[handirifle]

in reply to: Ebay bow redo #64115

Thanks. Yes they do. I built a take down longbow for one and a small takedown revurve for the other. The bows were far from perfect, but they really liked them.

[handirifle]

in reply to: I just can't cut it #62347

Andrew it’s good to see someone of your age group that LISTENS TO ADVICE!

Keep doing that, it will serve you well. Good luck on you hunt for your perfect bow. Sometime it takes a few bows, a few years, and more than a few dollars.:D

[handirifle]

in reply to: Ebay bow redo #60620

You guys are too kind. It’s not my best work. I took the pics so as not to show my boo boos. The repair of the limbs and my glue ups went pretty well, but when I was trying to take some of the bamboo off the belt sander got a little frisky. That’s where my impatience is to blame.

At least for the rest of the sanding I used the little vibrator sander. I could probably sand out the worst gouge, since it’s near one end of the riser, but was afraid it might thin the glass too much. Probably should have run a layer of epoxy over it, just for looks.

As for ownership, I think one of my sons is going to claim it, but they both are city dwellers now so not sure where they would shoot it. I sure won’t be shooting RH for a long time, if ever.

My LH bow is also another Ebay bow, but I paid about $75 for it I think, and there was nothing wrong with it. I finally got everything tuned on it and have found the brace height it likes, so I am good to go.

Deer season ends here tomorrow, for me :(. I was out this AM about 30 min before legal shooting time, but didn’t see a thing all morning, until I was headed home and saw a doe and her yearling. It’s fork horn or better, bucks only here.

I have 2 neighbors that own 160 acres each, that I am allowed to hunt, and cannot stir up a buck in all that land. They have gone nocturnal, and there is some THICK stuff for them to bed in. I would be doing good to crawl through it. Even that would be hard.

Oh well, more time for projects.:D

In archery, my latest is the steel broadheads. I think they are a doable idea. I have a thread on that, and will update it when I make prototype number 2. I’m not trying to re-invent the wheel, just make the wheel more affordable:).

Materials, wise, they are less than $1 each. I do have a pig tag, and that season is open year round, and no limit, so when the bow is all ready, I will take it to look for piggies. There are thousands of pigs taken in this state each year, but about 90% are on private land and they all want $$$. So I will look for them on public land.

[handirifle]

in reply to: Ebay bow redo #59922

OK it’s finished, finally. Seeing that I have too little patience for such things to come out looking like pro’s do it, I am reasonably happy with the outcome. It looks good in the pics (I think) but up close are several boo-boos I caused when using the belt sander. I know better, but get impatient.

Anyway, here’s my pics. Funny thing is, I started this to possibly switch to shooting RH, but two things have since changed. The first is when I started bare shaft tuning my LH bow with high FOC arrows and carbons, I found a “zone” I can get into and my previous left or right misses, have virtually disappeared. I am VERY pleased with that. Number 2, is a left shoulder injury from 35+ years ago, has resurfaced, and although I can still, thankfully, shoot LH with no real issues, when I tried to shoot RH the pain in my left arm is unbearable. So I will not be shooting RH!

ANyway, here’s the pics i promised.

Hope you like em. I also got the limbs even straighter than before. Just wish I could shoot it a bunch to make sure they are going to stay together.

[handirifle]

in reply to: Proud of my son…. #59306

Sounds like a son to BE proud of. Good job.

[handirifle]

in reply to: I just can't cut it #59284

pinemarten wrote: Nice to be young and strong. I used to be. My old hoyt recurve is too heavy for me now. I can hit good with it three out of five shots which is not good enough for deer hunting. It’s a shame too because the bow is dead quiet, smooth drawing and I used to be deadly with it. It is not a true traditional bow in the sense that it has a metal compound style riser with a plunger button. But man what a great shooter it is, at least when I can hold it consistently at full draw.

When I first started bow hunting my weak point was my fieldcraft and not my shooting. Now, I can go into the woods and get close to the deer with no problem ( let’s just walk down the hill and **** them all). But I can’t shoot like I used to. And rifle hunting does not pose the challenge and visceral thrill like bowhunting.

Keep at it while your young and vital!!!!

Rather than give up hunting completely, why not get a compound (better than not hunting at all IMHO)? If it’s the aiming part that is making you inconsistent. Or have you tried a lighter weight bow? Maybe lighter limbs on your favorite riser?

Or if you consider a rifle with only open sights, ie 30-30 leveraction. That will definitely up the “rifle” game a bit.

If it’s a disability, I MIGHT suggest a crossbow, but that is a LAST DESPERATE resort to not hunting at all. Just some thoughts, not promoting one over the other.

I am not a traditional purist, and have deep admiration for those that are. I just do not have the level of wood skills to allow me shots at traditional yardages, unless I am in a tree.

I have to admit, that I sit in amazement and watch guys sneak to 10 yds of a deer/elk/moose, you name it, and get off a shot. I do well getting them to 20, when I am in a tree.

That said, I LOVE to hunt with a recurve, it is my first choice, but I am a HUNTER first, and use whichever tool I deem necessary for the job at hand. A mechanic that needs a 3/4″ wrench, will not do the job as nicely, if at all, if all he uses is a pair of pliers.

I am a little A-D-D so that makes it REALLY tough to sit still. I have patience, a LOT of it, but I have to be moving. My wife is amazed at how patiently I can work on small items, like gunsmithing, small pieces of equipment, etc, but for me I am still moving, so I am OK.

I say all this just to get ya to find SOME way to bring back the enjoyment. Last suggestion, if you are that good at sneaking in on them, take up a camera! We all love to great shots of game animals.

Sorry to rob the thread, ssumner1,

just keep looking. The deals are out there! Make sure, though, that your set price is reasonable. If the going rate is a few dollars more, you might have to get a fixer upper.

[handirifle]

in reply to: First Arrow Purchase Suggestions #57174

The only help I can offer, was when I had a 45lb Root recurve about 10 years ago, I did a bare shaft tune on it with aluminum arrows. I was using only 125gr point and 40gr insert, so keep that in mind. My draw length is 27″. So I was really pulling about 42lb I figure.

I got Easton Gamegetter 2114’s to fly absolutely perfect from that bow. But if you’re going by the EFOC standard, you will need a stiffer spine than those.

I am not sure how the charts compare, but I remember that when I was shooting that bow, that I had to use 10lbs LESS than what the Easton chart said, even for a recurve. Anytime I used the actual draw weight, the arrows were always way too stiff. I suggest, as was mentioned, decide the type of arrow (carbon, alum, or wood) and get a suggested size of sample shafts to experiment with. Once you know, it’s just a matter of shopping around the sources for best price. Usually the samples will have 3-4 different spine shafts to test tune with.

Oh yes, one other important thing, you’ll need to know pretty close what type and weight of head you will be hunting with, otherwise the tuning will be way off. You cannot tune with a 125gr point and shoot a 160gr head for hunting. If it’s just for target, pick a weight of field point and insert, and you’re done.

Just remember that if you later decide to hunt with those target arrows, the tip weight has ALREADY been decided, by your tuning.

[handirifle]

in reply to: Homemade steel broadheads? #55405

OK, got a new wild hair going today.

Since I have completely run out of my oxy-acetalene, out of my mig welding gas, so am welding with my flux core wire, I decided there had to be a way to attach the ferule permanently to the blade. I welded it!:D

I figured a few spot welds (they are not real pretty) to begin and see how well the whole rig stands up to shooting. I made one at the end of the ferule, on each side, and one at the bottom of the ferrule on each side.

OK welded it on, ground off some of the excess, and then went looking for what I was going to shoot into. I didn’t want to shoot my broadhead target, not hard enough. Sure didn’t want to shoot my oak trees, since I wanted the head back, AND I wanted to shoot more than once. So I decided to shoot into the same small hill I test my rifles in.

This is not some ordinary hill, mind you. It is about 50%, or more, decomposed granite (DG). If you have no experience with DG, let me tell a story. Last year I dug a 100′ ditch across the bottom of this hill for the 1 1/4″ water line for my back yard sprinklers. The first 50 ft from the main line were in dirt, the second 50 ft, in DG. The first 50ft took me an hour to dig, with my shovel. The second 50ft took 3 days, using a pick axe and 12lb spud bar. The pick axe would dig in about an inch with each hit. This crap is HARD!!!

OK back to archery. So I decided to shoot into this hill from about 20yds, with my 54lb recurve. First off, that heavy head (plus the 135gr insert, total weight over 800gr) REALLY put ARCH back in archery:shock:. That puppy drops!

Once I adjusted for the DROP, there was a weed I was aiming at, that was in real peril. I shot this head repeatedly into the hill. Sometimes it hit a soft spot and went in about 8-10″ and sometime it literally bounced off. You could see the mark of the head in the hill, but it really bounced back.

After at least 20 shots into the hill, I took the above photo. The head is not bent, the tip is not bent, the weld didn’t crack, but it did dull the edges (duh!).

The edges are not even, but that is because I accidentally hit them when grinding the welds down.

This puppy is tough.

OK so my concept works, now I need to refine it to make real, usable heads. As was said above, “a bit heavy”. I can lighten this head. I could narrow the ferrule quite a bit. It can also be shortened, as the section behind the blade does not need to be very long.

I also think I could possibly drill holes in the blade towards the rear of the blade to make it lighter. Most likely, a thinner blade (this one was .075″ thick) maybe .050 or .060″, and a narrower ferule would bring it right in at 300 or so.

As mentioned, this was a test of ME to see if the idea had any merit. I think it does, and since deer season is over this Saturday (yes OVER, unbelievably early in this area) I will have more time work on these projects. Right now it’s hit and miss.

I am not sure how well this will hold an edge, but I will surely try to find out once I get some made. I need to make my ferrule cuts wider, and the ferrule shorter and thinner.

This was from the body of a 10″ carbide circular saw blade. Does anyone know if the body of the 7 1/2″ blades are any thinner?

I have bundled two 2″ saw blades together, and they are giving me a .040″ wide ferrule cut, and I have a third blade and that would give me a .060″ cut, and if I had .060″ blades it would make that part a bit easier.

[handirifle]

in reply to: hog hunting #55199

It’s year round, no limit in CA as well, but about 90% of them are on private lands, and you DO pay for them. Avg here is about $400-600 per.

These ranchers are greedy!

What do private ranches charge where you guys are?

[handirifle]

in reply to: Outserts for skinny shafts #55147

Yea I hear ya. I have a small lathe, but I am NOT a machinist. Have made a few archery items of my own, but it’s time consuming. Not a huge deal on the time, but repeatability is the tricky part for me.

[handirifle]

in reply to: Outserts for skinny shafts #54978

Do you have a CNC or did you hire it out? Do shops do small jobs like that? I have other ideas.

[handirifle]

in reply to: Outserts for skinny shafts #54377

I thought I posted a reply before, but I guess not. Excellent work. Did youndo those on manual lathe or CNC?:x

[handirifle]

in reply to: To cut or not to cut…arrow length?? #51032

I agree, wait till you’re sure your strength, and release are consistent before cutting them. Arrows are too expensive to waste.

Speedy recovery, and keep shootin!

[handirifle]

in reply to: Homemade steel broadheads? #50714

Ok I made one up today. Cut a triangle 1 1/8″ wide and 3 1/8″ long, from a 10″ circular saw blade. That part alone weighed about 255gr. I then cut a piece of 5/16″ rod about 2 1/2″ long. Next I cut a slot into the rod. The slot is about .040″ wide, and needs to be wider. The blade cut out is .075″ thick.

Then I put the rod in the lathe and cut one end down to the shank and threaded section of a screw in arrow head. Once that was done I flipped it around and tapered the front end of it to a 5 deg taper for smooth air flow. Once done I put the two pieces together, and did a soft solder to hold them in place. I then ground a single RH bevel on each side. The total head weighs a hefty 431 gr. Will REALLY up the EFOC game.

Here’s a pic of it.

It’s not very pretty right now, cause the saw blade had all sorts of crap on it, and I just wanted to see what would turn up.

I also decided after learning from this that I will make my own steel broadhead adapters from now on as well.

These are slow to build, but it’s a labor of love right now. One thing I think would be a real help, would be a hefty spot welder, to weld the ferrule to the blade and then brazing for a seamless connection. I would also like to seat the blade about 3/8- 1/2″ deeper into the ferrule, for better balance and blade strength.

When I put this setup in my carbon arrow, it weighed 822gr total. Any one shooting a 70lb bow looking for a REAL FOC setup? 😀

I believe I could cut the taper a little closer on the point end of the ferrule, and maybe drop it to a 3 deg taper, for a smoother look all the way back.

Major issues, are either getting thinner blades to cut, or cutting a wider slot to fit them into. The current set up makes it tough to balance. It does spin balance (standing up on table, tip down) pretty well.

I haven’t tried to shoot it because it just has a small amount of soft solder on it to keep the blade on. But when I get more gas for my torches, I will braze it on.

This is fun!:wink:

[handirifle]

in reply to: Arrow comparisons #49886

Yea I kinda figured that was the case. Wasn’t trying to cast any doubt on your studies (like I would even have anywhere near the qualifications for that) was just noting the target medium played havoc with the results.

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