APA bows

[Wild one]

Looking to buy a new bow and was thinking of giving a APA a go. The problem is no one here in Abbotsford area carries them so I can't get my hands on one to see how they are.

To those who have shot/shoot APA bows what is the good and the bad things about theses bows?

[Kirby]

I shoot an APA, very happy so far. Try Bormans, they carry them, one of the staff members there is a staff shooter for APA I had a nice chat with him before buying mine. Or if you come up to the interior the store in Salmon Arm carries them now and maybe grouse river I think, not sure though.

I have the MX2, very fast and Calm. The knife sharpener I never use, nor the nock tool, but the ability to press it anywhere is a nice feature, changing strings is a breeze, and adjusting new strings is easy to do while shooting. The real nice things are the handle and the Fang Riser. I am constantly using both. The handle is so much more comfortable to carry it by. And when I am on a stand its nice to have it hang pretty much anywhere. The fang riser I thought was kinda silly but I use it all the time when I am on stands.

If you have any specific questions PM me.
Kirby

[MikeH]

I was going for a APA for my new upgrade ,leaning towards a Hoyt .hear the warranty sucks for APA.I'd like to support a Canadian company but don't need a shitty hickup.

[Sideofabarn]

I have an APA "frankenbow". The cams are not standard issue from APA, and I have found that the model painted on the limbs does not match the serial number, according to the folks in Biggar... All that said, I have enjoyed playing with mine, but I can't say for sure that I would purchase another one, basically because I was hosed on this one. Griping aside, the bow I have is "jumpy", meaning there is a very short wall after the peak draw. I'm assuming that this is either a feature of the bow, or the result of it being heavily *******ised. If, I was to buy another one, I would try to order it straight from the factory (not sure if it's an option). As Kirby mentioned, the carry handle is a nice touch.

[325]

I have an APA Viper. I'm very pleased with it. The fang riser is awesome...I can hang it on almost any branch. As for warrenty, I think APA will take care of you, I've only heard good things about their customer service.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Whomever told ya the APA warantee sucks ... Dont know what they are are talking about ... Even though I dont currantly shoot an APA I have not heard anything bad about them and would reccomend them highly ... I have several friends out east that shoot them ..One of which with a Buggered up shoulder and had surgury on it this summer ... Shooting a 49 pound (I cant recall the model name ..but a long ATA and a draw of of 32") and still getting a hunting arrow at about 300FPS.

A few years ago for was a toss up between which brand I went to APA or Bowtech ... I went Bowtech because I didnt like the balance of the APA ...

Now that said .. the APA risors are made in Eugene Oregon at the Bowtech factory ... their Cams used to be made there now they are made somewhere else ..I think here in Canada , Their Limbs are Barnsdales (best possible IMHO) if I recall correctly, and the factory String /cables are Scorpions..(Not the best possible but pretty damn good ..they used to be Worlds Best but Al does not have the equipment to keep up to that demand without sacrificing quality)

All and all APA is a quality bow ... Made in Canada or not I dont care ... I wouldnt hesitate to shoot one if it fit me. And they are leading the pack as far as intergration of tools are concerned in the hunting feild (Nock wrench, BH wrench , Sharpener ... the recent addition of the tree hooks built in are a nice touch IMHO)

Side ... what are your bows components .... some of the early 2005 (ish) cams are extremly agressive Binary cams that came on the Mambas ...
If I were to build an APA frankenbow .. I would base it loosly on the early Mambas ... possibly with a King Cobra riser, Black Mamba Limbs and Binary Cams

Most Cams on the early APAs have a wicked draw cycle ... they make Hoyt Spiral, Martin Fury, and High Country Hatchet Cams feel Tame ... The later ones they seemed to have found a way to smooth that out a bit ... still about as agressive as my Airborne Binarys with speed mods tho

[Slugman]

Hey Mikey, small correction on the manufacturering of the risers. APA have some fairly high end machining equipment and the risers are actually made in-house. They are a pretty darn innovative riser and the new cam lock that allows you to change or make adjustments to your string and cables is brilliant.
They were kind enough to provide a Mamba 6.5 for testing our arrows and since its a LH model only the shooting machine has had the privledge of shooting it - yes this is one smoking fast bow 342fps I believe for this bow. Any leftys looking for an APA in awhile?

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Perhaps Cam ... they used to be farmed out to Bowtech factory ... by APA design ...
I hadnt realized they had switched up the risers .. I had thought I heard they did Cams onsite was wasnt 100% certain.

I havent talked to Travis or Cory in a while re: APAs

So Gimme a minute while I exhale and shrug my shoulders ;)

[Wild one]

Hey Mikey, small correction on the manufacturering of the risers. APA have some fairly high end machining equipment and the risers are actually made in-house. They are a pretty darn innovative riser and the new cam lock that allows you to change or make adjustments to your string and cables is brilliant.
They were kind enough to provide a Mamba 6.5 for testing our arrows and since its a LH model only the shooting machine has had the privledge of shooting it - yes this is one smoking fast bow 342fps I believe for this bow. Any leftys looking for an APA in awhile?

If you are close by I am a lefty and would like to have a look at it.

[Jonas111]

Call Kory at Hardcore Archery in Kelowna. He is sponsored by APA and used his and placed 5th in the Canadian 3d championships. He knows Nabal fairly well and is a straight shooter.

Elite bows are known for the best warranty in the business.

[MikeH]

I was told the warranty was crap from a guy that owns a pro shop.They use to carry them but dont now due to issues with servicing.I still want to shoot one and a few others.Has anybody had to have their bows serviced by APA?

[Bow Walker]

MikeH - is the "crap warranty" from the pro shop due to a personal issue the owner had with APA? Might be worth finding out the details. Some peope get really demanding and aggressive about warranty issues - even the pro shop guys can be dicks when dealing with the factory...

[Mountain Man]

The bows are great!!

I have been a staff shooter for APA for over a year and I currently have a Viper, a Pit Viper, a Mamba XL, and a King Cobra. One thing I really like is that there is a bow for everyone! They have a line of twin cams, and a line of solo cams. All based of the same riser. Along with that they can meet your need with brace height! This is the most important thing to consider when purchasing a bow. From one end of the spectrum to the next they have speed, kinetic energy, forgiveness, smooth shooting, and most of all easy to tune. I have not had any peep movement or twisting of strings in 2,000 or more shots, the scorpion strings are up to snuff by today’s standards in my opinion.

The customer service is great! I mean great!!! Warranty, on spot! Dealing in Canada with a younger company has been very refreshing. Trust me I have had many delays and issues dealing with larger companies in Canada like Hoyt and Bow Tech I have even stop stocking them in the store. As far as after sales customer service goes Mathews and APA are by far at the top of my list!!

On top of a great bow there are small things that set them apart from the competition. The obvious being the following, knife sharpener, hanging hook, carrying handle, cam lock pin, broad head wrench, knock tool, detachable led light. I mean hey some may think some of these things are questionable but they have them and no one else does! If you’re willing to wait a bit a bow can be ordered in a bunch of different colour options. They also have just added Moth wing, and Ghost snow camo to there list! Who else does this?? Trust me they are an easy sell!!

One other thing to note: The single cam Pit Viper is by far the best seller; I have had several people not be able to pull 70lbs with other manufactures and pull a Pit Viper with ease!!!! My father owns a Mathews Monster and can only pull 63lbs. He also has a Pit Viper that he pulls 70 easy. I find this the biggest selling future when dealing with women. Due to physical strength difference women gain an extra 5lb pull over most any other bow.

[Big Lew]

Mountian Man, I've watched Jason Balaz's review of the Mamba XL. He was very impressed with the bow and gave it top marks. His only negative comment was of it's short valley....it didn't let you creep or relax much, which could be a problem if moving about to take a shot, although he did say it had a solid wall. Have you noticed the same, or could it have been the bow Jason used had not been fully tuned?

[Bowzone_Mikey]

the valley is short on the Mamba bows ... its not a bow for rookies ... but it will teach you how to shoot better

[MikeH]

Thx Mountain Man for the right up!Reading that I think has put me back onto APA.I was upset when the owner of the pro shop told me about warranty issues.Who knows what his issues were we never got into it just chatted briefly on the bows then i bought some upgrades and off i went.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

If anything ... the warantee is turnaaround with APA will be ten fold better than Hoyt or Bowtech ... because the dealers actually deal with the manufacturer ...where as with Hoyt and Bowtech respectivly the dealer deals with Monsons and North Sylva (middlemen)

Someone said theat the warantee with Elite is the best in the Biz ... It really depends on the issue ... what makes elites warantee so great is their loaner program ... ie: if your bow screws up ... call them directly and they will ship you a loaner while yours is getting repaired .... I foresee some other companys getting on board this train

[Sideofabarn]

Then maybe I should hold off and try a bow that hasn't been tinkered with by others. I do like the bow, just wish I'd known about what folks are doing with it between the manufacturer and the stealership. The price tag pushing 1 large makes me think long and hard about it though.

[Wild one]

Does anyone in the lower main land have an APA bow I could check out?

I just have a hard time deciding if I want to order one or not with out being able to check one out in person

[Mountain Man]

The valley on the Mamba may seem short to some! It depends on the shooting style if a shooter has a proper draw length set and is executed proper back tension shooting then its never an issue. The Mamba cams, like any twin cams, must come to stop at exactly the same time. It may be misleading if some one was to try a used bow and it was not in time!

If you want a deep valley the Pit Viper is the bow to shoot, I have honestly and with a non bias opinion have never ever felt a valley on a solo cam bow like the Viper. In fact APA is building me a Viper XL that I will shoot in Vegas this year.

I spoke today to the owner for two hours on the phone about some changes for 2011. Nothing is set in stone and it’s a little premature to mention anything yet. It will be x-mass before they will be available.

One thing they are working on is to offer a mid level bow at a cheaper price witch they don’t have currently in there line up. Going along with what APA has been known for they continue to look for innovative things to add to there bows that set them apart from other brands. Anything you hunters would like to see on there bows let me know and I will pass them along!!!

I even asked if there was a stocking dealer in the LM and it didn’t sound like there was. We are the only dealer in BC that stocks and stands behind the product 100% everyone else just dabbles.

Oh and by the way when I phoned APA today Nibal the owner answered the phone!!! It’s very common! How many owners of a bow manufacture will do that! I wouldn’t worry about the CS ! :-D

[Mountain Man]

Just a note : In the last 12 months sales have went as follows

1 st APA, #1 model is the Pit Viper, Most notable feature is the smooth draw cycle, unbelievable valley and an extremely solid wall. Downfall it could be faster.

2 cnd Mathews #1 model is the Z-7, most notable feature is it’s very very quiet! Downfall is the wall is a touch sponge.

3 rd Hoyt # 1 model Maxxis 32 very nice bow all in all, Downfall customer service.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

thats the trend In Coreys shop aswell (Jodi-lee archery in Llyodminister)
except 2nd is a dog fight with Hoyt Mathews and the Bowtech Destroyer 350

but APA outsells the them ....mind you thats what they pimp the most

[Bow Walker]

Pimp me! Pimp me!

[TheProvider]

Will be shopping for a new bow soon and definately eyeing up APA. Living in Squamish I might have to take a drive to Kelowna for a lil on hand testing :D

[MikeH]

That sucks Kelowna is the closest place to get one is there any shops in Washington state or on the Island.MountainMan whats the current prices on the bows.

[Bow Walker]

Hell Mike - it's only a 2 to 2.5 hour drive to Kelowna. Make a day trip out of it and enjoy the congestion along Harvey Rd.

[Mountain Man]

Ive seen customers drive a lot further then chilliwack to make an investment. Shit I drive to the EK for day hunts !! :-D lol.

The line up is in the $900 mark.

Im pretty sure im the only place that has all the models, I usually always have a south paw in stock at all times as well.

[TheProvider]

The drive is well worth it expecially if you come out of it with a bow that you love and a solid investment. Like bow walker says its not too far of a drive and you can make a day trip outta it. The only thing is finding time to do it, specially during the hunting season ;)

[Bow Walker]

The drive is well worth it expecially if you come out of it with a bow that you love and a solid investment. Like bow walker says its not too far of a drive and you can make a day trip outta it. The only thing is finding time to do it, specially during the hunting season ;)

Priorities, mate. If it'll enhance the balance of the season - take the necessary time! :mrgreen:

[Big Lew]

Anyone considering going over to Hardcore Archery in Kelowna make sure you have their phone number so that they can talk you into their place. I went this spring and had trouble locating them even though I had their address. They're in the back of a laundrymat if I remember correctly. Their store is well stocked and actually quite large including a small range upstairs. I was treated very well, they made the time to answer any questions I had, even not related to APA bows.

[urbanhermit]

Hardcore, they are 50 yards west from the Tim Hortons located corner of 97 and cooper. If you can find Tims, its right there.

[Jonas111]

The main thing is if you buy a bow from them you get a great education whether its from Kory or from his dad Ken. Both great guys and they are really into having there clients set up properly. I have bought a few bows from them now and they always go out of there way to help me out.

Ken is also a instructor for the NASP program. They both love there archery and it shows in there shop.

[urbanhermit]

The main thing is if you buy a bow from them you get a great education whether its from Kory or from his dad Ken. Both great guys and they are really into having there clients set up properly. I have bought a few bows from them now and they always go out of there way to help me out.

Ken is also a instructor for the NASP program. They both love there archery and it shows in there shop.
well said! Any client is treated like friend!

[MikeH]

yeah guess I could make a day trip out of it, just curious if there was any other places.When I'm ready will check out the shop maybe in Nov when I'm out hunting near Vernon.

[Mountain Man]

Directions

If you come across OK Lake heading in the direction of Vernon you will turn left by the Orchard Park Mall on Cooper, then left on Enterprise and we are right there on your left hand side. It’s only confusing because we own two businesses and the address is Harvey but the Archery store faces Enterprise. Follow he directions above and it is really easy to find.

[TheProvider]

Hey mountain man, how have clients been liking the black mamba 6.5? I'm interested in the black mamba 6.5 and the pit viper. I know I'll prolly only decide by shooting them but still seeking your opinion

[dukester]

Looking to buy a new bow and was thinking of giving a APA a go. The problem is no one here in Abbotsford area carries them so I can't get my hands on one to see how they are.

To those who have shot/shoot APA bows what is the good and the bad things about theses bows?

They are the best in the world, smooth and one of top 3 fastest bows out there. Funny how a small town dude in Sask can make one of the best bows in the world. If you call, he will ship your bow to you. "NewYork is big but this is Bigger Sask"

[tbear]

I have been a staff shooter for APA for several years now. I currently have four different models. I have a butt in my backyard. Give me a call. you are welcome to try them. All the bows I have are twin cams. I tried the Viper last year, very smooth, beautiful wall, and dead in your hands. I have a 27inch draw so prefer the speed and feel i get with the twin cams. Set a new provincial field record this year with my Mamba xl, came in second at Nationals with my mx1 and Anaconda. Have a 6.5 too. Any questions: Ted Kennedy 604 671-2022 or tedkennedy@shaw.ca

[tbear]

I live in fraser heights in north surrey. not far from port mann bridge. If either of you guys are interested in looking at or shooting my bows, i would be glad to help.

[tbear]

I believe Buckys in Duncan on the island is stocking apa bows now. Boormans will order apa in but does not inventory, he may have one of my ex shooter bows in store.

[Bow Walker]

Good to hear about Bucky's. Looks like a road trip is in order...:wink:

[Mountain Man]

Provider,
The 6.5 will give you a lil more speed, I like there twin cams! I think I may love there solo cams!! I will be shooting my new Viper XL soon. Every shooter demands different requirements so at time it’s hard to recommend. I always want to know a few things first these following examples may help.

Green or newer shooters I would tend to recommend forgiving shooting bows. Generous brace height, longer ata, and solo cams tend to be easier to shoot, more forgiving.

If you feel your shooting form is very consistent and you shoot a lot a bow with a short brace height may suite. Some people are trying to deal with short draw lengths and make up for it with speed bows.

It depends if your a hunter or target shooter, I understand most guys on here are hunters so my comments will tend to pertain to that.

If you live in an area that does not have a good pro shop consider a solo cam as well as it’s less likely to get out of time. A solo cam that is out of time still shoots a good group as well. Not so much the case with a twin cam. So even consider where you live.

Take advantage of tbears offer if you’re in his area.

I may sound like im pushing the solo cams it’s not the case I like the performance of both but its a fact that the wrong people tend to buy speed bows !!! When I say this I mean that an avid shooter that executes good form can shoot a short ata, short brace height, aggressive cam, fast, twin cam bow with great success. But most shooters will shoot a slower bow that has forgiving specifications more accurately.

I find most people that buy speed bows are the last people that should own one. Most cases they buy from emotion and they want the hardest hitting, fastest bow with the most kinetic energy. These types are usually weekend worriers that have never had an archery lesson, get sized improperly, shoot every three months, have poor form, the list goes on. These types will never shoot these radical bows very well !! I use the analogy that the wrong people usually buy 200 mph sport bikes and that’s why they end up in the obituaries, when someone who is 50 years old can ride one around safely for years. Don’t buy on emotion if accuracy is what you real strive for.

[Ruger4]

Call Kory at Hardcore Archery in Kelowna. He is sponsored by APA and used his and placed 5th in the Canadian 3d championships. He knows Nabal fairly well and is a straight shooter.

Elite bows are known for the best warranty in the business.

are you tempted ? :wink:

[unit91]

Hey, for what it's worth, I'll offer my 2cents. I just bought an APA mamba 7.5 from Bucky's around march of this year. It had a (minor) glitch in that there are supposed to be 3 screws holding each module onto the cam where mine came with only 2. Eventually the cam 'warped' a little throwing the timing way out. I took it back to Bucky's in Duncan where I got it. And they were absolutely top TOP shelf... Took care of it right away. only about 4 days for modules to come in and it was all done. Hopefully that should dispel some of the myths about apa not standing behind their product. That was pretty fast and (as far as I know) didn't require any arm bending to get apa to send out. Now that that's all done. the bow shoots like a dream. 31" draw and only 61lbs and I'm shooting faster than most 70lb bows up at the local range. Very VERY smooth shooter.
Ironically, (aside from the initial module issue) my only beef with the company is that it IS canadian.... In other words... instead of going hunting/to the range with only 1 set of allen keys, you'll now need two.. a metric one also. But that is a pathetically minor beef when considering the innovation they bring to the table... I've taken mine hunting only once so far and I can tell you that the carrying handle is absolutely a MUST have. Nock wrench is a bonus, fang riser also EXTREMELY convenient. All in all. Buckys and APA I have been very VERY happy with. Oh ya... As I live in victoria. Buckys actually dropped my bow off for me TO MY DOOR after fixing the module issue... if that isn't a testament to customer service... I don't know what is. both = top shelf.