So much emphasis lately had been directed towards arrow speed. It seems to me that most archers are searching out the absolute fastest bows on the market and want bows that are even faster…and manufacturers are developing
bows to fill the demand.
But how fast of a bow does one really need? And what are you giving up in a bow that shoots upwards of 330 feet per second (fps) or more?
Brace height (distance from back of riser to string) is the primary determining factor in bow speed. In general, the shorter the brace height, the faster the bow is. But, the faster the bow, the less forgiving it is.
Because the arrow leaves the bow at such a high rate of speed on bows with short brace heights, any flaw in your form or any twitch or mishap during
your release is going to be severely magnified when it comes to your accuracy. You will still have accuracy problems with long brace height bows too but the errors will not be as severe.
And how much arrow speed do you really need anyway? Let’s compare arrows traveling at 330 fps and those traveling at 280 fps. We’ll use a middle of
the road distance...30 yards (or 90 feet).
It would take the 330 fps arrow about .273 seconds to travel 90 feet (just a bit more than ¼ of a second).
It would take the 280 fps arrow about .321 seconds to travel 90 feet (just under 1/3 of a second). That’s a difference of .048 seconds (less than 1/20 of a second)!
Now, every deer reacts at different speeds based on different circumstances. But for arguments sake, we’ll say that a deer can react to the sound of your bow in about .100 seconds (1/10 of a second). The average human reacts in about .23 seconds (a little less than ¼ of a second).
All of these numbers mean just one thing…the difference in arrow speed between the 330 fps arrow and my 280 fps arrow is negligible when it comes
to the deer reacting to the sound of the bow at 30 yards. In other words, I don’t have to aim any differently that the archer using the 330 fps bow. At closer distances, the differences become even less.
To be fair though, you do gain one advantage when shooting a faster bow….since the trajectory is somewhat flatter on faster bows, you are able
to shoot through slightly smaller openings.
So what’s it gonna be? Are you going to go for all that speed and hope that you don’t flinch during your release and not gain all that much when it
comes to overcoming the deer jumping the string? Or, are you going to shoot a bow with moderate speed and gain a whole bunch of forgiveness?
As for me and mine…I’ll take bow forgiveness over arrow speed any day.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA
While it may sound strange to some of you, Pennsylvania does not allow hunting on Sunday….and I say we should keep it that way!!!
Now I know some of you hunters are aghast that Pennsylvania is one of the 12 states that do not allow unlimited Sunday hunting during normal firearm
seasons. But let me tell you why I feel that PA should NEVER allow Sunday hunting.
Right now, the firearms opener in PA begins on the Monday after Thanksgiving. In 2006, based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation report, approximately ONE MILLION deer hunters entered the Pennsylvania woods on opening day that year with a loaded firearm (this does NOT include
non-residents or hunters under the age of 16). In comparison, Texas only had 890,000 deer hunters on their opening firearms day while Wisconsin had 639,000 hunters.
Now remember folks…this is a MONDAY and is NOT a holiday. ONE MILLION hunters…not counting non-residents and hunters under 16!
Now, if PA permitted Sunday hunting, how long do you think it would take before someone suggested that the firearms opener be moved from that Monday to the first Saturday after Thanksgiving???
Conservatively, there’d be 100,000 - 150,000 MORE hunters hitting the Pennsylvania woods with a loaded firearm on the opening day of deer season.
This is in addition to the ONE MILLION hunters that are already out there…and we’re still not counting non-residents those hunters under 16!
While hunting is still one of the safest outdoor activities you can participate in, the chance for an accident WILL increase. Not to mention that the limited free movement deer have on opening day today will be restricted even more.
Sadly though, it all comes down to the mighty dollar. The additional 150,000 hunters in the woods is seen simply as a revenue increase to those
who make these types of decisions.
SAY NO TO SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA!
Now I know some of you hunters are aghast that Pennsylvania is one of the 12 states that do not allow unlimited Sunday hunting during normal firearm
seasons. But let me tell you why I feel that PA should NEVER allow Sunday hunting.
Right now, the firearms opener in PA begins on the Monday after Thanksgiving. In 2006, based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation report, approximately ONE MILLION deer hunters entered the Pennsylvania woods on opening day that year with a loaded firearm (this does NOT include
non-residents or hunters under the age of 16). In comparison, Texas only had 890,000 deer hunters on their opening firearms day while Wisconsin had 639,000 hunters.
Now remember folks…this is a MONDAY and is NOT a holiday. ONE MILLION hunters…not counting non-residents and hunters under 16!
Now, if PA permitted Sunday hunting, how long do you think it would take before someone suggested that the firearms opener be moved from that Monday to the first Saturday after Thanksgiving???
Conservatively, there’d be 100,000 - 150,000 MORE hunters hitting the Pennsylvania woods with a loaded firearm on the opening day of deer season.
This is in addition to the ONE MILLION hunters that are already out there…and we’re still not counting non-residents those hunters under 16!
While hunting is still one of the safest outdoor activities you can participate in, the chance for an accident WILL increase. Not to mention that the limited free movement deer have on opening day today will be restricted even more.
Sadly though, it all comes down to the mighty dollar. The additional 150,000 hunters in the woods is seen simply as a revenue increase to those
who make these types of decisions.
SAY NO TO SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Another Hunter Joins Our Ranks
Both of my boys are now certified to hunt! Walker (my youngest) completed his Hunter Safety Education course on Saturday and only missed two
questions on the test! I officially took the class with Walker even though I was certified in Minnesota about a hundred years ago.
There won’t be a safe rabbit, squirrel, or grouse within 20 miles of my house this fall.
I tip my hat to the Pennsylvania Game Commission personnel who took time out of their busy schedule to administer the class. The instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and eager to inform. They had lots of hands on stuff for the kids to do and the time went by very quickly.
I plan on taking the Bow Hunter Education course that the Pennsylvania Game
Commission offers. While I have been hunting with a bow for a number of years now, I am always willing to learn, talk about, and participate in
archery related events. Besides, some states require a bow hunter safety course before you are permitted to archery hunt in that state.
questions on the test! I officially took the class with Walker even though I was certified in Minnesota about a hundred years ago.
There won’t be a safe rabbit, squirrel, or grouse within 20 miles of my house this fall.
I tip my hat to the Pennsylvania Game Commission personnel who took time out of their busy schedule to administer the class. The instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and eager to inform. They had lots of hands on stuff for the kids to do and the time went by very quickly.
I plan on taking the Bow Hunter Education course that the Pennsylvania Game
Commission offers. While I have been hunting with a bow for a number of years now, I am always willing to learn, talk about, and participate in
archery related events. Besides, some states require a bow hunter safety course before you are permitted to archery hunt in that state.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
ARROW RESTS
There’s been some discussion in our archery club lately about which type of arrow rest is best. There are all types of rests on the market (wedge, prong, drop-away, capture, lizard tongue). All of these will do the job. But if you are looking for what I feel is the best accuracy out of your
set-up, an arrow rest that has the least affect on arrow flight is going to be your best bet….and for that, I recommend the drop-away arrow rest.
As you come to full draw, a drop-away rest is raised to lift your arrow into launch position. As the string goes forward at release, then tension on the drop-away rest is removed and it drops out of the arrow flight path. Set up properly for the quickest possible drop, the arrow travels over the drop-away rest for a very short distance before the rest is completely free of the arrow. At that point, the only thing touching the arrow for the remainder of the shot is the string.
For the other arrow rests, the arrow literally bounces over them for the ENTIRE distance of the arrow. If you were to magnify the rest and arrow contact point and watch it in slow motion, you will see considerable movement of the arrow as it passes over or through the arrow rest. Then,
the vanes or feathers have to pass over/through followed by the nock.
All of this high speed bouncing around affects arrow flight which in turn affects a consistent impact point. There is much less arrow/arrow rest contact with a drop-away rest. This will result in a more consistent arrow flight and then more consistent impact points. Consistent arrow groupings are what we always strive for.
In addition, with non drop-away rests, you have to hold your follow through position in place until the ENTIRE length of the arrow clears the rest. While we all should hold our follow through position until arrow impact, the drop-away rest gives us that little margin for error. And believe me, when that buck walks in to our shooting lane, we’re going to want as much margin for error as we can get!
There are places for all types of rests as there are many hunter and shooter preferences.
Some arrow rests may be used out of necessity. If you are in a stand where deer have to be shot almost directly below your stand, a capture rest (such as a Whisker Biscuit) is a must. No matter which angle you have to tip the bow, the arrow will not fall out of or off of the rest. I also recommend capture rests for youngsters who are just starting out. It seems the hardest thing for some of them to do it to keep the arrow on the rest when coming to full draw.
If you are having problems getting consistent groupings and your set up does not include a drop-away arrow rest, consider giving one a try.
set-up, an arrow rest that has the least affect on arrow flight is going to be your best bet….and for that, I recommend the drop-away arrow rest.
As you come to full draw, a drop-away rest is raised to lift your arrow into launch position. As the string goes forward at release, then tension on the drop-away rest is removed and it drops out of the arrow flight path. Set up properly for the quickest possible drop, the arrow travels over the drop-away rest for a very short distance before the rest is completely free of the arrow. At that point, the only thing touching the arrow for the remainder of the shot is the string.
For the other arrow rests, the arrow literally bounces over them for the ENTIRE distance of the arrow. If you were to magnify the rest and arrow contact point and watch it in slow motion, you will see considerable movement of the arrow as it passes over or through the arrow rest. Then,
the vanes or feathers have to pass over/through followed by the nock.
All of this high speed bouncing around affects arrow flight which in turn affects a consistent impact point. There is much less arrow/arrow rest contact with a drop-away rest. This will result in a more consistent arrow flight and then more consistent impact points. Consistent arrow groupings are what we always strive for.
In addition, with non drop-away rests, you have to hold your follow through position in place until the ENTIRE length of the arrow clears the rest. While we all should hold our follow through position until arrow impact, the drop-away rest gives us that little margin for error. And believe me, when that buck walks in to our shooting lane, we’re going to want as much margin for error as we can get!
There are places for all types of rests as there are many hunter and shooter preferences.
Some arrow rests may be used out of necessity. If you are in a stand where deer have to be shot almost directly below your stand, a capture rest (such as a Whisker Biscuit) is a must. No matter which angle you have to tip the bow, the arrow will not fall out of or off of the rest. I also recommend capture rests for youngsters who are just starting out. It seems the hardest thing for some of them to do it to keep the arrow on the rest when coming to full draw.
If you are having problems getting consistent groupings and your set up does not include a drop-away arrow rest, consider giving one a try.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Nerves or Lack of Focus?
About a week ago, our archery club held a grocery shoot as a fund raiser.
The last round of the night was for a very nice bow stabilizer. We had a shoot-off and soon it was down to two shooters….a friend of mine from the club and a shooter from another club.
My friend and I were shooting on the same lane all night and he had put his last five arrows in the bullseye. His opponent shot first and was well outside the bullseye ring….all my friend had to do was come close. But then
he did something he hadn’t done all night…he came to full draw, aimed…..and let down. He did this twice. His nerves were getting to him.
Instead of letting his body do what it knew how to do, his mind took over.
Instead of focusing on the tiny little “X” in the middle of the bullseye,
he was worried about other things.
Have you ever watched a little child carry a plate of food across the living room or out in the yard during a picnic? If the child does not focus
on that plate the entire trip, the plate begins to dip until it is at an alarming angle.
Have you ever been driving and so lost in thought that when you snapped out of it, you don’t remember driving the last few miles?
Have you even been watching CNN and tried listening to what the reporters were saying while trying to read the scrolling news stories at the bottom of the screen….at the same time. I can’t do it!
Have you ever had a tall 8-point come in to your shooting lane at 7:15 AM, come to full draw, and sail the arrow over his back…only to realize later
that you honestly didn’t remember where your kisser button was when you were at full draw?
My point is…we can’t truly focus 100% of our attention on more than one thing at a time.
When its crunch time and your nerves are screaming at you, there’s only one thing you can do….relax, find that aiming point, focus all of your
attention on it, and let your body release the arrow like you’ve trained it to do.
As for my friend…he still has his old stabilizer on his bow
The last round of the night was for a very nice bow stabilizer. We had a shoot-off and soon it was down to two shooters….a friend of mine from the club and a shooter from another club.
My friend and I were shooting on the same lane all night and he had put his last five arrows in the bullseye. His opponent shot first and was well outside the bullseye ring….all my friend had to do was come close. But then
he did something he hadn’t done all night…he came to full draw, aimed…..and let down. He did this twice. His nerves were getting to him.
Instead of letting his body do what it knew how to do, his mind took over.
Instead of focusing on the tiny little “X” in the middle of the bullseye,
he was worried about other things.
Have you ever watched a little child carry a plate of food across the living room or out in the yard during a picnic? If the child does not focus
on that plate the entire trip, the plate begins to dip until it is at an alarming angle.
Have you ever been driving and so lost in thought that when you snapped out of it, you don’t remember driving the last few miles?
Have you even been watching CNN and tried listening to what the reporters were saying while trying to read the scrolling news stories at the bottom of the screen….at the same time. I can’t do it!
Have you ever had a tall 8-point come in to your shooting lane at 7:15 AM, come to full draw, and sail the arrow over his back…only to realize later
that you honestly didn’t remember where your kisser button was when you were at full draw?
My point is…we can’t truly focus 100% of our attention on more than one thing at a time.
When its crunch time and your nerves are screaming at you, there’s only one thing you can do….relax, find that aiming point, focus all of your
attention on it, and let your body release the arrow like you’ve trained it to do.
As for my friend…he still has his old stabilizer on his bow
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Things I think about...in no particular order
Everyone should be required to take marksmanship proficiency tests in firearms and archery before being allowed to enter the woods.
We should be permitted to shoot out the tires of road hunters.
Game Commissions are doing the best with what they have to provide adequate deer populations.
If you shoot it, you eat it.
State firearm safety courses should include how to track a wounded animal.
Crossbows should only be permitted for use by those with physical limitations.
Sunday hunting should not be allowed anywhere for anything!
They should have pull-off areas along highways so we can safely watch deer in the fields.
Kids should start out shooting bows with mechanical releases and then learn how to shoot fingers.
PETA...’nuf said.
Every deer you’re fortunate enough to harvest should be considered a trophy.
Wearing a safety harness while in a tree stand should be required by law.
While in deer camp, discussion topics such as taxes, mortgage rates, and computers should be forbidden.
I’ve never seen a Game Warden walking in the woods when they weren’t on a road or trail….wait….I’ve never seen a Game Warden walking.
Why don’t you ever see deer cross the road near those “Deer Crossing” signs?
I prefer to archery hunt in the evenings but rifle hunt in the mornings.
As I get older, my tree stand gets closer to the ground.
My dad is the best hunter I’ve ever known.
We should be permitted to shoot out the tires of road hunters.
Game Commissions are doing the best with what they have to provide adequate deer populations.
If you shoot it, you eat it.
State firearm safety courses should include how to track a wounded animal.
Crossbows should only be permitted for use by those with physical limitations.
Sunday hunting should not be allowed anywhere for anything!
They should have pull-off areas along highways so we can safely watch deer in the fields.
Kids should start out shooting bows with mechanical releases and then learn how to shoot fingers.
PETA...’nuf said.
Every deer you’re fortunate enough to harvest should be considered a trophy.
Wearing a safety harness while in a tree stand should be required by law.
While in deer camp, discussion topics such as taxes, mortgage rates, and computers should be forbidden.
I’ve never seen a Game Warden walking in the woods when they weren’t on a road or trail….wait….I’ve never seen a Game Warden walking.
Why don’t you ever see deer cross the road near those “Deer Crossing” signs?
I prefer to archery hunt in the evenings but rifle hunt in the mornings.
As I get older, my tree stand gets closer to the ground.
My dad is the best hunter I’ve ever known.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
***ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK***
Draw Length
I am 6’3” while my wife is only 5’2”. Imagine my discomfort when I try to cram myself behind the wheel of the family roadster after my wife has driven it….and she didn’t re-adjust the seat. IF I am able to get in, I must adjust the seat way back so that my knees are out of my ears, adjust both side mirrors, the rearview mirror, the steering wheel, and even sometimes the radio. I would not even attempt to drive that vehicle until it was adjusted to fit me because it would be very unsafe, very uncomfortable, and very unproductive.
The same concept should be applied to our bows. Our bow should be adjusted to fit us instead of us trying to cram ourselves into impossible positions to fit the bow.
In my youth instructional program last week, a young shooter was getting frustrated because she couldn’t hit the target consistently. I hadn’t had a chance to work with her before. I watched her shoot three arrows and could plainly see her problem. First, the draw length of the bow was too short and this caused her bow arm to be bent too much. Her entire shooting side was tensed up and quivering. Second, her peep sight was way too high. She was struggling at keeping the kisser button where it was supposed to be and trying to see through the peep. I gave the bow about another inch of draw length and moved her peep sight down. At full draw, her body now looked relaxed and she put her next two arrows in the bulls-eye and the third one just outside the bulls-eye. I wish you could have seen the look of joy on her face.
I am an advocate of having your bow elbow “locked” when at full draw. If your body is properly aligned and your stance is correct, this will give you a direct line from your grip to your front shoulder. If your elbow is bent, you will be using forearm and upper arm muscle groups to hold your bow at full draw. Small muscle groups like these will tire quickly and cause inconsistency in your groupings. Also, if your elbow is bent, you can not ensure that you are bending it at the same angle every single time at full draw. You will come to full draw, put the kisser button where it’s
supposed to go, and THEN adjust your bow elbow angle accordingly.
And remember, a draw length that is too long can cause its own set of problems. So get to an archery pro shop and have a technician take a look at your draw length at full draw. A slight bow adjustment can make a world of difference.
And mom and dad….remember….your kids are growing. That bow that may have perfectly fit your child last year may need to have some adjustments made this year. Pay attention to your child’s shooting form.
I am 6’3” while my wife is only 5’2”. Imagine my discomfort when I try to cram myself behind the wheel of the family roadster after my wife has driven it….and she didn’t re-adjust the seat. IF I am able to get in, I must adjust the seat way back so that my knees are out of my ears, adjust both side mirrors, the rearview mirror, the steering wheel, and even sometimes the radio. I would not even attempt to drive that vehicle until it was adjusted to fit me because it would be very unsafe, very uncomfortable, and very unproductive.
The same concept should be applied to our bows. Our bow should be adjusted to fit us instead of us trying to cram ourselves into impossible positions to fit the bow.
In my youth instructional program last week, a young shooter was getting frustrated because she couldn’t hit the target consistently. I hadn’t had a chance to work with her before. I watched her shoot three arrows and could plainly see her problem. First, the draw length of the bow was too short and this caused her bow arm to be bent too much. Her entire shooting side was tensed up and quivering. Second, her peep sight was way too high. She was struggling at keeping the kisser button where it was supposed to be and trying to see through the peep. I gave the bow about another inch of draw length and moved her peep sight down. At full draw, her body now looked relaxed and she put her next two arrows in the bulls-eye and the third one just outside the bulls-eye. I wish you could have seen the look of joy on her face.
I am an advocate of having your bow elbow “locked” when at full draw. If your body is properly aligned and your stance is correct, this will give you a direct line from your grip to your front shoulder. If your elbow is bent, you will be using forearm and upper arm muscle groups to hold your bow at full draw. Small muscle groups like these will tire quickly and cause inconsistency in your groupings. Also, if your elbow is bent, you can not ensure that you are bending it at the same angle every single time at full draw. You will come to full draw, put the kisser button where it’s
supposed to go, and THEN adjust your bow elbow angle accordingly.
And remember, a draw length that is too long can cause its own set of problems. So get to an archery pro shop and have a technician take a look at your draw length at full draw. A slight bow adjustment can make a world of difference.
And mom and dad….remember….your kids are growing. That bow that may have perfectly fit your child last year may need to have some adjustments made this year. Pay attention to your child’s shooting form.
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