Competition vs Hunting Arrows

[Jared Hooten]

#146819

Howdy All!

I’m kinda new to all this so please bear with me. Can anyone point to an article, etc. that explains in-depth the differences between competition (3D) vs Hunting ? I’m finding many suggestions on micro-diameter, foc, etc. but I’m pretty ignorant about it all.

I’m shooting a 60” BW PSA 47@28. I’m shooting the Black Eagle Vintage 500 @ 30ish inch. Nothing fancy. Just a 145gn tip and they shoot very, very well!

Now I’m wanting to get some maximum performance  arrows strictly for 3D competition. I understand this will change my current setup and configuration, but I really want to experience the difference between hunting and comp arrows. Do I “need” a micro-diameter? Do I “need” a lighter arrow? More FOC? Longer length? 3 or 4 fletch? Etc.? I’m getting kind of lost in the weeds with all different formulas out there today. So what’s the general consensus as far as getting started into building a good comp arrow? Any info at all would be helpful and I thank you in advance.  -(-|—>

[richard roop]

#146823

Ok ………………… Lemme get this straight. You have a set-up that shoots “very very well”.

Sounds good to me; Shoot it !!!

I have never bought into the concept of target bow / hunting bow.  I hunt. Ergo, I shoot a hunting bow. 3D, roving, field round or American Round it’s all just practice for hunting.

Now, if your main interest is tournaments, my suggestion would be something that shoots very very well and work on form in the morning, form in the evening and form at supper-time.

We tend to make this a lot more complicated than it needs to be.

[Jared Hooten]

#146824

I get where you’re coming from, Richard. And I respect it, deeply, but I’m interested in the performance between the different setups. I am confident in my form, and my commitment to bow and arrow, but I also like to tinker and measure those differences in performance.

I’m a hunter too, but I’m also a competitor on the field. I don’t find that compartmentalizing the 2 disciplines is very difficult. If I’m playing the game against other’s for prizes, I want every advantage I can get. So, I’m looking for people’s advice on different arrow configuration and setups for “trad” “barebow” and “recurve” classes.

[richard roop]

#146832

Well, if you can keep the two separate in your head, more power to you. I never could.

Best suggestion I can offer would be to contact the manufacturer of your bow, ask if he has a few minutes to chat and tell him that you want to wring every last bit of performance out of your set-up.

Good luck & let us know how it works out for you.

[Raymond Coffman]

#146836

Hi Jared

Good to hear from you . Sounds like you have your tackle set up real good, but are looking to tweak it for peak performance.  I am  not a competition shooter so don’t have any pertinent advice on a competition set up. Have you tried the search the forum above? Or maybe webmom has some ideas on past articles?

Scout aka Ray

[Robin Conrads]

#146847

I’ll see if I can get Jason Wesbrock to chime in. Jared, you might also check out The Push Archery. They have a great podcast and some YouTube videos about tuning and such. Matt Zirnsak shoots competitively and also hunts.

[Jason Wesbrock]

#146853

Hi Jared.

I see you shoot a Black Widow (great bows, by the way). If I’m not mistaken, they recommend no less than 8 grains per pound of draw weight for your arrow weight. This means you should stay above 376 grains total arrow weight (based on 47# of draw). Yoyu may want to confirm that minimum with Black Widow though.

 

When you’re talking about target shooting you can immediately disregard some of the things that are important in a hunting setup, such as an arrow that will penetrate well and a quiet bow. You can also forget about needing enough fletching to stabilize a broadhead. If you’re talking about unmarked 3-D shooting (and I know some may disagree with this) speed is important. A flatter trajectory makes slight errors in distance estimation less important. With those things in mind, here is what I would do if I was looking to build a dedicated 3-D setup around your bow.

 

Get another bowstring (two actually so you have a backup) without silencers. Targets don’t string jump, and silencers rob speed. Loose them. I would then look for the lightest arrow I could build with the smallest feathers I could use (assuming you shoot off the shelf) — three-inch maximum. Skinny arrows tend to tune easier since their centerline sits closer to true center. The fatter the arrow, the more it sits away from center, the less forgiving it is of slight inconsistencies in shot execution. Since you shoot Black Eagles, you may want to look at their skinny shafts. I used to know top-level 3-D and target archers who swore by them. Victory VAPs (my favorites) are another excellent, inexpensive choice.

 

[Jared Hooten]

#146888

Thank you all so very much! I’m looking into making an order soon and will let everyone know how it plays out!

[Jared Hooten]

#146889

Great information!!! Thank you very much!

[richard roop]

#146901

When you place your order, you might want to get a set of those cards that show the scoring areas on different 3D targets.

Some of the kill placements will make you wonder and then there’s the 12 ring. One would think that it would be in the center of the 10 ring. Ain’t always so.

And……………… if allowed at the shoots you attend, a decent set of optics depending on just how serious you want to get.

[Guy Seniceros]

#147011

Hi Jared,

To begin with, I have probably the least experience of anyone here but I have an idea that may help. I think I saw that you have two bows, why not setup one following everything that Jason suggested for competition shooting and save that one that already shoots “very well” for hunting ? Or maybe if you really like them both for hunting and you can afford it, invest in another specifically for competing. Just my two cents.

Guy      (Bladeswell)

[Jared Hooten]

#147040

Update:

I received my Black Eagle Instincts 500 today, but was only able to test for about 20 minutes before I had to get on the lawn mowing…they are 31 inches with 100g outsert and 100g point.

My thoughts:

They penetrate much deeper

Are less affected by wind/drag – happen to be a windy day today!

That’s about all I can say about it right now. Hopefully fling about 100 more tomorrow and get a better idea.

HOOT

 

 

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