Bowhunting Equipment

Online Hunting Magazine For Nova Scotia Hunters - Arrow selection ...


A bowhunter wants to see how close he can get to his target before he shoots." Dr. A good archery dealer will ask you a lot of questions. After all the arrow and its components are the part of your equipment that you want hitting the mark. Along with all these variables, the use of a release or shooting with fingers are also important considerations when selecting an arrow for your bow. Also noting the type of cams on the bow you will be using along with other things mentioned earlier. Aluminium arrows stiffen over time and with use as the crystalline structure alters) or when the shaft construction changes (cracks, de-bonding). Another few years went by and then in the early to mid 90s they came out with the hard cams or hatchet cams. Another thing to consider when you buy arrows. Arrow selection is the single most important part of your equipment set-up consideration in archery/bowhunting. Arrow spine Draw length Wheels & Cams Other variables The easy way What are the things to consider? Arrow spine If bows delivered arrows perfectly straight from the release of the arrow to the intended target, the arrows stiffness will not matter. Arrow spine is determined by having the arrow shaft supported at two points at a specified distance apart (26) and with a specified weight (2 lb.) being hung at the mid-point. Arrow spine matters because most arrows are not delivered perfectly straight from the bow. Arrows, whether aluminum, carbon fibre or a aluminum/carbon bond, are made in varying diameters and thickness and have to be cut to length to match the bow they will be shot from. Check your equipment, be prepared and hunt safe. Compound bows dont come in different calibers that are clearly marked so the archer/bowhunter can go to the bow shop and ask for 30, 50 or 70 lb. Draw length When selecting an arrow for your bow, dont take the once often used old time method of just picking an arrow regardless of the arrow spine and cutting it one inch longer than your draw length. Example: If you add 25grains to the point (go from a 100gr to a 125gr point) you will have to shorten your arrow by 1 inch or decrease the bow draw poundage by 5 pounds for the arrow to regain the right spine and to fly properly. Example: If you were to take 25 grains from the point (go from a 125gr to a 100gr point) you will either have to get the same size arrows that are 1 inch longer or add 5 pounds to your bow weight. Having the bow there will make things a lot easier for both of you. Here are some things that will help you choose your arrows wisely. If not then you will have something help you select the right combination when you visit your archery pro-shop. If the archer has no overdraw on the bow or there is no arrow shelf stopping the point of the arrow from falling onto the hand, the minimal length for the arrow should be 1 inch past the riser with the bow at full draw. If the archer/bowhunter has an overdraw the minimal arrow length should be 1 inch past the point where the arrow rest supports the arrow. If the arrow is too stiff it will tend to bounce off the rest instead of flowing through the rest, and if the arrow is to weak it will try to wrap itself around the bow and be very erratic in flight. If the cartridge isnt the right one for the gun, dont shoot it. If you already have arrows for your bow this will tell you if they are right for your needs. If you did this without dropping the bow weight or without shortening your arrow length you will have an arrow that has too weak a spine for the set-ups draw weight. If you did this without upping the bow weight 5 lbs or without using an arrow the same size but 1 inch longer you will have an arrow that is too heavy a spine for the set-ups draw weight. If you do not have the arrows matched to your bow, you wont hit the intended target with the consistency needed to either score well in tournament situations or to harvest an animal with the exactness needed to dispatch it quickly. If you talk about multi-layered arrow shafts, (carbon/aluminum) the stiffness also depends on the bonding between the different layers. In this regard the same holds true for the bows ammunition, the arrow. It became evident then that the technology was changing as fast as the bows were sold and about 10 - 15 years ago they came out with what are now known as the medium cams. It does not matter what equipment you use or how good the set-up is or how perfect your shooting form. It either fish tails, flexes from side to side, when shot from a finger held bow or it porpoises, flexes up and down, when shot from a release held bow. It is no longer the hit or miss proposition it once was. Leaving the draw weight of the bow the same and only using only different cams on the same bow, the bow will be pushing arrows out at different speeds. Make sure you get the practice points the same size and weight you intend to use for your broadheads. Making an arrow selection for the archer/bowhunter with a compound bow is kind of like selecting the right cartridge for your favourite hunting rifle. Mark Timney << Back Our other sites.. Most bows have a weight range that is adjustable to fit the shooter. Most of the cams made today are either medium cams, hard cams with high let-off or variations thereof or the single cams with high let-off on hunting bows with only a few exceptions. NS Fishing NB Hunting NB Fishing Silver Cross Fishing Lodge On Mattatal Lake, in the beautiful Wentworth Valley, at the foot of the Cobequid Mountain Range, you will find Silver Cross Fishing Lodge. One, the other, or both, happens each time an arrow is shot from a bow. Online Hunting Magazine For Nova Scotia Hunters - Arrow selection: Which arrow fits my bow? Other variables Usually, when using the right arrow for your set-up, that means having an arrow with the right spine and changing nothing but point weight you will usually have to do one of two things. Ricky Comeau "An archer wants to see how far away from the target he can get and still hit it. Seeing this you will think its as flexible as a piece of cooked spaghetti. Since the support spacing and the weight hung remain the same, the spine depends on the elasticity of the shaft materials and the materials geometry. Spine is a term that comes up frequently when talking about archery/bowhunting and shooting arrows. That energy is so great that one of two things has to happen so the arrow does not break at the moment of release. Thats entirely up to you but the arrow still has to have the right spine. The amount of deflection at the mid-point of the shaft from level determines the shafts spine. The arrow does not have to be bigger to be stiffer. The arrow has to be strong and flexible enough so as not to break initially. The arrow may be smaller if using carbon or carbon/aluminum arrows to replace aluminum arrows and can be the right spine for the bow used. The arrow must be the right spine for the bow to be an effective, accurate and safe projectile. The arrow shelf on the overdraw is there to protect the archers hand should the broadhead tipped arrow fall off the rest while at full draw. The arrow, to match the bow must be the right shaft length and matched to the bows draw weight, the cams used and the point weight of the practice point or broadhead used together with the draw length of the archer and the archer/bowhunters shooting style (release or fingers). The best thing for you to do is bring your bow along with you when you go there. The cam selection changes the set-up of the bow as much as draw weight and arrow length affect the spine of the arrow but to a varying degree. The charts there will give you from 5-8 different arrow sizes and type combinations to use with the arrow length, draw weight, point weight, cams and shooting style you are using. The draw length of the archer/bowhunter is the main factor in determining the minimal arrow length the archer can safely shoot. The easiest way you can do is to go to your local archery pro-shop. The easy way Today there are very efficient methods of arrow selection, which will greatly improve the accuracy of your archery set-up. The ethical shot may just present itself if you wait for it. The lower the stiffness of the shaft the more it sags and the larger the measured deflection. The only major piece of equipment youre using that hits your intended mark is the arrow. The recommended time before pursuing the game animal. The spine (stiffness) of an arrow shaft never changes unless the arrow material properties change (e.g. There are various other things that have to be considered to obtain the right combination of arrow to bow compatability. There may be some answers to their questions you will not be sure about. There should be at least four or five different arrow sizes at your needed arrow length that will correspond to the bow set-up you have, so you will have a choice as to which arrow you will inevitably use. These are all variables that must be checked before proper arrow selection can be achieved. These variables will dictate which arrows will fly the best and will be safe to use with your bow. These were even more advanced versions of the medium cam and their claim to fame was the blistering speed shooters can attaining with arrows shot from bows with these cams. These were no longer round but more egg shaped than their predecessor, the round wheel. They all come back to using the right spine arrow for your bow. They may seem to fit well in the chamber but shooting them in the gun chambered for the .30/06 can have disastrous results. They started to use what are now call soft cams extensively. This advance in technology went on for quite a few years then manufacturers found they can get more speed and get more let-off. This does not mean you cant have a longer arrow. This is another place where the process of arrow selection has to be looked at. This is for safetys sake whether it be recurve or compound there is no difference here. This is made simple for the rifle owner since the make of the round is marked on the cartridge and on the gun it is used in. This may damage the arrow shaft especially on carbon and composite arrows. This person should, with your help, be able to give you the information you need to make the right arrow selection to match your bow and your needs whether it be for hunting or for target shooting. This varies from person to person so what fits you may well not fit your hunting buddy. This will eliminate hassles for you in the fall if you have to change from a 3-D set-up to your bowhunting set-up. This will have to be done for the arrows to regain the right spine and to fly properly. This, with todays high-energy bows can be very dangerous. WARNING- Please, do not use a tubing cutter to cut your aluminum, aluminum carbon composite and carbon arrows. We now assume the bow is the right draw length and draw weight for the archer/bowhunter using it. Wear your fall restraint while hunting from an elevated stand. What should be considered when making the arrow selection? What weight field points and broadheads will you be using? Wheels & Cams Many years ago when manufacturers started to produce the compound bows and they became popular, the wheels (cams) they used were round. When initially released the arrow absorbs a tremendous amount of potential energy from the bow. When selecting an arrow for hunting or target shooting there must be careful consideration given to the stiffness or spine of the arrow needed to correspond to the draw weight. Whether the archer/bowhunter has an overdraw installed on the bow is a valid consideration to take into account at this point. Will you be shooting with fingers or a release? Will you be using an overdraw on your bow? With all things considered you will probably, after some experimentation come to the conclusion that there has to be a better way to figure all these things out than what we have gone through here. With the technological advances we have now a days there is no need for someone to shoot an arrow that is not matched to their bow. With this information the archery pro-shop can suggest an arrow size and weight that will fit your archery/bowhunting needs and your set-up. You can use a smaller diameter aluminum arrow with a heavier wall thickness to get a stiffer arrow. You may want an arrow that extends 2 inches past your riser or the pivot point of the arrow rest. You will think an arrow is quite rigid but when viewing an arrow shot from a bow with high-speed video you actually see the arrow flex and warp from the force applied to it. You willnt shoot a .243, .270 or .308 bullet out of a .30-06 rifle. Your archery pro-shop will cut the arrows to the required length with an arrow cut-off saw and also reinstall your inserts at a minimal charge.