Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Merica

Blood red sun last evening, damn feral horses in camp again... taking a big chance eating behind my targets.

Kent

Hyjack all you want, this is an anti'worldgonnafallofitsownedgeeveryonedies thread.

Over spine is badder than under, back end tries to pass the front like a big trailer pulled by a small car down hill, it can't straighten out, hits sideways, no penetration.

Kent

Started out this summer with the 45 as I hadn't shot much for a year +. Injuries, no tags, moves, health issues, work around here and the bows just sat for a while. So I tried the 45 to strengthen up the back muscles some. I switched over to the 55 a few years back, when I drew an elk tag there in AZ, I just never got more arrows spined for the 45, as it wasn't getting much use anyway.

This year, not having shot for awhile, when I first started noticing the arrows hitting a bit cockeyed I wondered if it was the wind (usually blowing in the afternoon here), my form, or the bow. Then after a couple of weeks of just shooting for back exercise and not too concerned with groups I figured I'd give the 55 a try, see how my back handled it, after remembering the arrows were spined for 55-65lbs. Arrows flew much straighter, so I've just been practicing with that bow. So far, I'm really happy up to 15 yds and might (big might) risk a shot on a large body mulie at 20. Never considered myself much good beyond that anyway. I'm happy trying to get close anyway. Had to pass on a 28 yd shot at an antelope back in 2005 or so in Unit 15. Didn't bother me in the least.

I'll ask tuning questions after the fall seasons in the bowhunting forum. It'll give the folks a lot of time to criticize each other's methods over the winter.

Sent you a PM too.

Enjoy the cooler air.

Geno

This is how I explain spine...

Say you have a stick and it's cut at 5 feet, and different weight round rocks.

If you push on a rock the stick will bend to get the rock rolling then bend less as it gains speed, a small rock takes less bend than a large rock, the amount of initial energy also affects the bend at start. The same stick at 4 feet would bend less and at 6 feet more.

So 3 factors, length of stick, size of rock and energy pushing.

You buy an arrow from a chart and have it cut to x length, now you are left with front weight and energy.

You add a field tip/broadhead, 100, 125, whatever you decide but hopefully charted you arrow for, and you have the poundage you set the bow at.

All arrows bend when the energy is released, you want it to bend optimally, so it flys the best.

Easiest way to affect spine once the arrows are cut and bow poundage is set is head weight, if you are in spine then change one of the three you have to change another to be back in spine.

Kent

Like barrel harmonics, tuning is arrow harmonics and few bow shooters have their arrows tuned to their bow.

My buddy that has an elk hunt in a few weeks came over to shoot. Pro shop paper tuned and his sights wouldn't go high enough for a 20 pin. He shot poorly and I had him shoot a bare shaft, it flew completely sideways nock high... I admit I said WTF?

Looked at his bow with an arrow nocked and his loop was 3/8s high from square... but it paper tuned.

Eye balled center and square, couple bare shaft shots and small adjustments and he was shooting great, bow went from clanking to quiet. He would have hunted with it like that.

Kent

Seen 2 muley bucks in a unit I can't hunt and 1 good antelope buck a mile off in the wide open headed north. All water holes are dry in the normal areas I hunt, no animals, no tracks... plan b...

Kent

There's something you don't see everyday Claude... what's that Maude?... elk chit in the sand dunes...

Kent

Sat watching a herd with a good antelope buck where others lived 1000 years ago.

Kent

That's a really good antelope buck between the trees 1000 yards off, does below.

Hiked a mile in, 2 muley does and a spike were on a ridge watching something on the other side, figured it was my herd and it was. Slowly moved to 700 yards when 3 cow elk and their calves went through the antelope and blew them out.

Interesting morning.

Kent

Hiked to those same trees and he's laid down at 416 yards, I'd make a sneak if I knew where the does were, can't see them.

Kent

Yep, there's a doe 100 yards from him... waiting game.

Kent

Nothing like classing antelope through heat waves... winds changing, bought time to leave.

Kent

Well a truck a mile off moved them back to me but they crossed over 130 yards, close on a mile by 4 mile grassland but to far for a bow shot.

They still never knew I was there.

Kent

Exelente Kent,

keep after 'em.

Geno

Will do Geno,

Seen a hunter with a rifle, thought WTF, looked it up and there's a limited opportunity cow elk hunt going on in this area where they don't want permanent herds just winter. Guess that's who ran those elk around.

Kent

Yikes,

that kind f thing always gets my hair standing up a bit, knowing there's someone out there rifle hunting while I'm trying to put on a stalk and stay in cover.........where the rifle person can't see what's moving.

Stay safe.

Geno

Interesting.......

Growing up, the oldtimers had their own language I guess you'd call it, maybe it was very localized because some terms are not used anywhere else.

Large open grassland areas in pinion/juniper country was called a Seneca. Native word maybe, I can't find a reference... don't think it's from senega or cienega but maybe a bastardization.

Anyway I like hunting these high fairly hidden Senecas, yesterday morning the antelope were missing but I glassed for a couple hours seeing only a couple coyotes, right before I left I caught movement on a far edge and it was 3 muley bucks, 2 big ones, moving from a lower zone to bed up high... made the morning worth it.

Saturday evening was windy, I glassed some new area then decided to find a waterhole I thought I remembered being off the beaten path. Found some landmarks I remembered, kinda. By the time I found it it was 6pm, thinking I would sit the water till dark. Unfortunately for me to see the stock pond my vehicle was exposed, I should have backed around a rise but I was 1/2 mile out. Started hiking in and glassed up a huge lope buck near the tank bobbing his head and trashing a juniper... chit... had a doe and fawn with him. I tried to sneak in using junipers as cover but they knew I was there and left well before I got close.

Back home working for 3 days then I'll return for the rest of the season. I don't expect to get one but I love the action of archery antelope, to bad it's decades between drawing tags here, will probably be my last one.

Kent

This is very nice. gives me some idea too, well done.

Back at it, 6 more days to go.

Came back and there's water everywhere now, monsoon geared up and dumped while I was gone.

Still the antelope are out, got to 318 yards then the wind changed.

My 7 year old granddaughter made her Ugly 'Ol Pappy a cake to take hunting, it was good.

Kent