Went to my local hunting store and guess what I was asked?

[Legolas]

Had a doz carbons to get cut and bare shaft tuned at my local hunting store that has a range and hi speed saw.
When I asked if they would let me shoot and cut 1/4 inch off till they were tuned the guy said why would you do that with a traditional bow?
They sell mostly compounds but some recurves. I was shocked!
I did what I had to do and he cut about 8-10 times before they flew straight. He charged me 5 bucks which I thought was very fair.
They must have some poor shooting customers.

A lot of guys who have never messed with trad gear have no clue!

Bisch

[9 Shocks]

same at local shops here...

[iohkus]

I once asked about 200 grain broadheads ...........you should have been there!

[dhermon85]

I asked for 145 grain points at bass pro once. The "pro" said he'd never used anything over 125 grains.

[old_goat2]

If I didn't live five minutes or at least in the near vicinity from Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear I'd still be shooting a compound. But hell I remember asking for pin nocks at Gander Mountain and staring like a deer in the headlights at the deer in the headlights look on the archery counter employees when they had no idea what they were. So it's not just ignorance about trad gear that's running amuck in archery shops but the knowledge in a real pro shop is better than the knowledge base in the sporting goods box stores.

[jt85]

I went to bass pro one day and asked if they carried the full metal jacket arrows in a 500 spine and the guy told me he didn't think they made a 500 in anything cause they would be so flimsy they would brake when shot

[ozy clint]

"hi, i'm shooting a 70# recurve and want to hunt water buffalo with it. i plan on using 730gr upfront, what shaft do you recommend?"
 

[m midd]

Thats funny. Ive taught my local shop quite a bit about trad bows and tuning. A few of them actually shoot trad now.  I bareshafted there once before i built my arrow saw and had a young kid tell me that i was wasting my time shooting arrows with out fletching. He got a lesson after about 5 cuts.

[Legolas]

I said to the clerk "So if weight to the front of my arrows weakens the spine what is the effect of fletching on the rear?
He replied " Weight is weight".

[riverrat 2]

Yeah traditional stuff makes those pro shop guys heads spin. There just isn't enough of it they see. rat'

[CRS]

I have spent quite a bit of time at the local archery shop and acquired two recurves for the husband/wife owners.

They have not been exposed to it, or studied it.  I am doing my best to help them learn.

Have picked up a few newbies along the way also.  Very rewarding.

It blows their mind when I shoot their compounds with fingers and without using the sights.

[medic77]

Ozzy, that kind of question may just kill a man from brain explosion.  The look you would get would be priceless.

[Gooserbat]

I used to work part time in a shop and most folks couldn't believe that you could tune anything with out an allen wrench.

[petalumapete]

I use to teach at a local shop. One of my biggest frustrations was the "professional " help  telling customers your draw length is 28" we cut your arrows to 28 1/2". Then I have to try to explain to my student that those brand new arrows fly like crap because they cut them.
I never could get the help to wrap their brain around the idea of tuning arrows. They figured if it worked for compounds it works for everything

[Pine]

I was in a Bass Pro shop several years ago and asked the bow tech if he had some XX75 2216 arrows . He asked me what pound bow I was shooting ? I said 50# recurve . To which he replies a 2315 will fly faster with that set up . I said that the 2315 is to heavy spine for what I shoot . He insisted it was a lighter arrow . I said yes the mass weight is lighter but the spine is heavier . Which he replied what is the difference ? HUH !!
He was there bow tech ?    

[atatarpm]

I was told you could not bullet whole paper shooting fingers once. He shook his head and wlked off when I did it on the first shot.

[Stump73]

When I first started shooting recurves a budy of mine bought a new compound from Gander Mountain. Sence he bought a bow there he got 20 hours of free shooting range. He asked me to go so I took my bear grizzly and shot it. I didnt have a clue what I was doing.The tech asked if he could help me. I said sure. He gave me pointers and told me my arrows was to stiff and I needed heavier points to weaken them but gander mountain doesnt carry them and said I should check with 3rivers. He ended up saying that he shot trad. Thats very uncommon in local shops.

[jonsimoneau]

All of this is a bit disturbing to me.  In college I went to a bow shop.  Cant remember what I was there to buy but I got into a conversation with an "expert" there.  He told me "Your arrows are too heavy"  I said "Too heavy for what?" It was like a brain freeze for the poor guy. Too me that's like saying "You are getting too much penetration on deer."  Common sense is under assault!

[Eric Krewson]

We see this discussion quite often but you have to remember as archers(traditional/wheelie) we live in two different worlds.

What if a compound guy asked you to put his bow on a press, change the string to the latest material, time the cams and drop the draw length 2 inches? You would be just as lost as he is when you ask him a trad bow question.