[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Hang your bows? #57924

Very nice, Moe!

Eidsvolling – I’d love to hear more about your system, particularly a source for those exotic cords with the hooks on them? …8)

Not much to show for me – mine are all stored in socks, on hooks in the ‘man cave’ with the rest of the arsenal.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: question about eye dominance #57844

I’m a left eye dominant, right hand shooter. It’s what I’m used to (can’t imagine shooting left-handed), and I always shoot with both eyes open. I also shoot instinctively, focusing on the distant target, rather than using any sort of aiming method that involves looking at the end of my arrow, etc. I have come to believe that this makes a significant difference for those of us that shoot cross-dominant (I also believe that much more has been made of eye dominance in archery than necessary). With both eyes open, and focusing on something that is 15 or 20 yards away (or whatever), I believe that eye dominance is far less of a factor, if you shoot with both eyes open. However, if you use an aiming that involves looking at the end of your arrow, or whatever, expect eye dominance to come into play much more. Just my .02…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: SE Idaho Shoot! #57229

What a fun time! Special thanks to Pocatello Field Archers, for allowing us to use their fantastic range! They have truly done a fine job of creating a loop trail with 20 3D and bag targets along the way, and lots of different options for shooting distances and angles. I couldn’t get enough of it, and probably did 5 or 6 laps between yesterday and this morning, in addition to several “creative” organized shoots, involving bags of water, beer cans, etc.

It was also a fun camping, cookout and hangout scene with great folks and lots of interest in learning more about BHA, ITB and TRCP. Thanks again to all who helped make it a reality!

A few pics:

All the kids brought their bows as well:

My chateau for the weekend:

It was great fun to finally meet Mike W. (“wahoo” on this forum). He liked to torture me with picking the longest shots he could find:

“Rio” the 9-week old Springer, seeking shade:

Ain’t that a beautiful sight?

Thanks again to all who helped make it a reality, and we are definitely planning on doing it again next year!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: The Trad Knife Thread #57127

Very cool, Ben. Those KK’s are a good score! Looking forward to seeing what you produce with them.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: feathers #57118

Gateway Feathers offers 2-1/4″ shield cuts, and 2-1/2″ parabolics:

http://gatewayfeathers.shptron.com/k/search?q=2-1%2F4%22

http://gatewayfeathers.shptron.com/k/search?q=2-1%2F2%22

and Lancaster Archery offers a variety of options, from 2″ up:

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/arrows/arrow-components/arrow-feathers.html?

I’m currently shooting 4 x 2-1/4″ shield cut, straight fletched, and they fly great. And very quiet.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Boots #57098

I really like my Beans for most of my bowhunting. They’re really quiet, with a reasonable amount of support.

When I know I’m going to be in really steep, rocky terrain (such as the places we chukar hunt, etc), I have a pair of Meindl Denalis that are excellent. Great footbed and traction, with excellent support. But they’re stiff enough that they wouldn’t be my first choice for stalking.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: REAL primitive bowhunting! #54523

R2 wrote: “Walace’s view, the human brain could not be the product of natural selection, since it always possessed capacities so far in excess of its original function.”

My wifey, dearest person who I love dearly and who allows me to do pretty much as I please in the archery world, ask me what part of the above quote that I missed out on.

Take heart – Wallace was patently wrong. 8)

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: High FOC Vs. Speed #54520

Troy Breeding wrote: I’ll take quiet over speed any day. Reaction times for speed goats can best the fastest bows on the market.

Exactly. Being concerned about whether a minor difference in speed is going be the “make or break” on whether an animal has time to move out of the way or not, is a mighty slim margin for error. A deer or speed goat can move fast enough that the difference between 165fps and 190fps is irrelevant, imo, because both animals can move much, much faster than that if they want to. I would instead try to address the other factor/s that would possibly make them move in the first place, between releasing the string and the arrow arriving – primarily noise.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: SE Idaho Shoot! #54060

Glad to hear you can make it!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: REAL primitive bowhunting! #54055

Wow – thx for the link, Preston. Great resource!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: How to marry Katniss Everdeen #52708

Ha, thanks Mike. Good looking riding the storm out!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: How to marry Katniss Everdeen #52651

Ha – that’s a great story, John. Any bunnies in the pot yet?

My own Katniss (her name actually is Kat) at the BHA Rendezvous this past spring:

And my buddy Ken Theis coaching her (I know better than to try and do that myself…8)):

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: SE Idaho Shoot! #52641

David Petersen wrote: Wahoo — Yes, and if you checked, his name is likely all over the local police and FBI reports as well! 😛

You forgot Post Offices.

Looking forward to this weekend…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: FOC Evolution… #52289

Smithhammer wrote:

650gr. total arrow weight

28% FOC

4 x 2-1/2″ fletch

^ Been shooting this arrow exclusively for the last two months. A marginally noticeable drop in speed, but other than that, they fly great. They have no more drop than the arrows I was shooting before out to distances of 20 yards, very stable in flight (I’ve been intentionally shooting them in the wind at various angles) and the additional penetration is noticeable.

But perhaps the best affirmation is one of my frequent shooting buddies, who initially looked at me like I was crazy when I told him that I was going to try this setup. He’s been shooting with me a fair bit lately, and seeing how these arrows fly, and just the other day he said, “yeah, I think I’m going to increase my FOC…”

8)

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Low Poundage FOC #52273

EFOC – confounding conventional assumptions yet again! Let us know how they fly at longer distances.

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