select his bow over all the others I had tried.

[vtmtnman]

Easy...If you've shot more than one bow then you can rate bows.

[Keuka]

Oxnam, I'm on the same page as you.  

Kadbow, on my first bow I test drove and played with a demo model for a few days before ordering my bow. I then spent several more hours tweaking my set up after delivery. Yes, it has been well worth it.

My second bow was the same make as my first but a non-takedown model of similar design. This bow was custom made for another member of this site.  It was so close in design to my first bow that I wanted to give it a try.  The seller and I agreed, I would pay for the bow and try it for three days. If I returned the bow undamaged, my money would be returned minus shipping cost. It is also a keeper.