What sayeth the masses? I picked up the Mathews Z7 Magnum in my sig just a short time ago used over on AT and last week I dropped it off at a local shop that I don't usually use. Honestly I did it because it was close to work and was an easy drop off and pick up. My logic was that while I've learned a ton over the last year, most of you have forgotten more than I've learned so I figured I'd have an expert look it over and make sure it was A) safe and B) in tune. I had no reason to doubt the safety of it but us gear geeks tend to get a little over excited and can overlook things sometimes. I was assured that the $25 tune up special was what I needed and I tried to make it as clear as possible that I wanted them to treat it as if they were starting from zero on a tune. So I went to pick it up today and I shot it a couple times to check the nock point and the peep (awesome bow by the way) and they told me that my rest was too high off the shelf and that my nock point was high as well presumably to accommodate the rest being so high. Also, I noticed that the rest is mounted at an angle to the riser and tilted so that it contacts the cable guide arm. I noticed this stuff when I got it so it probably got banged during shipping. Here's the funny part. So I get talking to the tech and she sort of shrugs and says that I'm probably going to want to do something about those issues but they've never set up a trophy ridge rest, etc. She also says that I'm welcome to shoot it through paper while I'm there to check and see if it's in tune so I can make any needed adjustments. So I just learned a $25 lesson right? Wouldn't all of this stuff have been included in "please tune my bow"? I've got to be honest I've ever only used one shop and the owner just usually disappears behind the counter with my bow when there's an issue and it comes back out a few minutes later all good to go. So, what do the experts expect from a shop tune?
I think they just looked at it and swiped my card. They did say they made sure the DL was 28.5...which must have taken hours since it has the 28.5 cam in it. Funny thing is I came back to the office, googled "trophy ridge revolution instructions" and had setup directions printed out in under 5 mins. I think I'll go home and tune my bow tonight...never done it before but how can it possibly be any worse than the last time it was tuned? :p
What I have gotten from both pro shops where I live is a in the ball park tune. Both make sure my first pin is hitting where I want and that arrow isn't going really crazy. Neither really believe in paper tuning just a good walk back then broadhead tune. I don't blame them for not doing all that though thats a alot of work and neither have ranges that go past 20yds. Both have been very forthcoming with advice and how to instructions though. All in all I think its not a bad idea if your making a combination of changes to a bow to have it at a pro shop to get it in the ball park. But to really get down and nitty gritty with it you really have to do it yourself. I don't think a person should expect a full balls to the walls tune. If a pro shop did that with every bow that walked through the door they wouldn't ever get anything else done and all shooters do little things different anyway and probably effects to some extent how a bow tunes out.
I've had my old bow raped by numerous "pro shops" until I finally found a good one, who actually explained a lot of stuff to me as well as taught me about bows etc etc etc.
Yeah...my local bow shop is a joke. I have to go to the next town over. It seems hard to find a shop that can even put a string on correctly.
what about the draw cycle? i have a huge bump right before let off in my balistic that bothers me. i have taled to several people with a ballistic and they do not feel the big bump and says it could be tuned out? what exactly does that mean?
If I had a press I'd be good to go. Thinking about ordering one or building one and being done with it. Lot less hassle. I do have to say the shop in the next town is very good. Plus their a PSE, Mathews, Hoyt dealer.
Id go complain and ask for $25 back. Im usually not an aggressive *******, but, ive found that if ive paid for a service and I didn't think I got that service that its better to suck it up and ask for my money back. Its either that or go home fuming.
The more you get to know the guys or gals at your pro shop and start to hear the stories they tell you about stuff they do or did to other customers the more you realize how they handle your bow. I've got 5-6 bow shops I go between and starting to just trust myself more and more for the work.
I started to work on my bow myself. I did join the local archery club. Just find a local archery club and youtube have a ton of do it yourself tuning videos.
I expect the shop to not do any tuning to my bow or setup for that matter. There is only 1 person other than me that touches my bow. He is the one that builds my strings and he tunes when he installs them. He has tuned bows that have been used to shoot world records. He has a hooter shooter and has the capabilities to adjust things at full draw. He told me once that I was 1 of 2 people he would trust to tune his bow. I would have had a hard time paying for the services you did not recieve. sent from my samsung note 2
When I bought my first bow the bow tech in the local store (who is also one the the top competition shooters in Tn) took me into the back of the shop and measured out what my draw length should be then slowly adjusted what my draw weight should be. He completely set up my bow as far as nock point, peep height and everything. threw a laser on to make sure the arrow was tuned in to the string then had me shoot through paper before letting me leave the shop. For my first experience I would expect all bow techs to be like this. Over time he has taught me so much that I just kinda tune out my own bows now but you can never go wrong by going to a seasoned bow tech.
I bought a Bowmasterpress so I could do most of my own work works well takes more time but thats ok. Now If I was to take my bow for a tune I would expect the cams to be in synch,timed correctly,and center shot to be set according to manufacture specs paper tuned
I have a few archery shops here local to me. For the most part they're all pretty good. However, I have one that I fully trust with any archery needs. He's a great owner and doesn't even charge for tuning or adjustments. Come to find out, when I was having trouble getting my insanity to tune in (still in the dual cam learning process), he actually stayed at the shop til 11:30 to finish tuning it for me so I could have it the next day (told him I didn't need it that soon but he still did it). Most shop tunes are only roughed in. To get it absolutely perfect you really need to spend some time and make very small tuning changes until it's in. Google "easton archery tuning". Read it. Love it. Also, a z7 is slightly difficult to accessorize. Even my ripcord was a little difficult to get under the roller guide. You might not have gotten ripped off, but it probably isn't perfect. Don't feel too bad. One local shop wanted $80 to look at my brother's bow and they were going to keep it for almost a week, just to inspect it, that didn't even include if something was in fact wrong.
The guys at my Pro Shop are Awesome. I have never had a problem with them in the 6 years I have been doing business with them. If you buy your bow there, they tune it for free as long as you own it. Same thing goes for any accessory(sight, rest, arrow, etc. ) Buy it there and they take care of everything. I guess I am one of the lucky ones to have a good pro shop.
