Hi all,
Bear with me while I rant!
I want to buy my first bow(I"m getting tired of typing that sentance!), and have mailed several companies in the US over the last few weeks(since before Christmas)
I need someone to assemble and tune a bow package for me, as I"m staring from scratch, and I"m in the UK where we have no bow hunting "culture". And yes, before someone points it out, I know it"s illegal here but not to own a bow and use it somewhere else.
Of all the companies I have asked, none of them have replied!
I can only asume they don"t want to ship to the UK, and are too lazy and ignorant to bother to reply.
So if anyone knows of a company or shop who can advise me, build a package, tune and sight it(I know this takes time and money, I"m not asking them to do it for nothing), then I"d like to know about them.
Failing that, I"m going to give up on the idea and build a really big rifle with a muzzle brake that make everyone else on the range complain.
Sorry for interupting the relative tranquility of the bow hunters, but I"m starting to get impatient.

good shooting

mail? Right now on the internet with your credit card, you could have what you want heading your way tomorrow. Hunter's Friend and Cabela's are but a couple of companies that come to mind. There should be many other companies on the net if the first two don't fit the needs. Check them out. best-o-luck

There are some great bows made right there in the UK. Look here http://www.merlin-bows.co.uk/home.htm

Mike, by mail I meant e.mail, and I E.mailed Huntersfriend 3 times and have still to get a response.
I"ll try Merlin, but I had hoped to take advantage of the strong pound/dollar ratio at the moment. If I buy here in the UK, it"ll cost a lot more. Also, I doubt if anyone here will sell broadheds. I"ll have a look.
good shooting

Brass thief

I am sort of your neighbour.
Not that there are many archery shops here but it's satisfying.
The prices are higher than in the states anyhow.
If I can help, no trouble.
As well I have 2 mathews I use just a few. If You want to have a try I can lend You one, along with arrows, broadheads and such for you to have a try and decide what You really want. Moreover it'd let You enough time to have received offers from pro shops. Note that I have been very well treated and impressed by 3riversarchery.
I cannot advise You to search in France because few pros are speaking fluently English. It's no fun to make a project with somebody not speaking one's language.

Since 9/11 the import/export laws are taken very seriously here - not that I think exporting a bow is illegal.

Also, there are very many international scams going on over the internet, and none of the credit cards will cover losses on international sales.

But it may be none of the above. They quite often never answer my emails, either!

Good luck!

Brass thief have a look at this he might ship over here ??
http://precisionlongrangehunter.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8101015821/m/6561030202

Well, at least good old Cabelas replied, although it was just to say that they won"t set up a package unless the customer is physically there to try it out. I agree that makes sense, but it"s just not practical for me.
3riversarchery looked promising, but they only seem to do traditional bows. Merlin only sells bows, nothing else.
Does anyone think that I could get a peep installed correctly without actually being there? I know it"s not ideal, but no-one in the UK will be able to set up a bow with the right draw length for broadheads. I had hoped that someone stateside might be able to set up a package at least close enough that it would be shootable.
Looks like I"m gonna have to build that 300 Win Mag after all!
good shooting

Surely you must have target groups/olympians etc. Did you google archery groups in the uk? I can't imagine that there wouldn't be interest over there in archery-if it's trui I'll move there and set up a shop. Sounds like virgin territory!!

the chef

chef,
You have to understand this is where Paul Mcartney comes from!
Bow hunting is illegal here, but target archery is popular. I heard of a top archer in a 3d competition here who(deliberately) shot a pheasant that hapenned to be walking past. He was banned for 10 yrs from competing in the UK.
If I turned up at an archery club or shop and said I wanted to buy a bow and broadheads for hunting, it"s fairly certain that they"d call the police.And I"m not joking.
I can own rifles here, and I"ve been shooting deer for years, but if I buy a bow I would have to hunt abroad. I can stand in my yard and shoot targets all day long, just so long as I don"t shoot an animal.
Thanks to folks like jbderunz on this site, I now know that I can hunt in France with a bow, but I"m going to Canada in Sept of this year and I"d hope to be able to take a bow with me.
If all else fails, I might stay an extra couple of days and buy one when I"m there.
Thanks for all the input,
good shooting

Join a target group-you'll also find target archers who are interested in hunting, even if they have to go abroad to do it or maybe they just like to dream about it and that's fine too. Learn all you can from these target groups because you can learn something from everyone you meet. I imagine there are groups that shoot traditional and some who shoot compounds choose the one you prefer. When you buy your bow-get field points they aren't for hunting. When you decide to go somewhere for hunting all you have to do is buy some broadheads and you're in business.

Get a cable bow press - like the Bowmaster ($40 USD) - when you order your bow.

Then with some learning pains you can set up your own peeps, tune your own bow and replace your own strings. All things necessary to know anyway if you are going to hunt remote areas.

Getting the proper draw length is more problematic. I think you'd have to do it by a wingspan measurement.

I would go to Olde English Outfitters also mentioned here. Call them, the web site email will probably not even be monitored. Ask for the archery department. Discuss your problem with them. If anybody can set up a bow long-distance, they can. PM me and I'll phone them to give you a reference when/if things get serious. The place is 60 miles from my house, but I bought my Allegiance there, so tell them you heard about them from a satisfied customer. The only thing we disagreed on was that they recommend light arrows, and I do not. Tell them you are hunting moose in Canada and they might recommend a heavier arrow. They can cut the arrows to length and finish them for you. The initial bow setup and one retune is part of the price.

Normally you buy the bow, set it up, then go away and shoot it several hundred times, then tune it again after the string has setlled. I would ask them if they would keep it as a demonstration model for a few weeks to get some shots on it, then re-tune it just before sending it to you.

contact oneida eagle bows at www.oneidaeaglebows.com or call 1-(231)-743-2427 and as for Matt. He will set up the bow to your draw length, weight and sight it in at 20 yards and ship it to your door. If youd like more information, PM me.

Hugh

What Hugh said...

What everybody is forgetting is that no two people shoot the same. Same as shooting a rifle where one can hit the center and the next shooter with the same rifle will get a tight group 4" off. A bow is an individual item and only the shooter should shoot when tuning. Trying to buy a pre-tuned bow can be a lesson in futility as no one knows how the tuner shoots, what his draw length is, what his build and strength is or what he did to the bow. It is best to buy a bow, do the research on tuning and do it yourself.

BRF,

I agree that everyone should learn to set up their own bows. It's informative, likely to make you a better shooter, less expensive, etc.

But I think you can get pretty good results with another knowledgeable shooter/tuner setting up your bow. I had other people set up two bows. Both shot great, with broadheads and with target points. I had to adjust the sight pins a little.

Later, I set up a bow for my kid. After I set it up for 30 lbs and his 20 in draw length (I'm 6'4" with a 30" draw length and a 70lb bow) he shot great groups with it. We only had to adjust the sight pins.

Of course, there's the chance with a new shooter that they'll have the wrong measurement for draw length, pick the wrong draw weight to have it set up at, etc. Setting it up yourself is ultimately the way to go, followed by being present for testing and adjustment after somebody sets it up.

But for somebody in brassthief's situation, I think compounds can be set up for a draw weight and length remotely with a pretty good rate of success.

Steve

At Oneida, we do it all the time. We use an aimpoint scope and it works nearly the same for everyone. Youd be amazed.

I was sitting in a popup blind with a guy that had an Oneida set up with the aimpoint. he shot a deer and about an hour later, another one came by and he told me to shoot it. I asked where does the bow hit at 20 yards and he said dead on. So I heart shot the doe.

PM me for more info.

Hugh

Guess I'm confused,Target archery is popular? then I can't imagine know archers here in the USA are always willing to help and advise that you can't find a whole lot of folks there to help you in your choices rather then depend on a shop sight unseen to send you a "package deal" ready to go.....

I'd like to take a moment to thank Brass Thief for pointing out just how far the anti hunting crowd can go if allowed. If you think they will be satisfied to stop hunting with firearms you are mistaken.

Best of luck to you getting that bow.

quote:

Originally posted by brass thief:
Hi all,
Bear with me while I rant!
I want to buy my first bow(I"m getting tired of typing that sentance!), and have mailed several companies in the US over the last few weeks(since before Christmas)
I need someone to assemble and tune a bow package for me, as I"m staring from scratch, and I"m in the UK where we have no bow hunting "culture". And yes, before someone points it out, I know it"s illegal here but not to own a bow and use it somewhere else.
Of all the companies I have asked, none of them have replied!
I can only asume they don"t want to ship to the UK, and are too lazy and ignorant to bother to reply.
So if anyone knows of a company or shop who can advise me, build a package, tune and sight it(I know this takes time and money, I"m not asking them to do it for nothing), then I"d like to know about them.
Failing that, I"m going to give up on the idea and build a really big rifle with a muzzle brake that make everyone else on the range complain.
Sorry for interupting the relative tranquility of the bow hunters, but I"m starting to get impatient.

good shooting

I emailed and offered my services as a dealer. Apparently you're not interested or have found a way to resolve your problem. Please keep us posted here on your progress.

Dont know if anyone else has stated this but in order to shoot and maintain a bow you must be able to work on it to some extent. Plus the fact that every human body is different it would be virtually impossible for someone else to set-up a bow properly for you.

As far as setting up for broad heads im confused. There really is no difference than shooting field points or broadheads as far as the bow is concerned. Obviously you must shoot both to see the point of impact but thats it.

Bow hunting is not just a thing that you casually try once in a while. Or pick up a bow thats all ready to go, you MUST be able to tune and maintain it, and also practice, practice, practice. With all of that practice comes a lot of tuning and maintenance that you really must learn to do yourself. As an example i have been shooting a bow for over 26years and have never had a bow set-up or tuned for me by anyone. Killed my first whitetail( 7 point buck) with a bow and still find it extremely challenging, not a part time hobby. Guys who do not dedicate a lot of time and effort usually wind up wounding a lot of animals and then get turned off by the sport and then wonder why, just some seasoned advice, and warning to the new bow hunters out there.

Once you kill an animal with a bow, rifle hunting seems like a piece of cake, it is very rewarding and tough, good luck and i hope you suceed in your quest.

Thanks to everyone for the input and the offers of help.
Progress is being made, and I will update in due course. If terrorists can transport and sell nuclear materials, then surely I can get a bow!
good shooting.

quote:

Originally posted by brass thief:
Thanks to everyone for the input and the offers of help.
Progress is being made, and I will update in due course. If terrorists can transport and sell nuclear materials, then surely I can get a bow!
good shooting.

Good saying!!

Finally got my bow, and done initial set up.
I bought a Bear Instinct 50/60#, Tru-ball release, Hindsight, Cabellas carbon arrows, 100gr G5"s. 100 gr small gamepoints, and 100 gr feild points.
Been messing around with draw length modules, think I have settled on length. Made up a dozen arrows yesterday(cut some before and then changed the draw length!)
I"m hitting a 5" "shoot n see" target at 30yds, although I need to set my pins properly.It"s a big shock for a rifle shooter to see how much an arrow drops!
It does seem to be addictive, I"ve not had much time to play with it all yet, but I try to shoot a dozen arrows every evening. I find my first six are the best as I"m just getting used to holding on draw.
Whats the biggest game anyone would reccomend to take with a 60# bow? (I hope to chronogragh it soon) Would it be enough for Caribou? What"s the heaviest head I could shoot on it?
good shooting