scooterdo75

I prefer the local bow shop. If there were a skilled person working at a bigger sporting goods, I would use them as well.(but there isnt). Although I have to say, sometimes the bow shop isnt without faults either. It depends on the person helping you. The one I go to only has two employee's, one being the owner. The hired hand knows his stuff, and I trust him completely. Sadly, I dont like dealing with the owner. Not that he's not a nice guy, but Ive see him say a do some pretty dumb things that make you question his knowledge. I know the employee starts his day at 11:00am, so I make sure I dont show up until after that. If he left, my buisness would go with him.

bowdaddy64

I go to a bow shop....He knows who pays his electric bill snd such... and he wants you satisfied....a sporting goods store couldnt care less if you are not satisfied or not, plain and simple. My dealer knows ny bame and allways asks how my bow is doing for me, he just cares, and to me that matters....

RefusetoFollow

For me, it depends on what I'm after. For bows, arrows, and tuning advice and help I go to my local pro shop. But, if I'm just buying small stuff, say, like limbsaver string leeches, I'll buy them at the sporting goods store- just because they are usually cheaper.
I go to the proshop for new bows and other more important stuff because a guy will almost always get more specific advice and more support when tuning. Local pro shop guys have a more personal stake in what they do and care about each and every customer. Whereas, the guy at Joe Schmoe's Sporting Goods can just wait for the next customer. He's probably either paid by the hour or by commision anyway, so he either won't care if you buy it or not or will be pushy for you to buy buy buy even if it may not be right for you. For example- The other day I was in a my proshop shooting techno and this kid came in who had just bought a new bow from Dick's Sporting Goods. He is right handed, so the guy told him he needed a right hand bow. Problem was though, the kid is left eye dominant and shoots guns left handed. The kid was trying to pull back his bow, lean his head over the string, and aim a right-handed bow with his left eye- Whata mess.

RefusetoFollow

Well I guess it bleeped the name of the sporting goods store. I guess it is a word you can't use here in a different context.

TexasBowHunter

I will go to both depending on my needs....Normally I work on all my own stuff but I just bought a commander andI don't know anything about it and it won't fit in my press (I just learned a month ago I don't need a press).
I will be using the Pro shop for the bow tillI learn enough to do it myself. For all other needs I do a lot of online purchasing normally through cabella's. I will also go to Gander every now and then since they are close and of course we have Academy's but their archery selection isn't worth a dang....

AZHuntr

Bow shop only.