# Sky TR-7 Report



## ryan b. (Sep 1, 2005)

Thanks for the review, Art. It's always nice when everything clicks with a new setup. Pics?


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## c-lo (Jan 8, 2012)

Would love to see some pics.


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## ArtV (Jan 29, 2008)

I'll get some pic's posted later today.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

I also received my TR-7 yesterday (plus bamboo core SKY limbs), and spent some time setting it up yesterday (Olympic style) and tuning it today. 

Impressions (and comparisions to my Formula RX): 
- Dead neutral and very very nice/pleasing balance. I have never been able to get my Formula to gently roll forward, but the TR7 has a nice controlled roll forward. 
- Very quiet shot (and this without the little round harmonic riser vibration dampeners, which SKY forget to include in the shipping). 
- A little lighter than the Formula
- The grip is very nice - much more of a low wrist angle than the Formula, which I think I will like.
- Like Art, the TR-7 has noticeably more speed than the Formula (I'm shooting SKY limbs on the Formula, also 42lb). And like Art, I had to dial out the limb bolts a lot, and raise the brace height some, to get my Formula X10 arrows to tune to the TR. And, I guess due to the low wrist, my draw length is about 1/2" shorter on the TR ... so, while I haven't chrono'd yet, I have to assume that shorter draw length and dialed out limb bolts to shoot same arrows = noticeably more speed.
- Here's the most noticeable difference (for me), and it's completely subjective ... The Formula was my first bow, and so I had nothing to compare it to, but after the last 24 hours I've come to the opinion that the Formula is a difficult bow to tune - compared to the TR-7, anyway. The TR is incredibly easy to tweak, and it's immediately clear what effect the tweaks have had. The limb bolts are easy to adjust (and especially easy to gauge, with the bolt top), the limbs horizontal adjustment was so easy I laughed out loud, the limbs click into their slots with a very smooth crisp 'click!'.

Having said all that, I don't love my Formula any less (well, the tuning aside). But I'm going to love the TR every bit as much ... call it a choice between Kim Basinger and Cheryl Ladd ... no way to make a bad choice!








my Formula - for comparison







More TR7 ...


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## wmt3rd (Oct 20, 2004)

So your multiple clickers are a Ready, Set, Go setup. :wink:


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## Bigjono (Apr 21, 2009)

Nice riser Art, how's the hand feeling.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

"Ready, set, go" ... I love it! 

Actually, I need to take the Beiter off (I can't hear it!). I'm sharing the Shibuya sight between the two bows (the stabilizers, too - hooray for quick-detach!), hence the two clickers for convenience sake. My draw length 'feels' the same for both bows, but the TR clicker (the 'further away' one) suggests that somehow the DL is different. I guess the diff is low wrist versus higher wrist (plus I've built up my Formula grip so much wider that it probably doesn't sink into my bow hand nearly as far as the thinner TR grip).


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## wmt3rd (Oct 20, 2004)

I recently got the Best 2.0 grip and could not for the life of me get thru the clicker. Then I realized that it was the grip difference.

Love the silver bow. Enjoy!


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## Chinese Tea (Mar 17, 2010)

Could either of you please post pictures of the limb alignment system? Still curious about how it works.
Thanks

ps. How does one adjust the bolt head if trying to screw it in deeper than the limb pocket walls? It doesn't look like a crescent wrench would have enough clearance to adjust it.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

Tea, it's at my office tonight, I can post some pics of the limb alignment system tomorrow probably (I should be taking the day off from shooting, but I suspect I won't be able to stay away).

You're right about the clearance and a cresent wrench (I don't think there's enough clearance for a socket wrech, either - but I haven't tried that to know for sure). To tighten the limb bolts down past the limb pocket walls - the straightforward was is to unstring the bow, loosen the limb bolt counter screw (located on the archer-side of the riser), and then easily turn the limb bolt with your fingers. Every threaded hole was exceptionally well presented - every bolt and fastener was as smooth as silk (and four hours of shooting caused nothing to work loose).


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## ArtV (Jan 29, 2008)

Bigjono said:


> Nice riser Art, how's the hand feeling.


I won't be able to do much shooting...the excitement of the new riser...well I had to try it. However, my thumb isn't an issue when I shoot and I do not use my index finger...it only rests on the arrow shaft...basically I use my middle finger as a hook and the third finger is out of play once I come to full draw. The bottom line is...I won't be doing any real shooting as in practicing for competition. I am only drawing 38 lbs as compared to the 50lb I normally use for outdoors.
Thanks for asking.
Art


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## ArtV (Jan 29, 2008)

Chinese Tea said:


> Could either of you please post pictures of the limb alignment system? Still curious about how it works.
> Thanks
> 
> ps. How does one adjust the bolt head if trying to screw it in deeper than the limb pocket walls? It doesn't look like a crescent wrench would have enough clearance to adjust it.


No problem for me..since I found the correct limb tiller before I went below the limb edge. I bottomed out the bolts (bow unstrung) and unscrewed them to know how many turns were available before the bolt came out then set the bolts half way in to start the tune. I only needed a few turnes in either direction to come to even tiller. The Bernardini Nilo I just sold required me to unstring the bow to do any limb bolt tuning at all. It did require the wrench you use to tighten or loosen the bolt to go below the riser pocket edge. I really don't believe this is an issue with the TR-7, but I'm not a serious tuner.


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## ArtV (Jan 29, 2008)

Iksseven....I'm curious. Where are the limb dampers that normally are in the holes at each end of the riser...? Did you take them out? I can't find the thread where John post the picture of his. Here's the link to the picture in Sky Archery web site.

http://www.skyarchery.com/tour/tour-10.htm

I am also interested in why you have the double clickers on the bow...could you explain a little.

Art


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

Art, 

I'm curious as to "where they are", too! They were absent from the riser shipment. I emailed SKY - hopefully it's just an oversight, and they'll be on their way to me in a day or two.


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## wmt3rd (Oct 20, 2004)

> I am also interested in why you have the double clickers on the bow...could you explain a little.


See post #8


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

Pics of limb adjustment system on the TR7 ...
the lateral hex screws inside the little holes on either side of the limb pocket move the limb one way or the other. Very intuitive, very straightforward.





















plus a view of the back stab/weight threading behind the grip


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## Neo888 (Feb 4, 2009)

Is this the original grip for it? Looks pretty much as Jager 2.0 without a rubber palm pad.


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## julle (Mar 1, 2009)

it's a Jager

Btw I have to ask you. Is there any play on that doinker vbar you have? I recently bought one and my side stabs feel really loose.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

Julle,

The Doinker stabs are two years old, and are rock solid - no play. 

neo888,

Yes, original grip - I believe Jager is supplying all the original grips for the TR7.


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## julle (Mar 1, 2009)

I meant the adjustable v bar


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## zal (May 1, 2007)

Limb adjustment seems to be identical system to current Samicks, which has been very good system.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

Julle,

The adjustable v-bar is rock solid, too. And I have very much appreciated the efficiency and effectiveness of the quick-detach couplings.

All of last year, on my Formula, my front stab would need periodic tightening while I was shooting. In late October, I replaced the F3 42lb limbs I'd been shooting all year (up from 38lb F3's the year before) with some SKY 42lb bamboo core/carbon limbs for the Formula. The SKY's produced more arrow speed, and so - plus some mods I had done to my bowgrip - I needed to retune the arrows, which I did, and came out with a really really nice soft tune. I realized a couple of weeks ago that I hadn't had to tighten my front stab, during a shooting session, in a couple of months ... since I'd finished my retune. So all I could conclude is that the previous tune was creating some vibration that the retune got rid of, or the SKY limbs are just much smoother limbs that impart less vibration to the riser. Too many variables to know for sure what to praise the most - but what I learned is that if I'm vibrating stuff loose on the bow while shooting, then I'm not done tuning.


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## ArtV (Jan 29, 2008)

That another thing I like about the riser. The Jaegar Grip...man it feels like home, this one is narrower than what I have been used to. It really helps my alignment.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

Two clickers Larry? Really?


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

The limb bolt issue will be resolved. It's on the short list of things that need to be tweaked a bit.

John


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## Jimmy Sweden (Oct 24, 2005)

Does anyone have pictures of the barebow wights developed by SKY?


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

I'll get some up soon.


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

"Two clickers Larry? Really?"

John,

Yeah, I know - only two since I took the third one off - I just felt it was excessive ... :embara:


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

You got issues man... LOL!


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

A couple more observations of differences between 25" TR7 and 25" Formula RX risers ..

1) Grip fulcrum indent (deepest part of the grip where your thumb/index finger web goes) - the TR7 is 3/8" higher/closer-to-the-plunger than is the Formula (TR7 1-5/8" below plunger tip; Formula 2" below plunger tip (with Ergo grip). Which I guess means that the TR7 requires a 'higher bow arm position' (higher number bow sight distance mark settings) than the Formula, all else being equal. It could also mean that the TR7 will be easier to shoot for long stretches, if the draw forces are more linear horizontally. Shooting my Formula all day usually results in a sore bowside trapezius (actually, on those long summer Saturdays shooting outside and after several hours I'm shooting as much for exercise as for progress, the final nut that makes me call it quits is always the fatigue in my bowside trapezius that makes it just too difficult to raise the bow and hold. But I shot a LOT Saturday and Sunday with the TR7, and experienced none of that (maybe the lower wrist angle changed the torque on that bowside of my body, also). 

2) Front stab threads - TR7 front stab threads are 1/2" lower (further below the plunger tip) than is the Formula (TR7 5-3/16" below plunger; Formula 5-11/16" below plunger)

3) TR7 plunger lines up directly over the grip fulcrum point, whereas on the Formula the plunger is about 1/4" behind (toward the archer) the grip fulcrum point. Which maybe would help explain why so many people find the Formula to be a slower bow than other bows of equal poundage (also contributing to this is probably that the Formula medium limbs are 1" longer than a lot of medium ILF limbs, given that the Formula riser limb bolts are an inch closer (on each end) to the plunger).


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## Chinese Tea (Mar 17, 2010)

lksseven said:


> Pics of limb adjustment system on the TR7 ...
> the lateral hex screws inside the little holes on either side of the limb pocket move the limb one way or the other. Very intuitive, very straightforward.
> View attachment 1591409
> 
> View attachment 1591410


Thanks for the pictures! 
I am slightly weary of this limb alignment system.. My Merlin Elite riser had some issues with it the set screws vibrating loose. I fixed it by wrapping the screws with teflon tape but my initial bad experience put me off.

I notice two things:
1. the limb pocket suddenly slopes down towards the end
2. there appears to be some residue at the 'corner' that this slope forms.

What's this from? Is that corner digging into your limbs?


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## zal (May 1, 2007)

I had same issue with Merlin riser back in the day. Nothing that blue loctite wouldn't fix. I think its more Merlin problem as Samick Xenotech which also has identical setup was pretty much perfect, though it had two locking screws rather than one, or none iirc in case of Merlin.


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## Chinese Tea (Mar 17, 2010)

The Merlin does have one locking screw, but the end of the screw is screwing 'into' the alignment block rather than sandwiching the block between the screw head and the riser, thus less surface area in contact with it. This one never vibrated loose, but regardless of the amount of pressure used to secure it, one locking screw won't keep the limb from shifting if the set screws come loose.

The tolerance between the set screws and the riser were a bit looser than I would've preferred, hence the vibration issues.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

I've been shooting this production model for over a month now, and no issues with the alignment screws coming loose. Of course, blue (NOT red) loctite would not hurt once you finally got the alignment how you want it, but I've not used it yet. Another thing you could do is just use two screws back to back - one alignment screw and one set screw. I did that on my prototype, worried about slippage, but Jim assured me it wasn't necessary. So far, with the production model, he's absolutely right. No issues.

The slope inside the limb pockets is by design to allow a little more adjustment (out) for the limb bolt than it would otherwise. This was a "fix" for the design flaw in the Mathews riser that carried into my prototypes, and we had to fix that. The residue is normal wear you will see with any limb/riser interface. The Matte finish on these risers just makes it a little more apparent.

John


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## HikerDave (Jan 1, 2011)

limbwalker said:


> I've been shooting this production model for over a month now, and no issues with the alignment screws coming loose. Of course, blue (NOT red) loctite would not hurt once you finally got the alignment how you want it, but I've not used it yet. Another thing you could do is just use two screws back to back - one alignment screw and one set screw. I did that on my prototype, worried about slippage, but Jim assured me it wasn't necessary. So far, with the production model, he's absolutely right. No issues.
> 
> The slope inside the limb pockets is by design to allow a little more adjustment (out) for the limb bolt than it would otherwise. This was a "fix" for the design flaw in the Mathews riser that carried into my prototypes, and we had to fix that. The residue is normal wear you will see with any limb/riser interface. The Matte finish on these risers just makes it a little more apparent.
> 
> John


I compared this alignment system to the Hoyt Formula Excel and Horizon where two screws were back to back. Jim Belcher told me that the nylon tips on the alignment screws were what made the locking screws unnecessary. That's good, because I really don't like dropping that little grub screw on the ground and having to grovel around until I find it -- that's happened to me on the Formula Excel. I'm sure that two grub screws on each side would work too, at the risk of galling the pivot block.

The pivot block is a really good system. Jim also showed my how the riser lies flat on a table and can be flipped so that top and bottom and left and right limb position can be compared by reference to the table. Pretty slick.


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## limbwalker (Sep 26, 2003)

> Jim also showed my how the riser lies flat on a table and can be flipped so that top and bottom and left and right limb position can be compared by reference to the table. Pretty slick.


Yes, that is a boon to tuners. Gets back to that "is your bow on plane" question I asked a while back. This is one of the simplest ways ever to answer that question, quickly, and by how much...

John


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## Jimmy Sweden (Oct 24, 2005)

Hey Limbwalker, what happend to the pictures of the barebow wights ?


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