Good Evening... well I added the heavier field points to the heavier arrows and from 40 yards there was no difference in arrow penetration OR arrow drop! Sooooooo, I backed up 10 yards. From 50 yards I started shooting the arrows. 355 grain arrows and 420 grain arrows.
There was no difference between the two sets of arrows when comparing arrow drop. BUT there was a difference in arrow penetration! At 50 yards the 420 grain arrows hit harder.
I will retry the test because I want to ensure I'm getting the best penetration for hunting. It really was surprising though to not have a difference in arrow drop.
Here is the Forward of Center (FOC) info I promised... http://www.gatewayfeathers.com/feathers.html
when you access the page scroll down the page a little bit for the FOC info. There is a great visual diagram for you to see here also. It's a little past 1/2 way down the page in the "How To" section.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Arrow Penetration
This evening I came home from work greeted the family, had dinner and then went out in the yard and started flinging arrows. I like to start further away when I am fresh then move in closer as the light fades. I went immediately to 40 yards and started shooting. Using groups of three 355 grain arrows and three 405 grain arrows the results were not what I expected.
The heavier arrows were only using an 85 grain point and didn't feel right in my hand. Go grab one of your arrows. Do you feel the front end weight of your arrow? You should! These heavier arrows felt weird in my hands. I need to figure out the Forward of Center percentage of these arrows because the heavier arrows were hitting higher than the lighter arrows. The heavier arrows not only have a lighter field point they also use the hidden insert which pushes the FOC further back toward the middle of the arrow. You should ensure your arrows have a FOC in 12% - 15% range. This allows the fletching end of the arrow to guide the arrow instead of the business end!
In the morning I will try the heavier arrows with a 100 grain field point just to see if an extra 75 grains does anything to arrow drop.
I also thought the heavier arrows would give me more penetration into the target. NOT SO. Overall all arrows penetrated the same.
As far as grouping of the different arrow weights.... well, for sure, the lighter arrows grouped better. I want to be sure on this test so, in the morning, I will redo the test with a little heavier field point and check the FOC of the both sets of arrows.
The bow I purchased is featured in this month's print edition of Bowhunt America. Here is the link
http://www.bowhuntamerica.com/blogs/pse-x-force-dream-season-evo-bow-report/ go read about what they say and then click on the link for the 2" Rayzr feathers and buy some to guide your arrows!
The heavier arrows were only using an 85 grain point and didn't feel right in my hand. Go grab one of your arrows. Do you feel the front end weight of your arrow? You should! These heavier arrows felt weird in my hands. I need to figure out the Forward of Center percentage of these arrows because the heavier arrows were hitting higher than the lighter arrows. The heavier arrows not only have a lighter field point they also use the hidden insert which pushes the FOC further back toward the middle of the arrow. You should ensure your arrows have a FOC in 12% - 15% range. This allows the fletching end of the arrow to guide the arrow instead of the business end!
In the morning I will try the heavier arrows with a 100 grain field point just to see if an extra 75 grains does anything to arrow drop.
I also thought the heavier arrows would give me more penetration into the target. NOT SO. Overall all arrows penetrated the same.
As far as grouping of the different arrow weights.... well, for sure, the lighter arrows grouped better. I want to be sure on this test so, in the morning, I will redo the test with a little heavier field point and check the FOC of the both sets of arrows.
The bow I purchased is featured in this month's print edition of Bowhunt America. Here is the link
http://www.bowhuntamerica.com/blogs/pse-x-force-dream-season-evo-bow-report/ go read about what they say and then click on the link for the 2" Rayzr feathers and buy some to guide your arrows!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Chronograph Testing
First and foremost my heart aches for the folks and critters in the White Mountains of Arizona. The 2011 Memorial Day weekend has started one of the worst fires in AZ history. The Wallow fire is consuming huge stands of Ponderosa Pines and destroying a lot of prime habitat for Arizona wildlife. We all need to pray for rain.
I was up near this area scouting for my elk hunt. It really does break my heart. But life goes on and this area will recover, eventually.
I took my bow back to PSE over the weekend. I wanted them to add a couple of pounds to my draw weight and look into a "creaking" noise from the upper limbs. Zack and the staff at PSE were very helpful in explaining how the creak was a limb binding issue. They are going to order the parts and take care of it in a simple 1/2 hour procedure next week.
They added the 2 1/2 lbs to my draw weight so I'm now pulling 65 pounds. I set up a chronograph to shoot arrows through in order to understand my arrow speed. Right now my target arrows average 355 grains including a 125 grain field point. The hunting arrows I am considering are 405 grains with a 100 grain field point.
I shot from 10 yards through the chronograph and had speeds of 298 f.p.s. for the 355 grain arrows and 282 f.p.s. for the 405 grain arrows. Online I found some Kinetic Energy Charts http://www.redhawk-archery.com/ke.php and plugged in my arrow weight and speed and found the 355 grain arrows produce around 70 foot pounds of energy. The 405 grain arrows approximately 71.5 lbs of energy.
Not much difference is there? I need to shoot at distance to see the arrow drop for a 50 grain heavier arrow when held at the same point. Overall I am very happy with my bow and my shooting!
I was up near this area scouting for my elk hunt. It really does break my heart. But life goes on and this area will recover, eventually.
I took my bow back to PSE over the weekend. I wanted them to add a couple of pounds to my draw weight and look into a "creaking" noise from the upper limbs. Zack and the staff at PSE were very helpful in explaining how the creak was a limb binding issue. They are going to order the parts and take care of it in a simple 1/2 hour procedure next week.
They added the 2 1/2 lbs to my draw weight so I'm now pulling 65 pounds. I set up a chronograph to shoot arrows through in order to understand my arrow speed. Right now my target arrows average 355 grains including a 125 grain field point. The hunting arrows I am considering are 405 grains with a 100 grain field point.
I shot from 10 yards through the chronograph and had speeds of 298 f.p.s. for the 355 grain arrows and 282 f.p.s. for the 405 grain arrows. Online I found some Kinetic Energy Charts http://www.redhawk-archery.com/ke.php and plugged in my arrow weight and speed and found the 355 grain arrows produce around 70 foot pounds of energy. The 405 grain arrows approximately 71.5 lbs of energy.
Not much difference is there? I need to shoot at distance to see the arrow drop for a 50 grain heavier arrow when held at the same point. Overall I am very happy with my bow and my shooting!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Keeping my goal in sight!
I have been shooting. I just stopped writing. I apologize. I have been varying my shooting from 10 to 20 yards. I am very consistent in this range at hitting a playing card on my target face. Clearance issues popped up with my fletching. I have ended up twisting my arrow nock so my cock feather (different colored feather) is facing down. This allowed complete clearance past my cable guard / guide which was the offending object. You'll remember I am using a whisker biscuit rest and my first thought was that the feathers were getting damaged by the rest. THIS WAS NOT the case. My other two feathers on my arrows show very little wear after almost a full month of shooting. And it's not because I'm not shooting. ;>)
I worked a little harder this weekend and have now shot and adjusted my sight all the way out to 40 yards. I must say this bow - rest - arrow combination has been shooting GREAT! The arrows are light so my sight has one pin for 10 - 20 - 30 yards. And I'm consistently hitting playing cards. I just started shooting at 40 yards so I am not quite as consistent yet and it was getting dark. I am having a little trouble seeing the sight ring in low light situations. I am going to really snug my anchor up and hold the bow still at the release. We'll see how this helps in my shooting at 40 yards in low light. The other issue I see is the further you are from your target the smaller it is in your sight window. The pin covers the playing card. I have been trying some breathing techniques as I release but any thoughts any of you have are welcome. The next post will have photos...
I worked a little harder this weekend and have now shot and adjusted my sight all the way out to 40 yards. I must say this bow - rest - arrow combination has been shooting GREAT! The arrows are light so my sight has one pin for 10 - 20 - 30 yards. And I'm consistently hitting playing cards. I just started shooting at 40 yards so I am not quite as consistent yet and it was getting dark. I am having a little trouble seeing the sight ring in low light situations. I am going to really snug my anchor up and hold the bow still at the release. We'll see how this helps in my shooting at 40 yards in low light. The other issue I see is the further you are from your target the smaller it is in your sight window. The pin covers the playing card. I have been trying some breathing techniques as I release but any thoughts any of you have are welcome. The next post will have photos...
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Questions 2 Answer!
The shoulder is holding up well. I'm keeping my draw arm out in front of me and as I draw the elbow is pulled back close to my stomach. When the bow is fully drawn I lift my elbow up high to the correct shooting position. It seems to be working. I have a lot of work to do though because one of my goals is to shoot the Sunrise Ski Lodge 3D shoot in July. Check it out here http://www.sunriseskipark.com/3-d%20shootout%202011.htm
I'm ready to paper tune this bow to the arrows I currently have. Although I will not hunt with this brand of arrows. It's a light arrow, only 7.6 grains per inch. My hunting arrows will be 400 to 425 grains. One of the target arrows shattered on impact with the soft foam target. Can't have that when I'm hunting. Perhaps the arrow shattered because the bow is so powerful.... no, I don't think so. It was just a bad arrow. The bow is really shooting well. I love it.
Here is my question for the next few days....
I'm ready to paper tune this bow to the arrows I currently have. Although I will not hunt with this brand of arrows. It's a light arrow, only 7.6 grains per inch. My hunting arrows will be 400 to 425 grains. One of the target arrows shattered on impact with the soft foam target. Can't have that when I'm hunting. Perhaps the arrow shattered because the bow is so powerful.... no, I don't think so. It was just a bad arrow. The bow is really shooting well. I love it.
Here is my question for the next few days....
- Shall I use the lighter arrows to shoot at the Sunrise shoot and then switch to a heavier arrow for hunting? If it's yes then sight pins will need to be moved. Right now the lighter arrows are around 75 grains lighter than the hunting shafts will be. I'm not a pro shooter. While I would like to score well at the 3D shoot will my shooting the lighter target shafts have a negative impact on my success this fall when I switch to the hunting weight shafts?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Minor tweaks make a difference!
My goal for the weekend was to work on pulling the bow back, become comfortable with a new anchor point and begin to gain confidence with the release. To accomplish this I wanted my target right in front of me and at shoulder height. Working with the release I worked over the strap and the buckle. I made the strap tight enough to know I wouldn't have to worry about the release sliding off of my hand as I pulled the bow back. Like any weapon stay away from the trigger until you are on target. I grabbed an old 455 grain arrow and stuck it in the bow to ensure the ultimate sin of dry firing the bow wasn't committed. NEVER pull your bow back with a release without an arrow in the bow.
I started by pulling the release with my elbow up high and the rigid bar between my index and middle fingers. It was very difficult to get more than three shots in a row. I would shoot as much as I could and then take a break. This went on for the first day. At the end of the first day I began to feel some muscle strain in my shoulder and lower back. I asked my wife to come out and watch my struggle. She informed me she could see why my lower back was strained because I was twisting my back in order to get to full draw. It was soon after she left that I had my first and only misfire. For some reason I hadn't tucked my fingers under the trigger and had extended my index finger over the top of the trigger as I was pulling it back. Because I lost my focus I lowered my index finger and the release went off before I was even 1/4 of the way into my draw. No harm was done as I always try to pull straight back and in line with my target. Immediately I knew it was time to de done for the day. Retiring to the house a pain reliever and some sports cream on my lower back and shoulder was in order. I felt great to start the second day but half way through it wasn't getting easier so I chose to change the way I was pulling the bow back. Here's what I did.... I changed my grip on the release by having all of my fingers on the trigger side of the release and my thumb on the other. I now keep my elbow in tight to my side as I pull the bow back and then bring the bow up and lock in my anchor. It is much more comfortable for me to pull the bow back and I'm shooting many times in a row. The elbow still stays high once the arrow is released. If what you're doing isn't working for you tweak your form. Ask a friend or spouse to watch your form. You could even video yourself but always stay focused on your goals.
I started by pulling the release with my elbow up high and the rigid bar between my index and middle fingers. It was very difficult to get more than three shots in a row. I would shoot as much as I could and then take a break. This went on for the first day. At the end of the first day I began to feel some muscle strain in my shoulder and lower back. I asked my wife to come out and watch my struggle. She informed me she could see why my lower back was strained because I was twisting my back in order to get to full draw. It was soon after she left that I had my first and only misfire. For some reason I hadn't tucked my fingers under the trigger and had extended my index finger over the top of the trigger as I was pulling it back. Because I lost my focus I lowered my index finger and the release went off before I was even 1/4 of the way into my draw. No harm was done as I always try to pull straight back and in line with my target. Immediately I knew it was time to de done for the day. Retiring to the house a pain reliever and some sports cream on my lower back and shoulder was in order. I felt great to start the second day but half way through it wasn't getting easier so I chose to change the way I was pulling the bow back. Here's what I did.... I changed my grip on the release by having all of my fingers on the trigger side of the release and my thumb on the other. I now keep my elbow in tight to my side as I pull the bow back and then bring the bow up and lock in my anchor. It is much more comfortable for me to pull the bow back and I'm shooting many times in a row. The elbow still stays high once the arrow is released. If what you're doing isn't working for you tweak your form. Ask a friend or spouse to watch your form. You could even video yourself but always stay focused on your goals.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
New Equipment = Sore Muscles!
My goal is to show folks around the country that FEATHERS should be used on all arrows shot out of modern compound bows. I needed a short, hybrid cam bow with all the bells and whistles.
I headed to Tucson, Arizona to visit Precision Shooting Equipment (PSE). A top of the line manufacturing facility, I was sure PSE had a bow fitting the specs I wanted.
Remember, I was a finger shooter and the bow we grabbed first had a 50 Lb draw. I asked a few questions about the release and held the bow on target as I struggled to find a comfortable anchor. I had settled on a wrist strap style release and the anchor point I found worked best for me is having my index finger knuckle wedged behind my ear lobe. I will publish more on the bow and the release in a few days.
I want to draw attention to a problem I had while setting up the bow in the pro shop. I originally shot a bow with a 50 Lb draw but the bow I chose to take home has a 70 Lb draw weight. The technicians setting up my bow could get the D-loop, rest and sights lined up easily enough but with the peep sight I needed to pull the bow back, anchor it, see the sight ring and then tell him to move the peep up or down. Well, guess what? After a few pulls this boy was done. I couldn't pull the bow back! And I'm no slouch. My old bow has a 70 Lb draw and I've never had a problem pulling it back. Obviously, when using a release, shooters use different muscle groups. I needed to take time to rest my arm between pulls and how embarrassing is that?! It's to this point I write. Folks.... please, if you are going to change anything about how you shoot or your equipment. DO IT EARLY. Don't wait. If you want to achieve success you need to plan ahead and then execute your plan. I will be putting a heavy arrow in the bow and simply working on my form all weekend long. I'll let you know how it goes.
I headed to Tucson, Arizona to visit Precision Shooting Equipment (PSE). A top of the line manufacturing facility, I was sure PSE had a bow fitting the specs I wanted.
Remember, I was a finger shooter and the bow we grabbed first had a 50 Lb draw. I asked a few questions about the release and held the bow on target as I struggled to find a comfortable anchor. I had settled on a wrist strap style release and the anchor point I found worked best for me is having my index finger knuckle wedged behind my ear lobe. I will publish more on the bow and the release in a few days.
I want to draw attention to a problem I had while setting up the bow in the pro shop. I originally shot a bow with a 50 Lb draw but the bow I chose to take home has a 70 Lb draw weight. The technicians setting up my bow could get the D-loop, rest and sights lined up easily enough but with the peep sight I needed to pull the bow back, anchor it, see the sight ring and then tell him to move the peep up or down. Well, guess what? After a few pulls this boy was done. I couldn't pull the bow back! And I'm no slouch. My old bow has a 70 Lb draw and I've never had a problem pulling it back. Obviously, when using a release, shooters use different muscle groups. I needed to take time to rest my arm between pulls and how embarrassing is that?! It's to this point I write. Folks.... please, if you are going to change anything about how you shoot or your equipment. DO IT EARLY. Don't wait. If you want to achieve success you need to plan ahead and then execute your plan. I will be putting a heavy arrow in the bow and simply working on my form all weekend long. I'll let you know how it goes.
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