[MontanaFord]

in reply to: grouse and squirrels #57062

I wonder if a person could take apart the bigger judo-style heads and put them behind a broadhead. I shoot in the brush a lot, and would like a little more “grab” to keep from losing my arrows.

Michael.

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: Heavy or light arrows #57058

shosier,

In asking this question, you will probably be surprised to find that most traditional archers prefer heavier arrows that travel at a slower speed to something light-weight and a bit faster. Traditional bows are not overly fast to begin with. Compound shooters shoot lighter arrows because they’re infatuated with speed. Sure, when you have 300+ fps, it gives the lighter arrow the kinetic energy to make a pass-through shot. Like you said, even though something heavy moves slower, it hits a lot harder due to the weight behind it. That is where the penetration comes from. Anyway, I’ll let others weigh in on this, but I’m sure most of them will say pretty much the same thing. Heavy is the way to go with traditional gear.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: in need of council #56472

Ariel,

Your accomplishments under such circumstances is impressive indeed. Hunting here in Montana is pretty liberal, with longer seasons, and, for most areas, not as many regulations as other states seem to have. In answer to your question, what is a 3d range, it is a series of 3 dimensional targets mimicking deer, elk and other animals set up in (typically) realistic hunting situations. It is extremely good practice for the hunting archer, as well as a blast for anybody that just wants to shoot. Depending on the people that set up the target course, shots may range anywhere from 10 or 15 yards out to 30+ yards. And yes, a rendezvous is a gathering of people of similar interests. Trappers in U.S. history held rendezvous in order to sell the furs that they spent the previous years’ time trapping. 3-d shoots are similar to these rendezvous in that archers come from all over to compete for score as well as play various archery games, etc. and buy, sell or trade items that they have. Good luck setting yourself up with a hunting bow. And again, congratulations on all you’ve already accomplished with little or no archery-related resources.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: New Member #56438

tjconrads…

the site is great. there’re a lot of experienced archers on here that people can learn from. i know that i learn lots of things, even if it’s not a topic i post on. but, any additional items you guys can put on the site is great.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: grouse and squirrels #56435

how big are the wire prongs on the ones that go behind the field tip or broadhead? that might be the ticket for small game broadhead hunting…

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: Archery road #54226

Dan,

Sounds like your hard work and effort should pay off. Good luck this fall.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: You Favorite Broadhead and why ? #52144

I saw something about 2 vs. 3 blade penetration. Well, I’ve taken shots with both into a target backing that I have, and found the 2 blades to penetrate better than my 3-blade wensels. The 2 blades were just cheap-o Bear 2 blades on 2018 shafts. The wensels are on 2117 shafts. The backing is actually a piece of rubber conveyor belt material from one of the lumber mills here. It is roughly 1/2″ thick. The 2 blades, because of their slimmer profile, actually managed to completely exit the back side of the backing along with between four and six inches of arrow shaft. I think I had one 3-blade that cleared the back of the backing along with maybe 1/2 to 1″ of shaft. Every other time, the extra drag on the blades stopped the head before it could clear the backing. Even a dull 2 blade managed to clear the backing better than a sharp wensel. Just something to think about when we talk about penetration.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: 2 Blade Blood Trails? #52139

A couple years ago, I shot a doe with a Wensel at about 20 or 22 yards, complete pass-through (including a center-punched rib on exit), quartering away, liver and one lung, and only found about 3 drops of blood on the whole trail. However, I was trailing in the dark with a big mag lite, so I may have missed most of the blood. I don’t know. I did find her fairly easily (with a bit of luck). Was it a fluke that she didn’t bleed a whole lot externally? I don’t know. Maybe that’s how liver shots work. I shot another doe once with a 2 blade, not a real good shot, but still made a fairly quick recovery. Not a whole lot of blood on that one, either…maybe I just have bad luck with blood trails. If the shot is good, and the head is sharp, it should do the trick for you.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: Turkey Hunting Montana #52125

Obadiah,

I live in NW Montana, and have done a little bit of turkey hunting, but mostly just opportunistic stuff, not really sit down and actually HUNT them. A lot of turkeys in western Montana hang out on private land, and due to this, there’s not a lot of access because many owners are not from here and like to see the birds…they think of them as pets, basically. However, wherever there are large numbers of birds on private ground, they do stray onto neighboring public lands, too. It’s just a matter of being there when they do. If you want to ask more questions, I’ll do what I can to answer them, but I may not have all your answers. You may want to call Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Headquarters for whatever region(s) you’re wanting to hunt. They are a wealth of information, usually. Good luck.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: xx75 "singing" #52122

Nathan,

First, welcome to the forums. It’s a great group of people here that all love traditional archery. As for your arrows singing to you…either you’re getting noise off of your feathers, which isn’t uncommon, or your tips are a touch loose. Those are my best guesses. Somebody else may have a better idea. I’ve stood down range when my uncle shoots, and his feathers make a bit of noise, and he’s told me that mine make a bit, too. I read something somewhere once about what feathers are quietest versus loudest, etc…but I don’t remember where or when it was. Best of luck with your singing arrows.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: Why are small game hunter #'s falling? #48117

When I’m out in the woods, anything legal is fair game…squirrels, rabbits, grouse (in season only), etc…we don’t really have a set “small game season” here, so it’s kinda like live stumping.

Michael.

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: Atlatl #45421

I made one many years ago, early on in high school. I got the idea from reading a couple books in the Clan of the Cave Bear series. I just used my dad’s aluminum arrows that he had laying around for my “spears”. I made the thrower from a 2 1/2 to 3′ length of maple branch that included a portion of where the fork branched. The fork acted as the back of the thrower where the back of the arrow fit in. I could get pretty good distance out of it, and it was far from a quality piece. A kid in my World History class brought in one that was probably made by somebody that actually knew what they were doing, and the spears for it were approximately 5-6 feet long, with the thrower about 2 1/2 feet long. It was far superior to the one I built out of a stick and some aluminum arrows, but I liked mine better because I built it. I have actually been considering the idea of building another one, though a little better than my last attempt.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: hunting shows part 2 #44123

Johnny2

Sorry if I came across as trying to diagnose your feelings about hunting shows. I wasn’t. I was just pointing out that that is how you came across about the issue. At least to me, anyway. And I didn’t say you were a seething bundle of anger. Just wanted to make that clear. If you read farther into my last post, you will find my feelings on hunting videos. Anyway, thanks again for the opportunity to weigh in on this subject.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: hunting shows part 2 #41991

This one’s a tough subject to weigh in on. Johnny2, when I first started reading on this thread, I was sure you were po’d at the hunting world as a whole for allowing kills to take place on video. As I read farther, I realized that I’d jumped to a conclusion. You are right that taking an animal’s life is something that should be deemed a personal venture and celebrated (or mourned, whichever a person may wish) only by them and those that are with them. It is a very personal venture. I myself do own a few hunting videos. I love the footage of big mulie bucks and big bulls. It gets my blood pumping to watch those animals on tape. However, it would suit me just fine at the same time if those hunters never got a shot at the animal. Some of the videos I’ve seen have helped me in such a way that I can learn from the mistakes those hunters make, too, though. There are generally two things that bug me about videos. First, most hunters on tape only care about where the animal will score in the record book. Sure, I love looking at big antlers, but most hunters do. I just don’t have what it takes to be a true trophy hunter. I like the meat more than I like the horns. More tender on the palate. Secondly, as for the kill, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they cut that part out of the video. Spine shots in particular. I don’t like seeing spine shots on animals. If a hunter makes that kind of shot, I don’t really want to know about it. Thank you for this thread and the opportunity to voice an opinion on something I really hadn’t taken the time to really think about.

Michael

[MontanaFord]

in reply to: shooting longbow #41727

Brian,

Welcome to TBM, as well as a hobby that will probably soon turn to a passion. Personally, I prefer to shoot 3 fingers under, as it puts the shaft of the arrow closer to my line of sight. However, how you shoot is up to you. Whatever feels the most comfortable for you will be your best ally. Just be sure to pick the same consistent anchor point when you shoot, and always remember to follow through with your shot. By follow through, I mean keep your bow arm up, and when you release, make sure your hand comes straight back from anchor to somewhere right behind your ear. Good luck and keep shooting. This is a great bunch of people on here, and there’s lots of helpful information and advice for the novice or even experienced shooter.

Michael

[Author]

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