Florida Bowhunting Readiness Check. The 7 Things We Test
Florida bow season starts July 31 in some zones. By the time archers think about getting their bow pro-shop-checked, it’s already August and every shop within 50 miles is booked for two weeks. We do not want you in that line. We want you in the line in June.
This post is the 7-point inspection we run on every Florida bowhunter’s bow in the weeks leading up to opening day. We do it in this order because this is the order that finds problems early. If you don’t live near a shop, use this as a checklist for your own garage inspection, but honestly, the 90 minutes it takes a pro shop to do this properly is worth every dollar the first time you miss a buck because of something that should have been caught in June.
1. Serving separation check
The serving is the thread-like wrap around the critical sections of your bowstring, the center serving where the D-loop sits, the end loops, and the cable servings near the cams. Serving separation is a tiny gap in that wrap that grows over time and eventually causes the string to tear through.
What we check: every inch of every serving, under a 10x magnifier, rotating the string slowly. We look for gaps between the wraps, frayed ends, and transfer marks where the wrap has started to slip.
What we fix: any serving with visible separation gets re-served on the spot. A new D-loop is tied if the center serving has slipped more than 1/8″. Estimated cost: $0–$40 depending on how many services need work.
Why it matters before hunting season: a serving that fails mid-shot can slip the nock off the string and the arrow goes somewhere unexpected, often straight up. This is how ceilings and car hoods get arrow holes.
2. Limb bolt and fastener torque check
Every accessory on your bow (rest, sight, quiver mount, stabilizer, dampener) is held on with small screws. Every one of those screws can loosen from vibration over a season of shooting. The limb bolts themselves, the two main bolts that set your draw weight, also need to be verified at their target torque.
What we check: every accessory screw with a torque wrench and loctite inspection. Limb bolts checked against the factory spec for your specific bow model.
What we fix: retighten to spec, apply fresh medium-strength loctite if needed. This is routine work and usually takes 10 minutes.
Why it matters: loose sight screws mean your sight is moving. A drifting sight = a 12″ miss at 40 yards you will not understand because your form was fine. Loose limb bolts = inconsistent draw weight from shot to shot. We see this cause tournament losses. We also see it cause missed deer.
3. Cam timing and synchronization
We covered this in our broadhead-vs-field-point post, on dual-cam bows, both cams need to roll over at the exact same moment at full draw.
What we check: on a draw board, at your measured draw length, we observe both cams relative to the timing marks stamped on them. We look at the timing at full draw and we watch what happens through the draw cycle, some timing drift is dynamic, not static.
What we fix: cable twists to bring timing to spec. Usually a matter of 1–3 twists in a single cable. 10–15 minutes.
Why it matters: out-of-time cams fire the arrow with an inconsistent release point, which amplifies into broadhead flyers and lost confidence.
4. Arrow rest and center shot verification
The arrow rest’s vertical and horizontal position determines where the arrow leaves the bow. Center shot is the horizontal; nock travel is vertical.
What we check: rest centering with an arrow tracer, vertical level of the rest arm to the arrow shelf, clearance through the rest’s deployment cycle on a drop-away rest.
What we fix: rest micro-adjustment to bring center shot inside 1/32″ of true. Vertical level to within 1 degree. Drop-away timing adjustment if the rest drops too early or too late.
Why it matters: a rest that drops early slaps the fletching on the way out. A rest that drops late clips the fletching. Either way, the arrow flies differently with each shot. For hunting, you want rest behavior dead-predictable.
5. Peep alignment and D-loop length
Your peep sits at the height where, at full draw, you look through it and see your front sight clearly. If it drifts off-center over hundreds of shots, you’re aiming with your head torqued slightly, which means a consistent right-or-left miss.
What we check: peep alignment at full draw (we pull your bow on the draw board at your draw length and eyeball the peep’s centering). D-loop length relative to your release aid and your preferred hand position at anchor.
What we fix: string twists to straighten the peep. D-loop re-tied to match your actual shot execution, not the previous archer’s.
Why it matters: peep misalignment is one of the most common causes of unexplained misses. It’s also one of the easiest things to fix and one of the easiest to ignore.
6. Chronograph speed verification
We shoot your arrows through the chronograph at the workbench. We record actual feet-per-second. This tells us three things:
- Your bow is delivering the speed the spec says it should (or not)
- Your sight tape will calibrate to real distances using the real speed
- Your arrow’s spine is actually matched to what the bow is producing
What we check: at least 3 arrow shots across the chrono, averaged, under the actual draw weight and draw length you shoot.
What we fix: if speed is below spec, we investigate cam timing, string creep, or limb bolt positioning. If speed is inconsistent shot-to-shot, we investigate release aid or grip torque.
Why it matters: your sight tape is only accurate if your speed is what you think it is. A bow that should be 285 fps but is actually shooting 272 fps will miss at 40+ yards because your 40-yard pin is set for 285. For hunting, this is the difference between a clean shot and a wounded animal.
7. Broadhead impact test
We set up a target at 20 yards and 40 yards. We shoot your exact hunting arrows with broadheads mounted. We compare impact to field points at the same distances.
What we check: three arrow groups per distance, field points first, broadheads second, same archer, same day, same conditions.
What we fix: if broadheads and field points aren’t hitting within an inch at 20 yards or 2 inches at 40 yards, we work the tune until they do. This may involve rest adjustments, cam timing, or, rarely, an arrow spine change.
Why it matters: this is the final exam. If broadheads don’t fly with field points, you do not have a hunting-ready bow. You have a bow that shoots paper well.
What we do after the check
If your bow passes all 7 checks, we send you home with:
- A printed report of the numbers (draw weight, draw length, arrow speed)
- Calibrated sight-tape distances for your actual arrow setup
- A recommendation on broadhead choice if you’re between options
- 10 arrows of practice time on our indoor range to confirm the work
- A note on when to come back (post-opening-day, post-season, or 1,500-shot interval)
If your bow doesn’t pass, we tell you what’s wrong, what it costs to fix, and how long it will take. No surprises, no upsells, no “your bow is beyond repair.” Every problem this post lists is fixable.
Why you should book this in June, not August
Every August, we turn away bowhunters because we’re fully booked. We don’t want to do that, but we also don’t rush the inspection because rushing is how problems get missed.
The solution is booking early. June and early July have open appointments. We block 60–90 minutes per full inspection and tune. Paying $80–$120 in June to know your bow is ready in July beats paying us the same amount in September to figure out why you missed.
Florida-specific considerations
A few things we pay extra attention to on Florida bows:
- String serving in the humidity. Moisture weakens cheap strings before older materials. We inspect for fuzz or softness that’s Florida-specific.
- Cam axle and hardware rust. Salt air on the Gulf Coast corrodes. We clean and re-lubricate axles during the inspection.
- Heat stability on the specific string material. We verify the string held its tension after a hot car or truck ride in our shop, we leave the bow under moderate direct sun for 20 minutes and re-check timing.
These are the details that catch out-of-state gear in our shop. Bowhunters who bought a bow in Michigan and moved to Florida routinely see their setups drift in June.
Ready for your pre-season check?
Book a hunting readiness check and tune, we block 60–90 minutes, complete the 7-point inspection, paper tune, broadhead verification, and chrono speed verification.
Bowhunters drive in from Tampa, Naples, Fort Myers, Orlando, and across South Florida for this work specifically before opening day.
Book your pre-season inspection or call (941) 322-7146, get on the schedule before August hits.