merlin bow advice please

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hellsfinest
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject: merlin bow advice please

[mod note: topic was originally called "are merlin bows underpowerd?", this has been changed as it is felt this does not accurately reflect the contents of topic] or is it just mine?? i've just bought a supernova off ebay & i love it, it's my first bow but i spent a while debating which company to go for, everyone seems to have hoyt's except me but thats a good thing . . . . . . or is it? this brings me to the thread. . . my limbs are pro-fusion carbon & are listed as 55llbs, omega 2 cams, bowlength 40&1/4 inch. trouble is this bow just makes it to the 60yds target, no way will it get any further than that regardless af arrow choice, the limbs are tightend up to the max, adjusted arrowrest,nocking point, sights on the bottom of the bar, etc etc but apart from all that just drawing the bow tells you its weak! like i say it's my first bow & i'd like to keep it, im happy with everything except the lack of power. so other than telling me to send it to merlin to get it checked out has anyone had the same problems with merlin bows or can anyone suggest what it could be? i emailed merlin last week asking if they had any problems with the limbs on these bows & how much they'd charge me for new ones, they never got back to me? any advice on this much appreciated people.

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Ratfighter
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject:

nope, lets put this in another context. "Excuse me (your preferred car manufacturer) my 6 year old car that you manufactured just won't go up the hills like it did. What is wrong with it" "Have you had it serviced recently sir?" "No" "Well bring it in and we'll take a look" Would this sound plausible? A compound bow is a machine, nothing more, nothing less and like any machine things wear, things stretch and things go out of spec, just like a car. Merlin and I'm not just saying this because of my involvement with Merlin Archery Club, provide the highest quality of customer service and sales back up, the mere fact that they didn't say, this bow is six years old, you really should replace it, stands testament to there continued drive towards customer satisfaction. To sum up My XS's are up at the legal limit for speed and without pushing any design boundaries, so no, "Merlins are NOT slow", You bought a bow off EBAy, so you cannot know it's pedigree, has it shot a few hundred arrows? a few thousand? ten thousand?. I shoot 500 arrows a week, minimum, based on that your could have shot 150,000 arrows (so don't buy a 6 yr old bow from me) Has it been dry fired?, dropped on the cam? shot with the wrong spine arrow for those years? When was the last time the strings were changed, you should figure on these being swapped out yearly? Are the cams in time? Have you measured the draw weight etc, because I've seen Buses with OXO on the side and never once managed to obtain a meaty beverage from one. Lastly you don't state what arrows you have with the bow, or the draw length, I know that my ally indoor arrows wouldn't thank me for shooting them 60yds, all these factors add up and can contribute to a poor performance, which is why titles like "are merlin bows underpowered" really really annoy me My advice, take up Merlin's offer to look your bow over, I would doubt Earl Hoyt would want to cast a glance over a 6 yr old Striker. _________________ MERLIN ARCHERY CLUB GETTING RATTIER BY THE MINUTE

Club: Merlin Archery Club
Bow: Merlin XS x2
Sight: Axcel 3000 Viper Scope
Arrows: Navigators & Gold Tip Ultralight Pro's
Accesories: Apollo launcher, CC Porter release, Merlin Triad stabiliser

Bows now sporting my own strings!!!! yummy!!

fred
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Posts: 1659
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Location: Kidderminster Worcs

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject:

hellsfinest mate i am no expert about compounds but check your draw length before you start spending money it is quite easy to lose 5-10pounds if you under draw from the recomended length.Apart from that there are many compound archer out there who have a lot more knowledge than me Fred

Club: Die Hard Archers
Bow: KG 1
Sight: none
Arrows: matched wooden
Accesories: none

Ratfighter
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:36 pm Post subject:

fred wrote:

hellsfinest mate i am no expert about compounds but check your draw length before you start spending money it is quite easy to lose 5-10pounds if you under draw from the recomended length.Apart from that there are many compound archer out there who have a lot more knowledge than me
Fred

Fred
A compound draw length does not affect the poundage, just the amount of string it pays out. IF the cam is different to the one it was shipped with then it might not make the poundage. More likely that the bow is so out of spec it doesn't do what it says on the tin BUT with so little REAL information to go on, it would be unfair to make any assumptions as to what is occurring.
Here is a list
not making the poundage,
strings degraded
cam timing
nocking point to peep distance
sight to peep distance
wrong arrow selection
incorrect axle to axle length
Technique
limb degradation
damage.

I would say if the offer is there to ship it back and have it looked at, I would go for it. Merlin won't fix anything that doesn't need fixing, and won't push to see a new bow depart the showroom. That being said, there are no more parts available for the Super nova, so any replacements would have to come from the current range. I have seen numerous old range bows sporting 2008 limbs and Alpha cams, so there are still plenty of happy Merlin shooters out there

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fred
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:44 pm Post subject:

As I said no expert about compands it works with recurves and longbow and flat bows Fred

Club: Die Hard Archers
Bow: KG 1
Sight: none
Arrows: matched wooden
Accesories: none

hellsfinest
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject:

thanks fred, thanks ratfighter, i've just had a couple of experienced compound shooters look at it. it's pulling 40llbs on max, they think with such a large drop in power it's more than likley the limbs, i'll ring merlin again 2morra & see what they can do about it cos after all it is there fault, ,only joking ratfighter no need to kick off again. good forum this i think i'll learn a lot from u's, cheers.

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Ratfighter
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 5:53 pm Post subject:

hellsfinest wrote:

thanks fred, thanks ratfighter, i've just had a couple of experienced compound shooters look at it. it's pulling 40llbs on max, they think with such a large drop in power it's more than likley the limbs, i'll ring merlin again 2morra & see what they can do about it cos after all it is there fault,

,only joking ratfighter no need to kick off again. good forum this i think i'll learn a lot from u's, cheers.

I'm sure they'll sort something out for you. I won't kick off again but I would give greater consideration to the subject title, particularly after the "Grozier horsebow owners wear ladies undies" incident .

Welcome to the forum

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JimN
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:56 pm Post subject:

Ratfighter wrote:

Must have completely missed the "Grozier horsebow owners wear ladies undies" incident but I've changed the topic title to more accurately describe the contents.

Club: Black Arrow Field Archery Club
Bow: Internature Viper AFB (45# @ 28")
Sight: Staring maniacally
Arrows: 31" POC
Accesories: Silver patent leather slingbacks

Liam
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:33 am Post subject:

In answer to your original question - No I dont believe Merlin bows are underpowered I have owned 2 (a Max3000 and an XV) and both were capable of 300 fps and above and both shot 90m at under 60lb draw weight with ease. The Max3000 was brought second hand by me and after a service, new strings and cables, draw length change and new cams it was an absolute dream to shoot (apart from the hand shock, boy that thing kicked like a mule, this was controlled nicely with a long rod though). The XV was brand new and as expected was faultless. _________________ Why not?

Club: Long Eaton Field Archers
Bow: Karel Osage Orange Hungarian Reflex Bow 50lb @ 28"
Sight: Not Brilliant
Arrows: Sitka Spruce 11/32's @ 31"
Accesories: 2 Funny gloves with not enough fingers on them

hellsfinest
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:19 pm Post subject:

Edited by Admin thanks liam, i spoke to a guy called ben jones at merlin yesterday about it & i think he's a great guy with a lot of time for beginners like me. he made a few suggestions that make a lot of sense & now i understand the mechanics of compounds a little better than i did yesterday. i only joined the forum 2 days ago & drew my first bow 6wks ago so any advice is appreciated. . . . .

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Chedawan
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject:

Edited by Admin In direct answer to your original question, I would have to say, not in my experience. I shot a Max 2000 for years and it always shot perfectly for me (probably still does for the person who stole it!). _________________ :: Sig courtesy of CamdogXIII of EMP ::

Club: Forest Bowmen (Field) Greenwood Archers (Target)
Bow: Winact riser (Yellow Gold) SF Super carbon limbs (Black) 43Lb on the fingers.
Sight: Cartel Activa (Black)... Yes I use a sight! You can stop booing now!
Arrows: Yes, ACC's fletched black and yellow.
Accesories: Many, mostly black and yellow, I try wherever possible to look like an angry wasp.

Also shooting KG Cobra Deluxe, with big wooden arrows, there's also a stave of wood in my loft with a longbow hiding in it, going looking for it soon!

hellsfinest
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:20 pm Post subject:

yeah thanks chedawan, my palls just bought a max 2000 off ebay & it shoots great, on 50llbs with plenty of adjustment left to go. err . . . . yours wasnt blue was it? i sort of read between the lines with liams post & s'pose theres no escape from politics even in archery. i've been reading up on archery the past couple of days & worked out the peep sight was far too low anyway, been shooting all day today with it raised & its making 80yds now, bit windy so i think thats why they did'nt all hit gold ha. couple more wks of reading & i'll be an expert! dunno if you've read 'easton arrow tuning & maintenance' it's a free download, i set the bow up using that & noticed the change straight away, anyway cheers for putting your point forward & i'll let my pall know he's got your bow lol!

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Chedawan
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject:

Nah mine was red... red ones go faster! _________________ :: Sig courtesy of CamdogXIII of EMP ::

hellsfinest
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:39 pm Post subject:

yeah yours certainly went fast

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Bushy
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Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:56 am Post subject:

went that fast that one minute it was locked away nice and safe and the next it had disappeared _________________ "Rules is Rules - If we didnt have rules, where would we be? Thats right, France! And if we had too many rules where would we be? Germany!" And No I am not Road Runners Son

Club: Black Arrow, Forest Bowmen, Merlin Archery Club, University of Derby Archery Club
Bow: KG Kudos, Apex Limbs 51lb on fingers
Sight: depends on levels of alcohol
Arrows: Easton Navigators
Accesories: Beiter 28" long rod