Monday, March 03, 2008
Bow Hunters Are More Sophisticated
It used to be that a bow hunter would walk into a big-box store in search of a new bow.
There are always salesmen at such places prepared to sell a bow to a novice archer or bow hunter. Many of those bow buyers 20 years ago had no clue what they wanted from a bow other than it shot arrows.
Bow buyers now are far more sophisticated. They read test reports, and have an idea of what they want. Although buying a name-brand bow still remains a matter of personal taste, most people who are looking for a bow have come to understand one important fact.
You get what you pay for. There is as much difference between a VW and a Ferrari as there is between a good and bad compound bow. There are certain things in a bow to look for, and there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t discuss many of these issues with potential buyers that come into my Buck Pole Archery Shop in Marion.
It’s like our C.P. Oneida Black Eagle bow. It is unlike other bows, and people have learned to accept the fact that our compound bows look different than other bows. They look different because they are. We are proud of the distinctive lines of our bows and how they shoot.
Take the Black Eagle and our other bows for instance. Archers and bow hunters have learned, through trial and error, that a bow that may look pretty on the showroom floor may not be ideally suited for their needs.
Granted, this may not be what you want but the next person in the door may want exactly what this bow offers. It does offer a new dampening system that produces whisper-quiet shots. We learned, by moving the cam assembly down that it created an easier and smoother draw curve with no recoil when a shot is taken.
It offers flat nock travel and increased arrow speed. Sophisticated archers and bow hunters want a straight-shooting bow and more speed without having to increase the draw weight.
There is literally no movement or twist when drawing or shooting this bow. Compare it to other bows for the final test. Any stress is equally distributed through the riser, and this helps make the bow stronger with less vibration.
The “Extreme” bow has a new and more streamlined design. It has less friction on the timing cable and is faster and quieter.
Hunters must decide what they want or need from a bow. Some like a bow all tricked out with modern devices, but our bows do not require kisser buttons and peep sights when using our 33mm Pollington Pro red-dot sight. Shooting a C.P. Oneida Eagle bow is a lesson in functional performance.
These bows are so smooth to draw, and no longer is there a felt recoil when the arrow is released. The straight nock travel means this bow shoots straight and with more speed than many people can believe, even at lower draw weights.
Customers are invited to shoot their old bow, or go to another shop and try a competitors model, and then shoot one of our bows. We’ve had countless people perform this exercise, and almost always they wind up buying a C.P. Oneida Eagle bow.
The reason is the sophistication I spoke of earlier. One doesn’t have to be a bow technician to determine the tremendous difference between our bows and those of other makers. Ours draw much more smoothly through the draw curve, and once sighted it, the arrows fly accurately every time. The straight nock travel once the arrow leaves the string must be experienced, and a dozen shots at a target will prove the wisdom of this technology.
Sophistication means that buyers must be impressed with how a bow looks, how it feels in the hands, whether it is comfortable while being drawn back to a consistent anchor point, and once the arrow is released. My staff or I can tell buyers this, but it’s when I put a bow into their hands and they shoot it, that they understand the power, quietness and smoothness.
Many other bows must be sold. Our bows sell themselves.