Some of you may recall I posted some pics and notes about a new Acadian Woods 3-piece Tree Stick I got several months ago. Very pretty bow, and a good shooter, but the grip was just too big for my hand. After trying to adjust to it for a while, I emailed Tim Mullins to ask if he'd reshape the grip and what the charge would be. He replied that he would do whatever it took to get the bow right for me, at no charge. Perhaps that's not 'unheard of' customer service in the traditional bowyer world, but very gratifying anyway!
I got my riser back about a month after I mailed it off, and WOW! ...what a difference! I shot the bow well before, but now it's shooting good AND comfortable. Been putting her through the paces the last several days and am very pleased.
Some friends and I got together this morning, and enjoyed a fine day of fellowship and shooting. What a pretty day in the Ozarks! My little legs were trembling by the time we got done with a marathon shooting session, but after a short recovery at home this afternoon, I decided to see what I could manage. I fed the Acadian several arrows and decided to mix in some bare shafts of different lengths and weight just to see what I could get away with.
What you see in the first two pics is a 2" diameter (fletched) 4 arrow group shot from 20 yards. (And no, I don't shoot that good all the time!) This was the first (and best) group I shot after getting home, and later groups were consistent on the bare shaft results. Not to worry on the odd angles of some of the shafts. My poor target is getting soft in the middle, and the shafts sag after impact sometimes. The bare shafts are, clockwise from middle left of the fletched group;
-- 30" 2018 with 150 grain point weight, quills/no wrap.
-- 29.5" 2016 with 150 grain point, quills and 8" wrap.
-- 31" CX Heritage 150 with 250 grain point/insert and 9" wrap/no quills.
-- 30" 2016 with 125 grain point, quills/no wrap.
The bow is 58" 52@28, and I draw about 28.5". Currently sporting a 6-strand Bobby Graham D97 string. The 2018's are a tad stiff with 150 grain points, but certainly still shootable at my effective range. The 30" 2016 is a bit weak, but I think an arrow wrap would probably dial those right in with the lighter points. The 29.5" wrapped 2016 and the heavy CX Heritage 150 were just about perfect. Good to know I can shoot about any arrow I currently own and still have good flight.
Here's a couple of eye-candy pics for posterity's sake. Just wish the photography was as good as the bow! I'm a happy camper.