would you feel comfortable buying any bow before you shot it?

[David Mitchell]

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!      

[Night Wing]

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.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

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.

[Ringneck]

I have only shot 1 bow before buying it. It's just not an option around here.

[Gordon Jabben]

It doesn't matter.  They never shoot as well after you pay for them anyway.....

[critter69]

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.

[ronp]

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.

[Rob DiStefano]

would 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).

[JamesKerr]

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.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

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.

[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.
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

[Winterhawk1960]

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

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally 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.

[Yellow Dog]

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.

[Possum Head]

yep

[Shawn Leonard]

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

[Orion]

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.

[azhunter]

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.

[Blackstick]

It doesn’t really matter, because most bows do not play well with me until we get to know each other better.

[sweeney3]

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.