Anyone use Hunter's Friend?

[unit91]

Hey, I hate to ask, and to use mail order for archery gear... But I hate even more to spend a ton on some extremely overpriced 7 year old bow that's been collecting dust in the back of some shop 50 miles away, and that doesn't even fit properly.. I've just placed an order through Hunter's Friend and wonder if any of you have used them before.. how's their service? recommended?

[hardnocks]

So what did you buy? I just ran through their prices by the time you pay the $59 to ship to canada, shipping, maybe brokerage . You will be about $200 more then if you got it local .

[Bow Walker]

Where do you live? Maybe we could've pointed you in the direction of a decent shop near you. Or, at least have recommended a good place in Canada.

Hunter's Friend is a very good online rescource for information. I haven't used them for any purchasing though.

[jessbennett]

Hey, I hate to ask, and to use mail order for archery gear... But I hate even more to spend a ton on some extremely overpriced 7 year old bow that's been collecting dust in the back of some shop 50 miles away, and that doesn't even fit properly.. I've just placed an order through Hunter's Friend and wonder if any of you have used them before.. how's their service? recommended?


did you go check your local shops before blasting them with being over priced and selling outdated equipment?
and your worried about getting something that doesnt fit you properly? then you go and place a mailorder on a bow that you may not even have held?
so when and if this bow doesnt fit you properly, or something goes wrong with it and need it repaired, where ya gunna go? warranty? you going to take your mailorder bow to the extremely overpriced shop that deals in out dated dusty junk? make sure you tell him where you got the bow and why you got it there. im sure he will be happy to help you.......

you gotta understand that with dealing locally you can reap huge benefits. most dealers will go that extramile to help you out. little tune ups for free here, some free adjustments or reserving there. ........ thats why when it comes to something personal like a bow, you need to shop around, put these bows in your hand, and at least give your pro shops a chance!!!!

[pete_k]

Why feel bad? If the bow does'nt fit properly and it's 7 years old. Hell, I would'nt buy it either.

You won't notice your bow needs work till just before you go hunting. Hence you're out of a bow for hunting season as service will take 4 to 8 weeks

[jessbennett]

Why feel bad? If the bow does'nt fit properly and it's 7 years old. Hell, I would'nt buy it either.

You won't notice your bow needs work till just before you go hunting. Hence you're out of a bow for hunting season as service will take 4 to 8 weeks


ur talking about mailorder and service being 4 to 8 weeks im assuming?

[Bow Walker]

unit91...we are just trying to help here. If it's too late and you've already ordered the bow...well, don't worry, you will get used to the bow and you will (probably) grow to love it. I speak from experience here.

If you have questions about tuning, shooting, or anything like that do not be worried about asking for advice/help. It will come.

[seatoskymiles]

I have used them in the past would probably use the them in the future for custom arrows, off the shelf stuff mabey. fast service and they do deliver what they say.But if I was buying a new bow I would go with American Archery on E-bay. Great service and a good guy. He is a southern boy but he's good. just paid $400 for a 2009 Bear Lights Out FULLEY set up sights rest and quiver set to your specs> In a left hand to so stoked. mind u It's not here yet but UPS says it will be here Wed the 30th. Have a friend who bought from him and the only complate he has is that his PSC factory string is shit

[unit91]

ha ha! Jessbennet I got a kick out of the condescension dripping from your post! Any idiot can see benefits to shopping local. However sometimes it is simply not possible. Of the entire 5 bow inventory at the only nearby shop, 4 of the bowtechs are entirely out of my price range, and the one that is has a max draw length of 29" I'm needing 30.5"... To even suggest I buy this bow anyway for the sake of shopping at the local shop is absurd to the extreme. I also laughed (hard) at the fact that you shoot BOTH a hoyt Katera AND hoyt ultralight... Are you seriously gonna condescend me for needing to save a few bucks and wanting ((with my 4th bow purchase)) to be slightly more discerning when you shoot gear like that? I could only dream of being able to afford ONE of your bows. I doubt too that any little shop in Williams Lake sells Hoyt which means you're probably hiding a dirty little secret... Look. This isn't the tone, or where I wanted these posts to take a turn. With all of the converging catastrophes the world is facing... We all see the need to shop local wherever possible.. Rest assured my local shop gets TONS of money from me for other gear. If you are even half as experienced as you let on, you're very well aware that the bow is simply the tip of the iceberg in terms of all the gear necessary for a good hunt. Thanks anyway... happy hunting.

[jessbennett]

ha ha! Jessbennet I got a kick out of the condescension dripping from your post! Any idiot can see benefits to shopping local. However sometimes it is simply not possible. Of the entire 5 bow inventory at the only nearby shop, 4 of the bowtechs are entirely out of my price range, and the one that is has a max draw length of 29" I'm needing 30.5"... To even suggest I buy this bow anyway for the sake of shopping at the local shop is absurd to the extreme. I also laughed (hard) at the fact that you shoot BOTH a hoyt Katera AND hoyt ultralight... Are you seriously gonna condescend me for needing to save a few bucks and wanting ((with my 4th bow purchase)) to be slightly more discerning when you shoot gear like that? I could only dream of being able to afford ONE of your bows. I doubt too that any little shop in Williams Lake sells Hoyt which means you're probably hiding a dirty little secret... Look. This isn't the tone, or where I wanted these posts to take a turn. With all of the converging catastrophes the world is facing... We all see the need to shop local wherever possible.. Rest assured my local shop gets TONS of money from me for other gear. If you are even half as experienced as you let on, you're very well aware that the bow is simply the tip of the iceberg in terms of all the gear necessary for a good hunt. Thanks anyway... happy hunting.


actually there is a little shop here in williams lake that deals in hoyt......
so what would this little dirty secret be in which you are implying? im curious. enlighten me.

and since you seem to think i shoot million dollar bows, if you dont mind me asking, what did you order and how much including shipping did it cost?

there was no condescention at all in my post. all im saying is time and time again, ive seen it. order a bow on line. wrong draw length, dont like it. doesnt feel good. etc etc. what happens if something goes wrong with it?
where you going to take it? to the guy who "might have been able to find you a good deal"?

i never implyed that you buy the bow that didnt fit you. That is absurd. go back and read it again. local shops do have the ability to order things in for you too.

so relax. no need to get your undies in a bunch........ awsome to hear you got a new bow. hope you enjoy it and well...... welcome to hbc.

[seatoskymiles]

Well u guys are lucky to have a local shop, I live in squamish and the closest one is in new west. It's cheaper just in gas to order online

[unit91]

Ok, Jess, after re-reading what I wrote, perhaps that was a little strong. lets start new. All I meant to say (politely) is that I know mail order is not ideal. I know you meant well and that there are risks associated with mail order. Ordering in requires money down, which means, I'm right back to the start. Also, bows are now more infinitely tuneable than ever so if it doesn't fit (exactly) right as I'm not expecting it to. At least it will provide a good start point. change grip, peep etc. anyway, it's done. ((as an aside, I was suggesting that it was highly unlikely that you could acquire top end gear like that being up in Williams lake w/o buying elsewhere or online help.)) anyway, forget about it. no hard feelins. handshake. happy hunting.

PS Hardnocks... got the 2010 G5 Smoke. Will dial it in as needed. Can't wait!

[unit91]

Seotoskymiles... just a note about ordering across border... I contacted border services about import/extortion fees associated with bow imports.. None are applicable so long as the bow is manufactured in the States. You're only on the hook for the GST/PST.... that you would be anyway... and the shipping.

[hardnocks]

i compared hunters friends prices to the bows i have . I would like to get those prices . what really matters is that you think you got a bargain.

[jessbennett]

Ok, Jess, after re-reading what I wrote, perhaps that was a little strong. lets start new. All I meant to say (politely) is that I know mail order is not ideal. I know you meant well and that there are risks associated with mail order. Ordering in requires money down, which means, I'm right back to the start. Also, bows are now more infinitely tuneable than ever so if it doesn't fit (exactly) right as I'm not expecting it to. At least it will provide a good start point. change grip, peep etc. anyway, it's done. ((as an aside, I was suggesting that it was highly unlikely that you could acquire top end gear like that being up in Williams lake w/o buying elsewhere or online help.)) anyway, forget about it. no hard feelins. handshake. happy hunting.

PS Hardnocks... got the 2010 G5 Smoke. Will dial it in as needed. Can't wait!


my bows were purchased locally and not online. and handshake accepted ! :mrgreen: and returned of course!

[Bow Walker]

Well boys - I, too, ordered a bow online (back in 2006) because the local shop in town was charging the regular retail ($1,000.00) for a Diamond Liberty as they were for a top line Bowtech.

Now, with the minimum of research it is easy to find that Diamond is a good quality bow, which is manufactured by Bowtech. But Diamond is a 2nd line, in that they are less expensive than the 'top-line'. Bowtechs go for $1,000.00 - Diamond go for at least $200.00 less, at least.

They would not budge. They were quite snotty about it too. So I ordered online (from Pennsylvania) and got the Diamond to my door for $800.00 So much for the local guy.

Now I'm the 'local guy' and I will not want to screw potential customers that way.

[Hadda]

Hunter's friend was ok for me, but not perfect. I got a bow package from them and they gave me 125 gr field points and broadheads, even though it was obvious that 100s or 85s would work better with my setup. I didnt have to pay duty but still got dinged for tax. If the price is anywhere near what a local shop would charge, I'd go for local.

[unit91]

Hadda! thanks for the post. So they screwed up on the BH weight selection eh? how was everything else? From what I've collected so far... there bows are tuned to shoot like a dream... but the down side is that have occasionally (as in your case) miss-identified certain items (rests, sights etc) to include with the pkg. somewhat vexing... but I haven't found an online retailer yet without at least SOME level of customer dissatisfaction... I'm sure local merchants have their fair share of dissatisfied customers too... were you happy with the bow? how did it shoot? was it as paper-tuned as they claim?

[Bowzone_Mikey]

So they screwed up on the BH weight selection eh? how was everything else? ... there bows are tuned to shoot like a dream... least SOME level of customer dissatisfaction... I'm sure local merchants have their fair share of dissatisfied customers too... how did it shoot? was it as paper-tuned as they claim?


see I find these statments hilarious ... Think about this for a second .. How can a shop tune your bow properly when you are not there to tune it to .... they have no idea of your body diamentions so Peep height will be out, they have no clue how you release (whether you pluck or punch) the only thing a shop can do without you there is set center shot ... and time the cams assuming you gave them the proper draw lenth ...
If you wanna buy a bow online thats fine ... but be prepared for disapointment ... Find someone that knows what they doing to tune it to you , more often than not that will be your local shop ...and for gods sake ... pay them for their time to set it up ... it will keep everyone a little more happy .....but recall that if you bought the bow there in the first place ... all set up and tuning to you is included in the purchase price

Personally I have bought alot of stuff online ... mostly second hand, the odd item I bought from a "store" ... But I also know what I want and I have the facilities to do everything I can possibly need except build string and cable sets ...

[Hadda]

I was/am happy with the bow, even though i didnt save as much money as i'd hoped. It was paper tuned properly. As bowzonemikey said, expect the bow to need some tweaking and adjustments to work perfectly for you. I guess it comes down to whether or not possibly saving a couple bucks is worth it to you over having in-person tuning and customer service.


Hadda! thanks for the post. So they screwed up on the BH weight selection eh? how was everything else? From what I've collected so far... there bows are tuned to shoot like a dream... but the down side is that have occasionally (as in your case) miss-identified certain items (rests, sights etc) to include with the pkg. somewhat vexing... but I haven't found an online retailer yet without at least SOME level of customer dissatisfaction... I'm sure local merchants have their fair share of dissatisfied customers too... were you happy with the bow? how did it shoot? was it as paper-tuned as they claim?

[Sneaky Snake]

Ok, Jess, after re-reading what I wrote, perhaps that was a little strong. lets start new. All I meant to say (politely) is that I know mail order is not ideal. I know you meant well and that there are risks associated with mail order. Ordering in requires money down, which means, I'm right back to the start. Also, bows are now more infinitely tuneable than ever so if it doesn't fit (exactly) right as I'm not expecting it to. At least it will provide a good start point. change grip, peep etc. anyway, it's done. ((as an aside, I was suggesting that it was highly unlikely that you could acquire top end gear like that being up in Williams lake w/o buying elsewhere or online help.)) anyway, forget about it. no hard feelins. handshake. happy hunting.

PS Hardnocks... got the 2010 G5 Smoke. Will dial it in as needed. Can't wait!

Why the fack would it be "highly unlikely" that a place like Williams Lake would carry "top end gear"?????

[Bow Walker]

When I bought my hunting bow 'online-without-ever-having-held-the-thing' I fully expected and was prepared to do the tuning that it takes to make the bow accurate and to tune it to my specifications. You gotta expect to do things like that.

As Mikey says - they can't tune it for you uness you are actually there.

[jessbennett]

Why the fack would it be "highly unlikely" that a place like Williams Lake would carry "top end gear"?????


i was curious about the same thing?????:confused: guess us straw eatin hillbilly folk are known for our banjo pickin, not archery..............:???:

[Bowzone_Mikey]

i was curious about the same thing?????:confused: guess us straw eatin hillbilly folk are known for our banjo pickin, not archery..............:???:
'bout time you figger that out ....:wink:

Hey Jess .. ya wanna go cow tippin'?:mrgreen:

Our local shop is small ..but has everything I have ever gone in looking for.

When I buy Locally I try to spread it out between Troutfitters/OSS and T&F Sports (Ted Stearn) ... High end target stuff I can get locally (ACE arrows, Launcher Blades, wire baskets, clickers etc ..)... some rare stuff (Sureloc or Copperjohn components, Stanlawski stuff etc...)might take a week or more but it can get here thats generally when I will go online and typically pull something out of the states where target archery is a much larger segment than what it is in Canada ...but common high end target stuff is almost always in stock in town ...and of course any High end hunting related stuff is always in stock anywhere I go in town ... the differance is particular brands (if I want Octane I got to NTF ...if I want Fuse then I go to Ted)

[Bow Walker]

Why the fack would it be "highly unlikely" that a place like Williams Lake would carry "top end gear"?????
You'll find that 'rural' shops very often carry a bigger, more extensive line of products than the big city locations do. The 'rural' locations are certainly more knowledgeable about the products that they carry...(no offensr to Reliable Guns - there is always an exception or two to every rule).

Generally speaking my statement will be true - there are just more 'customers' in the rural areas actively using the outdoor products than there are in the big cities.

http://www.forumsextreme.com/images/sHa_popcorn.gif Let the flames begin!! http://www.forumsextreme.com/images/sHa_wink4.gif

[jessbennett]

'bout time you figger that out ....:wink:

Hey Jess .. ya wanna go cow tippin'?:mrgreen:

Our local shop is small ..but has everything I have ever gone in looking for.

When I buy Locally I try to spread it out between Troutfitters/OSS and T&F Sports (Ted Stearn) ... High end target stuff I can get locally (ACE arrows, Launcher Blades, wire baskets, clickers etc ..)... some rare stuff (Sureloc or Copperjohn components, Stanlawski stuff etc...)might take a week or more but it can get here thats generally when I will go online and typically pull something out of the states where target archery is a much larger segment than what it is in Canada ...but common high end target stuff is almost always in stock in town ...and of course any High end hunting related stuff is always in stock anywhere I go in town ... the differance is particular brands (if I want Octane I got to NTF ...if I want Fuse then I go to Ted)


yee haw mikey!!!! lets go tip them thar heffers.........:mrgreen:
i know what you mean tho. sometimes you have to wait a few days for rare stuff. but anytihng else that is usually needed is usually in stock....
dealt with ted before..... good guy.

that being said, i wonder how many people know that most dealers can get some pretty good deals on bows that are still brand new and last years models?? alot of top line, brand name bows? still have warranty, dont have to pay shipping for the most part, still get set up and help from the proshop, etc etc. so basically you support local, get hands on help and maint(warranty e.t.c.), yet paying a discount price?

and im the one who was getting blasted for having expensive bows??.....:confused:
on my redneck, chicken farming salary i like good deals too.....:mrgreen:

[jessbennett]

You'll find that 'rural' shops very often carry a bigger, more extensive line of products than the big city locations do. The 'rural' locations are certainly more knowledgeable about the products that they carry...(no offensr to Reliable Guns - there is always an exception or two to every rule).

Generally speaking my statement will be true - there are just more 'customers' in the rural areas actively using the outdoor products than there are in the big cities.

http://www.forumsextreme.com/images/sHa_popcorn.gif Let the flames begin!! http://www.forumsextreme.com/images/sHa_wink4.gif


flames???? what flames? where? ........:confused::mrgreen:

[Foxtail]

I bought a ready to hunt setup from huntersfriend a few years ago, everything was great, no problems whatsoever. They paper tune the bow with a hooter shooter I believe. My bow shot excellent for me right out of the box and I saved between 200 and 400 bucks depending on what shop I talked to. They are great people to deal with and as long as you know all your specs they will set your bow up exactly how you tell them. right down to the degree of helical and colour of fletching on the arrows... all in all I had a good experience with them.

[Night Hawk 3]

I have purchased from Hunter's Friend and my experience was pretty much as Foxtail below. Good to deal with, answer emails and phone calls with intelligent answers.

I also support my local shop for all kinds of bits and pieces, but the prices are much higher. What I do get for the higher prices is really good knowledgable service and help.

NH3


I bought a ready to hunt setup from huntersfriend a few years ago, everything was great, no problems whatsoever. They paper tune the bow with a hooter shooter I believe. My bow shot excellent for me right out of the box and I saved between 200 and 400 bucks depending on what shop I talked to. They are great people to deal with and as long as you know all your specs they will set your bow up exactly how you tell them. right down to the degree of helical and colour of fletching on the arrows... all in all I had a good experience with them.