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Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
The ongoing compendium for anything and everything archery.

For 2024:
- arrows were refletched with 2" Blazers with a 1* helical
- swapped out my 3/16" peep for a 1/4"

Outside of gear, I've been shooting ~100 arrows per week. Working on my form and maintaining back pressure, as that has been one of my biggest faults.

33 yards:
1000006162.jpg


40 yards:
1000006163.jpg


Need to take this game to the 3D course and see how well it translates.
 
gonefirefightin

gonefirefightin

free wieners
Feb 5, 2007
12,398
6,457
Surrounded by Police in a hail of gunfire
Not sure I will get to fling any sticks this year as I missed the draw deadline, will be building the house and dont really care to join the mob of road hunters during general season. I did how ever find my bow and targets in storage but I doubt I have less than 6 arrows on the quiver. I guess I could order up another free set of strings as is the annual tradition with my manufacturer. I believe my time will be better suited on the boat fishing and crabbing to fill the freezer unless I find an easy tag, may be able to get a cow tag for late season.
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
I pretty reliably pull 2 antlered and 2 antlerless tags per year and pretty reliably full none of them. Regardless, the deer aren't stupid, as soon as hunting season comes they migrate onto private land. It ain't easy. Last season I saw precisely 0 deer while in the woods, they were all in the road on the way to the hunt spot. :rofl:
 
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Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
56,029
22,053
Sleazattle
Adventurous said:
I pretty reliably pull 2 antlered and 2 antlerless tags per year and pretty reliably full none of them. Regardless, the deer aren't stupid, as soon as hunting season comes they migrate onto private land. It ain't easy. Last season I saw precisely 0 deer while in the woods, they were all in the road on the way to the hunt spot. :rofl:
Click to expand...
Growing up a herd of deer would materialize in the back yard during hunting season, the safety of private land and a giant apple tree to get fat off of.
We received several cash offers from hunters but the parents surprisingly always refused. They weren't against hunting but in that location hunters did not have the reputation of being respectful, responsible or being very bright and they feared word getting out of it being a free for all and the dog getting blasted.
 
boostindoubles

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
8,423
6,964
Yakistan
My friend told me once he was driving through the forest the night after hunting season closed. He said all the forest animals were partying in the road at 3am.
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
@gonefirefightin, I'd appreciate your thoughts on fletching schemes.

Current setup:
3 x 2" Blazers @ 1* helical. 400 spine Gold Tip Hunter XT arrows, aluminum insert, 100 grain field tips and 100 grain fixed broadheads. 65 lb draw weight and 27" draw length.

Typically, I don't shoot beyond 30 yards in hunting scenarios, but will go out to 60 for practice.

Are 2" vanes @ 1* enough to stabilize a fixed broadhead? Should I be exploring a 2.5" vane or maybe an increased helical? My arrows are fairly light at the moment and chrono at 295 FPS at last check, so I have a little speed to burn if there's significant accuracy to be gained. This is all for whitetail, so neither speed nor weight are paramount to success. FOC is within range, per Archer's Advantage, though a little towards the low end.

Just wondering if I'm giving anything up with my current setup or if there's something to be gained by exploring other configurations.
 
gonefirefightin

gonefirefightin

free wieners
Feb 5, 2007
12,398
6,457
Surrounded by Police in a hail of gunfire
Adventurous said:
@gonefirefightin, I'd appreciate your thoughts on fletching schemes.

Current setup:
3 x 2" Blazers @ 1* helical. 400 spine Gold Tip Hunter XT arrows, aluminum insert, 100 grain field tips and 100 grain fixed broadheads. 65 lb draw weight and 27" draw length.

Typically, I don't shoot beyond 30 yards in hunting scenarios, but will go out to 60 for practice.

Are 2" vanes @ 1* enough to stabilize a fixed broadhead? Should I be exploring a 2.5" vane or maybe an increased helical? My arrows are fairly light at the moment and chrono at 295 FPS at last check, so I have a little speed to burn if there's significant accuracy to be gained. This is all for whitetail, so neither speed nor weight are paramount to success. FOC is within range, per Archer's Advantage, though a little towards the low end.

Just wondering if I'm giving anything up with my current setup or if there's something to be gained by exploring other configurations.
Click to expand...
Paper tuning and slow-mo from your phone will tell you what you need honestly. Arrow recipes are so vast and specific to so many things, draw length, ferrule weight, tip weight, draw weight, let off etc.

Anytime I change a single part of the recipe I go through the same process but vary in depth when changing arrow shafts but I also only use specific tips now. For example, (for me) the montec G5 broadheads will fly exactly the same as the same weight of field points so I dont have to change a thing when going from 3D tournaments to hunts, just swap the head and the pins are all still the same. But the fletching will act differently with both tips so I tried several different fletching options to find the best paper tune and flight dynamic when leaving the bow.

I have found blazers to be best for short range pokes at best and have been finding the 4-6 inch low profile fletchings to provide the most stable flight in wind and longer pokes. All of this came about when our local club posted they were going to have a 120 Sasquatch gong and I got cracking in the range while there was still snow on the ground, BUT........none of it will make a difference if your shafts arent splined, and recipes dialed from the start. I haven't changed my recipe in the last few years because I haven't changed an ingredient yet and am still running my Prime CT5. When I change the bow I will start over again with several different shafts, ferrules, and fletching and simply build a dozen arrows of all different combos and start with the one that provides the best repeatable results then breakdown that shaft and fletching further to tighten the results.

Ive found when you are taking a poke over 100 you really get a good look at the flight and its stability that paper and slomo cant really translate in the shop.

Right now I am running a Prime CT5 at 85lbs at 10% with micro shaft arrow shafts, running whisker a biscuit for retention, my inserts are one piece collared so they protect the carbon shaft better but also transfer bone hits down the shaft better and tend to add a bit more forward weight when flying, I will direct fletch with no wraps and run a 5" low pro vane with a pretty tight helix and whisker biscuit to get the shaft spinning quickly so the arrow has more stability in the first 25 yards to prevent the bucking and wobble. Nocks don't affect the flying performance so that is up to the shooter. Hope that helps
 
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Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
I posted about it here (https://ridemonkey.bikemag.com/threads/fletching-jigs.296379/), but the time has come to get a fletching jig, for real. I've had to sideline 4 arrows in the past 2 weeks for lost fletchings. I've only got 7 more in the practice queue, and based on that sideline rate, I'll be down again in another month.

So, given that I can't exactly be making 2 (45 minutes each way) trips a month to the shop, I shall order a Bitzenberger in left helical. Already have some glue and 3" vanes on the way.

Question is, do I order up some Victory VAP TKOs with Iron Will inserts/impact collars to go with it... :confused: Might do RIP TKOs instead though, there's more flexibility there for getting weight up front.
 
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Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
Final Spec for 2024 hunting arrows:

Gold Tip Hunter XT, 340 spine @ 27"
50 grain aluminum insert
100 grain broadhead (TBD)
4" wrap
3 x 3" Bohning X-vanes
Gold Tip nock bushing with Easton G-nocks

Should end up around 450 grains (12% FOC) at 275 FPS.

Broadhead still TBD. I've shot NAP thunderheads but am by no means in love with them. I'll grab a few and do a bit of arrow/broadhead tuning.

This shall obviously require re-establishing my yardages, but so be it.
 
Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
56,029
22,053
Sleazattle
So is thread supposed to rull all archery thread or ALL threads?

Back in the day instead of saying "pew pew pew" was it "doing doing doing"
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
1000006369.jpg


Been shooting a bunch of 3D recently. This is how you're are supposed to do it, right?

3 of the new arrows are cut to length, inserts glued, and nocks installed. Now trying to bareshaft nock tune while I wait for wraps and fletchings.
 
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Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
1000006463.jpg


1000006464.jpg


Screwed up the first 3 arrows while dialing in my Bitzenberg, but it's finally good, as depicted in the top Pic.

Test shots show ~10 yard discrepancy between old and new at 30 yards, which grows to 15 at 53 yards. No huge surprise there as the arrows are almost 100 grains heavier. Still no heavyweights at only 450 grains TAW with a 100 grain tip.

Accuracy seems to be better, as misses aren't as big and I haven't noticed nearly as many erratic fliers. Started shooting with a loaded quiver and threw on an 8" back bar to compensate. Is the back bar 100% necessary? No, likely not, I'm confident out to 40 yards, not that I'd ever be presented with a shot that long.

Now to redo my sight tape. Might put that off as I noticed my bow strings are showing some wear. This is the third season I have on them and likely have several thousand arrows on this set.

String recommendations?
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
1000006777.jpg


Heavier arrows are showing less dispersion than lighter ones, especially at distance. Also, unsurprisingly, bow setup with back bar shows less dispersion than with just a front bar. Might keep it on for hunting season, might not. Wouldn't be such a big deal if I was camped out in a tree stand which I, to date, never have.

Likely will not change strings prior to the season and punt that till next year.
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
We are now a month out from the season opener, and it's time to really get dialed in.

Went and shot the range/3D this morning to make sure my sight adjustments to compensate for the new arrows was spot on.

@50 yards:
1000007064.jpg


I'd say it is. Now to get some broadheads and start tuning with those.
 
Adventurous

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,858
9,896
Crawlorado
Decut arrow saw has landed, thankfully. Dremel + squaring tool was painful. Too late for this batch (not really, as I plan to trim a wee bit off the tail end of some built arrows).

May build a half dozen VAP and RIP TKOs foe next season, give the micro diameter arrow thing a try.
 
Montana rider

Montana rider

Tom Sawyer
Mar 14, 2005
1,945
2,621
images.jpeg


6thElement said:
I blame @Montana rider as that's near his place. The griz needs to be better trained to dodge the bullets.
Click to expand...
download (2).jpeg


You can't spell hyperphagia without tasty hunters to nibble on.

That happened about 10 miles from the shit box

This area has the second highest concentration of grizzly bears in the lower 48 outside of the thoroughfare which is southeast corner of Yellowstone.

Makes our fall bike rides extra anaerobic
 
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Montana rider

Montana rider

Tom Sawyer
Mar 14, 2005
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2,621
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