Zwickey Eskimos...., whos shootin'em?

[RunninWild77]

Love em', also really like the delta's to.

[T Lail]

I have shot them for years.....

[tracker12]

How do you all sharpen them.  I have always shot 3 blades.  Never could seem to get the 2 blade sharp enough.

[dnovo]

I prefer the Deltas over the Eskimo as I like a wide 2 blade. Just sharpen up with a file. A lot of experience makes it easy.

[kennym]

Yep, shot em forever, but have flirted with Woodsmans a time or 2.

Always back to Big green! Got some Delta 4 blades now.

[BDann]

I love my Eskimos!  Easy to get sharp flies great!

[Fletcher]

I prefer the Deltas, but the Zwickey has been one of my favorites for many years.

[misfire]

Add me to the list of users!

[Arkansas Osage]

Originally posted by joe skipp:
Been shooting them since 1979. I also like the 135 grain 2 blade Zwickey Deltas.

This is what I was using my first season. My best chance I had on a deer I missed and if I had remembered my practice sessions with these heads I might have gotten my first deer. What I noticed in practice was a tendency of the arrow to veer left 12-16" at 20 yards. This didn't happen with field points. What I think the problem was, was that the wide flat blade of the delta in conjuction with my left wing feathers rotating the arrow left as the arrow is already moving left out of the riser of my self bow caused the arrow to steer left and not straighten out enough at 15-20 yrds. When I backed up to 30 the problem went away. But at 20 yards the left rotation of the arrow allowed the wide broadhead to steer the arrow to the left. So thats my theory anyway. I'm going to switch to right wing feathers to rotate the arrow to the right, and I may drop back in broadhead size to the eskimos because they aren't as wide as the deltas. This should counter act some of the leftward directionality.

 

Originally posted by tracker12:
How do you all sharpen them. Never could seem to get the 2 blade sharp enough.

I'm going to have to second this, I tried every file I had and the only thing that got them close to sharp enough was a chainsaw file and I still couldn't shave with them. I even took several to a  professional knife sharpener at a knife and gun show and although he got them sharper than I did he couldn't put a razor edge on them sharp enough to shave with. He couldn't understand why. I've watched every video on the web about how to sharpen them and I can't seem to get the hang of it, but I could never sharpen knives either, even with a very high quality two sided rough and fine grit wetstone.

[Fletcher]

AO, the deltas drifting to the left is most likely a "too stiff" spine tuning issue or your release.  Field points won't show it, but a broadhead will.  Try them mounted horizontally, this may help some, but to really fix the issue try a heavier head, 160+ gr, or a lower spine.  You probably aren't far off, as the fletching is getting them straight after 20 yds.  Fletch wing and rotation won't give you this.

Sharpening is a learned technique, so find someone who can walk you thru it.  Raising a bur, consistent angle and light pressure are three keys.  There is a TruAngle kit in the classifieds; Zwickeys will shave hair right off the files.

Good luck!

[Arkansas Osage]

Originally posted by Fletcher:
AO, the deltas drifting to the left is most likely a "too stiff" spine tuning issue or your release.  Field points won't show it, but a broadhead will.  Try them mounted horizontally, this may help some, but to really fix the issue try a heavier head, 160+ gr, or a lower spine.  You probably aren't far off, as the fletching is getting them straight after 20 yds.  Fletch wing and rotation won't give you this.

Sharpening is a learned technique, so find someone who can walk you thru it.  Raising a bur, consistent angle and light pressure are three keys.  There is a TruAngle kit in the classifieds; Zwickeys will shave hair right off the files.

Good luck!

The spine was 35-55 expedition hunters (3555), my bow is 45# so thats as good as it can get for matching spine to bow, as for the weight of the head I was also using the broadheads with 35 grain adapters, taking the total head weight up to 170 grains. My total arrow weight was right around 400 grains. I may be wrong but it seems to be that since the arrow is already moving to the left out of the riser of my self bow and the fletching is rotating the arrow left it only makes sense it would spin and veer to the left. I'm probably wrong, still pretty new to this.

Actually now that I think about it, I was using 55-75 spine arrows Expedition hunters 5575. The guy at the shop told me the heavier spine would help it fly better and I dissagreed and bought one arrow in 35-55 and its the one that flew better. He's not much a traditional bow guy, let alone selfbows so I guess I shouldn't have listened lol. He also fletches like crap which is why I bought my own e-z fletch pro. But the shafts are a pretty good price at his store so I'll get my shafts there.

[tracker12]

For me the 1535 fly better out of a 45# bow.  3555 can still be stiff.

[Arkansas Osage]

I'll see if he has any, or can get some, thanks.

[Fletcher]

Most self bows are made with the side plate a good bit out from center and it sounds like yours is made this way too.  No two self bows are the same, but being out from center makes the bow need a lower spine.  Carbons tend to be stiff to start with and those numbers on the side are a SWAG even on a good day.  If you leave them long enuf you might get away with them.

Bows are kinda like good dogs and will do what we ask of them without a complaint, but a self bow is MUCH happier shooting wood, probably in the 35-40 range in your case.

[Arkansas Osage]

Originally posted by Fletcher:
Most self bows are made with the side plate a good bit out from center and it sounds like yours is made this way too.  No two self bows are the same, but being out from center makes the bow need a lower spine.  Carbons tend to be stiff to start with and those numbers on the side are a SWAG even on a good day.  If you leave them long enuf you might get away with them.

Bows are kinda like good dogs and will do what we ask of them without a complaint, but a self bow is MUCH happier shooting wood, probably in the 35-40 range in your case.

Ya, I knew I needed a lighter spine to compensate for paradox but I thought 35lb spine would be ok. I don't know what you mean by SWAG... but I think I get the jist of it lol. I intend to get some wood arrows in the near future, do you prefer douglas fir or port orford cedar for shooting zwickeys?

[Bruinbow]

My favorite , never a problem and not hard to get a good edge on them .

SWAG = Scientific Wild A## Guess .

[acolobowhunter]

I have been using Zwkiee Eskimos for nearly 40 years.  Great success - moose, elk, deer, mt. lions, grizzley,Caribou etc.etc.
Simple to sharpen and touch up and don't break the bank.

My wife shoots them on tapered cedars out of 38@26" bows. She has yet to find an Iowa whitetail that can stop them. The only reason I don't use them is because of a preponderance of stiffer cedar shafts that need 160 grains at my draw and I insist on using the broadhead as a draw check, but the Eskimo and Delta have to be as good as anything out there.  When I start someone out in this trad thing, I always target 125 grain up front arrows, just so they can use the Eskimos. They will get hunting sharp for just about anyone with any method. We have never lost a deer hit with a sharp Eskimo and they are easy to get very sharp.

[DamselflyFarm]

I have a half dozen Eskimos in the mail to me as we speak. I've not used them yet, but I certainly will this season.