HH bug got me ... Part One!

[Nate Steen .]

Rick,

as I stated in the clips, the swing draw is nothing more than a way to get the bow on target, albeit in a fluid, expedient manner.  It is conducive for moving shots but works well for stationary shots as well....However, that said...

When shooting downhill (which we have alot of that out here) or out of a treestand, you actually don't swing at all, the swing turns into a more set-arm style out of necessity.  If I'm in this situation or with many obstacles like limbs, etc.  I put the bowarm almost straight out, then just move it a couple of inches into position as I'm pulling straight back the last few inches...this helps me keep everything fluid and not static like a true set-arm method.

[MT Longbow]

I second Mr. DiStefano, it really needs to be tested ...there are so many variables and alot of which reside in the shooter, grip, draw, anchor, releas,e string torque, on and on...I should have bought a test kit and a bunch of test points from 125-250 to start with!!!

Now i soaked abunch of money into my Beman MFX 500's and if they dont respond with the heavier point weight they are going to be useless....

[Nate Steen .]

Like Rob states,

there is absolutely no substitute for getting to learn your equipment as it fits you and your particular nuances.  All this verbage that is discussed here is to give guidelines to start with.  Schulz stated once that most people would do better in learning their shooting form inside and out, getting to learn their equipment, and just shooting.  Sometimes we get so caught up on the small things of arrow flight being a tangible measurement, that we forget a big portion of day to day shooting inconsitencies is caused by form, not equipment.

If you get a 10# spine range of wood arrows...  ie. 50 - 54 & 55 -59, with adequate fletching of 3 - 5" or 4 - 4" feathers, you can find your spine most of the time by just adjusting the length a little and the tip weight anywhere from 125 gr. to 190 gr.   It's really that simple....  

[Rob DiStefano]

woodies have always been a problem for me, in terms of finding the right ones for specific bow and my shooting style.  and even then, there are so many variables with organic shafting, what a long and time consuming effort to get maybe a dozen perfectly matched arrows out of hundred count, and then having to straighten and tease the buggers after shooting.  but woodies are nostalgic fun and i'll always have at least a few dozen on hand.

alums have always been easy to tune and i've made and shot at least a dozen dozen for target archery.  for field use they're a tad better than woodies.

carbons rule.  period.  but they're totally different animals than wood, alum or glass.  they have a completely different dynamic range and using any commercial or homemade charts and calcs are borderline useless.  when i first tested out carbons i followed the different manufacturer's recommendation and for me, they were all mega stiff ... even quadrupling the point weight didn't matter one bit.  so after dropping more than a few hundred on carbons, i made up a test kit that i have today and it's more than paid for itself and all the carbons i wasted money on years ago.

fwiw, i had to go really light in spine for 29" and 55#, down to a 29.5" .500 spine beman ics hunter carbon with a total of 262gr up front.  for hunting i use 357gr up front for a 585gr total weight arrow ... they fly like darts on rails and i still use a 4" 4-fletch lo-pro banana cut or burn with slight offset.  but DON'T LISTEN TO ME - we are each "experiments of one" and find out for yerself what works best for you.

[ChrisM]

Rob I am pollar opposite I can get woodies right pretty quickly but have had nothing but heck with carbons.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by ChrisM:
Rob I am pollar opposite I can get woodies right pretty quickly but have had nothing but heck with carbons.

i have NO problem with wood, alum or glass - i can tear up an alum soda can at 11 yards consistently with a variety of woodie types, spines, 10-12 gpp weights, foc variations and fletchings.  it's real mark distance, 15-35 yards, that separates well flying arrows from hunters.    

the bugger is carbon, as you can attest.  trust me on this, forget all talk and charts and calcs, get yerself a carbon test kit and either screw-in or glue-on points from 125 to 300 grains.  still, a large part of tuning arrows to bows is still gonna be you.

i use screw-in points for target and glue-on points for hunting - 125gr steel adapters and 125-145gr blades.  if i need more mass arrow weight, i have the same beman 500 shafts setup with 100gr brass inserts.  yeah, i spent a lotta time thinking about arrows and usage and building 'em right.

[OP-archer]

Thanks Nate,

That's pretty much what I've been doing, but, it's always nice to receive comformation that you're doing the right thing.

Rick

[ChrisM]

Rob I thought it was a felony to shoot carbons from a Hill!!  

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by ChrisM:
Rob I thought it was a felony to shoot carbons from a Hill!!    

not a crime for me!  :D  

i guarantee ya that if howard was around today he'd be shooting carbons at least some of the time.  

[Jesse_83]

Figured it out today.  Took a bareshaft with me and it was very obvious that my arrow spine was weak.  Took 3/4" off the bareshaft and a couple fletched arrows and they all flew beautiful.  
P.S.  It wasnt just one round of shots that helped me determine this, probably 150 shots.  You start to see the trends and it all becomes clear.  Now to trim the rest of the arrows and stick with 145gn points!

Rob- I used minwax wipe on poly on this batch of cedars.  I wont use anything else from now on.  My only problem is I used fletch-tite premium for fletching and a few have come off already.  I made sure to let them sit in the clamp for 20 mins each.  What do you use?  I have a tube of Duco that I'll probably try next.

[Jesse_83]

* fletch-tite *platinum*

[Rob DiStefano]

i use bohning fletch tape for woodies (minwax polyu finished) and carbons.  i mostly burn the fletches and angle cut the quill base ("ramp" the cut so that there's a smooth transition from the shaft to the quill), then put a dot of platinum on each end of the fletch.  these fletches are *tough* to get off.  i'll never go back to gluing fletches, tape is THE way to go for me.  each fletch is pressed down for about 3 seconds as opposed to waiting that 20 minutes for the goop to cure.          i have a shoot to attend tomorrow and this morning it took me about 35 minutes to cut, fletch and burn 6 surewood shafts to make up woodie arrows for the "muzzy' event.  another 10 minutes to hot melt glue on the judo points.  ah, i love technology ... sometimes!     :D    

 

fletching with tape ...

       

[ChrisM]

Duco on anything painted and you will have to cut and scrape to get them off.  Love the stuff.

[MT Longbow]

Hey guys , I sold a rifle and have about 750 bucks!  SO Im thinking of a HH Wesley special with a  Texas ebony riser, black grip wrap with a straight grip (I wont be beat!!!) and black buffalo  horn tips  with clear glass on the beautiful Boo belly and back.,

My question is: do you think the difference would be noticable from shooting my HH Robin Hood with 4 lams of yew and 1 of Bamboo to all 5 Bamboo in my Wesley special, I would have Craig build up  a same weight  (maybe a few pounds heavier like 55#) 70 inch.

Im getting HH itis!!

[MikeM]

My Redman is 2# heavier than my Wesley. They are both 70" take-downs. The Wesley seems a tad smoother in the draw but no noticeable difference in shooting characteristics.

[Buckhorn47]

Just an old fella chidin' in on the arrow flinging. I don't know anything about the carbon characteristics, but it seems like a lot of adding this, adding that and turning an arrow into something that we used to accuse the "wheelie" of being -  too many parts that can go wrong. With wood, you find what shoots best, stay with it, and don't change. The working, damaging shots will be 20-25 yards - there's where you concentrate. Please take pity when you read this - I am just an "oldie" and not used to change.

[bicster]

I use cedar, cane, and carbon with my bows. There are no more parts in a carbon arrow than anything else. Regardless of the the type of shaft material you use, you need to experiment to find what works the best for you. To each their own. They all have benefits and negatives.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Buckhorn47:
Just an old fella chidin' in on the arrow flinging. I don't know anything about the carbon characteristics, but it seems like a lot of adding this, adding that and turning an arrow into something that we used to accuse the "wheelie" of being -  too many parts that can go wrong. With wood, you find what shoots best, stay with it, and don't change. The working, damaging shots will be 20-25 yards - there's where you concentrate. Please take pity when you read this - I am just an "oldie" and not used to change.

there is no sense in debating arrow shaft material as all have good and bad considerations.  this is truly subjective stuff and the reasons why you prefer one over another is your business.  

to allude carbon shafting as having something specifically in common with wheelbows is certainly your opinion, but many others would strongly beg to differ.  the fact that carbons are extremely easy to tweak and woodies are not isn't cause to say that carbons are "too many parts that can go wrong", that's absolutely incorrect and please do tell me what parts of carbons "can go wrong"?.

shoot what you like, but please don't poo-poo in any way what you don't like or don't understand.  

i have ample room in my quiver for both woodies and carbons ... and occasionally alums, too.  

[dakota tim]

I've been a die hard woodies only shooter until recently.  I have 4 kids plus myself to supply with arrows.  I just ordered some carbons because we've been breaking a lot of wood lately...getting expensive.

[Rik]

Wood grows all around us. Some of it is weak and breaks easily (cedar). Some of it is strong and straight (Fir).

Aluminum? I hunted last July at the world's largest aluminum mine. I was not on this continent. Big Boars were everywhere. Crocs too. Aluminum arrows? None anywhere I could see. Straight-grained hardwood trees? Yep, as far as the eye could see.

You see, wood grows all around us. Carbon and aluminum do not.

You can buy Aluminum and carbon arrows in a store, and they do work well. Extremely well, as many of you can attest.

But to put it simply, you can't make your own. You can only buy them from a store.

Wood? Well, it grows all around us.