Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Would it............................

This is what I get, various bows, all shot with tab.
Boringly repeatably good.




I run Goldtips for their weight tune system.

Note that after about two weight collars on a pin, the 3rd is about useless, as that much "extension" of the insert into the shaft reduced available length to flex.

That's when you ditch the weights and just go with a brass insert.
You can play tip weight too, but I go insert and collars as needed, so all I have to do is screw on 125gr Stingers, Snuffers, Strikers or field tips.

FOC tends to run 15-21%.

55# and I blow through deer with big ol Snuffers.

Think gloves maybe look more "right" with longbows, but my bud won state with a tab

I'm not saying a glove is the only way to shoot, same as a tab isn't the holy grail either, just an option to consider. I shoot 3 under with a glove.

And I'm not telling Gunner to bend over to mimic a monkey f'ing a football either.

aalf, I have a Howard Hill glove, I think, it's like leather finger mittens so to speak, it's very stiff and the purchase on the string while using it feels slippery at best.

I've gotta take my bow to a shop and get my draw measured correctly, then have the bow weighed at that draw length to see if I have the correct arrows.

And 10-4 on the sight target, push pull and fire deal.

Good shooting Hook, I've read about brace height too, I really need to find a traditional archer shop with someone that knows what I need as far as fitment goes.

I'll try my HH glove, but the tabs have a much better feel to them for me, my main problem I'm learning is I've been aiming down the arrow, I draw thew bow, hold it for a steady aim then release, just like I've done with a compound and pins for over 30 years.

My bow at a guessed 60 lbs firing that 145 gr Stos head flew through that does ribs at 9 yards with ease, because I was shooting uphill and with cracked bones in my left foot, I didn't go in search of the arrow, just grabber her by the leg and pulled her down the mountain a bit where I had a stashed John Deere tractor.

aalf, Three under in fact to me looks more inline with the true center of the bowstring, if that's the case, would that hold not provide a more equal tensioning of the limbs?

How I fixed my problem

Gunner, here's a glove similar to what I use. Super soft, double leather, and no plastic between like the HH. I've never used the HH, as my guy sold this style and that's what I went with, no complaints:

Glove

I switched back to traditional in 1986. My last compound was a Hoyt set at 81 lbs, and I shot split fingers with a tab. Never wanted or ever used a release. Made my transition back to a recurve pretty easy.

I shot split for a while, and then experimented with 3 under, and it felt more natural to me, so I stayed with it. Puts the arrow closer to the eye, however, I never aim down the arrow, or gap shoot, etc. Focus on the spot, draw, shoot, done, to me the epitome of instinctive shooting. I can't, for the life of me, hold at full draw like the compound. The minute my finger touches the corner of my mouth, it's gone.


Probably/maybe, but probably not a consideration, it all goes back to tuning the arrow.

I've shot cedar in the past, but shoot strictly aluminum. Easy to tune with. Start with a long bare shaft in the ballpark for spine, cut off in increments, while adjusting nock position, brace height, and point weight. The bow maker should have a starting point for you in brace height. Speed is not a consideration.

Dan, I know exactly what you mean, at the conclusion of my last longbow practice session I was thinking, "I have went to complete chit on everything archery I have ever learned."

Promptly went and grabbed my compound that I haven't shot in months, strapped on my tru-ball release, moved the target back to 30 yards, by this time the target was but a silhouette in the dusk, but, I could see the center of the block and knew where the heart lung blackened areas were on the target.

Drew and let fly with my fiber optic 30 yard pin, hit 1" to the right of the top of the heart dead in the lungs, PISSED ME OFF EVEN MORE !

Washed up, showered and went to bed mad.

Thanks aalf, I'll order on of those gloves tomorrow, and yes, three under just feels better to me, I will admit to dinking around split fingering and rolling the damn arrow off the rest.

My first compound was an old Martin Lynx Magnum set at around 80 lbs, circa 1988, it was a hard shooting old bustard, the 2117 Easton Gamegetter II's coupled with the 125 gr Thunderheads never disappointed, I still have one of those, it's bent from my first bow kill, slugged that doe through both shoulders at 12 yards up in Winslow Arkansas.

My first compound was a Bear Whitetail from the 70's....

I would ask a pro-shop or somebody in archery that you trust what arrow spine you should be shooting for your actual draw length and the actual poundage at your draw length for the bow. I think you are OK with the 350s, but I'm not an expert.

I have changed the spine on arrows, and had 12 inch groups shrink to 4 inches without changing anything else. The arrow I was shooting was too "stiff" for the bow, even though the chart recommended the arrow for the set up. I had similar concerns as you on hunting abilities, as I was not shooting anything close to what I had a few months before.

If you are seeing great variations in your groups at distance, it may be more of the arrow causing the variation, and not the Indian. It sounds like you know how to shoot the bow, I'd make the arrows were not causing you problems that form can't fix.

gunner: Back to your original question:



I would tape a matchstick on the bow as a sight pin, start close and give it a try before I changed arrow spine, changed arrow length, changed gloves/tabs, changed form, changed anchor or bailed to a compound (you know that's a fix).


I always look for the simplest method first and if changing your aiming method gives acceptable results then you won. (you might have to tweak your anchor with a sight). Just reading this entire thread would confuse me but I'm betting you don't need to buy something to get acceptable results. I've always heard that Whips are very spine tolerant bows but who knows? this is the internet

good luck

(if you're already killing deer at 9 yards, you've won the biggest challenge, getting close)

AH64, that's precisely what I'm gonna do, head to a bowshop and get my draw length with this longbow measured, then but the bow on a scale to see what the poundage is at that draw length.

Very interesting to learn an improper spined arrow can have that pronounced of an effect on accuracy, Thanks!

Lost, thanks for the additional tips, I'll give it all a try before I give up and sell this bow.

The getting close is much more of a geographical gimme than my hunting prowess, that huge crevice in that rock ledge is right under a well traveled bench, with a good North wind, you could damn near park a pickup in there and shoot deer from behind the wheel, the ledge runs lower about 100 yards down the ridge, you spot movement, turn and look North and wait for them to appear at 10 yards right above you.

Of course most get into archery for the challenge... there isn't much challenge to a compound. Over 100 compound kills and it got to the point if I was close enough, there was no work and no doubt of a kill if I wanted to.

Recurve made me start all over again and have to practice all the time and become one with the bow....

Then there was the day I was easing along towards my ladder stand and I noticed a doe looking at me. I had to turn around slowly due to angle and ease along stepping backwards while getting an arrow out. All at the same speed I'd been going, nothing changed... The issue was the next thing I saw was an arrow going through her about 17 steps out... I never recall anything like drawing, concentrating etc.... just blap.....

But now that I've read a bit of the replies... lots of good info. But yes arrows have to be a match... first.. and it should be bare shafted tuned, I assumed you had all that done to start with, it goes for any bow IMHO.

beyond that form and function have to fit you and your body etc... I did get G Fred Asbells book. I read it at the time. I don't recall anything in it anymore. But I suggest it as a read or if I can find it and you want to borrow it PM me. There was a lot in there IIRC that helped me create the form that worked for me.

Since we are going backwards.. my first compound was a PSE Pacer, circa 1978. Wish I still had it but sold it to buy a PSE laser mag... last compound was 1991. PSE fire flight... It still works fine. Dont' even have to practice with it either if my shoulder is good enough, shoot 1-2 to verify zero and its good...

Good ideas all, for small targets.

Another I like to use........

White wooden golf tees. Hardly bigger around then an arrow shaft. They stick well in straw bales, foam targets, etc. I found a big bag of them at a dollar store or similar. If one gets nailed, I'm not out much.

Thanks for all the hints folks,

Geno

Yep, and as you get better busted nocks work well, too.

Maxima 350 is .377 spine.

Dunno what a 31" draw and not cut past center 60# bow would need (most longbows have quite the wrap around at the shot).