efoc penetration on windy days

[swampthing]

I understand that efoc arrows tend to have less then perfect flight when it is windy out. Has there been any tests to see if this affects, and if so how much, penetration?
  6 or so inches drift in a 30knot crosswind at 30yds is 3 times that of an efoc arrow, what i've found... not seen,  it is not that much to worry about, but, the efoc is tail wagging. I understand that the head pulls the arrow through game, but, is this crappy arrow flight going to negate it's penetrating advantage to where it is equal to, or even less than the normal foc arrow?
 Normal foc may veer of course more but it is still flying straight, with the nock relativley speaking, behind the head. Better arrow flight better penetration?

[tradtusker]

Better arrow flight equals better penetration

but i have seen no noticeably difference between normal arrows and efoc arrows in flight on windy days.

if its windy enough both are going to be flying poorly and both will loose penetration

if its whitetails your hunting i would not even worry about it, time to hunt.
 if its buffalo then you need to start thinking about it

[SlowBowke]

Good point, Charlie.

One thing I've found I like about EFOC is the fact that I can cut my feather height and length down and still get great stability.

It appears to me that since I have done that I notice less wind effect unless it is horrendously windy.

Just my 2 cents added. No real testing done just an observation.

[red44]

What I have noticed is high FOC arrows tend to keep the point closer to center in wind but the fletch is pushed quite a bit by that wind. The arrow point hits decent but the nock end is downwind.
A less FOC arrow, the wind seems to drift the whole arrow. The shaft is straighter but whole thing is a bit downwind.
Not sure which I prefer.

[Taiga Recurve]

I just had this same thing happen to me on my antelope. Roughly a 25yrd shot with 30mph+ cross wind. I saw my fletching kick left but hit pretty close to my mark and had complete pass through.

[Tim Finley]

Im noticed it while shooting tapered carbons, they would hit the target at an angle, I also think that efoc would not be good if you make a slightly bad release.

[Taiga Recurve]

I might add that I shoot 250 grains up front.

[Jesse Peltan]

With Efoc you can cut your feather size down somewhat negating the tail end drift.  Then your point impacts closer and your arrow is still straight.  When you shoot broadheads you counteract some of the tail drift.

[swampthing]

Makes sense in 2 ways:
 1: EFOC arrows rely on the head weight to pull it though game, so poor arrow flight from wind wont matter much at all becaus it is being pulled straight regardless of nock end position.
           OR,
 2:Perfect arrow flight is a must, and if it is not, the "penetration enhancing" effects of efoc will not be realized.
 But which on is correct.

[James Wrenn]

Bottom line if it is windy back off on the long shots and it won't matter.    Most of us are shooting deer at spitting distances anyway so penitration is nothing to worry about on deer. jmo

[kirkwhitehead]

I live in the TX panhandle, always blowing and some days real windy. I shoot a 50# longbow, 3555 GT, full lenght w/160gr points. When's it's really blowing I only shoot straight into the wind, sometimes I notice arrows getting " pushed down" by the wind. If it's blowing 20+ mph, and I am shooting cross wind, my arrows kick downwind but always hit the mark.   I have a flat arrow flight and in my mind if I go real heavy with arrow weight, I'll be "lobbing" arrows and I would think they would not cut the wind as well. That being said, a shoot 4" feathers. A friend shoots 5" and trims them down low and the guy is crazy good shooter.

Kirk

[JimB]

We get a lot of wind here too.I'm shooting 709 gr arrows that are 25% FOC.They handle the wind better than anything I have used though the flight isn't perfect.Less than perfect flight has got to rob some penetration but these arrows already get twice the penetration of the normal FOC arrows that I used to use,which were also 100 to 150 grs lighter.

I think heavier weight arrows also resist being pushed by crosswinds but I would bet that the wind drag on the arrow would increase your drop at 30 yds,noticeably.

If you don't hunt in the wind here,you will cut your hunting days in half.I personally wouldn't want to shoot at game at 30 yds though,when the wind was bad.

[JimB]

OK,I just did a very scientific test(not really).The wind is going pretty good here,about 25 mph,I'm guessing.

I have a 2" thick,dense foam slab that I shoot broadheads into.I didn't want to shoot my broadheads as I spent too much time on them and plan to hunt tomorrow.

My same weight field arrows usually sink about the same distance into this foam though.

Normally,the arrows sink into mid fletch in this target.

I shot several arrows at 20 yds.Flight wasn't great but penetration was about the same as on a still day.

I shot several at 25 yds and flight was also not good and penetration was less now.Penetration,when I hit a pristine part of the foam,was about 24" vs the 28" that I would normally get.

Arrows impacted a few inches low and downwind also.

Again,not a very scientific experiment but it looks like slightly over 14% loss of penetration.I don't know what a standard FOC would do.

[JimB]

This is getting kind of interesting.I also have a set of 29" 2016 aluminum arrows tuned to this bow with 245 grs up front.They are 19.8% FOC and 574 grs total weight.They are also the same diameter as my carbons that I shot earlier.

I have never shot these aluminums into that foam slab so I don't know what they would do on a still day.Today they penetrated 14" into the foam,when they hit a pristine section of foam.

Flight was snakey but the wind didn't seem to drift them any more than the heavier arrows.The 709 gr,25% FOC arrows out penetrated the 574 gr 19.8% FOC arrows by 58%.

This may not address the original question because the arrows are different in weight.How much of the extra penetration is due to more weight and how much is due to more FOC,I have no idea.If we ever get a still day,I will try to shoot those aluminum arrows again and see what difference there was between a windy and a still day,as far as penetration.

I am used to shooting the 709 gr arrows and this makes it a no brainer for me,as to which I will hunt with whether it is still or windy.

The bow is a 53# Mojo Stik.