[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Adding weight just before kickoff #57350

Tailfeather –

What is the target weight you’re shooting for? To date, I’ve stayed away from internal weights (other than inserts), preferring to get as much of my weight forward of the shaft as possible to get as much FOC as I can squeeze out of it.

I too have heard that weight tubes will stiffen the spine, and have also heard some insist that it doesn’t. But I really don’t see how it wouldn’t, based on my admittedly limited understanding.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Bear Scouting Pics #56389

Jmsmithy wrote: Good Luck to all:!::D

Just turning in now as getting up at 430 tomorrow am for 12 hour Maine run to chase blueberry munchin’ bruins 8)

Good luck out there – let us know how it goes!!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: The Trad Knife Thread #56386

A real handy little trapper I picked up recently:

Bone scales

D2 steel

5-3/4″ overall

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: 2013 hunting rigs #56322

AlexBugnon wrote: [quote=Smithhammer]Sometimes I just have to laugh at myself (well, a lot of the time, actually…). Got out for a hunt this morning, and remembered why back quivers drive me crazy. It’s back to the bow quiver for me…:D

Take a look at this backpack quiver.

I haven’t had a chance to use mine yet. It’s first class craftsmanship:

http://northarchery.com/quiver.html

Beautiful products, and a slick website. I like those bow cases as well!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: The 2013 Season Bulletin Board #56132

Busted a herd of elk cows pre-dawn this morning. They were bedded down in some thick, dry brush that would never have allowed us to get close anyway.

No bugling this morning at all, and it’s a warmer day than normal for this time of year. We figured they must be bedded down in deep timber to beat the heat, so we did some sitting and listening, combined with a lot of scouting/stalking this morning, but not a lot of fresh sign to be found. Stinkin’ hot by mid-day, so we hiked out to do the smart thing – drink cold beverages and lay low and conserve energy for the next push. Supposed to be much cooler and rainy tomorrow, which will help alot…

Some of this:

And a lot of this:

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: 2013 hunting rigs #56125

Thanks! I will definitely take you up on that when the winds blow me East. 😀

What length is your Slammer? I’m intrigued by the 56″ model.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: EFOC in flight #55793

ausjim wrote: It’s neat seeing the head tracking down that line in spite of what is going on at the back of the shaft.

Very cool. I’ve noticed the same thing, particularly in breezy conditions. Why steer from the rear when you can drive from the front? 8)

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: 2013 hunting rigs #55479

dwcphoto wrote:

Leon Stewart Slammer Special R/D Longbow, 46# @ 28. Beman ICS Bowhunter 400s, cut just under 30″ with 50 grain brass inserts, 75 grain steel adapters and 225 grain Tuffheads for a total of 625 grain. I’m using 2 1/2 x 4 straight fletch and I’m getting about 28% FOC.

Your arrow setup is very similar, in terms of weight and FOC, to what I have finally settled on:

GT Trad 5575 (400) cut to 28.5″

50 gr. brass insert w/ 5gr. collar

300 Eclipse Werewolf

2-1/4″ x 4 straight fletch

643 gr. total weight

29% FOC

Flies great out of both my #53 Kanati and my #57 Tomahawk Legacy. One of these days I need to shoot a Slammer. Or wait- maybe that’s a bad idea…:lol:

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Straight Fletching Clamps #55461

South Texas wrote: Does having a straight fletched arrow negatively affect the flight?

Obviously, from the responses already, you’re going to get a variety of thoughts this, and none of them are necessarily wrong, by any means. My experience has been much like Doc’s – with increased FOC, I have found less and less need for a lot of fletching, and less need for helical. A whole essay could be written on the “whys” of this (and several already have), but suffice to say that I find no difference in flight between my field points and a number of different two-blade broadheads that I have shot with a 29% FOC arrow, using 2-1/4″ x 4 straight fletching.

So yeah, I think that helical can be helpful, just as it can also be not all that necessary, depending on how the rest of the arrow is weighted and tuned. Hope that is helpful.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: 2013 hunting rigs #53656

Sometimes I just have to laugh at myself (well, a lot of the time, actually…). Got out for a hunt this morning, and remembered why back quivers drive me crazy. It’s back to the bow quiver for me…:D

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #53653

Ben M. wrote: Anyone heard from Elkheart lately? I’m sure he’s busy getting ready for the upcoming season. Just wondering.

Got a scouting report from him a couple days ago, and it sounds like he’s been busy getting his woodpile in before the season starts…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Apparent Elk Die-off in New Mexico #53650

Steve Graf wrote: That doesn’t look like a virus die off to me. That looks like a bunch of elk just fell down dead. Very un-natural looking to me.

That’s what I was thinking too, Steve. It seems very weird for EHD to drop an entire herd together like that.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: A first harvest… #53442

Fantastic!!

Time to fire up the slow cooker!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: sharpening tuffheads with kme sharpener #52584

I’ve found the same thing – I set mine @ 27deg. for my single bevels.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Wolves? #52581

Dick Robertson mentioned to me this spring that taking a wolf with a bow is a goal of his this year. Here’s wishing him good luck and stay tuned…

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