WHAT IS A READY-T0-HUNT™ BOW
PACKAGE?
A Read-to-Hunt™ Bow Package isn't just a "kit" or "outfitter"
bow with some extra accessories thrown in the box. A
Ready-to-Hunt™ Bow is a COMPLETE FIELD-READY bowhunting system
which has been professionally prepared, adjusted, tested, tuned,
and pre-sighted in our pro-shop. No additional parts to buy.
Nothing left to assemble at home. Our Ready-to-Hunt™ bow
systems come READY AND LOADED with everything: bow, sight, rest,
quiver, stabilizer, sling, case, custom arrows, broadheads,
mechanical release, peep sight, nock set, string silencers, and
more!
Most importantly, when you open the hard-shell case and unpack
your Ready-to-Hunt™ bow, it is 100% ready to shoot - right
then. Simply strap on your release, pick up the bow, nock
an arrow, and let it rip. Our pro-shop shop builds the bow
system FOR YOU - TO YOUR SPECIFICATIONS. So it's shooting
properly from the very first shot you take. All you have to do
is finish setting your sight pins to the distances you prefer,
and you're literally ready for the woods.
A BETTER WAY TO BUY A
NEW BOW
We understand that just choosing a new bow can be a daunting
task in itself. And then you'll have to choose from hundreds of
different parts and accessories, try to figure out what parts
you really need, see what accessories will work on your bow and
what won't, find arrows to match your system, and then get
someone to set it all up and tune it in. What a hassle! When
you buy a Ready-to-Hunt™ Bow Package, you get something totally
different. |
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THE SETUP
PROCESS
With our exclusive Ready-to-Hunt™ bow packages, you get a
complete bowhunting system that is already configured and setup
for optimal field performance. We begin with the bare-bow,
adjusting your bow to the precise draw weight, draw length, and
let-off settings you select. We then professionally install all
of your accessories, string inclusions, and additional devices.
Our technicians then build custom arrows for your particular
bow, matching the arrow spine, weight, length, and FOC to the
output characteristics to your bow. When our initial parts
assembly process is complete, the bow is pre-cycled for string
stretch, and then moved into our "shooting-tunnel" where we
conduct our basic paper-tuning processes to examine base arrow
flight. But we don't stop there.
With the bow
now in relative tune, we then range-test (group-tune) every
Ready-to-Hunt™ bow for accuracy and make adjustments as
necessary until every arrow is flying laser-beam true. We
test-shoot every Ready-to-Hunt™ bow, literally dozens of times,
until we're satisfied that the bow is performing properly. This
also gives us an opportunity to debug any noise problems, peep
or string issues, fletching contact problems, etc. |
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Once the
bow is grouping properly downrange, our staff shooters
rough-set your top sight sight-pin (for a 15-20 yard
shot). So your very first shot with your new
Ready-to-Hunt bow is likely to be land within a few
inches of the bullseye. Of course, every shooter is
different. So the fine pin-settings will be up to you.
But our process puts you comfortably "on the paper", so
you don't have to start from scratch -
possibly sending an arrow
into an unforgiving neighbor's yard.
Finally, we chronograph the final field-ready rig, weigh
and spec the custom arrows, compute the actual tested KE
output, and document the bow system's settings and final
specifications. With every Ready-to-Hunt™
Bow Package, you will receive a copy of our Shop Order
Assembly & Test Report - your bow's "technical report
card" - which details the results of our setup and
testing process. We suggest you keep this report with
your bow's literature for future reference. You'll also
receive a copy of our Getting Started Booklet, which
offers helpful advice on setting sight pins, maintaining
your bow, making minor adjustments, etc. |
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 When
our setup process is complete, we inspect and double-check all
the bow's settings and specifications one final time before
carefully loading your finished bow, arrows, and all loose
components into your hard-shell bow case for transport.
READY TO HUNT™ BOW PACKAGES
ALSO SAVE MONEY
We don't believe archery
consumers should have to choose between getting good service and
getting a fair deal. So we work hard to make sure our
Ready-to-Hunt™ Bow Packages are affordable and competitive.
Ironically, the increasing popularity of the program has helped
to make this possible. As
our Ready-to-Hunt™ bow package program has grown, we've been
able to make special arrangements with a number of manufacturers
to purchase common parts as bulk/OEM shipments, in order to
lower the per-unit cost of the package components. So in most
cases, we can offer a full Ready-to-Hunt™ Bow Package at a
retail price that's 10-30% less than the price of the the
individual parts purchased separately. |
 VOLUME
BUYING STRATEGY
You may notice that many of our bow packages feature some of the
same parts and accessory choices (Whisker Biscuit Rests, TruFire
Releases, Trophy Ridge Sights, Alpine Quivers, Easton Arrows,
NAP Broadheads, Flambeau Bow Cases, etc.). This isn't by
accident. We know that quality is important. So we select
these parts carefully to ensure our bow packages are outfitted
with reliable components that will perform well in the field.
But we also know that price is important too. What good is a
great bow setup that nobody can afford? So we employ a buying
strategy, where we focus on a few selected arrow and accessory
lines, rather than offer a smattering of parts from all over the
market. This allows us to purchase key items in larger bulk
quantities - at a much better price.
PASSING ALONG THE BENEFITS
While it may sound cliché, we really do pass those savings along
to our Ready-to-Hunt™ customers. We don't believe in hoarding
those savings for ourselves - that's not how our pricing
philosophy works. If we get it cheaper - you get it cheaper.
There are more than a dozen different accessories and components
that go into assembling a Ready-to-Hunt™ bow package. And a few
dollars savings on every item really starts to add up. So when
you compare bottom lines, the retail price of a Ready-to-Hunt™
Bow Package is often UNDER your local dealer's wholesale cost
for the same list of components, and usually considerably less
than you could buy those same parts from a "big-box" discount
catalog store. This makes our Ready-to-Hunt™ packages some of
the best deals in the industry. So you really don't have
to
choose between getting good service and getting a fair deal.
You CAN get them both with a Ready-to-Hunt™ Compound Bow Package
from Hunter's Friend. |
EVOLUTION OF THE READY TO HUNT
PACKAGE PROGRAM
We haven't always offered Ready-to-Hunt Compound Bow Packages at
Hunter's Friend. Since the traditional wisdom was that the
archery buyer must physically be in the store to ensure a proper
fit and setup on a new bow, we simply hadn't considered doing
things any other way. At one time, the pro-shop was where we
served our walk-in customers, and the stockroom was where we
filled our internet orders.
But as we got to know our new internet customers, we began to
discover that a good number of bowhunters abroad had no
reasonable access to a fair and reputable archery pro-shop.
Time and time again our internet customers remarked that their
"local" archery stores were too far away, too
expensive, closed in the off season, only willing
to offer certain brands, difficult to deal with, etc. |
So upon request, we
began to offer some basic shop-services to our internet
customers. Before shipping a new bow, we were often asked if we
would adjust a draw length, or tie-in a peep sight, or square-up
an arrow rest, etc. Of course, we were glad to do it, generally
at no additional charge. We thought of it as a courtesy to our
buyers. We never thought the idea would totally change our
business!
As a general rule, archery buyers have two choices: pay
top-dollar to buy from a local pro-shop where you can get some
technical service, or try to save money buying from a discount
mail order store which leaves you "on your own" regarding setup
and tuning. So we began to
wonder if it was possible to bridge that gap. We had the
equipment, the technical staff, and the facilities to get the
job done. But was it possible to build, fit, and tune-up a new
bow for a customer 1000 miles away? Could we offer our internet
customers ALL the same services as our walk-in customers and
make it work? In spite of what the critics would surely say, we
decided to give it a try. |
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In the fall of 2001, we decided to
get things underway. So we began by writing and posting a
buyer's help-guide on the web, called simply the
Help with
the Details page. This guide gave our customers the basics
on what they needed to know before placing an order: how to
measure draw length, choosing an appropriate draw weight,
selecting fletchings, nock set options, peep choices, let-off
percent, etc. We then put together our first Ready-to-Hunt™ bow
system offer, an inexpensive single-cam setup called the
Champion Buck Bow System. Everything was included: bow,
sight, rest, quiver, arrows, broadheads, sling, stabilizer,
release, silencers, even a hard-shell case. We advertised that
bow bow would arrive setup, adjusted, tuned, pre-sighted, and
ready-to-shoot. |
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 To
even our surprise, the orders starting coming in the very next
day. We filled orders for the Champion Buck Bow from literally
all over the US & Canada, and even a few to Europe and South
Africa. When the season was finished, our pro-shop had built
and shipped more than 125 Ready-to-Hunt™ Buck Bow Systems. It
certainly wasn't easy. In fact, it was a lot of work, as we
wanted to get it perfect and prove our critics wrong. The
pro-shop guys spent HOURS working with every bow until it was
perfect. We adjusted every bow to exact draw weight, draw
length, and let-off. We pre-cycled, paper-tuned, group-tuned,
chronographed, powder-tested, pre-sighted, and documented
results every single unit meticulously. |
INITIAL RESPONSE
 Of
course, just selling something doesn't make it successful. We
knew the real proof would be the response from our customers.
And we were thrilled that of the 125+ "test" bow systems built
that season - ZERO units were returned for the money-back
guarantee, and only a small handful of customers needed any
adjustments whatsoever. Our pro-shop had found a way to
consistently hit the nail on the head, providing internet
customers with a professionally setup bow, built to fit, and
shooting great right out of the case.
In fact, we got a number of thank you letters and photographs
from our happy Ready-to-Hunt™ customers, many of whom had
bowhunting success that first season. The hard work had
paid-off and we were really proud of the results. Incidentally,
since the inception of the program, our Ready-to-Hunt™ bow
packages continue to have the highest customer satisfaction rate
of anything we sell in our store. Check out our
Customer
Testimonials. |
READY TO HUNT PROGRAM EXPANDS
The next season, we began to expand our Ready-to-Hunt™ bow
program to offer a larger variety of popular bows and
accessories to suit archers of varying budgets and skill
levels. And by the end of the 2002 season, we had setup another
623 Ready-to-Hunt™ Bow Packages for our internet customers. As
we continued to improve our program, offering more services and
premium bow lines, the popularity of our Ready-to-Hunt™ packages
has skyrocketed. |
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Today we are one of the busiest
independent archery pro-shops in the United States and we're
proud to be the #1 standalone dealership for 4 of the 13 major
bow brands we represent (we're still working on the other 9).
So over the past 5 years, our pro-shop has become a busy place.
Today we setup more over 2500 Ready-to-Hunt™ Compound Bow
Packages each year, and we receive over 5000 visitors (visitor
sessions) on our website every day.
THANK YOU!
While we never dreamed our pro-shop experiment would be so
successful, we are sincerely thankful to all of the bowhunters
who took a chance on us - and for the many loyal and repeat
customers who buy their new compound bows from Hunter's Friend. |
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FAQ'S:
 WHY
DON'T ALL ARCHERY E-STORES DO IT THIS WAY?
Quite
simply, because it's difficult and expensive to do - as you must
maintain stock, personnel, technical equipment, and the
facilities to complete this kind of work. The typical
independent archery e-store is basically a "drop-shipper" with
little or no in-store stock. In fact, several of the popular
online archery stores have no physical storefront at all. They
never actually see most of the products they sell. When you
place an order on their site, the e-merchant simply logs into a
wholesale distributor's website and keys-in your order for
someone else to fill. So the only real tools needed are a
keyboard and mouse. That's easy money! Preparing a
Ready-to-Hunt™ Bow Package isn't quite so easy, so it's a task
that most e-stores would rather not undertake.
WHAT ABOUT CUSTOM
PACKAGES, CHANGES, DELETIONS, ADDITIONS, ETC.?
While we try to
offer a great package setup to suit everyone, we do get a number
of requests for "Custom" packages. If you don't see the bow you
want in a package, or if you would like to make changes to an
existing bow package, we will be more than happy to accommodate
the request. The bow package components certainly aren't set in
stone. On most bow packages, you can add items, delete items,
upgrade items, etc. Or if you want to start from scratch, we'll
be happy to help you assemble a custom system to suit your
specific needs. Please call the pro-shop at 1-877-410-7811 for
a consultation or
e-mail us anytime. We'll help to get you into a great
bowhunting system that's just right for you and your budget.
SHOW ME THE
CURRENT READY-TO-HUNT BOW PACKAGES |
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