[Bert]

in reply to: Mechanical Advantage question #21306

Good news, Dave, on the new Grizzly’s- we’ve all been waiting for a left-wing. Looking forward to our sharpening guru’s report. Usually, in the field, I carry a diamond stick(use water for lube) but recently at the old True Value, I ran across a ‘points file’- and if you know what that is you most probably have a touch of gray. Very small with a flattened handle, very fine teeth of- tungsten!
Hmmm?- worked fine on resharpening an aluminum Svea bow-type saw with Danish steel teeth- haven’t used it on a broadhead yet, but it looks like it may have some possibilities. Any comments or observations, Ron?
And Dave, we await your post on ‘What’s in your pack?’ on the Campfire forum!

[Bert]

in reply to: delaware crossbows proposals #21291

Yes, here in Washington state. the new, red letter paragraph allowing crossbows in firearm restricted areas only- for now and we’ll see how long that lasts. I mean I don’t have a ‘quarrel’ with them and in fact quite like the William Tell story- is there anyway we could have a modern version with the apple being held by a politician- in their mouth! ZZZZIIIPPPP! Next!
Along with width, minimum draw weight and bolt length and weight, one cannot hunt with a crossbow over 15#- what’s up with that? Who, in their right mind, would want to pack an over 15 pound bow, much less a rifle, unless you were shooting elephants with a 600 Rigby?
Well, we can always hope that when they pull the trigger on their horizontal-portable-nautilus-machine the whole thing discombobulates into a twisted maze of string and cables and the intended ‘victim’ bounds away, unscathed and snickering.
I remain with ‘A longbow and a strong bow….’-Bert

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[Bert]

in reply to: Why carbon arrows??? #21257

Buenas dias, Manu, welcome to the site!
You’ll find alot of info here. Most of us shoot arrows made of anything, as long as they fly right for your setup and do what you want on the terminal end. But,we Norte Americanos, can’t leave well enough alone and have to constantly tinker- it’s in our blood!
Dr. Ed Ashby, on this site, has decades of all aspects of arrow performance and it is well worth considering his experiments and observations- Cuidado!-you may catch the bug! Check out KingWouldBe’s photos and setups on the Ashby leathality and Big Game forums- some HUGE porkers!- Do they have the same in Argentina?
Also, on the Campfire forum, under Hunting Public Land, are posts by a fellow bow brother from Spain-hbasajaun- who gives a Spanish website- http://www.cazandoconarco.es- and though I don’t read Espanol, it looks like some info that may be helpful to you in traditional archery.
Adios, compadre and keep shooting and we promise not to cry for you, Argentina!-Sorry, couldn’t resist!!!!!
Best-Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: Hunting Public land #20587

Yes, I’m afraid it’s getting that way here too, what with ever increasing taxes and ‘fees’ and privatization, ‘grants’ of exclusive hunting lands. Nothing worse than the peasants hunting on the King’s Royal Properties- great to be returning to the feudal times, ain’t it?!
Where’s Don Quixote, Sancho and El Cid when you need them?

[Bert]

in reply to: Hunting Public land #20277

Welcome to the site hbasajuan- Herald- Here in western Washington state there’s plenty of public land, but access to it is getting more restrictive and costly for us blue-collar guys. It thrills me to no end to get all set-up in a perfect location and have a couple mountain bikers come screaming by (No, I didn’t- but the thought, I admit, did fleetingly cross my mind!). Perhaps that could be the start of a new sport- with some kind of paintball blunt involved- voluntary on both sides, of course!
In Spain, do you have to get the landowners permission and pay a fee to hunt or are there some simpaticos that will let you hunt for free?
Thanks and good hunting- Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: Fletching Jig Preference #20258

I too use an old Bitzenberger with left and right wing clamps- one of the steel plates fell off eventually but scruffing it up and some JB Weld soon had it back in working order. I’ve heard good things about the BearPaw, so will probably purchase one so I could fletch 2 arrows an hour! Tried the fletchtape on some 2018 aluminums but the front of the 5″ parabolic feathers refused to stay in place- don’t know if I didn’t clean them enough or perhaps the pretty radical helical I use contributes to the problem. Use capwraps on aluminum and carbons now with success.
Then again, who needs jigs? Check out Korean bamboo arrow makers on the web- amazing what 10 to 20 years of practice will allow you to do by eye! By the way, they shoot at 145 meters(156 or so yards) in competition!

[Bert]

in reply to: What's in your pack? #19564

Mark-Sounds suspiciously SAS(SBS)-You serve? Where and when?
From an American aficionado, just read Stephen Pressfield’s ‘Killing Rommel’ about the WWII Long Range Desert Group- fictional but based on fact- what a bloody amazing group of blokes! And on the subject, the SAS survival book should be required reading and study for everyone who ventures from their couch. PM if you want to keep it private( and proud owner of a legal semi-auto FNFAL and a few Enfield MkIV’s. a MkV jungle and a MkVI revolver converted to 45ACP- all good, rugged shooters).
Cheerio-Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: What's in your pack? #19168

Too much, after the first hundred yards of the first hunting outing! Remember, pain is weakness leaving the body and get your sorry you-know-what in shape before the hunt! I concur with most of the lists above so won’t go detailed but out here in the PNW of western Washington we have some unique requirements- such as, get a wetsuit- just kiddin’ but am seriously considering some lightweight hip waders as the river bottoms and low hills have some nasty swamps and you know exactly where your arrowed quarry is going to flee.Query?-quarry?- the elusive blacktail deer, black bear and more than usual cougars lately.
Some reccomendations-
Gerber brush axe- lightweight machete with a sickle end- indispensable in the local blackberry and devils-club thickets- wrap handle with paracord. Don’t leave home without it.
Altoid survival tin- Diy kit- check out Field&Stream- oldjimbo websites for ideas- do not place in pack but carry in pocket for the just in case scenario.
Ditto on the toiletpaper- there is no substitute! Bury, burn and cover, please. I hate white flags in the woods.
Along with a regular water bottle, canteen, or camelback and instead of iodine, bleach, a small water bottle with a purifying filter inside can be purchased easily and would work to keep that nasty giardia and various assorted crud from your gut.
A backpacker type Sierra cup with some tea bags(Starbucks recent Via instant coffee is actually drinkable) and a small fire, DIY penny alcohol or can stove can brighten up a dismal afternoon.
Flashlights-the plastic Surefire with 2 lithiums and LED runs longer and cooler than a regular bulb and will really light up your life.
For SteveMcD and the rest of us who are sometime magnets, through stupidity, to sharp instruments- some butterfly bandages and a small tube of superglue will come in handy. There’s also a clotting product available at most drugstores- break the ampoule and pour brown powder on bloody cut and it will clot- it works(ask me how I know!)
Also for SteveMcD and St. Hubert(Patron saint of hunters et al) a small flask of Jagermeisters is appropriate for medicinal and ritual purposes only, of course!
For those with floppy ankle(s), don’t forget the sports wrap and/or airsplint.
Lastly, since many of us hunt alone, far from the beaten track, I have made the choice(now legal in WA. and national parks) to pack a large caliber concealed handgun and reloads- technically not in my pack but easily accessible on my person should the need ever arise- tracking an arrowed black bear is a somewhat daunting task in the best of circumstances and besides the four-legged, we unfortunately have the two-legged methlab tweakers and drug-cartel marijuana growing operations more prevalent in our local and national parks. It’s a personal choice with attendant responsibilities that only you can make-why do I carry a gun? Because a cop is too heavy!
At least, especially in Grizzly country, get some real bear pepper spray- check out UDAP bear spray on the web, developed by a bowhunter mauled by a bear- some sobering pictures and good info.
Thanks for the lists, guys- you got me motivated to get my feces cohesive, packwise and I can’t wait to read Dave’s list- hopefully we have enough server space left!
Good shooting and hunting- Bert
P.S. If you ever see a cross or crucifix between the antlers of a stag, SteveMcD, HEED THE VOICE!!!!!(I will!!!)

[Bert]

in reply to: A good product hits the market #18009

Alright Sapcut! 360 grains of sharpened, spinning death!
What shaft you going to put them on? EFOC? And what launcher(bow) do you plan to use?
Thought we had Ed on board the DIY train for a while there, but see what happens when you open a catalog?!- just kiddin’, I love catalogs.
Excellent pictures- the only two mods I make to my Grizzlys is to change the point to a COI( cut on impact) ala Dr. Ed Ashby and carefully file, on the same side as the existing bevel, a small bevel on the back of the blades- amazing how it helps pulling these stubborn heads out of a foam target.
Thanks for the report and keep DIYing!- Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: Ghilli suit #13928

Good topic, Clay- I’ve been thinking along the same lines(just an old sniper at heart!). Remember number 1- fire-retardtant coating( nothing worse than a ghillie suit on fire,with occupant inside, screaming as he lights the woods on fire) and number 2- insecticide to keep those nasty ticks and other vermin from making a home and number 3- DON’T WEAR IT DURING RIFLE SEASON or when the Sasquach hunters are out!
Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: Let's build a selfbow #13909

Talk about holes- check out the pic by Singing-Query?- do the holes whistle in the wind and is that a help or a hindrance? What key? Nice, nice bows!
Thanks Clay for the excellent buildalong and documentation- the Youtube is awesome- no sweat, just string it the old way, squat down, pull to anchor and say it’s about 70# or so! Gotta get a stave!
Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: HELP – STINGER! #13899

A possible solution- The Turks and Mongols and others shot(and still shoot) short, powerful bows- they use a thumb ring but have to place the arrow on the opposite side of the bow. A fellow in Alaska ties a somewhat longer loop cord(like a compound string release) on the string, under the nock and uses a thumbring to draw a 70# longbow for basically as long as he wants- you just pop your hand open like flipping a coin and the best part is your arrow is on the same side shelf as three-finger.
Merits some investigation I think-Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: A good product hits the market #13711

Ed- More like ‘necessity is the mother-no, handmaiden- of invention’! While I admire all the wonderfully machined adaptors and entrepreneurs who create and sell them, as a more-and-more dedicated DIYer, I find myself enjoying the creative process and possible solutions with basic hand and simple power tools to be immensely satisfying.
A stroll down the screw and nut aisles of your local Ace or True Value- you know, the one with all the bins- will yield affordable treasures in steel, brass, aluminum and others that, with minor modifications, can be used, esp. in EFOC, to fulfill our needs.
WARNING1- If you’re a complete klutz do not attempt this at home! Wear appropiate safety equipment and don’t burn down the garage- it makes your better half very angry! Even the dog will growl at you.
Most of all have fun and report any ‘ah ha’s’ to us fellow tinkerers and also ‘ah cr-p, this sucker didn’t turn out’ so we don’t have to repeat, ad nauseum, your stupid mistakes with our ‘not yet successful-may require some tweaking’ experiments.
For example, do not attempt to solder a brass tube(outsert) to the back of a BH(thanks Hiram) using a 2018 aluminum shaft and homemade steel adaptor as a centering device- think of a monkey and a football along with a stream of invectives and expletives as you find, when trying to extract said centering device, everything solidly soldered together in one unyielding mass- back to square one!
Stay warm wherever you are-Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: A good product hits the market #13561

Patrick- Those titaniums look slick, but I’m still holding out for depleted uranium BH adaptors- you know I think with super-duper carbons, real barred turkey fletching, lighted nocks, and a 30 buck broadhead and other assorted accessories, we should be able to get the cost of an arrow up to around 50 dollars per unit. And we all know that the more something costs the better it is!
For the poor DIY, if you want to try some steel adaptors and don’t have same, I carefully ground some 125 gr. field points on my handy belt sander(you could hand file if you have the patience of a saint), cut a couple of concentric circles( for glue adhesion) with my equally handy dremel tool and epoxied them with JB weld to some 160gr. Grizzlies. Let it dry a while, then roll test on a flat surface, make any adjustments and leave it overnight- worked great and the adaptors came in around 119 grains.
When the Hand of God somehow moves my arrows out the target area into the 1/2″ plywood garage wall backstop- I mean, it’s nothing of my doing I assure you!- I have to take a block of wood, a hammer and a vice-grip to pull the heads. Since this has, for some unaccountable reason, occured more than once, I have been most impressed with the Grizzlies and JB weld compound ability to resist punishment. No bending in the steel BH adaptors either, though I’ve managed to ‘tweak’ a few aluminums.
Good shooting-Bert

[Bert]

in reply to: Cane/bamboo arrows #12363

Trying some experiments with a bamboo shaft with your suggestions- will post results.
Jim Boswell at Rudderbows sells straightened and heat-tempered bamboo- check out his tutorial on methods on the straightening tool location- steam, pancake grill and some cold concrete.
Asians used bamboo arrows for thousands of years, so there must be something to them- don’t know why we don’t read about them more. Perhaps our good Dr. could shed some more light on the subject.
Best-Bert

[Author]

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