Field Evaluation - Easy Eye EZE Center Laser Tool By Jason Balazs
Apr 19, 2008 - 10:02:22 AM
Over the last 20 years or so, I would say that I have set up thousands of bow for myself and other people. In the mid 1990's I worked at Performance Archery in San Diego with Bob Fromme. While there, I was like a sponge soaking up as much information and knowledge as a person could get from a legendary bowhunter and media celebrity in regards tuning a bow. I can remember the hardest part about setting a bow up at that time was getting the center shot alignment. Meaning, ensuring your arrow is perfectly inline with the cams and riser for a straight shot. In those days, we used to line up the arrow by eye and go to paper tuning from there, which meant spending countless hours shooting and tweaking the rest.
Since then, things have really come a long way. The nest thing they came out with was the center shot tool that plugged into your limb bolts. You then had to put an arrow on your bow and let the gauge show you were center was. These worked pretty well, but sometimes the rubber on one side would stretch more than the other and not give you a true center. Another great tool that worked for a while was the center-gauge that you lined up with your string. You would find a flat spot on your riser and move the disk until it lined up with your string. From there you would turn the device around and line the disk up with your arrow. This was one of the best devices you could find, until the industry started making different bows that had offset risers and non-flat surfaces.
In the firearms world, there are bullet casings that have lasers built in and when you send the bolt home, it turns the laser on which shoots out towards the target. All you have to do is line your scope up with the laser and you are dead on. Well thank goodness someone in the archery industry thought of it for us too. The folks at Easy Eye Archery have come out with their own laser alignment tool called the EZE-Center.
The EZE-Center laser alignment tool is secured into position with two screws that fit perfectly into the sight mounting screw holes. There is a threaded shaft that has a free-floating pivoting head on it that holds the laser. This threaded shaft is threaded to be able to move left or right in regards to the center-shot of your bow. There is a nut that only needs to be hand tightened to stop the shaft from moving. Like I stated, the laser is held in the pivoting head. The purpose of this head being able to pivot freely is to allow you to follow your arrow from the string to the end without compromising the center-shot alignment. Now one thing I want to mention is the EZE-Center is made from all metal. There are no plastic screws or anything of that nature that will wear out on you. This thing was made to last and the only thing you will have to do to keep it going is replace the batteries every once in a while, depending on how much you use it.
It only takes 4 steps to ensure that your bows center shot is true and accurate with the EZE-Center. Now when I set up my bows, I always like to ensure they are secured in a bow vice. This not only makes it easier to manipulate the rest, but also allows your hands to be free while working on the bow.
Step 1: screw the EZE-Center onto the bow in your sight mounting screw holes with the laser portion out over your shelf of your bow.
Step 2: Install the arrow rest and make sure you have a straight arrow to put on the rest. Loosen the screw that holds the threaded shaft on the main body of the EZE-Center. Now push the button on the back of the center to turn the laser on. Hold the pivoting head with the laser pointing towards the string. While keeping that held, turn the threaded shaft so the laser moves towards the string. Once you are centered on the string, tighten the screw so the shaft will not move any more.
Step 3: Point the laser down towards the shelf of the bow and align the arrow that you have on the rest up with the laser. What you want is to ensure that the laser dot in directly in the middle of the arrow. You will have to adjust the arrow rest to make this happen.
Step 4: Point the laser toward the very end of your arrow (you are not touching the arrow or anything at this time). If the laser beam is not dead center on the shaft, use the micro adjusts on your rest to get it there. Once that is done, your center-shot is perfect. Supposing your nocking point is correct and your arrows are correctly spined, your bow should shoot perfect bullet holes through paper.
To tell you the truth, ever since receiving the EZE-Center, I don't have to paper tune a bow at all. Once I follow those four steps, the bow shoots like a dream even with broadheads. I used the EZE-Center all last year setting up every single bow I did for the 2007 bow review and did not have a problem with any riser style or mounting position. I even pack the tool with me when I go on hunting trips, just to ensure that everything is lined up after the trip. The last two years at elk camp, I have tuned everyone who were hunting with us bow's even after they had theirs tuned at a "Pro-Shop."
The great thing about this item is it is affordable. The retail price for this great tool is around $110.00. You might think that is a lot, but you will make that back up in fees and time you would pay someone else to tune your bow for you. A pro shop is going to charge you around $50.00 to set up your bow, and I would rather invest that money in something that I was going to be able to keep and use over and over again. The old saying, "Time is money," could never be so true when it comes to this item. It not only says you time, but also will save you money in the long run. Heck it might even make you a little money after you become the neighborhood pro in setting up bows.
To purchase your EZE-Center Laser Alignment tool, visit Easy-Eye archery products and tell them you read the review right here!
