If you shoot a bow you probably already know just how intricate the setup is on a good compound or crossbow. The timing must be right, the arrow and broadhead must be balanced, and the bow must be sighted in. The learning curve to work on a modern bow is a lot steeper than say setting up and sighting in a rifle. It is crucial to success in the field to have access to a quality bow shop where the staff and techs know what they’re doing.
Schupbach’s
Located in downtown Jackson on Pearl St., it’s the type of place you might miss if you didn’t know it was there. According to their website, The business started just after WW2 as an aftermarket automotive distributor. In the early 1960’s they became licensed as a firearms dealer and sold guns and ammo in addition to auto parts. Bryan Schupbach, the current owner, began working at his father’s company in the mid-1970s. According to shop lore, one day in 1984, his dad and brothers left the business for a vacation for several weeks. While they were gone, Bryan sold off everything automotive related and stocked archery equipment, while keeping the firearm store on the other side of the shop. The rest is history as Schupbach’s has become renowned as one of the best archery shops in the state. Ted Nugent has his archery equipment serviced there and you may find a member of the Eberhart family working the counter there depending on when you stop in. The place has pedigree.
Looking for a new archery shop, I started going to Schupbach’s in Jackson a few seasons ago. The first time I went into the store, I was greeted by a friendly middle-aged gentleman who turned out to be the owner, Bryan. Very new to shooting compound bows, he took the time to talk with me for 30 minutes about what I wanted in a bow and what I needed to know about how to pick the right one. Recognizing the need to do more research, I told him I would be back soon to pick out a bow. Without hesitation, Bryan grabbed a DVD about archery fundamentals off the store rack and handed it to me. He told me it would give me a good primer on the subject. “What do I owe you for the DVD,” I asked? “Nothing. I just think its a really helpful intro and we want to get you started on the right foot,” Bryan told me.
Coming back a few weeks later, I picked a bow and they helped me get it set up properly. The expertise, attention to detail, humbleness, and patience I have experienced every time I go into their store is almost unheard of in today’s age. I have been having my bows serviced there since and I learn something new about archery every time I go into the store.
The owner Bryan, has bow hunted all over the world and the store is filled with his trophies—everything from whitetail deer to kudu. All avid hunters, the staff, and shop techs have the intimate knowledge of hunting needed to ensure that your equipment is ready to perform at its best when it counts.
If you’re in Jackson I highly recommend stopping in and checking out the shop. Getting your bow tuned there before the season is a guarantee that it will be performing at its best. If you’re not in the area, then I recommend finding a quality archery shop near you and building a relationship with them.
