first bow - next steps

[mschultz373]

I recently bought a Bear Encounter bow used that came RTH - a Tru-Ball trigger, Trophy Ridge quiver and whisker biscuit, a stabilizer (not branded) nd a 5pin Tru Glow sight. I know it is currently setup @ DL 29"and PW 70 lbs, but I cannot read the string length and buss cable length on the sticker.

It feels stiff but pretty decent on the draw length as is, but I may experiment with a slightly longer draw (I'm 6'2" and my wingspan/2.5 is 30.5), but my real desire is to get set up well for hunting season while balancing what I can do/tune in myself vs. what I ought to get a shop to do. Because I am new and don't have a relationship with a show (yet), I am a little hesitant to walk in and ask what I need, simply for fear of getting fleeced. At the same time, is it easy for a DIYer to set draw length and sight in a bow himself? Is there a common tune-up procedure that any new-to-you bow should go through, like a car at 100k miles or something? To what extent can I do those things vs. a shop?

I'm sorry if this is uber-basic n00b stuff but my searches for beginner guides online wasn't very fruitful.

Also here's a pic:

 

[WPS87]

It should have a rotating mod to adjust draw length. You may or may not have to move your peep up or down. You’re going to get a million answers on the tuning part so get ready for that. But with patience your can do everything at home that your wanting to do to that bow.

 

[WPS87]

I should add that you can do it all at home unless you would need to shim that cam.

 

[Tr33_n1nj@]

I started with this same bow. It’s still hanging on my wall because I haven’t been able to bring myself to sell it. It’s been good to me. There are better bows out there, but you’ll pay way more for them. I had new strings put on it after several years and that was all it ever needed.

 

[jsh909]

I recently bought a Bear Encounter bow used that came RTH - a Tru-Ball trigger, Trophy Ridge quiver and whisker biscuit, a stabilizer (not branded) nd a 5pin Tru Glow sight. I know it is currently setup @ DL 29"and PW 70 lbs, but I cannot read the string length and buss cable length on the sticker.

It feels stiff but pretty decent on the draw length as is, but I may experiment with a slightly longer draw (I'm 6'2" and my wingspan/2.5 is 30.5), but my real desire is to get set up well for hunting season while balancing what I can do/tune in myself vs. what I ought to get a shop to do. Because I am new and don't have a relationship with a show (yet), I am a little hesitant to walk in and ask what I need, simply for fear of getting fleeced. At the same time, is it easy for a DIYer to set draw length and sight in a bow himself? Is there a common tune-up procedure that any new-to-you bow should go through, like a car at 100k miles or something? To what extent can I do those things vs. a shop?

I'm sorry if this is uber-basic n00b stuff but my searches for beginner guides online wasn't very fruitful.

Also here's a pic:

Congratulations on the bow.

Where are you located? Tuning and sight in will be a breeze. Slight adjustments to the rest and sight pins are basically all it should take. As long as your D loops and peep set properly. If you're close I would gladly help you get it ready to go.

 

[Exhumis]

Since you picked up a hunting bow I’m gonna assume your aim is to get in the woods and harvest something. In some states early archery season is next month and many states the season starts October.
Toward that end my advice for right now would be research and find a good shop, have them give the bow a once over, make sure your draw length is correct(there are multiple ways to measure it), make sure you’re shooting the right arrows and spend the rest of the time practicing before season opener. In this way you’ll get comfortable shooting and have a solid form when you get in the woods. Once season is over then you can tinker. Your setup will kill things dead no problem, but after you have a season in and some shooting you’ll know what you like/don’t like ie I hate this sight or this quiver is trash or I wanna try a different release, etc. If you start messing about now you might mess up your bow and get it out of tune with no time to get it right before season and right now the bow shops are gonna go nuts betting ready for season.
If you’re determined to setup and tune, a single wheel bow is much easier than a dual. Bear might have the manual on their website which may/may not have the string/cable lengths in it, if not you can email them or a quick google search will reveal it. Hard to tell the condition of the strings based on the pic, but if they aren’t frayed and the serving isn’t loose or missing and they don’t look worn they might be ok. Many folks replace as a matter of principle on a used bow. Sighting isn’t too difficult, average Jack, Lancaster, John Dudley and other names have some good videos on how to do it, YouTube some.
If you’re determined to DIY it when I buy a new bow here’s what I do: grab some cotton balls and go over the limbs, both sides. If the cotton grabs and it’s not an obvious chip then you have either a crack or a delamination. Set the bow vertical and look for warping in the cams/wheels- not leaning as a bit is normal but actual warpage. Check the wheels for heavy wear like chipping or nicks as this might be an indicator it was dropped a lot. If the strings appear to be in good shape, in a safe location with an arrow nocked and pointed at a target (NEVER draw a bow without an arrow), draw and listen/feel for weird noises, hitches or catches in the draw cycle, bearing noise, weird pops, etc. If you didn’t buy it from your best friend assume everyone is a liar and it’s been exposed to rain/snow/dirt/volcanic ash/blood/family reunions/etc. Once you’ve determined the bow isn’t going to explode look up some more videos on bow tuning by the channels I mentioned above. It’s kinda hard and lengthy to explain through typing, much easier by watching and listening.
That’s just my thoughts right there. Get it checked out, get your DL and arrow setup verified and spend your time shooting, then after season go nuts and tinker. Congrats on the new bow, it’s a great feeling.

 

[Jimdude]

It’s easy and it’s not easy! Having the right spine arrows is crucial. Many people say that they don’t have a problem tuning a slightly stiff spine but a weak spine they cannot. You definitely don’t want to end up with a weak spine. I myself, had a very hard time tuning a stiff spine and I’m talking only one size too stiff. For me, the arrow calculators aren’t always on point but they are always close. I like to start with Easton’s calculator. It will give you a range of say, 300-350 spine. In that case buy 3 of each. One or the other will have a better tail up/down. It’s also much easier to do with the right tools like a bow vise and bubble levels and sometimes a press. If you don’t have any of that, start here…
Nock an arrow. Set the bottom cam on your foot with the arrow pointing away from you. Look down and eyeball the top limb bolt right over the center of the stabilizer. The arrow should be in line with the center of the stabilizer. Then hold the bow out in front of you and see if the arrow looks level going through the burger hole/holes. (holes the rest attach too). Then ideally you shoot through paper. I have a second story deck that I go under and hang paperwork from. I use a roll of paper from Home Depot for painting and spring clamps. You can get as basic as taking a cardboard box and cutting a square hole in it and tape newspaper over the hole. Then google Easton tuning guide. Use the paper part to tell you which way to move the rest. Sometimes you may find you’re getting the opposite of what it says, so if it gets worse go the other way. Once I get a bullet hole I sight in at 20 and practice a group. Then I shoot a Broadhead followed up with a field point. And get them together.
It’s simple when the cams are timed and have the right lean with the right arrow spine. When you think it’s good, go back to step one… if the arrow is straight or slightly pointing slightly left “right handed archer” that is acceptable. If it’s way left or at all to the right that my not be acceptable. If it’s pointing at all up, no good. If it’s pointing level or slightly down, that’s good. If you buy a few single arrows at a pro shop they will probably help you but they will also get to a point where they will say that’s good enough. And there is only perfect and not perfect in my book. I hate good enough!!!
Use Easton tuning guide but not like a bible and also YouTube’ers like Average Jack Archery to help you. Don’t go too nuts with perfection at first because you need to just do a lot of shooting to get consistent.
When you sight in, start close, 5 yards with the first pin. Back up to 10 then 20. Then shoot at 30 yards with your 20 pin on a dot at the top of the target. You will hit low. Draw again and adjust your 30 pin where it is on the first arrow you shot. Now your 30 pin is close and you can fine tune the hight by more shooting using that pin. DON’T ever, ever draw the bow without an arrow nocked in case the d-loop breaks or you accidentally fire the release. Firing a bow without an arrow can destroy it.

 

[mschultz373]

Toward that end my advice for right now would be research and find a good shop, have them give the bow a once over, make sure your draw length is correct(there are multiple ways to measure it), make sure you’re shooting the right arrows and spend the rest of the time practicing before season opener. In this way you’ll get comfortable shooting and have a solid form when you get in the woods. Once season is over then you can tinker. Your setup will kill things dead no problem, but after you have a season in and some shooting you’ll know what you like/don’t like ie I hate this sight or this quiver is trash or I wanna try a different release, etc. If you start messing about now you might mess up your bow and get it out of tune with no time to get it right before season and right now the bow shops are gonna go nuts betting ready for season.
If you’re determined to setup and tune, a single wheel bow is much easier than a dual. Bear might have the manual on their website which may/may not have the string/cable lengths in it, if not you can email them or a quick google search will reveal it. Hard to tell the condition of the strings based on the pic, but if they aren’t frayed and the serving isn’t loose or missing and they don’t look worn they might be ok. Many folks replace as a matter of principle on a used bow. Sighting isn’t too difficult, average Jack, Lancaster, John Dudley and other names have some good videos on how to do it, YouTube some.

I appreciate this advice and thought here. I know one shop that said they would do as much - tune and setup the bow, sight it in, help find the right spine arrow… I sort of thought that might be the overly easy way out but i appreciate the thought that given the time, practice is more important.

 

[Exhumis]

I appreciate this advice and thought here. I know one shop that said they would do as much - tune and setup the bow, sight it in, help find the right spine arrow… I sort of thought that might be the overly easy way out but i appreciate the thought that given the time, practice is more important.

Think of it as prioritizing. I did the same thing when I started archery hunting. I also picked up a bow a month before season and immediately started tinkering. My mentor slowed my roll and had me take a long think about what my priorities should be; I’m glad he did cuz after a couple months of hunting and steady shooting I had a much clearer picture of my preferences and then plenty of time to experiment without the threat of impending hunting season. Good luck this season!

 

[shmelton]

IMHO it’s going to be hard to get fleeced on a bow tune. I would definitely take it to a shop, and have them tune it. My guy charged me $20 last time I got a tune, but I buy all of my arrows, and accessories from him. Even if it’s $100 it will save you money in the long run. However, I personally don’t see it costing that much.


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[Halfstep]

First things first.

The draw length settings on the cam most likely isn't going to be accurate. It may be off from 1/4" to 1". Just because you set the draw length at 30" doesn't mean that it is 30". It may be 30.250" to 31". The Bear Encounter has a draw length range of 27" to 32" so that will be good for your 30"+ draw length.

You first need to back the poundage down to 60 pounds using a scale to get the poundage correct. Tighten both limbs all the way down and back them both out the same amount of turns until the poundage is at 60. The 60-pound draw weight will be easier for you to manage and get accustomed to the bow without developing bad habits.

Next, since you have a 30.5" draw length per wingspan method, I would set the bow's draw length a 30" for a start. The draw length of the bow needs to be measured at full draw and adjusted to a measured 30" regardless of what the draw module says. Since the bow has a string loop, it will account for approximately 1/2". 30" + 1/2" = 30 1/2".

A bow's draw length is measured from the valley of the grip to the string's nocking point at full draw + 1 3/4" inch. Look at the rest mounting holes, there are 2 of them. The first rest hole is usually drilled over the valley of the grip so you can use that hole to measure the draw length from. You can take a long arrow and come to full draw pulling gently against the wall. Then have someone take a marker and mark the arrow at the center of the first rest hole. Then add 1 3/4" to that number and it will tell you what your bow's draw length actually is. Your draw length cam adjusts in 1/2" increments so adjust accordingly.

Getting the poundage and draw length correct is the foundation that everything else is built upon. Once you get to this point, you can take some full body length pics with you at full draw aiming straight out at 90 degrees. Then post the pic on here and we can take a look and see how it looks. There are other factors that account for draw length like the release type and size, the actual loop length and body geometry and a pic will help to see if any other draw length adjustments need to be made. Make sure you have an arrow nocked in the bow EVERY TIME you draw the bow. NEVER draw the bow empty as an accidental dry fire can occur. ALWAYS dry and aim your bow in a safe direction at a target.

 

[neonomad]

It’s been mentioned at least once but ultimately you’re trying to get the bow to shoot an arrow such that when it goes through paper it’s a hole, not a slot (flying crooked). A shop can do this for you but it’s also important for you to shoot through paper because your form and grip will be different… so you personally want to work toward shooting a bullet hole (ideally an arrow with no fletchings on it), and that may or may not happen before this season. Just get as close as you can. I would recommend a mechanical broadhead early on, because they are more forgiving of imperfect tune or imperfect form. Sometime search youtube for proper compound grip because that’s good to get right at the start. Good luck!

 

[HuskerInIowa]

There is a bunch of scare you off overwhelming stuff in this thread imo. You’ve got a great bow. Hit a softball every time you shoot, don’t shoot past that range. You’ll fill the freezer.
Next year worry about more. Or don’t. Unless you can’t afford meat if you don’t get enough on the ground this is supposed to be fun. 98% of the people on this forum will celebrate anything you’re excited about. You should celebrate 100%.

 

[BTaylor]

Dont forget you are going to need a new bowhunting saddle. Gun hunting saddles seldom work well for bowhunting.

That may should be in the support thread but we are here for you either way. Congrats on the new bow!!