[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: A cautionary tale (in pictures) #17075

Ain’t kids grand? Give those wee little wonders a big hug for me!

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Let's See Your Fletching #17072

I used wood arrows for my first year after shedding the training wheels. Then I got all googgly eyed for carbons and never looked back.

Now that it’s been almost 10 years and I’ve had a chance to take a breath, I’ve started playing with wood again. Knowing how well carbons work, I will not hunt with wood unless I can see that they do as well.

It took me a while to get “jigged up” and making arrows, and I have also bought some fir shafts from surewood shafts to use as benchmarks. And I have only been at the shooting/tinkering part for 3 weeks or so… But it seems to me that I will be able to make shafts that perform as well as carbons*

*Can’t get the FOC with wood that you can get with carbon, but I can get the same overall weight, they shoot with the exact same speed, and I can achieve the same overall accuracy. They seem to penetrate my 3D targets to the same depth too.

I think the “trick” has been tapering the last 10 inches or so from the 11/32 arrow diameter down to a 5/16 nock diameter. It has forced the paradox nodes to be more consistent and makes the shaft recover from paradox faster.

It remains to be seen if the shafts will be durable enough. But Douglas Fir has a good reputation in that department, so I have high hopes.

I look forward to getting back to what this thread was about and showing off some home made wood arrows soon!

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Let's See Your Fletching #16110

Smithhammer wrote:

I am playing with some wood arrows and thinking of switching over to that. If I do so, I may be switching back to 3 fletch. Not for any arrow flight reasons, but because it is important to put the arrow on the string correctly and not upside-down for the aforementioned safety reasons. 4 fletch makes it easier to stick the arrow on upside down.

Ok, you lost me here a little – if my fleching is oriented as it is in the above pic on all of my arrows, how is there a chance that I could put it on the string “upside down?” In my experience, one of the benefits of a 4-fletch setup like I’m using is that I don’t ever have to look down and see that it’s properly aligned when I put it on the string. Can you elaborate?

Very good Jeff K. quote in your sig, btw.

With carbon arrows, you are right. It’s part of what makes 4 fletch so nice, you can’t put it on the string wrong.

But with wood arrows, it’s important (according to them that know better than me) to make sure the grain run out is pointing away from the archer on top of the arrow. That way, if the arrow should break, in theory the arrow will move up and away from the bow hand instead of down and into it.

With 3 fletch, you have to put it on according to where you want the cock feather. This keeps you from putting the arrow on the string “upside down”

Is it really a big concern? I don’t really know…

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Let's See Your Fletching #15684

There was some sorry info in that link. Two examples:

– Bare shaft tuning is a waste of time – couldn’t be farther from the truth in my opinion

– You can flip a 3 fletch arrow over so cock feather is in – be careful doing this with wood arrows. The grain runout should be pointing toward the bow on top, and toward the archer on the bottom. So the arrow must be fletched with this in mind. Shooting an arrow with the runout pointing the wrong way may result in more injury if the arrow should break.

That said, here’s my experience with 4 fletch:

I have used it for many years now on several different style bows including recurves. What I have found is that with field points, it makes little difference how the fletching is oriented. But when I put broadheads on the arrow, it seems like they fly way better with the fletching aligned like you have them, Xing the string.

I also have to disagree with the link’s take on the 70/110 orientation Vs the 90/90 orientation. In my experience arrow flight is better and fletching noise is less with the 90/90 combo.

I am playing with some wood arrows and thinking of switching over to that. If I do so, I may be switching back to 3 fletch. Not for any arrow flight reasons, but because it is important to put the arrow on the string correctly and not upside-down for the aforementioned safety reasons. 4 fletch makes it easier to stick the arrow on upside down.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: A cautionary tale (in pictures) #15672

That’s quite the shiner! I guess old faithful must have let him down. From the angle of the shot, it appears he was about to arrow a goose. Did it fall on him? Do tell in more detail.

I’m all jigged up to make some cool pvc bows for my nieces/nephews. I’ve made a few, including a horsebow that came out pretty well. I gave it to the local shop that hosts a kids night twice a month. It gets shot a lot…

Hope your boy feels better! Looks like the soda helped 8)

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Feeling Guilty #13503

Patrick wrote: …Agree with all of the above, except the thanking part. I think appreciating it sufficient. If I were that deer, and you thanked me, I’d tell you to take your thank you and shove it. Well, that is if I weren’t dead.

Me thinks you will end up crippled and unable to walk :shock::

http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/The-Little-Deer-Awi-Usdi-Cherokee.html

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Feeling Guilty #12333

Gun hunting and bowhunting shouldn’t be confused. Bow hunting is one thing, gun hunting another. I enjoy both, but as most around here do, I prefer bowhunting.

Don’t get all wrapped up in the BS, and don’t worry about it. Enjoy that deer! I hope you thanked it when you came upon her. If you didn’t, that’s something to feel guilty about.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Where is your anchor? #11222

I anchor middle finger on my eye tooth. That is when I can come to anchor and settle in, but that’s another story 😳

Dead Release, Dynamic Release… ah the conundrum. I have tried both and both have their pitfalls, which I will leave to you to discover.

What I have found recently (thanks to Jeff Kavanah) is what he calls a “second anchor point” basically a place to have my hand end up after the loose.

Proponents of the Dynamic Release usually say their hand ends up on their shoulder. This never worked for me as it is too far from my face.

What Jeff suggests, and it seems to work well for me, is to have the hand end up on the ear. Much closer to my anchor point.

It feels like a hybrid between a static and dynamic release to me. It gets my string arm aligned correctly, lets me use my back muscles, and gives my hand a place to stop before it gets into mischief.

As Smith Hammer already brought to our attention on another thread, Jeff has a bunch of video’s on you tube. Many are worth watching. Though I think he should stop with shooting advice. His bow reviews are wanting imho.

Using the ear to stop your draw won’t work with a chin anchor I don’t guess, but who knows? I am very interested to know how your new anchor works. Let us know!

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: New Traditional Cover Scent #10146

dwcphoto wrote: Yep. That’s the Pine Seed Bug…Dwc

Those Pine Seed Bugs are actually kind of pretty. And they can smell of fruit. Definitely no sweet odors coming from these critters I speak of.

they are called brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) and there is nothing pleasant about them. Came from China in the ’90’s. Cause lots of crop damage and there is of course no recourse other than to live with it.

This is a real opportunity for trad bowhunters to save the world! Crush ’em up and spray thyself. At least then you won’t be asked to stay home and take care of the honey-do list 😀

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Amazing: My son's new Java Man Archery Helms Deep #8331

So… The description of the bow on Greg’s website says it’s a static tip’d bow. Looks like the shrew or elkheart type bow to me.

Are the tips static? Does your boy outshoot you? How’s it do?

You’ve a good looking boy and dog there. Something to be really proud of.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: First Successful HBO bow build! #7785

Looks like you got the tiller about perfect. Good job!

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Fair Chase? #63185

Not exactly what I thought the video’s would be about. But the question of fair chase reminds me of a video someone who shall remain nameless sent around via email not so long ago…

(Warning: Don’t watch if you are a serious cat lover or squeamish)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqsy-2_BlaA

Now that’s a true situation involving fair chase. Like a deer to corn…

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: HAPPY THANKSGIVING #62122

And a double happy thanksgiving to you Duncan! 😀

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: HAPPY HOLIDAY #62120

The way I see it is that if you have lived your life so that you can still go into the woods, and if you choose to do so with a traditional bow (of your own making?) then you have done everything right. Everything that matters anyway.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Paper Tuning Results – 10/4/14 #59881

Steve Graf wrote:

Try 3 or 4 yds and see what you get.

I’m curious, Steve – do you think that at 3yds. the arrow may still be recovering from paradox?

If you accept the explanation of paradox given in the Easton tuning guide and the following link:

http://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-archery.html

Then for a correctly spined arrow, it will never stop recovering from paradox, till it hits the target. But the nodes of vibration will be lined up as soon as it leaves the bow. Thus (for a correctly spined arrow), the point and nock end should pass through the same point on the paper at 3 yds – there may still be a tear to the side depending on how much the arrow flexes. But the point and nock should be aligned…

All that said, in my experience there is nothing to be gained from paper tuning for traditional bows. It is very helpful for compounds because they shoot so fast and are shot with releases which eliminate paradox. IMO, for traditional bows, bare shaft tuning is the best method.

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