Sometimes it takes awhile to get both you and your bow in sync with each other. A getting to know you period, in which you tweak your site pins more than once until you find the perfect match. You know the feeling I’m talking about, the confidence to take a shot and being assured that your arrow will go where you aim it (at least, most of the time).
The day that I got my bow back from Parker it was like Christmas morning for me. To read the story of my bow’s travels, check out my story “A New Season, A New Draw Weight”. I was so excited that it was Andy who brought me down to earth with his statement…”You know, once I put your sight back on, then we will have to sight in your bow again. Remember you are shooting a big difference in poundage”. Imagine my pout which turned into determination after about 30 seconds. My theory…ok, let’s do this.
Andy reattached all of my accessories and handed me back my bow. He reminded me that my bow was cranked all the way down for shipping. In other words, it was at its maximum poundage, because it is safer to ship a bow that way. There is less vibration and less risk to injure the limbs. I decided to test it out. My bow used to have a draw weight range of 30-40 lbs. My new limbs allowed my bow to have a draw weight range of 40-50 lbs. I wanted to see what 50 lbs felt like. Andy was very, very worried that I might have a problem and accidentally dry fire my bow (firing without an arrow). However, I carefully used my release (without my fingers near the trigger) and pulled it back. Yep, it felt like 50 lbs to me. Andy cranked the draw weight back to a respectable 47 lbs for me.
Now 47 lbs is at least a 7 lb jump for me. My arm is not used to that and it is challenging, but not to the point that it is stressful or injuring. Remember, I shoot my bow left-handed and I am normally right-handed. This means that I have some work to do before the next season. I have been shooting about 6 rounds of arrows on one evening and resting my arm the next, and then repeating. It has only been a week and a half, but my arm and my bow already feel good.
I used to complain that I could see my arrow arch in the air, it was so slow. Now at 47 lbs, it is all straight lines and decent speed. As for the re-sighting that I was worried about, it only took a couple of adjustments to compensate for my increased poundage. I am golden at 15 and 30 yards. My 20 yard pin could still use some work, but overall I love my new, old bow!
