To support the local archery/bowhunting shop or not

[Hit-or-Miss]

I wish there were other Trad dealers in Southern Maine.
Original Poster asked; Is it moral to pay to use your dealers range and not buy from him? I think so. If the range was free, then it would be different. If your dealer is an HONEST person trying to make an honest buck, I say stick with him and Give Thanks! There is a learning curve in everything, and if he is trustworthy, give him a chance. If your dealer is in Southern Maine, please PM me, as I may want to swing by the next time I need arrows or glue.

I do my own tuning, etc. and buy supplies from 3-Rivers, Cabelas and Kittery Trading Post. And I have a "Trad" dealer (although he primarily sells compounds and lies), right across the street.  Why not support him you ask? I tried, but to start with... his work was off, made "custom" strings that were either an inch too long or an inch or more too short. He even tried to sell me a fast flight string for an old 60's Ben Pearson recurve, he didn't know the difference between fast flight and B-50 Dacron until I told him. A real "Custom" shop, if BS can be scaled and measured! The final straw was when he scammed an elderly man out of 2 vintage Bear bows and then bragged to me about the lies he told to get them for free, and then he wanted ME to sell the bows for him on #-Bay, so none of the customers at his shop would see them for sale and go back and tell the old man!!! I was steamed! His True Colors showed. I have not spoken to that SOB since that day. Honesty and integrity are everything, and I refuse to support or deal with a liar and a con artist. I was setting up and tuning Traditional tackle myself before I foolishly tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and my $$$ (due to his well known reputation as a poacher), and I'm much happier now I'm doing it myself again... and it is done right. And I don't cross the street questioning my ethics and morals for dealing with the loud mouthed, crooked little troll.
Moral of the story; when in doubt about a dealer's integrity (despite his smile and smooth talk), check with local law enforcement / game warden's, as they often have the inside story.

[jhg]

I see your point(s) Daniel, but still differ with you on at least one of them. But regardless, thanks for following up on my response and sorry for not getting back to this sooner.
It sounds like the shop will be lucky to have you as a customer. I would be.

Joshua

[JamesKerr]

I know how you feel all the archery shops in my area cater to the compound crowd. When I first started with a traditional bow I didn't know anyone who could help me out with arrow flight or anything. I ended up having to figure out how to do everything on my own. The up side to this is you learn the skills needed to tune a bow and shoot it well.

[Bjorn]

My local archery shop is as close as my keyboard or phone-so is my bowyer.
If they aren't a sponsor they are too far!      

[arrowlauncherdj]

I am sorry but there is no way you can depend on a guy who doesnt shoot your bow to tune it for you... serve string, yes but set nocking points and shelf clearance, uh, no.  

You could take 20 guys on here, hand them the same bow, same arrow and they'd likely put the nocking point on in 10 different places, strike plate at 3 different places.  The guy'd have to spend a half our with you shooting bare shafts, you using perfect form to get you close. On the stuff falling off... I have yet to find a sticky material other than a certain velcro that will stick to the finishes on my bows, which I cant call the name of.  If I use other materials, I have to glue it on.

In other words, I wouldnt be po'd at the guy for this.
Dave

[bawana bowman]

I don't support my local shop. The closest shop is 23 miles away and only carry 125 grain screw on Zwickey  broad heads, and every mechanical head imaginable.  There theory is you don't need anything heavier than that.
Every time I have been in they try to convert me to compounds. Big mistake!
I'm personal friends with the owner, and he hates to see me come in the doors. He knows I have a collection of mechanical heads which have been recovered from game taken at management areas. All of which have been found in animals that were not killed by the mechanical heads. I can easily back reasons for heavy non-mechanical heads. And he hates when I start lecturing his fast and light minded employees.

Learn to make and tune your own equipment and buy on line. I have yet to order anything from a sponsor that has taken more than 3 days to arrive.
Can't say your local shop can order anything and have it to you that quick.

[PaddyMac]

Being a small shop (liquor & wine) owner myself, I appreciate what motivates people who make that commitment. I also know all too well that humans, even me occasionally, are human.

If there was a local trad oriented archery shop you better bet I would patronize it. It would be great to be able to try on gloves before buying them or trying on 5 different styles all side by side. Or just saying, "Does this sound normal to you?" Or "Am I doing this right?" But that said, I don't think it is ethical to try on gloves at the local shop and then buy them from 3R.

And being able to shoot a bow before you buy it would be quite a luxury for me. I would also like to buy just one or two field points, like a couple of 275 grains or a shaft or two just to see what they do or to be able to shoot different shafts there in the shop. Buying very small quantities of shafts, weights, points, etc. the local shop could be a big help in your tuning. And just remembering what you shoot as in, "Hey, Pat, I just got in these 4" shields you might want to take a look at." I do that a couple dozen times a day in my shop.

I think if you want to set up a trad pro shop, you need to be fanatical about teaching people how to do it themselves rather than doing it for them. I fantasize about doing that someday, but of course I'd have to take a vow of poverty (another one) and maybe chastity, too, not to mention living to be 150 years old.

[Pete Darby]

Like many the local archery shops have next to nothing to offer the trad archer.  I have bought bag targets or fletching tape but that it about it.  One has said he wants to increase his trad business but so far I haven't seen any physical evidence.  If I do I will be in there like a flash.

[Converml]

I agree with Bjorn. It is getting harder and harder to find trad items at local shops and even more difficult to find knowledgeable persons at the stores with regard to trad gear. So I support the sponsors here and the site cause I'll really be up the creek if they can't make a go of it.  

[Converml]

I ran short once and just ran to the locals to for some small thing and they looked at me like I was just thawed out of a glacier.  

[BWD]

In the long run, learning to do it ourselves is a large part of who we are. It's just that simple.

[nd chickenman]

There was a little shop in Sidney Mt run by Henry Schwenke. He had everything you would ever need! He would find a bow for you, any type of broadhead, string or glove you could ever want. And he would BS with your for hours on end! If I could find a shop like that one again I would give them all my business!

[Bowwild]

I haven't been in an archery shop since the early 70's that knew anything about recurves.  For most of them there's no money in knowing and they have to make a living.

Until recently I used to drop in to a local archery/gun shop and buy a small thing or two. I stopped even doing that back in January.  I have been appalled at some of the advice I've overheard a "pro-shop" staffer give to even compound shooters.  Extremely biased and inaccurate information some times.

 A lot of these fellows will just give a "trad" shooter a blank stare or if they are exceedingly honest simply admit they have no idea.  I think some of them suspect they are being "tested" by a "trad" shooter that knows more than they do (or at least thinks so) and they want us to simply go away. By the way, some figure we can't shoot and that we've switched to  "trad" equipment to have an excuse for missing.

There are two alternatives I think for a "trad" shooter these days.  Get to know some like-minded veterans at local trad shoots. After a while you can get a good idea about the knowledge of some folks by simply observing their equipment choices. Search, research, and ask questions here on Trad Gang.  Of course I'm sure there are some shops around the country that are staffed by some excellent "trad" experts but I've never been to one. I'd bet they are more common in the west than anywhere else?

The only caveat to my two alternatives is you have to be discerning. You'll quickly find that there are multiple ways to skin a cat--some better than others.  For example, on the subject of nock locators some will give you a specific measurement such as 1/2, 5/8, or 3/4" above horizontal  to start with and stop there. Others will provide these same starting points but then advise to check for porpoising and adjust accordingly (Olympic style archers are told to start, because they also shoot with fingers, at 1/2").  The key is to learn not just what to do but why.

Another example, I wouldn't want to take advice about curing Target Panic from someone who has it -- a lot of times these folks won't shoot in front of you. If they can't fix their own problem what chance do they have fixing another persons?  Someone who has corrected the problem is fine, great actually because they lived through it.

I'm lucky.  I have a friend who could write authoritative books and has produced DVDs on trad subjects (and compounds). If I have a question or am wondering about something I go to Trad Gang but Tim is my final authority. However, sometimes I even have to challenge him to sort through personal preference vs. cold hard facts.

The search function here is a GOLDMINE of information!

[Mike B]

Learn to do it yourself,not really that hard.I make my own recurves,longbows,arrows,back quivers,bow quivers,tabs,armguards ect.If I do need supplies,I buy from vendors that support Trad Gang.You can't beat the knowledge right here if you need to know something.

[danbow]

I usually buy from dealers at Traditional shoots, don't need a whole lot. If a shop owner has time to BS hours on end he apparently does'nt  have many customers.

[nd chickenman]

Danbow, I didnt mention that his shop was in a big shed in his back yard, it was a hobby for him. Henry started selling bows for Bear Archery in the 50s, this was in the 80s. It was more of a novelty than anything. Henry Schwenke was the Montana Bowhunters Association "Hunter of the year" at one time, so it was more like going into Glen St Charles private shop and having him sell you some brush buttons. Oh, he was good friends with Glen too!

[Converml]

If I lived near Ashley ,IN or Schererville, IN, Arvada CO and Kansas City MO I know I'd be stopping by Braveheart Archery, Kustom King ,3rivers, RockY Mountain specialty etc. all the time. The fact remains though that they generally too far in between now days. If you're viewing this though, you're on the internet and almost as good as next door and you can call and get good advice. The reality is those days of the local shops for the most part went in the 80's with the mass conversion to wheels. Training someone or developing them to be Trad knowledgable, well you're already ahead of them in the learning curve and have more incentive. If you live near a knowledgable local shop all I can say is I'm jealous. I'll just have to do with the Internet and the shoots.

[Shakes.602]

I use the Local Shop for small items, and he will generally Undersell the catalog prices to get the business.
 I figure he has ALWAYS been Good to me, and he and his Founding Brothers started out as a "Trad. Shop" many, many Moons ago. He has just become so Rusty after dealing Wheels for Years, he is at Least making an Attempt to get back and keep some Trad. Business. Yes I do most of my own work, but I can buy some Feathers from him now and then, and he will Order whatever I require. Granted, he isnt as Lightning Fast as the Online Shops, but I figure I use his Range, and he is a Good Friend to me.  
    Its Good to have a Local Shop for Indoor Shooting, Jawing around the Stove in the Winter, and he has Forgotten more about Archery than I know. An Invaluable Resource in My Opinion.