Okay, I scored me a bow in Ebay

[MCgunner]

Any comments, I got screwed, made a good buy, whatever, honest opinions. I never had a compound before and don't even know if I'll be able to aim sights when I put some on it. I'm going to try, though, price being affordable. If I can't shoot it with sights, I'll just shoot it like a recurve. I'm gettin' pretty danged good out to 35 yards practicing with a little 30 lb target bow. And, I'll be able to use this thing for bow fishing even if I don't hunt with it. I'm pretty excited, hope it's decent. I think that sticker on it says 28" draw length which is my draw length, I know that much.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350200956468#ebayphotohosting

 

[atomd]

I don't think you can really get "screwed" on a $50 bow. I love Hoyt bows (I shoot a Hoyt Vectrix a lot right now). That hunter is an older bow. The usual culprit with old bows is the string. It says the string is in good shape, but it's still probably very old and may need to be replaced. Having a new string put on at a pro shop will cost more than what you paid for the bow. You might want to bring it to a shop and have them give it a lookover for you. Can't hurt. Hoyt has a lifetime warranty but it's only for the original owner. If you buy a new modern compound bow I would highly suggest not buying it on ebay. Buy it from a pro shop who is an authorized dealer of the brand you're buying.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, there is a good bow shop down the street from me, about a mile. I just wanted an older bow for now, just to see if I can use sights worth a toot, my right eye being all, but blind. I do okay with a recurve, but never felt compelled to buy a 400 dollar bow just to find out I can't shoot it worth a toot.

For what I gave for it, putting new string on it won't be a biggy, I guess. I'll take the bow down to the shop and see what sorts of sights they have for it. I think they deal Hoyt, have a big sign in the window, anyway. They have good pricing on arrows, I know that.

 

[atomd]

Sounds like a plan!

Oh, and if you do want to lighten your wallet in the future, any shop worth their salt will set up a bow and let you shoot it there for a while before you buy it. That shop sounds like they should be able to match you up some new arrows to go with that bow too. Enjoy!

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, they even have an indoor range. It's in an old Chevy dealership. Pretty neat set up. If I find I can't use sights on it, I'll shoot it instinctive like a recurve and bow fish with it if nothing else.

I got one of those shooting block targets today at Academy and was shooting my little bow. I keep getting better with it and it's rather hard to shoot being so slow. This'll give me more back yard fun if nothing else. It can't help, but be easier to shoot, my old 50 lb recurve shot a lot better.

I rigged up a bracket for the bow fishing real for the little bow to try it out. The thing shot so slow with that big, heavy harpoon, it was comical. That's when I knew I had to replace my broken recurve with something.

 

[61chalk]

That almost looks like my older Hoyt!!! My camo was the same, so must be close to same year...think it was around 1991? I have re-camo, an its zebra striped the same colors as the older Ted Nugent arrows, which I have also, also put different cams..it is a Spectra Eclipse, but has bare handle...it is very smooth an accurate, an have placed 1st in outdoor shootings seceral times in years past an gone...YOU got a great bow, I'll still match mine up against alot of the newer ones, think mine was 160.00 brand new...not anymore...hey atomd...you forgot to tell him to only shoot coyotes with it!! Ha....inside joke.

 

[Cpt. America]

You didn't get screwed. It may not be the latest and greatest to hit the market but it will kill deer. And its a Hoyt, I think you did good.

 

[Grizfire]

The price is right...seems like you did good. Only you can decide if you're happy with it, and it sounds like you are.

 

[atomd]

you forgot to tell him to only shoot coyotes with it!! Ha....inside joke.

And definitely not to shoot any elephants with it.

 

[MCgunner]

Don't have to worry about elephants. I was born at night, but not last night.

 

[Nicodemus38]

no way to say if its a good deal or not. Although its a Hoyt and hoyt has been rather good over the years, you cannot tell what it would be like.

If it was stored wrong well youll end up bent over a barrel by someone. Incorrect storage will damage the material of the limbs especially hard. They werent meant to be stored in hot spaces. hurts the materials.

Ive read up over the years that alot of the bows from that period of time were only designed for a certain amount of shots, and a bow that old most likely hit that design limit already.
The cams and strings are not likely to be replacable now. They are normally designed for one cam arrangement, and these cams havent been made in 15-18 years now. And unless you can get find an original replacement string, youll have to have someone make you one if you can find the correct bow string material to use. And some of the compounds over the years have been designed for now defunct proprietary material that is not available, and cant be substituted with current off the shelf string material.

 

[atomd]

Don't have to worry about elephants. I was born at night, but not last night.

sorry McGunner, that was just a response to the inside joke above. I know you aren't going to go shooting any elephants with it.

And unless you can get find an original replacement string, youll have to have someone make you one if you can find the correct bow string material to use.

Custom made strings are much better than factory strings in my experience. There's a ton of choices for materials and they can actually cost less too. Check out archerytalk classifieds online. There's a few custom stringmakers on there. Let one of them know if you need a new one and they can look into it for you.

Nicodemus is right though. If any bow was stored wrong, it could cause all sorts of problems. I've seen bows that have been stored in the trunks of cars on 100 degree days. Not pretty! $50 is really inexpensive though...and I'll bet that you'll get $50 worth of fun and tinkering out of it either way.

 

[MCgunner]

sorry McGunner, that was just a response to the inside joke above. I know you aren't going to go shooting any elephants with it

Well, that lady in the elephant thread was shooting a 90 lb draw weight. I don't even know if my girly butt can draw 90 lbs, ROFL! I know I was crying when I took up my old recurve again, 50 lbs, and my arm was so sore the next day, I could hardly move it, LOL! I got over that, thankfully, with more practice. No pain, no gain. That woman must be an Amazon! LOL!

Well, the guy said the bow was in "excellent" condition. We'll see. He has a 97 percent positive feed back. I plan to keep it in my back bedroom in the closet in the AC. You are quite correct, was my thinkin', at 50 bucks how could I go too far wrong. I'll have fun with it in the back yard if nothing else.

I'm just wondering, what do they use to decompress a compound to destring it? I was thinkin' I might could rig a come-along or something. LOL I like to do things myself, or at least know how they're done. If it looks like it needs a string, though, I will likely trust the guy at the bow shop this time. He seems quite informed on bows, turned his hobby into a job. Now, that's something I've learned not to do, myself, but he's making money down there. People from out of county come down here to let him do their stuff and he's just down the street from me, so bonus, there, for a bow shooting neophyte.

 

[MCgunner]

Got it in the mail today. The bow is like new. The string has a couple of worn spots on the sheath covering in, small, but all the strings are in tact and it's plenty shootable. I don't feel it needs a new string for a good while.

I went to Academy today and bought a cheap 3 pin fiber optic site and a peep and came home and installed it. I got out in the back yard despite the oppressive afternoon heat and humidity and set up the target. Started at 10 yards and got the sight on the top pin. The sight is about as far to the right as I can move it, just barely had enough adjustment.

So, I got it on both windage and elevation and began to amaze myself. I can actually see the pins! My right eye ain't worth squat and I gave up shooting rifles and shotguns right handed years ago, but these sights glow and I can see 'em through that big peep at least out to 25 yards. I haven't tried any further. I moved out to 25 and the middle pin did not need adjustment. I can fill the bull at 10 or 15. At 25, I can put every shot into a 5 or 6" circle. Just hitting the near the target inside about 12" was a goal with my recurve and that little target bow, well, hitting the box is the goal. LOL The practice and concentration and repetition with that little bow seems to have paid off, though. Shooting the compound is MUCH easier. It's fast, so the arrow releases a lot quicker and little bobbles as it flies off the rest are not as big a problem.

Anyway, a deer inside 25 yards is quite dead. I've not moved to 35, yet. That's my next step. I'm going to set the last pin at 40, hopefully. I'll have to go to the gun range or my son-in-law's place out in the country to shoot 50 yards. I could move the target back, but if I miss, it's into the woods and, well, by-by arrow.

Man, actually being able to hit a target so well with a bow is addicting! Next, I have to modify my fishing harpoon spool bracket for the compound. I've gotta get a trolling motor battery and get some wood to build a shooting platform on the boat, but I'm going to get back into stabbing fish. I'm shooting MUCH better than I used to, so this should be a more productive past time now. And, I'll rig me up a little ground blind in the brush at my place for bow season.

 

[61chalk]

Excellent!!!! Glad the new sights are working out for your vision. Sounds like your getting your 50.00 dollars worth. Might try some silencers on your strings an some bow wax every so often will extend your string life too. Let us know when you bag a deer!!!

 

[MCgunner]

Yeah, I should pick up some string wax for sure. I'll buy some silencers of some kind, too, probably. I need to read about 'em, figure out what works for how much.

I got back out there and shot at 35 and 40, it shot about 5" high on the bottom pin at 35 and 40, so I'm thinkin' that last pin is on at 50. Next time I'm out at my daughter's place in the country, I'll take my range finder and shoot on Brandon's shooting block at 50 to check.

Out there in the heat, I get tired pretty quick and start pulling shots to the right. I can't stay out there shooting too long, just go fire a few rounds, come in and rest. Bow gets kinda shaky after a bit, LOL.

 

[Supertac45]

Adjust the pins for the range you want.

 

[MCgunner]

I haven't adjusted the last pin because I wanna shoot at 50 with it to see if that's the set. I'll adjust it for 50, likely, as I can use hold over/under, bracket the target with the bottom two pins at 35/40, what I've been doing and it seems to work fine. I'm shooting light carbon arrows with 100 grain tips and the velocity is up there which keeps the trajectory pretty flat. Been shooting that recurve and it's like shooting artillery without the spotter at 40 yards, LOL! I'm going to pick up some 100 grain broadheads before season starts. I've got one of my son-in-laws to play with on the target, though, to see if it shoots the same.

I got out there yesterday after adapting my reel bracket for the bow and shot my fishing harpoon on an oil can at 10-30 feet, typical bow fishing range. I was center punching it every shot using the top pin and even shot it end to end a couple of times. Them gar ain't got a chance if I can see 'em coming up and get on 'em in time. That's the deal with bow fishing, shots are quick. Right now, there's nothing coming out of the dam on the river at the lake where the best bow fishing in the area is. I bet the water is really clear up there. I need to get my boat modified and get up there.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, after thinkin' about it, I set the bottom pin for 40 yards. It works at 35-40. I figure 50 is extreme range and I'll have to hold over if I make a shot at that range. I'm shooting 8-10" groups at 40 now, a little tighter until I start to tire. So, I'm not sure I'm ready to try a shot on game at 50 anyway. It's really nice to be able to back off to 40 yards and shoot into the target zone of a deer, though. I could never do that with a recurve, just ain't worthy I guess. My hat's off to those that are Byron Ferguson types that can make those shots with recurve or longbow, but like Harry Callahan says, a man's got to know his limitations.