[David Coulter]

in reply to: Beginner in need of "next step" Hunting Bow #141795

RMS has some nice inexpensive recurve including a couple Herters and Browning. There’s plenty to choose from. Have fun, dwc

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Beginner in need of "next step" Hunting Bow #141791

You might also look at Bodnik bows. You might have to stretch the budget a hair but they are nice. I bought my wife one for Christmas a few years ago. It’s very smooth. They have a great rep in Europe. A buddy just picked up a nice old green Kodiak Magnum for a couple hundred on the auction. Hasn’t been delivered yet but it looks really nice. Look for old Browning Wasps or Nomads for a good bargain. Really nice bows that don’t carry the collector penalty that Bears often do. I do hear good things about RMS archery, which I think is also home to Tom Clum of Solid Archery Mechanics, a coaching program, part of The Push archery. dwc

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Pod Cast #141790

One of the latest MeatEater podcasts #184 Managing Bambi is an interesting one. One part of it has to do with crossbows. Understand that the MeatEater is not a trad site. It’s a hunting, fishing, cooking oriented site that invites views from many sides, which to me makes it interesting. As a trad archer I always claim that I don’t discriminate toward archers who shoot compounds, but in the interest in getting over it, I’ll admit I think trad is better. That’s an emotional response not so much intellectual I think. The guys who were interviewed from quality deer management, make a very compelling argument for crossbows. It’s mainly based on recruitment of new hunters and getting them to quickly learn to make efficient, ethical kills. It’s worth a listen. Best, dwc

[David Coulter]

in reply to: What ya got goin'? 2 #141789

I’ve taken a few weeks off shooting with my right clavicle out of whack. The pain was literally a pain in the neck all across to the shoulder and made drawing my bow virtually impossible. Three trips to the chiropractor and I’m hoping to shoot a little this weekend. Three weeks til archery opens here in my part of PA. Looking forward to it. Best, dwc

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Arrow set-up suggestions? #141787

Just a thought. When I was building my hunting arrows I found Troy Breedings posts very helpful. It would be cool to edit those posts, with his permission, and put them some place handy. His suggestions made the process relatively smooth and could be a help to anyone getting started or having tuning issues. dwc

ps. As I remember Troy was running full Ashby, which was my chosen avenue.

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Selway slide on bow quiver #141786

Steve, that must have been a fun hunt. I don’t normally think of pigs when I think of those islands but I will now.

I needed a way to carry an extra stumping arrow and remembered my old Kwiki Kwiver. Good for stumpers, it’ll come off for hunting. For kicks I loaded it up with arrows and shot some targets. It did not seem to influence impact. Best, dwc

[David Coulter]

in reply to: New Eyes #141022

Steve, the Nikons were definitely high on the list. Friends have them and love them. Comparing warranties played a good part in my decision. Any Nikons I’ve looked through were sharp and bright. dwc

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Arrow build help needed #141021

Yes, a R/D longbow, Stewart Slammer, rated at 46#. Beman Bowhunters. These were the about the lightest I found and the least expensive. This gave me more opportunity for EFOC and to save a few buck. They work really well and seem to be very durable. I don’t shoot them into cement blocks for testing and occasionally I snap one off while stumping. Seems the least favorable situation for one is when it glances off a sapling and immediately sideswipes another one. I think the weak point is about  6 inched up from the head. They just can’t take that strain, but otherwise they’ve been really tough. For stumping I put nock collars on both ends. I’ve had the nock split the shaft ever so slightly on impact. I thought that would only happen on the front end but that little bit of weight stopping so suddenly really has a charge.  I used to shoot aluminum before carbon, buy left over lots on the auction. They flew grew but I was destroying them in the woods. I hesitated on carbons at first due to the cost, but they certainly have been far cheaper due to durability. One of these days I’ll get a wood test kit and goof around some more. It’s too close to hunting season now to make any changes. I’m shooting really well and don’t want to mess with the mojo! All the best, dwc

 

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Arrow set-up suggestions? #141000

I’m getting caught up here after some time away. I’ve been reading and reminiscing about building up my arrows.  What I did and I think you’ll find support for this idea, is to start with the head and work back.  I did this by accident, as some 225 gr Tuffheads landed in my mailbox and I had to figure out what to do with them.  I also wanted to build target and stumpers that would be the same or really close to my hunting arrows.  I had the 255 gr Tuffheads with a 75 steel adapter to match the 300 gr field points available. I used 50 gr inserts with 400 Beman Bowhunters and ended up with about 635 gr weight with about 28% foc.  My stumpers required a bit more work. The Judos are about 135 gr, so I put 125 gr adapters and 100 gr inserts. Somebody else can check the math on that, but it came out very close to my hunters. Dang those things stick into a stump. I target shoot 20 yards and under for the most part with a few out at about 35 yards for giggles. These arrows fly just fine. When they don’t I know whose fault it is.

[David Coulter]

in reply to: It's in our Hands #140999

There are a lot of things that don’t make sense to me.  Why saving the earth first is not the absolute top priority for every high power is a mystery. The earth is on fire, quite literally.  Sometimes I think I need to get an electric car, which means burning coal where I am, then I see some missile strike on TV and think, there’s the carbon footprint for the next several generations of my family. I’m probably not exaggerating all that much. I’m generally not a pessimistic person, but this has me wondering. It’s easy to point fingers in a political party sense, since that’s what it’s come down to. Truth is, everyone has a hand in it. My opinion would say one party is worse, but they’ve all gotten what they need from each other, too.  The politicians have been very good at taking the power from the voters and the voters have been very good at supporting that. As a herd, we’re pretty much a herd. Two cents…

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Arrow build help needed #140998

Kit, this is always interesting to me. When I built my arrows it was a real quest. Troy Breeding was active on this site and he was a great help as Scout and Steve are now. I have not messed with my recipe since. I’m in the same neighborhood as you, 635 gr with about 28% foc. They fly great and work really well when I hit the deer. Actually, they do their part when I miss, too, ha!  It’s a great adventure and I can see why some guys keep experimenting. It’s the quest. Personally, with all the other things I have going, I’m good with what I have. I’m also a one bow guy. One bow, one arrow. I keep thinking about getting some wood shafts and trying to work something up and I don’t.  The wood arrows I started with, 3River Hunters, fly a foot and a half to the left no matter what point or how long I leave them. Funny, they flew fine out of my recurve which is about the same #.

It’s a great adventure making the magic work.

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Fletch-tite ??? #140956

Hi Guys, I’m a tape guy, too. Easy, reliable. One thing I do, which might be a help to solve your glue issue, is I break the finish lightly with a scotch bright pad. Just a bit to take the sheen off, then I wipe it with alcohol. It takes a bit to get the tape to release, even in very cold stumping shoots or very warm weather. Have fun, dwc

 

[David Coulter]

in reply to: I'm Back… #140478

Steve, I’m curious as to what sort of water purification you use. There’s a few good filters and some sort of stir stick. Thanks, dwc

 

[David Coulter]

in reply to: I'm Back… #140066

Steve, I can tell by all the photos and when I was lucky enough to visit with you that it was a great adventure for the two of you. You know the old saying, what doesn’t kill you, didn’t kill you….  Great lifetime adventure.

I literally lived along side the trail in Delaware Water Gap. It came down the mountain, turned in front of my apartment and headed over to Jersey. I never through hiked though I probably logged hundreds of miles in a few mile section close to home in those dozen years.

I’m very happy for the two of  you. You’re arrows will fly as true as ever. best, dwc

[David Coulter]

in reply to: Numb fingers #140024

Ty, extra protection and listening to what Dale says are good suggestions.  I might add that often when you have some pain from archery, it’s due to form. So if you get the all clear from the doc to make sure you are causing further damage, try getting some coaching on your form. Form is the cause or cure for much of our ailments. dwc

 

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