Do you travel with a backup bow?

[fwafwow]

For those who have a backup bow, do you take it with you on your bigger hunts? I'm trying to determine the feasibility of really having, and taking, two bows. I'm in the early stages of building out another bow. (Background - https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/blew-up-my-rx-1-ultra-repair-or-upgrade-to-rx-4.178339/ - thought I blew up my RX-1 Ultra, was thinking about the RX-4 upgrade, but merely need new strings. But now I can't get the upgrade out of my head.... So I'm rationalizing a new bow so that my current bow can be my "backup" bow... ).

As far as a case, I have the SKB 4719 double bow case. It's massive and heavy, even with just one bow, and I wouldn't switch to anything less sturdy. To date I've never put two bows in it, but have instead filled it with other gear and clothing. I love it.

Anyway, since I have a two bow case, and the concept of having a backup requires you to travel with the backup bow (at least for a big annual elk hunt), my question is - how many of you have actually been able to take two bows with you? Size of course matters, so my RX-1 Ultra is pretty big (35" ATA), and the RX-4 is about the same (34" ATA). To date the sight I have seems to be one of the limiting factors (I have a HHA Tetra). Do you remove your site when you pack two bows?

Any feedback would be most appreciated!

 

[Reburn]

I have 2 bows. Setup the same. Different rests but same sight, tuned to same arrows. One hoyt rx3 one vxr. I have 2 identical sights on dovetails with different ring colors so I just slip them off. I practice with both equally so i guess neither is techinally a backup. There is something to be said about both bows being setup and ready to go. The only thing that transfers is stabs if i even use them. It would be a hunt by hunt deal if both bows went. If I was driving sure 2 bows easy. If I was flying it would depend on where I was going, the duration of the trip, the distance from a bow press and or confident shop, weight restrictions and things like that.

Other upside is if i stumble across a bow I have to have one of the two is going down the road. Its nice to have rests and sights and everything that is needed to take one bow apart and setup the other while maintaining a ready to go bow.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

I always bring a back up bow when I am traveling more than 4 hours from my home. They are so hard to setup and take weeks to shoot well, so with any hunt, you want a back up bow for sure. I would remove the sight but mark it. Also, if you need to, bring a practice target, if feasible, in case something goes wrong with the primary bow. That way you can tweak any changes needed and gain confidence in the back up bow.

Strangely for me, I purchased a used Mathews Halon 32 as a back up, but ended up liking it more than my Prime Centergy and not the Prime is my backup, go figure.

Great deals to be had in the winter on this and other sites for used bows.

Good luck and glad to see you up and hunting so soon!!

 

[Trial153]

Not unless I am driving....

 

[Reburn]

Not unless I am driving....

Would you if you were going over the ocean international?

 

[Trial153]

Would you if you were going over the ocean international?

Not unless I could take the extra bow into where I was hunting or close to where I was hunting, otherwise what good is it anyway.

 

[MattB]

I always take a backup, cheap insurance. Same/similar bow, sight, and rest. I swap the stab and quiver.

 

[Planopurist]

I bought a bow over Winter to use as a target / backup bow. I just set it up to shoot my hunting arrow from last year. I’ll map the setup in case I move to a fat shaft for indoor. I too have the heavy, double bow SKB. I plan to take an extra bow and arrows on my next hunting excursion that’s more than a weekend.


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[mlgc20]

I guess I’m different than everyone else. I don’t have or want a backup bow.

 

[87TT]

I had a Hoyt Powermax that I wanted to change out the factory strings after a year. The nearest bow shop is two hours away. I called them to order a set and make an appointment to have them installed and a tune up. They wanted me to "drop" it off and leave it for a week. I am retired and shoot it everyday so that was not acceptable. I finally got them to let me drop it off in the AM and pick it up in the late afternoon while I spent the day shopping and other errands in the city. When I went to get it, they had set it up and didn't do the "full" tune that I had paid for so I ended up having to leave it anyway. I decided that since This happened during the "slow" time of the year (April), that I needed a back up bow so I didn't miss a hunting season if something happened. I found a brand new top of the line bow that was a last years model. It was a great price and had never been set up or fired,
Then I started thinking about having to leave it and all the travel time to get it worked on. I ended up building a press and draw board. With the help of Youtube, I set it up, tuned it and killed my bull with it last year. Now I have since kept it tuned and changed strings. I have both bows with the exact same sights (and pin colors) and rest. The quiver has a bracket on both bows and the stabilizer's have quick releases.
Any time I travel, both come along. I fell once on a deadfall during a 3D shoot at Hoodoo and my bow got tweaked some how and started shooting a foot to the right. I moved the sight over and later it started moving back left. Thank God I had my back up for the next day.

 

[TBHasler]

Yes, always bring it, even if not traveling far. Same set up, site, same arrows, only difference is a TT smack down pro rest on back up bow I got for smoking deal on camofire.
Lots of extra effort and cost, BUT I won’t ever lose a hunt because of failure on primary bow. Worth it to me.
Have I ever had to use it due to primary failure? Nope. But that’s I’m why I view it as insurance...I’m ok never HAVING to use it.

 

[Donk]

Yes. I take one when I go elk hunting. They are different bows but I shoot them both well. I’m 31 inch draw length and left handed. I have a hard time finding bows in stock sometimes. I’m also thinking of buying a used right hand now that fits. I have had some shoulder problems on the left side. If it flares up I can just shoot right handed.

 

[Planopurist]

Then I started thinking about having to leave it and all the travel time to get it worked on. I ended up building a press and draw board. With the help of Youtube, I set it up, tuned it and killed my bull with it last year. Now I have since kept it tuned and changed strings. I have both bows with the exact same sights (and pin colors) and rest. The quiver has a bracket on both bows and the stabilizer's have quick releases.

I have a great tech friend (www.fulcrumarchery.com ) that put on a bow technician class a couple years ago. I luckily won a press some time after that. I bought a draw board, a cheap vise off ArcheryTalk, a few odds, ends, and tools. I just setup my first bow. It shoots fine so far. I want to take an animal with it just to prove it to myself. My friend still answers questions for me, but YouTube is golden.

Shops are hit or miss to me. If if tragedy strikes during the busy season, much less during season, you’re at their mercy. My bow blew up a few years ago, 2 weeks before the whitetail opener. Talk about nerve-racking.

I got into building my own arrows 25 years ago because it was a 2-week wait at the archery shop to refletch arrows. I couldn’t take it. Now, I have a saw as well. So, my home shop and soon to be arrow-building business is real. I never thought that before.


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[Dapper]

Yes, always. My son is left handed/I'm right handed, so each has his own backup bow. My backup bow is set up with its own sight, just move the quiver. We have always driven, never flown. In 2014 I had a good New Mexico elk tag. On the third evening, while waiting for some elk to come down the mountain, I pulled back my bow and one of the limbs just collapsed, splintered. The next afternoon, I shot a real nice bull with my backup bow, which was close to 25 years old. I had shot it several times before the hunt.

 

[Spiral Horn]

Generally will bring a backup bow if I can stay below airline weight. It has bailed me out more than once - a lot can go wrong on a bowhunt - once tripped into some bushes that tore out my sight pins (now use a cover), servings distruct at just the wrong time - even broke a limb once while checking zero. Used to bring a field press and a bunch of repair/replacement items, now I just bring a spare bow that shoots the same arrow.

 

[fwafwow]

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone. I'm set on getting another bow built. (Once you start thinking about the new bow, it's hard to stop.....)

For those who have the backup and travel with it, have you actually been able to get two bows in a double SKB case?

This may open up a whole other can of worms, but with a new bow, I was thinking of two things that I might do differently on the new bow:

• adding in a laser rangefinder site (Burris or Garmin), but then I figured out each is illegal in Idaho (destination for this year), and since they are giant pieces of equipment (relatively speaking), it would make it harder to fit in the bow case
• finally going all-in on the Valkyrie Jagger arrow setup (I use the BloodEagles now) - but this seems to defeat the purpose of a "backup" approach (one more variable to deal with if something changes, and the need to take both sets of arrows)
• based on the above, it sounds like the way to go is to *minimize* the differences in the two bows.

 

[Reburn]

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone. I'm set on getting another bow built. (Once you start thinking about the new bow, it's hard to stop.....)

For those who have the backup and travel with it, have you actually been able to get two bows in a double SKB case?

This may open up a whole other can of worms, but with a new bow, I was thinking of two things that I might do differently on the new bow:

• adding in a laser rangefinder site (Burris or Garmin), but then I figured out each is illegal in Idaho (destination for this year), and since they are giant pieces of equipment (relatively speaking), it would make it harder to fit in the bow case
• finally going all-in on the Valkyrie Jagger arrow setup (I use the BloodEagles now) - but this seems to defeat the purpose of a "backup" approach (one more variable to deal with if something changes, and the need to take both sets of arrows)
• based on the above, it sounds like the way to go is to *minimize* the differences in the two bows.

IMO
minimize or remove all differences. Rest differences no biggie as the bows wont tune exactly the same anyways. Same sight. Same arrows. If you change arrows or broadheads no reason you can just change both.

Forget about the range finding sight. They aren't legal everywhere, and I'm still not comfortable having electronics in my scopes or sights. I did move to range finding binos but range finding scopes and sights I'm just not digging. My binos still work as binos if the range finder electronics crap out on a hunt.

Which double bow case do you have?

 

[fwafwow]

Which double bow case do you have?

I've got the SKB 4719 Double Bow case (https://www.skbcases.com/sports/sku.php?cat=12&pid=179)

 

[Reburn]

I've got the SKB 4719 Double Bow case (https://www.skbcases.com/sports/sku.php?cat=12&pid=179)

Yes you will be able to get 2 bows and a sleeping bag and your optics and enough crap for it to weight 70 lbs. (semi exaggeration) Might as well since its an over SIZED bag if flying might as well make it overweight since your paying for it anyways. Toss a pistol in there too so TSA keeps their grubby little fingers off it as well.

 

[fwafwow]

Yes you will be able to get 2 bows and a sleeping bag and your optics and enough crap for it to weight 70 lbs. (semi exaggeration) Might as well since its an over SIZED bag if flying might as well make it overweight since your paying for it anyways. Toss a pistol in there too so TSA keeps their grubby little fingers off it as well.

Thanks. Luckily I'm usually on Delta and get up to 70#

The pistol approach works in some airports, but not in others.