Inside Archery July 2022

JULY 2022 • www.insidearchery.com

®





INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 6

People

28 Power of Participation
■ Kyle Kowalke | Athens Archery
■ Gaius N. Carter |
Arizona Archery Enterprises
■ Brian Smith | STUBZmedia
■ Justin Martin | Rogue Bowstrings
■ Patrick Meitin | Inside Archery
■ Greg Gondella | High Tines Archery

30 GAS Bowstrings
Fueling Success with

30 Breakthrough Performance
By Daniel Allred

Market Trends

16 New & Notable
Archery products with

54 strong sales potential
38 Gear Report

Pur-Pro Products Hunting Cushions

40 Stock-Worthy

Attractants, Scent Lures
& Scent-Prevention Products

By Josh Honeycutt

48 Gear Report
40 16 SKB iSeries Ultimate

Single/Double Bow Case

52 Gear Report
Shadow Hunter Blinds
GhostBlind Predator Ground Blind

54 Gear Report
Pro-Tracker Archery Bad Boys

64 24 56 Trail Cameras & Food Plots
By Patrick Meitin

INSIDE ARCHERY (Volume 25, #6) ISSN #1940-3879, USPS #024-412 is published 10 times per year (Jan / Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep / Oct, Nov, Dec) by Apollo Creative Inc. PO Box 15827, Colorado Springs,
CO 80935. Periodical postage paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80935 and at additional offices. Postmaster please send address changes to INSIDE ARCHERY, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19055-9998.

4 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 6

IInndsiudsetrtyhe

10 Inside Track
I​t Takes All Kinds

14 Kinsey’s Business

Blueprint

Top Three Benefits of Working
with an Archery Distributor

28

48 16 18 Your ATA Insights
I​t’s Been a While
By Kurt Smith / ATA

20 Industry News
The latest on news, events and
people in the archery industry

24 ATA Action
​Tips to Improve Foot
Traffic to Your Shop
By Jackie Holbrook / ATA

50 Leading Archery

Manufacturer

BIGshot Targets

66 Industry 5Q
Five Questions with Butch Thomas

52 and Tanner Morrell of Morrell Targets

56 38 56
6
INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022 | VOLUME 25 | NUMBER 6

insidearchery.com Online Exclusives

Scouting

How to Get The Most From
Your Trail Camera Scouting

Setting trail cameras and capturing images or video of big
bucks is great fun—but are you learning anything? Execu-
tive Editor Patrick Meitin shares his tips on gathering more
intelligent intel from the images and video you gather.

Pre-Season Bowhunt

How Pre-Season Prep Leads to
Increased Bowhunting Success

The work you invest during the final weeks of summer
can lead to a more successful bowhunting season this
fall. Start now by thoroughly prepping established stand
sites, readying new ones, maintaining equipment and
creating buck focal points.

Bowhunt Whitetails

Why I Believe Early Season is Better
Than the Rut for Monster Whitetail Bucks

Patrick Meitin, Inside Archery’s Executive Editor, has
learned to depend on early whitetail season for tagging
high-scoring bucks. He details the advantages offered and
how you can best take advantage of these opportunities.

Archery Gear

Is Your Hunting Bow Truly
Ready For Opening Morning?

Many bowhunters wait until the last moment to have
their hunting bow serviced. This is a huge mistake. Patrick
Meitin details the areas you should consider to ensure
your bow is performing its best this season; from new
strings and accessories to fine tuning.

:WebXtras “Gear Report” tries out the Pur-Pro Hunting Cushions, SKB

iSeries Ultimate Bow Case, GhostBlind Ground Blind, and Pro-Tracker Bad
Boys. “5Q” chats with Butch Thomas and Tanner Morrell from Morrell.

Inside Archery Digital Edition

Now Inside Archery can be delivered to your door, viewed on your computer,
AND on your smartphone or tablet. VISIT INSIDEARCHERY.COM/DIGITAL

Fresh content daily
on social media!

INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INSIDE TRACK

It Takes All Kinds
W
orking retail or operating an independent archery shop quickly dem-
onstrates that every customer is an individual. Still, there are common

types, such as impatient/demanding, supremely polite, the-customer-is-

always-right crowd, those seeking friendship, or the perpetually indecisive, just to

name some common themes. Part of providing quality customer service is learning

to decisively deal with varied personalities and the quirks that come with them.

Certain personality traits are more difficult to tolerate than others, especially given

your own personality and how this affects your reaction to various behaviors.

When I began my most recent—and mercifully temporary—stint in outdoor re-

tail during a domestic financial emergency, I was admittedly pretty unprepared. As

a self-employed freelance writer of 35-plus years, I’d largely

lived a hermit-like existence and, quite honestly, was per-

haps a touch socially challenged (to use a politically correct

version). Being thrust into such a social atmosphere, forced

to address customers in the interests of selling, selling, sell-

ing (I earned commission), was terrifying at first. Many cus-

tomers eased the transition into top-seller status, while oth-

ers only compounded my anxieties.

The habitually polite or highly-informed and motivated customers, some of who

would eventually come to be friends, were the easy ones. They made me look for-

ward to going to work each morning. The pushy, me-first, never-satisfied, and even

downright nasty customers were more perplexing. Somewhere in the middle were

the pleasant but chronically indecisive and time-wasting tire kickers who seldom

spent money but constantly ate your clock.

Unfortunately, like my outfitting days, the problem children usually loom larg-

est at the end of each day. The time eaters must be waited on, because they have

gone to the effort to darken your doors, and given time, you hope they will eventu-

ally buy something. This makes them somewhat palatable, because at least they

are otherwise generally pleasant. Your impatience with their overabundance of

patience is not their problem…

The pushy, tetchy, self-absorbed and spiteful are most difficult, obviously. There

are degrees of this as well. The truly malicious—cursing me personally for the price

of products, hurling accusations of gouging, or stupidity… Well, I quickly learned

to view it as entertainment. In fact, my involuntary impulse was usually to laugh,

though I did my best to keep that mirth internal.

Rule No. 1 in retail—don’t take anything personally.

It’s a little more difficult to deal with the haughty types operating under the de-

lusion of self-importance—especially during the preseason blitz, after a dramatic

event with an employee or spouse, or after say, the store’s bathroom plumbing ex-

periences catastrophic failure and your local tradesman tells you he might be able

to drop by for a looksie in three weeks, maybe.

I quickly grew to understand hostile customers required a return in favor,

meaning a firm response while also—it should go without saying—deploying the

manners Gramma taught you, and maintaining your cool at all times.

Most importantly, with the busy season upon us, don’t forget Rule No. 1!

Patrick Meitin, Executive Editor

INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



Publisher

Apollo Creative Inc

Executive Editor

Patrick Meitin • [email protected]

Associate Editor

Daniel Allred • [email protected]

Contributors

Kurt Smith | Jackie Holbrook | Josh Honeycutt

Sales & Marketing Director

Stephen Mack • [email protected]
(814) 341-9313

Design & Production

ER Graphics / Ed Rother • [email protected]

Graphic Designer

Tara Bondar

Social Media Manager

Jason Ashe

Video Editor

Marc Balistreri

Account Manager

Pam Ludlam • [email protected]

Subscription Services & Change of Address:

Inside Archery® Circulation Department
Inside Archery, PO Box 986, Levittown, PA 19055-9998
Phone: (844) 862-9286 • Fax: (888) 965-9961
[email protected]

Publication Office

Inside Archery® / Apollo Creative Inc
P.O. Box 15827, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
Phone: (719) 495-9999 • www.InsideArchery.com

Inside Archery founded in 1998 by Bill and Sherry Krenz

Inside Archery® Copyright © 2022 Apollo Crreative Inc. All rights re-
served. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permis-
sion from the publisher is prohibited. Inside Archery® is a registered
U.S. trademark of Apollo Creative Inc. Opinions expressed in by-lined
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Submission Guidelines: Apollo Creative Inc and Inside Archery® mag-
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Archery, hunting and bowhunting are inherently dangerous activi-
ties. Improper use of hunting or archery equipment may cause se-
rious injury or death. Always follow state and local hunting safety
rules, and get required permits or licenses before hunting. Apollo
Creative Inc uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-
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warranties or representations as to accuracy or completeness. All
information in this magazine is provided “as is” without warranty
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ments published in this magazine. Readers use the information in
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arising from use by any person of the information in this magazine.

Inside Archery®
is a publication of
Apollo Creative Inc
Printed in the USA.

INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY BUSINESS BLUEPRINT Presented by

Top Three Benefits of Working Kinsey’s is the leading distributor to the archery and out-
with an Archery Distributor doors industry. Carrying items from your favorite brands,
in-stock and ready-to-ship, the well-established company
T here are many challenges with a distributor, you not only have offers domestic and international retailers a wide array
that come with running an access to their vast inventory, but you of products and services. Kinsey’s also owns innovative
archery business. Whether have access to their warehouse space consumer brands including Alpine Archery, BlackHeart,
you’re trying to manage inventory, to store that inventory. That allows Fin-Finder, Elevation, and October Mountain Products.
vendor relationships, employees, you to carry the essential product of-  
payroll or marketing and advertis- ferings in store, as well as keeping For more information, please visit KinseysInc.com
ing efforts, there is always some- your on-site inventory cost down.
thing to keep you busy. However, Having the distributor’s warehouse 3 • Freight Terms ■
one way to help make your archery benefit on your side can help with The other important benefit of work-
business more efficient and effec- your inventory turns ratio, ultimately ing with a distributor comes with
tive is by working with a reliable contributing to your business’s bottom freight terms. Again, if you were to
archery distributor. Distributors can line and profitability. Kinsey’s strate- buy directly from the vendors, their
help streamline multiple processes, gically communicates awareness for freight terms would typically only
allowing you to focus more on your the most in-demand and seasonably qualify on larger orders or come with
customers. Here we’ll discuss the top relevant products for you! more expensive freight minimums.
three benefits of working with an ar- By partnering with a distributor, you
chery distributor. 2 • Diversity of Products ■ get access to the collective distribution
Another way distributors can help freight cost reduction. The minimum
1 • Managing Inventory ■ your archery business is having access orders and freight terms are now
One way distributors can help your to their large variety of products. If you smaller and more manageable for you
archery business is to have them as- don’t have a distributor partner, your and your business. For example, Kin-
sist with managing and turning your business would be tasked with man- sey’s industry-leading freight program
allows for an order minimum of $300
inventory. Your retail shop may be aging multiple vendor relation- for archery products to qualify for cer-
limited by the physical space needed ships, new item setup, buying tain terms. Having smaller order min-
to offer all the products and variations and billing processes, as well imums allow you to stay leaner with
you’d like to carry in store. By working as other time and resource in- your on-site inventory, while also tak-
tensive processes. Distributors ing advantage of the diversity of prod-
streamline the buying and ucts the distributor offers to satisfy
billing process while your customer’s wants and needs.
also offering a vast di-
versity of products to Whether it’s helping you to manage
buy. For example, Kin- inventory, providing access to a diverse
sey’s Inc. has 600-plus variety of products, or freight terms
industry-leading brands that that help your bottom line, there are
consist of more than 31,000 many reasons to partner with a dis-
items to choose from. If your tributor. Ultimately, distributors are
archery business was tasked a streamlined, one-stop shop that’ll
help you and your business save time,
with managing those vendor rela- money and resources—allowing you to
tionships, new item setups and billing focus on your customers. IA
and buying processes, then that would
take away from the time that’s needed
for other important business tasks.


14 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



MARKET TRENDS NEW & NOTABLE

Rhino Blinds/OPI Rhino 180 Elite Archery
2023 Verdict
OPI introduces two new camo patterns on its Rhino 180 See-
Through Ground Blind—Predator Deception and Mossy Oak Elite Archery’s spanking-new
Bottomland. This gives dealers and customers two new camo 2023 Verdict is a 7 1/8-inch
options—in addition to established Realtree Edge and Mossy Oak brace height target bow packed
Break-Up—to cloak the top-selling Rhino 180 See-Through Blind. A wide with innovation and performance. The
range of Rhino ground blinds are in stock and ready to ship, including the Verdict includes Elite’s largest axle-to-
roomy two- to three-person Rhino 150, lightweight one-person Rhino axle/riser ratio, a dual-caged riser, 37
75 and revolutionary Rhino 180 See-Through. The 180 includes unique ¾-inch profile, is equipped with shorter,
dual two-way walls that prevent game from seeing in while allowing the wider limbs and the company’s Precision
hunter to clearly see out. It includes top and bottom brush straps, oversized zipper-less door, Grip—all boosting in-hand stability and
silent-slide windows, tie-down ropes and stakes, and three-person capacity. Learn more at rhinoblinds.com. shooting forgiveness. The SPX Cam and
V2 Micro Mods allow creating exact micro
Red Hot Punisher 427 hold weight, ¼-inch increment draw length
Crossbow Arrows and back-wall feel, while providing 70 to 90
percent let-off and the shooter’s choice of
RED HOT Punisher 427 High Velocity crossbow arrows Performance, Smooth or 75 percent let-off
were designed for high-performance crossbows shooting between mod options. Equipped with a Perfor-
325 fps to 525 fps and come with a +/- .001 shaft straightness. They feature heavy-duty mance Mod, the Verdict pushes arrows
weight forward brass inserts to deliver superior down-range accuracy with a broadhead. Their stiff Fusion to 332 fps. Revolutionary S.E.T. Technol-
vanes create less drag to provide straight arrow flight shot after shot. These crossbow arrows are constructed from ogy (Simplified. Exact. Tuning) and
100 percent pure carbon for consistent straightness out of the box, and they come fully equipped with patented LTR (Linear Tuning Roller) cable
Capture nocks for an added level of safety and performance. Learn more at ridgemontoutdoors.com. guard are also part of the package.
Learn more at elitearchery.com.

Annihilator Killer Instinct Omega III Packages
Broadheads
Killer Instinct teamed with Omega Sights to offer
Annihilator Broadheads include a unique design that produces crossbows holding a new 2022 Omega III Sight. The
a 5.56-inch compression air pressure wave followed by a 7.79- Omega III includes an all-in-one sight, laser range-
inch low-pressure tension air pocket during pass-through pen- finder and HD video camera. The system gives customers
etration, causing blood and visceral material to be pushed and a precision crossbow equipped with a cutting-edge optics
pulled through the wound channel simultaneously for faster package delivering accurate, on-demand, inclinometer-
kills. The scoop design also creates wound channels 1.5 times corrected ranging and the ability to instantly review video and assess shot placement.
larger than cutting diameter. They are investment cast to form Killer Instinct crossbows provide a balanced mix of technology, speed and value. Killer Crossbows
a single piece of 4140 alloy, high-carbon steel hardened to plans to pair the Omega III Sight with their SWAT X1, Fatal-X Series and Boss 405 models. Packages include a
Rockwell 52 hardness and three non-vented .038-inch-thick rechargeable power supply extending use up to 12 hours and a two-button remote control to limit movement.
blades. This makes them nail tough, reusable after sharpening The sight weighs 13 ounces. Packages will appear in July 2022. Learn more at killercrossbows.com.
on a flat stone and super accurate. Annihilator Broadheads are
offered in 100- and 125-grain (.910-inch) and 100-, 125- and QAD UltraRest Integrate
150-grain XL (1 1/16-inch), retailing from $56.99 to $66.99.
Learn more at annihilatorbroadheads.com. QAD UltraRest arrow rests combine total arrow control with zero-contact drop-away
action. The new UltraRest Integrate series works in conjunction with a dovetail
mount milled into the rear of the bow’s sight window, eliminating standard mounting
brackets and bolts. The dovetail provides vertical adjustment, windage controlled within the
rest. The design is self-timing, a deep launcher fork and top retention bar keeping arrows in
place while also dropping to provide 100 percent fletching clearance when the bow is fired,
but remaining engaged during slow let-downs. Lock-Down Technology holds the launcher down
after the drop to prevent bounce and fletching/arrow contact at speeds of up to 400 fps. Anti-Vibration Technology
keeps things hushed, EZ-Clamp Technology making set-up fast and easy. Learn more at qadinc.com.

16 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY YOUR ATA INSIGHTS

It’s Been a While

BY KURT SMITH, COURTESY OF THE ATA

I t’s time to pull the bow case from under the noisy quiver might be a great place of arrows were sent downrange each
bed, dust off the 2314s and loosen the shoulder. to start suggesting upgrades. Keep session and I still wanted to shoot

in mind, this user generally requires more. Now, two houses and several

Archery season is quickly approach- nothing more than pure function, so children later, I find myself looking

ing! As an archery retailer, this is typi- touting products as being the latest at my bows and trying to remember

cally the time when you begin seeing and greatest typically the last time I shot them.

casual shooters with older gear walk- isn’t a recipe for success. Time is finite, and the

ing through your doors. While it can stage of life you’re in

be easy to dismiss these customers for Not So Young Anymore will have a huge impact

not being serious enough, it’s impor- ■ Much of the avid hunt- on how much time you

tant to remember that asking the right er population is grow- can devote to leisure ac-

questions can lead to additional sales. ing older. Bows with tivities like archery and

Understanding why they haven’t been draw weights of 60 or 70 bowhunting. I’d guess

behind the bow in a while makes it pounds purchased ear- you have many custom-

easier to pinpoint opportunities to sell lier in life simply aren’t fun to shoot ers in similar situations to mine, and

product and services. anymore. Or maybe it’s too much they will soon be coming to your store

You’re also likely to learn that weight to draw at all. These archers looking for help. Speaking from expe-

some of these customers have special might come into the shop this sum- rience, what this customer needs is

circumstances or attitudes toward mer asking you to turn their draw not advice on “making more time to

archery that keep them from shoot- weight down as much as possible. shoot,” but instead ways they can have

ing more often. Here are a few to pre- If that doesn’t work, ask the cus- the most fun and the most success in

pare for: tomer if they prefer to try out a cross- the time they can get out and shoot

bow. If a vertical compound bow re- or hunt. Ask the customer about their

Why Upgrade? ■ A large segment of mains their preference, you should goals and look for ways you can get

the bowhunting population view their have bows with lower draw weights their gear set up for consistency and

equipment as just a tool, and as long on hand and ready to take to the durability. After all, anyone who has

as it’s doing the job there is no reason range. This doesn’t mean stretching limited time knows they much prefer

to consider upgrading. This customer the draw length of a kid’s bow. Keep to spend that time practicing or hunt-

may require nothing more of them- a supply of reason- ing and not working on equipment to

selves than putting three ar- ably priced adult get acceptable results.

rows into a 6-inch group at bows with limbs It’s tempting to get annoyed or start

20 yards before heading that max out at 40 a speech when a less active customer

to the woods, where to 50 pounds. One of walks through the door, but know that

the real fun begins. the most notable advance- this fall’s last-minute bowhunter could

If this archer is com- ments in compound bows of be next summer’s avid 3D archer. They

ing to your store, it’s the last decade is increased are coming to your business seeking

likely against their efficiency. With a new bow help and an opportunity to enjoy the

will. A piece of equip- set at 50 pounds, it might be outdoors. No matter what gear they

ment may have broken possible to achieve performance bring with them, treat it and the cus-

or worn out, and they just comparable to an older bow tomer with respect, and take a genuine

want to get it operating set at a much heavier draw interest in their needs.

again. Trying to get this weight, while also providing Looking for ways to better serve your

customer into a brand- better shooting comfort. customers? Check out the 2022 Archery

new bow setup will likely Industry Masterclass course and tons

prove a tough sell, but you can try ask- Time Flies ■ I used to feel bad if a of other content on the MyATA Learn-

ing about their accessories. An old sight day or two passed without pick- ing Center. You can also reach me at

that’s difficult to see in low light or a ing up my bow. Dozens and dozens [email protected]. IA

18 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Eoaf sAtmonerMicaarnk-sM1a0d0eYAerarrosws geles, opening Easton’s Archery Shop, success is what keeps Easton looking
where he would hit the sport full force down-range since 1922 and on to the
Founded in California in 1922, this year with a host of wood-arrow innovations, next 100 years.
marks the 100th anniversary of Easton including the first screw-in point system.
as an archery equipment manufacturer. A real pivoting point came in 1949 with Easton’s archery products continue
Easton’s inception began with a young the production of the world’s first alu- to be produced in the United States at
Doug Easton crafting his own wooden minum arrow, the 24SRT-X. The 24SRT-X their facilities in Utah, Indiana and
longbows and arrows in a garage. By the shafts were far superior to wood in accu- Iowa. | TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EASTON ARROWS,
racy. Tournament scores skyrocketed and
time he was 17, his craftsmanship was archery would never be the same. VISIT EASTONARCHERY.COM.
renowned in target archery, and his ar-
rows were regarded as the finest in the The small family shop moved and BHuoyusstPounr-eBaAsrcehdeJrDyHGCroapuiptal
country. In 1929, Doug moved to Los An- grew. Over the next decade, Doug and
team created the venerable XX75, the JDH Capital Company ("JDH Capital") re-
best-selling arrow shaft of all time. Jim cently announced its acquisition of Pure
Easton came to work for his dad in 1960, Archery Group, a leading manufacturer of
and his engineering mind expanded the premium archery products.
company to new altitudes with ski pole
shafts, aluminum baseball bats, the use "Pure Archery Group is a leading man-
of carbon in hockey sticks and new frame ufacturer of premium archery products
technology for road and mountain bikes. with a reputation for excellence, a dedi-
cated customer base and a history of
Doug Easton passed in December 1972, growth," said Jason C. Rebrook, CEO of JDH
but his legacy lived on with his son, Jim, Capital. "The addition of Pure Archery to
and his grandson, Greg Easton, who our portfolio is complementary to other
would help pioneer virtually every ma- investments we've made in the outdoor
jor advancement in arrow technology to products industry, and it underscores our
this day. Under Jim and Greg’s leader- confidence in both the company's many
ship, the introduction and evolution of leading brands and the outdoor products
carbon and aluminum-carbon (A/C & industry as a whole."
FMJ) hybrids would be the next inno-
vations to dominate bow hunting and Pure Archery Group, known as Bow-
sweep Olympic podiums. tech until 2020, owns and operates sev-
eral leading archery brands including
The powerful draw of the sport and Bowtech, Diamond, Excalibur, Black Gold,
the relentless push to innovate are the TightSpot, RipCord and Octane. Headquar-
hallmarks of the company, and archery tered in Eugene, Oregon, the company is
focused on the design and manufactur-

ing of durable, accurate, high-performance couraging and can re-
bows, crossbows and archery accessories sult in the loss of a sale.
distributed worldwide. Current production “Thankfully, we’ve been
locations span prominent sporting goods able to ramp up produc-
hubs, including Oregon, Montana, Michi- tion and drive down lead-
gan and Ontario, Canada. times so that you aren’t put in that posi-
tion. With a few exceptions, products are
"This is an exciting new chapter in our shipping within 5 business days,” said
business," said Rob Kass, CEO at Pure Ar- Paul Guillot, VP of Sales.
chery Group. "We have always been singu- The Outdoor Group continues to keep up
larly focused on producing the best archery with heightened demand, shipping prod-
products in the world, and that isn't going ucts promptly. Best-selling products like
to change. With the additional resources the BridgeLock Adapter and Trek Bow Sights
and expertise that JDH Capital brings to our have been giant hits for retailer partners
team, we have never been better positioned and Custom Bow Equipment (CBE), while
to deliver on that promise." Elite Archery’s EnVision, Terrain and Ba-
sin continue to show archers what Shoot-
JDH Capital is a private investment firm ability is, and why it matters. SlickTrick’s
based in Houston, Texas, that was estab- award-winning Assailant has been wildly
lished in 2017. JDH Capital engages in a popular, while Scott Archery continues to
wide range of investment activities and innovate with the new Verge.
has the flexibility to invest in a broad range Conduct business on your schedule and
of asset classes across multiple industries. order 24/7 on The Outdoor Group’s Partner
JDH Capital endeavors to partner with Portal (partners.togllc.com) or by calling
portfolio companies to generate consistent 877-503-5483 and speaking to a TOG repre-
risk-adjusted returns over a long-time ho- sentative today.
rizon. | FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JDH CAPITAL, Established in 2012 and headquartered
in West Henrietta, New York, The Outdoor
PLEASE VISIT WWW.JDHCAP.COM. OR CONTACT JUSTIN FUR- Group is the parent company to the pre-
mier brands of Elite Archery, Duel Game
NACE AT [email protected] OR 713-289-2735. Calls, Scott Archery, Custom Bow Equip-
ment, Winner’s Choice Custom Bowstrings,
SThheipOpuintgdoWoirthGirnou5pBPursoinmeissseDs ays Clutch Outdoors Slick Trick Broadheads and
Solid Broadheads. | LEARN MORE AT TOGLLC.COM.
As customers shift gears into fall prepara-
tion, The Outdoor Group has been busy pre- EPnotpreie&s YDoeuandglinReecNoeradriBnogok
paring to serve their customers who will be
hitting the woods soon. Stock up now on Pope & Young, America’s leading bowhunt-
The Outdoor Group’s comprehensive line ing conservation organization, announced
of premier brands, such as Elite Archery, the deadline for entry into the two-volume
Slick Trick, Scott Archery and Custom Bow 9th edition Record Book. The 32nd Record-
Equipment (CBE) and be fully prepared for ing Period will end on December 31, 2022.
the busiest months of the year. This will be the deadline for consideration
in the massive two volume Pope & Young
Long backlogs and lead-times are dis- 9th Edition Record Book. To be considered
for entry, your official entry must be post-
marked by December 22, 2022.

“Entering an animal in the books is
something special, something that ev-
eryone with a qualifying animal should
consider,” says Dylan Ray, Pope & Young’s

JULY 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY NEWS

Marketing Director. “It isn’t about the hunt- 100 more within the next five years. Sara-
er, it’s about honoring the animal, an ani- toga 4-H has an indoor range and an out-
mal that deserves to be in
a book amongst his peers, door field range, but expects to
for everyone to celebrate. add more facilities in the com-
We put our animals on a ing years. As facilities expand,
wall and celebrate them Saratoga 4-H recognizes a need
in our own homes, but to upgrade its equipment and
putting them in a record targets as well.
book will honor that ani-
mal forever, for everyone to celebrate.” “The (foundation) grant
funds will be used to support
With more than 14,000 new entries our growing program with new equip-
since the 8th edition was printed in 2017, ment, such as bows, arrows, safety equip-
this two-book set will be the best edition ment and targets,” club officials said. “Most
yet. The Pope & Young Record Book has of our equipment, though safe at this point,
more entries than any other record book in has gotten some age and we recognize that
North America. This book is set to be pub- expanded use will begin wearing it out.”
lished and available in April 2023. In it you Through active outreach, Saratoga 4-H
will see 75 new top five all time ranking officials expect that within 10 years their
trophies and 14 confirmed new world re- organization to be “a key program and
cords. With the possibility of an additional facility for 4-H youth shooting sports pro-
12 new world records that are still currently gramming in eastern New York State.”
pending, there isn’t another record book Rob Kaufhold, Lancaster Archery Foun-
that has ever showcased this many highly dation president, said 4-H organizations
ranked animals.
are critical to engaging kids in rural areas.
"If you are a hunter, a bowhunter, or a “There are many rural areas that don’t
collector of record books, this two-book set
will be like no other,” said Tim Rozewski, have established archery clubs, and if a
Pope & Young’s Director of Records. “With a young person doesn’t grow up in an ar-
limited printing, this book will be hard to chery family, they don’t have much chance
get. If you are a hunter and have thought of ever being exposed to the sport,” Kauf-
about putting your trophy in the record hold said. “Kids pick up a lot of interests
books, now is the time to do it!" and life lessons through 4-H, and we’re
glad to be able to help reach kids in Sara-
Pope & Young is North America's leading toga County, New York.”
bowhunting conservation organization. If
you are a fair chase, ethical bowhunter, Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the
and you care about preserving the cul- Lancaster Archery Foundation is a non-
ture and future of bowhunting, then you profit organization dedicated to expand,
should belong to Pope & Young. | JOIN TODAY develop and promote 3D and target archery
to help people improve their confidence,
AT POPE-YOUNG.ORG. discipline and leadership skills through
participation in competitive archery. | FOR
ALawnacradssteNreAwrcYhoerrky4F-oHu$n1d,0a0t0ioGnrant
MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN DONATE TO HELP
The Lancaster Archery Foundation has ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SARATOGA COUNTY 4-H SHOOTING
awarded a grant to a New York 4-H pro-
gram looking to add more archers to its SPORTS, VISIT LANCASTERARCHERYFOUNDATION.ORG. IA
team. Saratoga County 4-H Shooting Sports
received $1,000 from the foundation to buy
targets, bows and arrows.

The program currently works with 25
archers age 10 to 18, and hopes to engage

INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Tips to Improve Foot Traffic to Your Shop

BY JACKIE HOLBR OOK

D on’t just let the customers come to storefront is dirty, clut-
you. Here’s how to encourage them to tered or confusing. Create a

seek out your shop and make a purchase. branded and inviting atmo-

sphere. Have a sign that’s

Summer kick-starts the busy season easily visible from the

for many archery shops. Tournament road. Make sure the shop is

season is in full swing, and bowhunt- clearly marked, especially

ers are enjoying summer days fling- if it’s located among other

ing arrows in preparation for the shops like in a strip mall.

upcoming hunting seasons. The in- Keep the storefront sim-

crease in archery activities natural- ple. Include signage and in-

ly boosts foot traffic in retail shops. formation like store hours Keep the signage on your door simple but inviting. Display products
People need new equipment and work and phone number. During or advertise brands in the windows. PHOTO © ATA.

done on their bows. As a retail shop the warmer months, add

owner, however, you shouldn’t just some flowers or greenery. If you have According to Google, 76 percent of

rely on customers to come into the a display window, showcase new or people who use their smartphones to

shop organically. There are simple seasonal products and change the look search for business services visit the

ways to increase foot traffic. frequently. Keep up with the cleaning. business within a day. Additionally,

Wipe down the windows, pick up the 28 percent of those searches result in a

Spruce Up the Outdoor Space ■ When trash and sweep the parking lot. purchase. That means if your address

people pull up to your store, what do and business information isn’t up to

they see? Is it clean and well marked, Make It Easy to Get There ■ An over- date, you’re losing these promising

or could it use a little attention? Ap- whelming majority of customers use customers.

pearance matters. Customers will their smartphones to find local busi- Google bases its search results on

be less inclined to come inside if the nesses. Most do this through Google. Continued on Page 26

Don’t just let customers come to you. Here’s how to encourage them to seek out your shop and make a purchase. PHOTO © ATA.

UNITING THE INDUSTRY ARCHERY TRADE ASSOCIATION
archerytrade.org

24 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY ATA ACTION

Continued from Page 24

Keep Tabs on Your Retail Analytics ■

How do you know if your effort is work-

ing if you don’t track results? Analyzing

data is the best way to track trends and

make adjustments when necessary. And

that includes monitoring the amount of

foot traffic in your store. If you’re only

tracking sales, you’re missing out on

important information. There’s tech-

nology on the market designed to count

customers, typically mechanisms with

sensors attached to the door. They vary

in levels of sophistication, but some can

even track the customers’ path.

There are lots of benefits to gathering

Quality customer service is vital to the shopping experience. PHOTO © ATA. detailed information on shop foot traf-
fic. Looking at trends assists in making

business decisions. It allows you to see

the individual’s location. If your busi- at the top. If you’re a store owner or if there’s an uptick in traffic follow-

ness address isn’t listed online, it might manager, demonstrate good customer ing an event. You can adjust staffing to

not appear in search results. Be sure to service by smiling and greeting every make sure there are enough people on

update your address on any online busi- customer who walks through the door. shift to cover the busiest times. Tracking

ness listings. This should include web- Ask questions and listen to be as help- conversion rates is important to under-

sites like Yelp, Google and Facebook. It’s ful as possible. For information on how standing if there’s anything you can do

also important to be sure the website to improve customer service, read the better to encourage sales when custom-

address, phone number and operating ATA’s article “10 Customer Service Tips to ers come in.

hours are correct. Be sure to upload cur- Try Today.” For more business ideas check out the

rent photos of your store. Having a com- MyATA Learning Center, which includes

plete online business profile will boost Host Classes, Leagues and Events ■ on-demand education videos. You can

your search rankings and be more invit- Archery classes, leagues and special also contact Nicole Nash, senior man-

ing to customers. events are a great way to get people into ager of outreach, at (507) 233-8146 or
your shop. Hosting beginner archery [email protected]. IA
Step Up Your Customer Service ■ Once classes and special events

you get customers into the shop, you attracts new customers.

want to keep them there, and more im- Consider offering prizes

portantly, you want them to return. Ac- and incentives to shop,

cording to a study by PwC, 65 percent of like special discounts.

American consumers say a positive ex- Even if people don’t spend

perience is more important than great money during the event,

advertising. However, many are report- as long as they had a

ing that they don’t have positive expe- good time they’ll think of

riences in shops. Less than half of the you the next time they’re

customers PwC surveyed said they had a in the market. Be sure to

good customer service experience in the spread the word about

past year. your event through social

Customer service is one of the founda- media, community orga-
tions of a successful business. It starts nizations and local parks. Host fun events like a glow-in-the-dark night. PHOTO © ATA.

26 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



PEOPLE

PowerTheofParticipation
Archery Industry Members Participating in the Sport

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO: Visit insidearchery.com/pop or mail a color image with your name,
address, where the animal was taken, and archery gear used—both manufacturer and model—
to Inside Archery Power of Participation, P.O. Box 15827, Colorado Springs, CO 80935.

Greg Gondella • Illinois Whitetail Gaius N. Carter

Owner/President/Instructor, High Tines Archery • Winner, NFAA Marked 3D National Championship

Bow ■ Xpedition X30 Broadhead ■ Innerloc Carnage Marketing, Arizona Archery Enterprises (AAE)

Arrow ■ Easton 4mm FMJ Rest ■ QAD HDX Bow ■ PSE Supra RTX 40 Sight ■ Shibuya

Sight ■ Viper Archery Release ■ B3 Omega Arrow ■ Easton X10 Protour Stabilizer ■ AAE Nitrous

Tactical Single Pin Rest ■ AAE Freakshow QD Release ■ T.R.U. Ball Abyss

28 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022

Brian Smith • Iowa Turkey

[WITH SON LEVI] Justin Martin • Wyoming Pronghorn

President, STUBZmedia Customer Service Manager, Rogue Bowstrings

Bow ■ Mathews Atlas Release ■ Scott Archery Verge Bow ■ Martin ADX 7 Arrow ■ Gold Tip Hunter
Other ■ Dead Center Sight ■ AXCEL
Broadhead ■ Annihilator Arrow ■ Victory

Broadheads 100 XL Archery Xtorsion Verge Stabilizer Release ■ T.R.U. Ball Blade

Quiver ■ Mathews Stabilizer ■ Tactacam

Kyle Kowalke • New York Whitetail Patrick Meitin • Texas Whitetail

Assembly Lead, Athens Archery Executive Editor, Inside Archery

Bow ■ Athens Archery Vista 33 Sight ■ AXCEL Armortech Bow ■ Elite Archery EnVision Broadhead ■ SWAT A4
Arrow ■ Easton T64 Rest ■ Elite Archery QAD HDX
Arrow ■ Gold Tip XT Hunter Rest ■ QAD HDX
Broadhead ■ Rocket Hammerhead Quiver ■ Apex Gear Full Metal Jacket Sight ■ CBE CX-5 Hunting

Release ■ Scott Archery Shark Stabilizer ■ TRUGLO Release ■ Scott Archery Summit Stabilizer ■ CBE 12” Torx Target

JULY 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 29

30 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022

GAS Bowstrings launched operations in 2017 and began gain-
ing popularity shortly after. This is largely because GAS Bow-
strings was founded by Eric Griggs, a professional shooter
with a secondary industry background in product develop-
ment and manufacturing leadership. On top of that, Griggs has been
tinkering with bowstrings since he was just 13 years old, lending him
about three decades of personal experience with the trials and errors
of building the perfect string.

But Eric Griggs is also adamant that he didn’t get here alone. He’s
built a dream team of other string makers and industry experts who
have helped him bring his vision to life. GAS Bowstrings has come
a long way in just five short years, and the company’s growth is all
thanks to the teamwork, persistence and dedication of its staff.

Looking ahead, Griggs and his team intend to keep building upon
the excellent reputation they have already established. GAS Bow-
strings is a relative newcomer in the market, but the company is al-
ready well respected by pro shooters, hardcore bowhunters, pro-shop
owners and industry manufacturers. GAS Bowstrings is certainly on
the right track, but it’s still taking things slow and steady, always
valuing quality over quantity while still trying to meet the demand
it has created so briskly. GAS Bowstrings is ultimately a reflection of
its founder, Eric Griggs, who thoroughly understands the sport of ar-
chery and what is required to perform at the highest level.

Hitting the Ground Running

Apart from a few part-time jobs in his youth, every dime that Eric
Griggs has earned has come from the archery industry. His whole
life has revolved around this passion, and he was also introduced to
bowstring building at an early age.

“Archery was something I got involved in when I was about 12 years
old,” Griggs said. “My dad enjoyed bowhunting and field archery, and
after he bought me my first bow, we were just off to the races togeth-
er. I would go with him to tournaments, and I always really enjoyed
it. One of those tournaments led to my first encounter with bow-
string building. We were getting ready for a national IBO shoot, but
he needed a new set of strings. He called around and found a nearby
shop that could build a new set for him. We watched as they built the
new string right in front of us, and my dad leaned over and said to
me, ‘Hey, that’s pretty cool. Think you could do that?” I told him that
I wanted to try, so we went and got a string jig and some
spools of string material. It really fascinated me,
and from there I just kept learning and growing.
I ended up making strings for some local archery
shops, and that sort of became one of my summer
jobs as a kid.”

Griggs’ relationship with archery continued
to blossom and evolve over the years, eventually
leading him to the world of professional shooting.

“I just absolutely loved archery and continued to
explore the tournament scene,” Griggs said. “I wound up being fairly
successful as a young adult. I was able to win the IBO World Champi-
onship and Vegas Shoot, along with a fair amount of other events. I
went from the semi-pro division to the professional level, and I com-
peted as a pro for many years. From there, I started to get more in-
volved in product design. I worked with several of my sponsors at the

JULY 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 31

■ above: GAS Bowstrings’ team leads include (from left to right) Hunter Jamison, Kearstin time to assist them with the development of
Tipton and Corey Charles. ■ below: The full GAS Bowstrings team standing downrange at new products, and that sort opened the doors
the company’s indoor archery range. Many of these employees are not just profess­ ional for me to get into the manufacturing side of
bowstring makers, but also avid hunters and competitive archers, providing them with the industry.”
more insight and experience in the archery industry.
With his high-level understanding of ar-
chery equipment, Eric Griggs went on to serve
in a variety of roles for a handful of prestigious
archery brands. His responsibilities covered
the whole spectrum—from retail, to distribu-
tion, to the operations, sales and marketing for
major manufacturers. At one point, Griggs even
served as the president of a leading compound
bow maker, but all the while, Griggs’ strong
connection to the creation of bowstrings never
went away.

“Bowstrings are something that’s always
been very near and dear to me,” Griggs said.
“I’ve done a lot of work with bowstrings
throughout my career—building them for
friends and family, building them at the re-
tail level, and even building them for leading
manufacturers. I had also created another
bowstring company back in 2004 and operated
it for a few years before selling it to a friend.
That company was also called GAS Bowstrings,
so this new iteration of the company is sort of
a revival of that original brand.”

Eric Griggs’ reputation and background in
the industry served as a sturdy foundation for
his new version of GAS Bowstrings. He had the
right technical knowhow, manufacturing ex-
perience and personal connections to make a
big impact quickly.

32 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022

“I was able to utilize a lot of relation- 33
ships that I had established over my time
in the industry,” Griggs said. “I had already
worked very closely with pro-shop own-
ers across the country, and my goal was
always to make GAS Bowstrings a very
dealer-centric company. My entire busi-
ness model was built around the idea of
catering to pro-shops and being an excel-
lent vendor and partner to them, so that’s
what I set out to do. I started the business
with just myself and two employees, but
we were able to steadily build from there.
Those long-standing relationships were
huge and allowed us to get where we are
today, with about 54 employees in total.
In those early days, sometimes I would
call a shop and they would tell me they
already had their string needs covered—
but other times, when I called someone
who I had worked with a lot over the
years, they would say something to me
like, ‘You treated us great over the years,
so if you’re doing it, then I’m in.’ They be-
lieved in me. They knew that since I was
behind it, it would be done the right way,
and that meant a lot. They trusted me
because of the relationship we had, and
that was a crucial factor that got us going
early on.”

A Performance-First Approach

Eric Griggs was able to use his reputation
to get an initial chance with pro-shop
owners, but then he had to prove that
GAS Bowstrings would actually get the job
done. The custom string market was tak-
ing shape and getting more competitive

clockwise from top left: ■ A finisher serves
a set of strings on one of GAS Bowstrings’
custom finishing lines. ■ Angel Profitt serves
a High Octane string at one of the company’s
customized finishing stations. ■ This is GAS
Bowstrings’ wall of stock strings that they
keep on hand. Many of these strings are put
on the GAS Bowstrings Trailer and sent off to
competitions to be sold. ■ These are a few of
the bright color serving options that can be
used on either High Octane or Ghost XV sets.
■ An overhead look at the busy production
floor where GAS strings are built and shipped
out to customers. ■ A set of red and white
speckled High Octane strings gets built on a
layup station by a GAS team member.

JULY 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

clockwise from top left: ■ Jesse Broadwater
competing at the London ASA with his signa-
ture Freakshow strings. He teamed up with
GAS Bowstrings to create a highly consistent
and well-performing string that would keep
up with top-tier professionals like himself.
■ President Eric Griggs with GAS pro-staffer
Brady Ellison after winning the 2022 Vegas
Shoot. ■ GAS shooter Paige Pearce shoot-
ing with her Ghost XV white strings. At this
competition in Redding, CA, she broke the
women’s freestyle championship record
with a score of 1535. ■ GAS pro-staffer Kyle
Douglas after winning his third consecutive
NFAA Indoor Nationals Championship title.
Kyle is also the owner of Douglas Archery in
Utah. ■ Eric Griggs competing in the men’s
open pro division at the Metropolis ASA.
Griggs is extremely committed to giving
back to the sport of archery, sponsoring or-
ganizations like the NFAA, ASA, IBO, World
Archery, USA Archery, NASP and S3DA.

in 2017, forcing Griggs to truly stand out.
“I am one of those people who thinks

that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing
right,” Griggs said. “I don’t really believe
in ‘good, better, best’ options. I’m going
for premium quality. I understand what
it takes to perform at the highest level. I
was fortunate enough to be successful as
a professional archer, and I’ve been able
to combine that insight with my diverse
background in product design. I’m listed
as an inventor for several patents, in-
cluding products like bows, releases and
sights, and all of this has given me an
appreciation for products that really get
the job done—products that are durable,
effective and reliable in real-world sce-
narios. I’ve taken a performance-first ap-
proach, and that’s also what I’ve tried to
instill in my team.”

The employees of GAS Bowstrings cer-
tainly share Eric Griggs’ pursuit for per-
fection. After all, they are handpicked
experts that Griggs has gradually assem-
bled as the company grew. Many of GAS
Bowstrings’ employees have deep roots in
archery, string building and manufactur-
ing, and they have played a crucial role in
the company’s quick growth.

One of Eric Griggs’ key partners in both
business and life is his wife, Karla Griggs,
who serves as vice president of GAS

34 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022

Bowstrings. Karla has been able to apply 35
her background in automotive manufac-
turing to help streamline the operations
at GAS Bowstrings as it grew so rapidly.

“I worked for a Japanese automo-
tive company for about 10 years, where I
specialized in production control,” Karla
Griggs said. “The Japanese automotive in-
dustry tends to be very lean, efficient and
particular, so I learned a lot of cool ideas
and techniques from that experience.
Making bowstrings is certainly very dif-
ferent from what I did in the past, but I’ve
still been able to apply a lot of those con-
cepts I worked with before—ways to save
time, increase performance and improve
ergonomics for employees. All in all, I’m
just so proud of Eric and what he’s accom-
plished with this company. I love being
able to work with him every day, seeing
him make a successful business out of
something he loves. Eric is a great leader.
He’s collaborative and kind, and he makes
everyone happy to be part of this team.”

Other key team members of GAS Bow-
strings include Dwayne Jamison, director
of operations; Destany Trent, sales man-
ager; Cody Hall, technical manager; and
Sara Sherman, marketing director. Each
of them brings their own expertise to the
table, but all of them are united by Eric
Griggs’ vision and goals.

clockwise from top left: ■ GAS Bowstrings
created these customized Beiter jigs with
their own machined aluminum jig spools.
■ Ciairia Hall builds a set of florescent orange
and natural High Octane strings at one of
the company’s customized layup sta-
tions. ■ The GAS Bowstrings Trailer travels
to several competitions during the year,
allowing archers to buy merchandise, set
up their strings and receive assistance on
emergency bow work. GAS team members
Cody Hall and Carlos Rice man the trailer at
these competitions. ■ Red and black High
Octane strings during the construction
process. One thing that separates GAS from
other string manufacturers is the company’s
TTS process, wherein the strings are always
under pressure through the entire building
process rather than just at the end. ■ This
machine makes the company’s heat shrink
tubes. Customers can customize their own
heat shrink with a phrase or logo they would
like to have for their speed nocks.

JULY 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

clockwise from top left: ■ Sara Sherman is the marketing director at GAS Bowstrings. She oversees “Working with Eric, you learn some-
marketing, graphic design, photography and videogra­phy for the company. ■ Danielle Cecil is a thing new every day,” Cody Hall said. “It’s
customer service representative at GAS Bowstrings. Taking customer orders, placing those orders really a rare thing that he’s built here. It
and answering customer questions are just a few of her responsibilities throughout the day. ■ feels like you don’t work for him—you
Karla Griggs, vice president and co-owner of GAS Bowstrings, manages business operations and work with him. He is more of a leader
human resources. ■ Technical manager Cody Hall and team lead Hunter Jamison work at the bill than he is a boss, more of a friend than
form station. ■ Destany Trent is the sales and customer service manager for GAS Bowstrings. an employer. It feels like we are all one
She’s tasked with managing customer service, networking with dealers and keeping track of sales, big family, and if a problem arises, we
to name just few of her responsibilities at GAS. figure out together how we are going to
solve it. At the end of the day, we feel like
we are all here to do the same thing, and
that’s to make the absolute best product
we can and get it out to our customers.”

In order to make the best product they
can, the team at GAS Bowstrings uses a
technique called the Total Tension Sys-
tem, or TTS, which was carefully crafted
by Eric Griggs and Cody Hall, with help
from other members of their team.

“Having done this for years and years,
and having spent a significant amount of
time in the R&D side of things, I’ve seen
just about every possible way a bowstring
can be made,” Eric Griggs said. “If there’s
a way to tension, twist or stretch a string,
there’s a very good chance I’ve heard
about it and tried it. There are a lot of dif-
ferent approaches, and everyone has their
own special recipe, but I believe that the
Total Tensioning System has a little more
science behind it than what most people
do. We have developed a lot of specialized
equipment that basically helps to reduce
the human factor and inconsistencies
that can come from that. It creates a very
stable bowstring early on in the process,
but of course they are still ultimately
hand-made by people, so we require
good employees to see the whole process
through properly. The TTS eliminates all
those undesirable things like peep rota-
tion, stretching and serving separation,
and it also allows us to create consistently
high-quality strings on a large scale. Fig-
uring out scalability has really been one of
our biggest challenges. We have found the
demand, but we needed to make sure we
could meet that demand.”

A Dealer-Centric
Business Model

The TTS has certainly been a key factor
behind GAS Bowstrings’ quick growth, but
the foundation of the company still rests

36 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022

on its relationships with dealer partners. tany Trent. “Every time we get a call, our
It was always Eric Griggs’ goal to build a goal is to make them want to call back,
dealer-centric company, and he has man- and it doesn’t matter if it’s the president
aged to do that in multiple different ways. of a major company or someone shoot-
ing in their backyard—everyone gets the
“Whenever I reached out to a new deal- same level of treatment. We are also very
er, all I ever asked for was a foot in the aware of the dealer-centric mentality
door,” Eric Griggs said. “I just asked for that Eric has created. Consumers can buy
an opportunity, not for them to burn any strings from our website, but we always
bridges with other string manufactur- go out of our way to send them to a local
ers. I never asked for any sort of exclusive dealer instead. We want to do everything
deal. I just wanted a chance to earn their we can to support dealers and send busi-
business because I knew that if we pro- ness their way, partly because we also
vided a high-quality product, good turn- know that they have the expertise to in-
around, great customer service and the stall that string properly.”
right margins, then we would just natu-
rally earn more business. We don’t make Just Getting Started
them sign contracts or commit to a cer-
tain volume—nothing like that at all. We GAS Bowstrings has made incredible
just want to provide a good service and progress in a short period of time, but
help make their business more success- that shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
ful. If we do that, we know they’ll come Eric Griggs had a clear vision for success,
back for more.” and he found the right people to help
him execute it. Despite being one of the
Something else that strengthens rela- newest names in the bowstring catego-
tionships with dealers and consumers is ry, GAS Bowstring has emerged as one of
GAS Bowstrings’ culture of accountability. the clear front runners, but Eric Griggs
and his team will have to keep proving
“I think it’s really important for every- themselves to remain successful in the
one to have a strong sense of responsibili- long run.
ty over their work,” Dwayne Jamison said.
“That’s why we maintain a paper trail for “Eric is a really incredible leader, and
every single set of strings. Every person all of his prior experiences have combined
who is involved with the process of build- to create something truly special,” said
ing and inspecting that set signs their ini- Sara Sherman. “He’s qualified and experi-
tials on that paper. There is a name con- enced as a company leader. He has a deep
nected to every step of the process, from understanding of bowstrings, and he also
the initial setup, to finalization, to quality has incredible insight from his time as a
control. If we get a call from someone a professional archer—which just speaks
few months later and they have a prob- volumes. You have to be very detail-ori-
lem with that set of strings, then we can ented and knowledgeable to compete at
go back and reference that order to see that level, and now he has refocused that
who did what, and then we make sure we knowledge on GAS Bowstrings. Most of us
go back and correct whatever led to that here are also archers, so we understand
mistake. Everyone is accountable for the what’s needed out in the industry. We un-
work that they do, and everyone is held to derstand that we had to bring something
the same high standard. We have string new and special to the market, or else
builders here who are very good at their we never would have stood out. I believe
craft, and they are even more engaged that’s what we have done so far, but we
with what they do because of this culture are going to have to keep it up. We are go-
of accountability we have created here.” ing to keep reaching new customers and
fostering new relationships. We know
A deep commitment to customer ser- we are building extremely high-quality
vice has been crucial to GAS Bowstrings’ strings, and we are just going to continue
success to this point, and it will remain proving that to the rest of the industry,
crucial for the future of the company. one customer at a time.” IA

“We are always just trying to be as help-
ful and supportive as we can,” said Des-

JULY 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM

MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

Pur-Pro Products Hunting Cushions

BY PATRICK MEITIN

L ike many bowhunters, I once suffered polyurethane designs that are ultra-
in silence while occupying painfully comfortable, adaptable to any situation

uncomfortable stands or blinds. and completely waterproof. The molded
foam offers soft cushioning and sup-

This led to fidgeting or throwing in port in one, while a tough skin created

the towel early because I’d simply had during the molding process seals out

enough. For at least the past decade, wet weather. They are also incredibly and-gun hunting requiring sitting on
hard or wet ground. The bottom in-
comfort has become paramount, mak- durable and UV stabilized to last many cludes an added layer of tough Cordura
to protect against punctures. A 13-by-15-
ing my efforts not only more palatable, seasons. Better yet, these products are by-2-inch, 2.25-pound model was de-
signed to attach to nearly any treestand
but more productive. made in the USA by American workers seat with twin 48-inch quick-disconnect
buckle straps. These are great for add-
In the quest for prolonged stand and and delivered at affordable price points. ing posterior cushioning and insulation
to any existing treestand or blind chair.
blind-seat comfort, AMA USA introduced As an added bonus, custom retail, club,
Another great option for serious el-
Pur-Pro outdoor recreation seats. Un- outfitter or individual logos can be add- evated hunting is the Pur-Pro minKnee
Pad. This is a 10-by-5-inch (minKnee
like other hunting cushions with cloth ed for a small price. II) or 11-by-5.5-inch (minKnee I) wide,
inch-thick oval of polyurethane foam
coverings that wear out, absorb mois- The Pur-Pro lineup is continually with quick-release tree strap made to
protect knees while employing a tree
ture and oftentimes create noise, PUR- expanding. One of the newest is the
saddle. They could also
PRO cushions are molded, one-piece Pur-Pro Boss. This is a full backrest serve as compact back
padding against knotty
seat made for large hunters and mea- tree trunks or a head

suring 18 inches wide, 17 inches deep rest while on stand. They
weigh about 7 to 8 ounces and accom-
and 17 inches tall. It weighs less than modate trees up to 20 inches in diame-
ter. They are compact enough to slip into
8 pounds. The Boss includes no frame, nearly any daypack, or can be clipped
around the waist using the 6-foot-long
so it can be folded for easier transport webbing straps. Utilizing two pads on a
single strap allows more tree-saddle po-
and storage. It is formulated to provide sitioning options.

maximum weather resis- Improved comfort makes for more
efficient and happy hunters. Hunters
tance and durability. A will see more animals because they’re
more apt to sit still, and they will stay
framed version is also on stand longer due to added comfort.
Check out the entire Pur-Pro lineup by
available. visiting pur-pro.com. IA

A better option for hunt-

ers accessing remote sites or hunting

afoot are Pur-Pro Flat Seat Cushions.

They include the same durable, water-

proof polyurethane construction and

include thread-through straps. The

9.5-by-10-by-1.5-inch, 1-pound version

with shoulder strap is perfect for run-

WebXtra ■ For more information on

the Pur-Pro hunting cushions, please go

to insidearchery.com/Pur-Pro.

38 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



40 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022

Tink’s Curiosity scents, glandular lures and Mrs. Doe Pee’s ■ Hunters have long
Smokin’ attractants have been a big part of
Stogies the bowhunter’s bag of tricks for de- used doe estrus to attract bucks during
cades, used to bring game into intimate the whitetail rut. Mrs. Doe Pee’s Doe in
Mrs. Doe bow range and hold them longer for Estrus plays to that effort and does so at
Pee’s Doe clean shots. And where we once attempt- an affordable price. MSRP is $11.99. See
ed to cover human odors with the addi- mrsdoepee.com for more information.
in Estrus tion of still more scent, we have learned
Buck Baits that eliminating human odors altogeth- Buck Baits ■ Buck Baits’ Buck Urine has
Buck Urine er, giving animals nothing to smell at
all, is the most effective approach. Mod- numerous applications. It is a great curi-
Killer ern bowhunters carry a lot of gear into osity lure, especially for dominant bucks.
Food Plots the field, and attractants, scent lures and Use it in natural and mock scrapes, in
scent prevention products factor promi- front of trail cameras and near stand
Suffuze nently. This makes them an important locations. Buck Urine is ATA-approved
Hunter’s product category for any archery shop. and RT-QuIC tested. It comes standard
Specialites in a 4-ounce plastic spray bottle with an
Stocking a healthy selection of attrac- MSRP of $19.95. See buckbaits.com for
Bull tants and scent lures for the animals more information.
Elk-in-Rut most hunted in your region, as well as
JULY 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM the newest scent-prevention products, Killer Food Plots ■ Killer Food Plots’
ensures steady sales during fall seasons.
Bowhunters use scent products liberally, Suffuze Whitetail Specialty Attractant is
exhausting supplies regularly, especially a positively charged liquid that triggers
during times such as opening week and in an immediate reaction by stimulating
the heat of the whitetail rut. This brings a whitetail’s sense of smell. The strong
them back for more. Even if a bowhunt- active scent in Suffuze effectively en-
ing customer hasn’t added these products gages deer. Get this product in Red Hot
to their shopping list, they make nearly 24, which includes doe estrus, or RIP,
automatic add-on items. Stock these which includes soothing natural bed-
products on primary shelving, as well as ding scents. Both are non-threatening
eye-grabbing endcaps, to maximize sales to deer and help pique interest. MSRP is
during hunting seasons. These products $24.99. See killerfoodplots.com for more
have the punch necessary to boost bot- information.
tom lines in any outdoor outlet.
Hunter’s Specialties ■ Bull Elk-in-Rut
Scents & Lures
Urine by Hunter’s Specialties is a trusted
Tink’s ■ Tink’s Smokin’ Stogies is a new product that is part of the Wayne Carl-
ton’s Calls scents and lures lineup. This
twist on the No. 69 Doe-In-Rut synthetic product is collected from adult rutting
lure, which is formulated to smell like bulls and bottled for field use. This one
fresh doe urine at the peak of its breed- comes in a 2-ounce bottle that is UV-
ing cycle. Simply light a Smokin’ Stogie protected and includes an atomizer for
and it will smolder (no open flame) for maximum scent dispersion. It includes
up to three hours, effectively sending an MSRP of $9.99. See hunterspec.com for
scent-infused smoke to drift downwind more information.
to stick to vegetation. This is a great so-
lution for hunting during freezing tem- Hunting Made Easy (HME) ■ HME’s
peratures that can render liquid lures
less effective or difficult to use. And, the new Scent Web is now available in nine
scent-laden smoke is more potent than different scents, including She-Heat
liquid lures so it provides longer-range (doe in estrus), She-Duction (doe urine),
attraction. They come in a two-pack Scrape Venom (buck, doe, and tarsal
with an MSRP of $14.99. See tinks.com for gland), Hog (sow in estrus), Elk (cow in
more information. estrus), Vanilla Acorn, Apple, Sweet Corn
and Smokey Bacon for bear hunters.
These scented foams last up to five days
in the field, and are up to 300 percent

41

HME Scent Web Code Blue Inventive Outdoors CWD-Free Bundle
Rope-A-Dope
more potent than liquid scents. They re- Rub is a forehead gland and preorbital
activate with moisture, and don’t include WRC Buck-Fire scent crafted to stimulate rub activity.
messy liquids. Best of all, you can apply Raging Estrus The special gel formulation is long last-
scent from up to 10 feet away, decreas- ing and provides smooth, even coverage
ing the risk of introducing human scent. Black Widow Deer on the included rope. It operates simply:
Spray on scrapes, branches, bushes and Lures Buck Butter merely attach a rope to a licking branch
trees, or use as cover scent near your over an existing or mock scrape using
stand. Each can contains up to 300 feet Hot Trails® Scented the included zip tie and brush Rack Rub
of scented foam string with up to 20 Hunting Candles onto the rope. For added intensity, add
uses per can, based on 1 second bursts. Buck Bomb a bottle of Code Blue Doe Estrous to the
MSRP ranges from $12.99 to $14.99. See Scrape Kit Plus scrape. Included is a weather-resistant
hmeproducts.com for more information. cotton synthetic blend rope (3 ft. x 1 in.)
and 2-ounce bottle of Rack Rub gel. MSRP
Odin’s Innovations ■ Odin’s Innova- is $19.99. See codebluescents.com for
more information.
tions offers highly unique and biodegrad-
able scents contained in polymer-based Wildlife Research Center (WRC) ■
beads. Synthetic scents infused into Odin’s
Innovations’ unique time-release beads WRC’s Buck-Fire Raging Estrus is a new
combine to make an effective attractant. offering. It is specially formulated with
Due to popular demand, Odin’s is intro- two secret, rut-inspiring ingredients and
ducing products to address the need for just a touch of tarsal gland scent to help
hunters of other prey, too. For example, reach out to that hard-to-find buck. This
bear and boar, as well as scents to be used premium line of high-performance lures
to make other outdoor experiences more are carefully crafted in small batches
enjoyable. According to Odin’s, since every to optimize their strength in various
product uses 100 percent synthetic scents, attraction qualities. The MSRP on a
it is consistently effective, without bac- 4-ounce bottle of Buck-Fire Raging Estrus
teria or other elements that could affect and a Magnum Key Wick is $30.85. See
performance. Extensively field and labo- wildlife.com for more information.
ratory tested, Odin’s releases scent for 30
days or more and is moisture-proof, con- Black Widow Deer Lures ■ Buck
tinuing to work even after heavy rain or
snow. Furthermore, Odin’s scent beads are Butter Forehead Gland Gel by Black Wid-
biodegradable. See odinsinnovations.com ow Deer Lures is forehead gland scent
for more information. that is great for application on rub lines
or near scrapes. The smell of an un-
Code Blue ■ Code Blue’s Rope-A-Dope known deer intruding in their terri-
tory can bring out natural aggression in
is made to enhance scrapes and mock target bucks. This product is meant for
scrapes. Once located, bucks use the stimulating rubbing activity and sparking
product to deposit scent. Code Blue’s Rack aggression in dominant bucks. It comes

Odin’s Innovations Continued on Page 44

42 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



Continued from Page 42 Deer Feed & Mineral

in a 1.5-ounce bottle with an MSRP of Antler King Whitetail Whitetail Institute ■ Whitetail Insti-
$13.99. See blackwidowdeerlures.com for Grainiac Institute
more information. Big & J tute’s Apple Obsession is an easy-to-use
BB2 Apple granular attractant with a strong apple
Persimmon Obsession flavor that draws deer from long distanc-
Hot Trails® ■ Hot Trails® Scented Hunt- Granular es. It’s perfect for hunters who don’t have
Moultrie the time to plant food plots. Apple Obses-
ing Candles cover human scent and Deer Magnet sion contains Devour, which is a proprie-
bring the deer to wherever you’re hunt- tary taste and scent enhancer for deer, es-
ing. When lit and placed safely and se- Drip Bag pecially in the early fall and winter. This
curely in one of their mini lanterns, Attractant product is infused with essential miner-
it can burn for up to 5 hours, emitting Ani-Logics als and vitamins to boost energy levels,
full-strength scent from start to finish. Black Ops contains 10 percent protein, and can be
Deer can pick up the scent more than 500 poured directly on the ground. It retails
yards downwind of the candle, drawing for $44.96. See whitetailinstitute.com for
them in close. Doe-N-Heat is the most more information.
popular candle, however, Hot Trails pro-
duces 12 other scents for everything from Antler King ■ Antler King’s Grainiac is
deer to black bears along with 3 differ-
ent color mini lanterns. The packaging is a nutritious and tasty blend of natural
air-tight to keep the scent contained. See grains. This block includes numerous
hottrails.com for more information. deer favorites, including apples, corn,
soybeans, black oil sunflower seeds, pea-
Buck Bomb ■ The Buck Bomb Scrape Kit nuts and molasses. It also contains Ant-
ler King’s proprietary health supplement,
Plus combines scrape-related scents with AMP, to help promote digestive efficiency
Scent Wicks made to be placed on a tree and immune function. Grainiac can be
limb above an existing scrape. Use this used year-round to supplement natural
system to freshen a scrape or create a food sources. For maximum consumption,
mock scrape. The Scent Hammock is hunt- this easy-to-carry attractant block can be
er orange for easy visibility, so can also placed near hunting locations, or any ar-
act as a yardage marker. The kit includes eas deer frequently travel, including stag-
one 4-ounce bottle of Buck Bomb Synthetic ing sites, trail and water sources. Grainiac
Scrape Generator liquid scent, one 4-ounce is available in 20- or 33-pound blocks. See
bottle of Buck Bomb Synthetic Forehead antlerking.com for more information.
Gland liquid scent, two Scent Wicks and
the Scent Hammock. Simply hang the Moultrie ■ Deer Magnet Drip Bag Attrac-
soft rubber Scent Hammock from a tree
limb with the Synthetic Scrape Genera- tant by Moultrie comes in Green Apple or
tor 4-ounce scent inserted, and loosen the Berry offerings. This juicy drip bag system
bottle cap to drip the scent into the scrape keeps deer coming back again and again.
at the desired pace. MSRP is $19.99. See You can hang it over new or existing
buckbomb.com for more information. mineral sites. Deer will dig, paw and lick
the soil underneath. Pre-moisten the bag
Inventive Outdoors CWD-Free ■ The for instant results, or let the rain activate
it. The site will refresh itself each time
CWD-Free Whitetail Bundle 4-Pack by In- it rains. It includes natural trace mineral
ventive Outdoors includes one bottle each salt and either green apple or berry flavor-
of estrous, buck, doe and tarsal scents. ing. It comes in a 2.5-pound bag with an
This bundle was created for year-round MSRP of $19.99. See moultriefeeders.com
deer inventorying or for use during deer for more information.
season. The buck and doe scents are good
for conducting non-rut inventories, while Big & J ■ Big & J BB2 Persimmon
the whitetail estrous and tarsal scents
are made for attracting bucks during the Granular feed attractant was formu-
rut. The four-pack includes a retail price lated to draw deer from a wider area,
of $45.99. See inventiveoutdoors.com for
more information.

44 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022

WRC Scent Killer Hunter’s Specialites Scent-A-Way Nose Jammer Scent Thief
Gold Bar Soap MAX Ultimate Hunting Kit Silent Series Combo Pack

while also providing all-important It is a granular attractant that looks like at its source. It is also formulated with
nutrients. Persimmon BB2 offers a dirt, so it won’t be obvious and give away special moisturizers and Aloe to be non-
powerful aroma, which is a result of a your spots to other hunters while hunt- irritating. This high-quality bar is great
proprietary refining process. This isn’t ing public lands. It comes in a 5-pound for preparing for any hunt. Improve cus-
just an attractant, though it includes bag and includes an MSRP of $11.99. See tomer results by stocking the entire scent
a TDN (total digestible nutrition) level anilogics.com for more information. prevention system. See wildlife.com for
that is higher than virtually any other more information.
premium feed, including high level of Scent Elimination
energy-boosting protein. It comes in Hunter’s Specialties ■ Hunters often-
a 6-pound bag and includes suggested Wildlife Research Center (WRC) ■
retail price of $12.99. See bigandj.com times need the full lineup of scent pre-
for more information. WRC has introduced an improved Scent vention products. Hunter’s Specialties
Killer Gold Bar Soap in an updated ultra- Scent-A-Way MAX Ultimate Hunting Kit
Ani-Logics ■ Black Ops by Ani-Logics premium, odor-fighting formula. This includes the necessary products to take
offering has a special unscented, anti- hunters from pre-hunt to the middle of
is built to attract deer more effectively. odor formula that goes after human odor the hunt. It includes eight products at a

very affordable MSRP of just $44.99. See Lethal Products skin, clothing and the environment. See
hunterspec.com for more information. 360º Field Spray scentthief.com for more information.
Scent
Nose Jammer ■ Nose Jammer recently Assassin Lethal Products ■ Lethal’s latest prod-
ElimiShield
announced its latest innovation—the Si- Hunt CORE uct is 360º Field Spray, which is a step up
lent Series. For hunters who need com- Body Foam from the original Field Spray. It protects
pletely sound-free stealth in the field, against unwanted odors on clothes, fab-
this comprehensive lineup provides Nose rics, gear and boots. This pre-mixed for-
Jammer technology in a quieter package. mula works to neutralize tough odors
The new Nose Jammer Silent Series pack and does so without added fragrance.
includes a 4-ounce Silent Pump Spray The bottle allows spraying from any an-
to block game’s ability to sense odors, gle, including upside down, with no loss
a 2-ounce Rub On Wax Stick with time of pressure. No propellants are used, so
release formula, and 28-gram Dust for you are getting a 100 percent pure prod-
wind detection and protection. All three uct with no added odors. MSRP is an af-
products in the Nose Jammer Silent Se- fordable $7.99. See lethalproducts.com
ries deploy silently and tip the odds in for more information.
the hunter’s favor with long-lasting, ol-
factory-blocking technology. Suggested Scent Assassin ■ Scent Assassin prod-
retail is $24.99. See nosejammer.com for
more information. ucts utilize Cell Sniper Technology, an
all-natural formula proven to destroy
Scent Thief ■ The Scent Thief Combo odor causing bacteria. Cell Sniper contin-
ues to attack the cell wall of bacteria to
Pack includes a 12-ounce spray bottle completely eliminate odor at its source.
and 32-ounce refill. The spray bottle is Field sprays are offered in Unscented and
compact enough to fit in a hunting pack Natural Earth. The Natural Earth field
for on-the-go scent control. Its patented spray uses the same Cell Sniper formu-
No Smell Technology relaxes an ani- la as Unscented, in addition to Natural
mal’s olfactory epithelium—the area of Environment Scent Technology. This is
the nose responsible for smell—tempo- created by extracting essential oils from
rarily diminishing animals’ ability to real plant matter to give hunters a 100
detect threatening odors such as those percent all-natural cover scent. All Scent
released by humans. This gives hunt- Assassin products are manufactured on
ers an advantage by letting the wind act a small batch schedule, giving you the
in their favor. Scent Thief products are freshest products available. Scent As-
made with ingredients that are safe for sassin offers a full line of scent elimi-

Crazy Scent ScentLok
About Crusher BE:1
Outdoors Halo Series Phantom
Cover Locker Pullover
Scent Gel and Pant

nation products. See scentassassin.com with Techno-lite fabric, heavy-duty zip- odor-causing bacteria and is built into
for more information. pers and a weather-resistant base. The the structure of the fabric, so it won’t
Locker measures 45-by-69-by-27 inches. wash away, providing effective protec-
ElimiShield ■ ElimiShield’s HUNT The generator offers a quiet circula- tion over the life of the garment. Also,
tion fan, timer settings of 10, 20, and 30 Carbon Alloy—ScentLok’s renowned
Core Body Foam kills 99.99 percent of minutes, a lithium-ion battery that of- odor-controlling technology—adsorbs
odor-causing bacteria. It is designed fers up to 4-plus hours of operation on and locks away metabolic, ambient and
to apply directly to skin to kill human a single charge, and it includes a main- any bacterial odors that might form, ef-
odors at the source. Proper application tenance-free 2-year warranty. It retails fectively minimizing the hunter’s hu-
includes applying a small amount into for $499.99. See feradyne.com for more man-odor signature. The suit features a
the palms and spreading on both hands information. lightweight textured polyester body and
and then all over the body, paying special upper-arm fabric combined with an ul-
attention to odor-causing areas of the ScentLok ■ The BE:1 Phantom Pull- tralight stretch cuff and waist to afford a
body (armpits, feet, hair). Rub into the full range of motion without discomfort.
skin until dry. ElimiShield HUNT Core over and Pant by ScentLok provide an A DWR treatment sheds moisture to help
Body Foam is alcohol free and is non- elevated option for hunters. It com- keep hunters dry and comfortable. The
transdermal, with added silk protein to bats perspiration and resultant bacte- jacket retails for $159.99 (M-XL) or $169.99
help moisturize skin. Suggested retail is rial growth. Its lightweight, breathable, (2X-3X), the pants $169.99 (waist sizes 30,
$12.99. See huntersafetysystem.com for quick-drying fabric combines with a 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 with standard
more information. moisture-wicking treatment to keep inseam). See scentlok.com for more
hunters feeling cool and dry. The Silver information. IA
Crazy About Outdoors ■ Crazy About Alloy technology inhibits the growth of

Outdoors carries a line of 100 percent
natural odor Cover Scent Sprays and just
came out with a new Cover Scent Gel. The
Gel comes in five outdoor scents, compat-
ible with multiple types of terrain. Crazy
About Outdoors’ Gel is longer lasting than
typical sprays and has an intense scent
of dirt, oak, cedar, pine or spruce. This
no-mess Gel evaporates in 24 to 48 hours.
See crazyaboutoutdoors.com for more
information.

Scent Crusher ■ The Halo Series

Locker is an easy and effective meth-
od to eliminate odors on clothing and
equipment. The new portable digital
generator emits ozone that destroys
most odors within 30 minutes. The
Locker is easy to assemble, the heavy-
duty metal shelves adjustable to suit
storage needs. It works in basements,
garages and hunting camps, crafted

JULY 2022 INSIDEARCHERY.COM 47

MARKET TRENDS GEAR REPORT

SSiKnBgilSee/rDioeusbUlletimBoawteCase

BY PATRICK MEITIN hunter options. It can be
instantly converted from a
I’ m fortunate enough to have enjoyed
many destination bowhunts—from Alaska

to Africa, Mexico to Manitoba, Alabama to Wyoming. single-bow case with removable acces- The case includes SKB-standard
sory tray and dual arrow grippers, to a molded-in hinges, steel-reinforced
padlock loops, patented trigger release
These are the stuff bowhunting dreams double-bow case. Fill the built-in arrow latches, snap-down rubber over-mold-
ed cushion grip handles (one large
are made of, but once came with the grippers with a dozen arrows, the orga- handle on the side, a smaller one on
the end) and automatic/waterproof
anxiety of reaching the end of an airline nization tray with spare broadheads, ambient pressure equalization valve
(MIL-STD 810G). The exterior is resis-
journey with equipment intact. Today, releases, basic tuning gear and some tant to UV damage, solvents, corrosion,
fungus and heavy impacts. Regarding
with products from SKB Cases, those calls, return the foam divider, toss in those patented trigger release latches,

worries have essentially vanished. your bow and you’re ready to head to there are eight of them, four along the
front edge, and two on each side, en-
SKB’s iSeries cases offer the ultimate elk camp for a week. Remove the ac- suring the case will never open acci-
dently to spill contents.
protection of expensive and lovingly cessory tray and the case easily holds
The smaller snap-down handle sits
tuned equipment, the iSeries Ultimate two bows, one in the bottom compart- opposite twin, steel-axle roller-blade-
style wheels to make navigating busy
Single/Double Bow Case more specifi- ment, another in the top separated by airports easy.

cally also offering versatility and orga- the foam divider, leaving you ready for, The iSeries Ultimate Single/Double
Bow Case truly is the ultimate design
nizational options. say, a prolonged African safari. The case for adventurous bowhunters who travel
regularly, whether in a gear-packed ve-
The iSeries 4719 Ultimate Single/Dou- is spacious enough to pack needed gear hicle or by commercial airliner. It pro-
vides options, depending on the adven-
ble Bow Case offers the traveling bow- around the contained bows. The bot- ture at hand—keeping gear beautifully
organized for a road trip where only one
tom coffin accommodates bows up to 44 bow is needed, or offering uncompro-
mising protection from airline damage
inches long, the top up to 46 inches. The when a back-up bow is indicated. This
is but one option, as SKB has a bow case
accessory tray will also hold a stabilizer for every need and budget. Check them
out at skbcases.com. IA
measuring up to 36 inches long.

Like other SKB iSeries cases, this

one is injection molded to demand-

ing military specs and gasket sealed

to be 100 percent dust and waterproof/

submersible. Rotomolded from ultra-

high-strength polypropylene copolymer

resin, this is a nearly bulletproof case

that I feel confident jumping up and

down atop without worry of damaging

contained equipment. This also means

hurried baggage handlers can drop,

toss, spill fuel on or even run over your

case with no ill effects.

WebXtra ■ For more information on

the SKB iSeries Bow Case, please go to in-

sidearchery.com/SKBiSeriesCase.

48 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022



INSIDE THE INDUSTRY LEADING ARCHERY MANUFACTURERS

BIGshot Targets
BY INSIDE ARCHERY STAFF

B IGshot Archery was founded in 2005 customers, ensuring they had
and has grown into one of the largest product to meet demand at the
best possible prices. Brandon

archery target manufacturers on the East Coast. was able to smoothly transition in Pennsylvania. One of
BIGshot’s core values is
suppliers and manufacturing focused on helping their local economy
and employees grow. BIGshot’s theme of
Located in eastern Pennsylvania, the processes to provide a continuous flow “Manufacturing Jobs” emphasizes the
unbelievable benefits of manufacturing
company once operated out of a fam- of finished product while other compa- locally verses outsourcing and/or service
jobs. BIGshot feels that our country was
ily garage, but has since expanded into nies struggled. built on manufacturing and so was the
middle class. BIGshot routinely has high
more than 50,000 square feet of manu- Another key employee is Hunter Wil- school graduates earning more income
than service and warehouse workers
facturing and distribution space. The son, who manages BIGshot’s 3D acqui- two to one.
Customers who buy BIGshot prod-
company was started to satisfy a simple sition, integration and expansion. The ucts can rest assured that their dollars
go straight into building the economy
need—to provide a better target at a RealWild competition 3D target brand, through wages, supplies, machinery
and support services. Al Perelli says
more affordable price. Titan Broadhead line and Pro Hunter buying from companies who move their
manufacturing facilities offshore has
BIGshot Archery’s growth has been Backyard 3D line have all been achieving about a 5 percent impact on the local
companies’ economy and 95 percent
propelled by its quality employees and hypergrowth since BIGshot’s acquisition positive impact to the foreign country.
No one wants that.
dedicated customers, who through the of those lines. Hunter has managed all Since its inception, BIGshot under-
stood the need for targets offering easy-
years have become like family mem- aspects of production, hiring and train- pull qualities, as well as extreme dura-
bility. From the classic Ballistic 450 Bag
bers. BIGshot has worked hard to instill ing. He was a key factor in developing target to the venerable Iron Man, BIGshot
has delivered on the promise of both du-
a culture of accountability, ownership the industry-leading and industry-first rability and easy arrow/bolt extraction.
This has earned BIGshot the nickname
and self-determination. BIGshot origi- high-slip foam formula that allows of the Easy Pull Target Company. This
has also earned BIGshot’s Iron Man se-
nally included a small cadre of family crossbow and high-energy compound ries a position as the No. 1 requested tar-
get for crossbow users today.
members, including owner and founder, shooters to effortlessly pull bolts and ar- BIGshot’s newest entry, the 10x, solves
the same problem with foam, by allow-
Al Perelli, and Al’s sons Jarred and Bran- rows from BIGshot’s foam targets. ing even shooters wielding the fastest
crossbows the ability to buy one target
don. They remained the core of the com- Growing a business while competing that does it all. This includes easy bolt
extraction with field points and com-
pany until demand increased substan- with firmly entrenched competitors is plete broadhead compatibility.
Al Perelli says so many crossbow and
tially, so in time BIGshot built a larger always a huge challenge. BIGshot has compound owners spend a lot of money
on a bow and then have a miserable ex-
family of business owners. maintained a laser focus on its custom-

BIGshot’s Vice President of Operations, ers’ needs, both in target performance

Amy Auffert, has been with the compa- and regarding their business needs. This

ny for 12 years, starting at the company has proven to be a major aspect of BIG-

while working just three days a week as shot’s quick and continued success. On

an administrator. Now Auffert manages the product end, BIGshot Archery has be-

all operations. Amy is equally capable of come renowned for producing innova-

managing all the complex freight, order tive personal and commercial-grade tar-

entry, as well as production get systems. The company is

and inventory systems. She driven by the goal of provid-

also heads the HR and re- ing quality targets that solve

cruiting departments. Amy real problems for archers,

has an amazing attitude bowhunters, archery clubs

and loves to work with cus- and ranges. From recreation-

tomers and employees to al, hunting and professional

solve problems. shooter targets, to game-changing, pat-

Brandon Perelli, who handles supply ent-pending, interactive hunt simula-

chain and manufacturing processes, tors, BIGshot Archery has revolutionized

has proven invaluable in keeping BIG- the way archers compete, and the way

shot and its customers supplied dur- they practice and prepare for bowhunt-

ing the recent pandemic. Due to Bran- ing adventures.

don’s often Herculean efforts, BIGshot BIGshot’s targets are 100 percent man-

was able to produce non-stop for their ufactured in the U.S.A., more specifically

50 INSIDE ARCHERY JULY 2022