Specific 3D / target arrows or use hunting arrows

[Fanto]

gday

just shot my first 3d round today with the Playford archers (ABA) which was a hoot

i was using my 675gr hunting shafts with 320 gr up front. i had a little trouble with judging distance and this caused all but one of my missed shots

the other lads suggested i build some lighter, less FOC arrows for target. I didnt set out to be a target archer and im worried that im just going to bugger up my judgement of distance when im using the heavy hunting arrows

what do the other hunting target shooters do?

[Stickbow Hunter]

I have always just used what I hunt with but with field points that matched the weight of my broadheads. My field arras are one inch shorter than my huntin' arras but this makes no discernible difference in my shooting.

Jeff

[Bent Stick]

Like Jeff said

[bigbob]

ditto what Jeff says.

[Fraser]

What Jeff said, you just need to practice distance shots and judging distance.

Fraser

[littlejohn59]

hey Fanto

In hunting the maximum distance most ppl would shoot is 20-30 metres.
In ABA the maximum distance is 48 m and 3DAAA 30m.

Your arrows weigh 675g. With 320g up front ( thats almost a boat anchor). Sorry!
You don't mention what poundage bow you shoot, still I see you have 2 options.
A) Lighten the weight of your arrows so that you can go the distance or
B) practice, practice practice and then practice some more if you want to use the same arrows for all applications.

I shoot my #53 bow with woods weighing in around 610 g with a 125 g. point.
My fmj's weigh 520g. with a 125g. point.

I use those arrows for everything.

Cheers

[Fanto]

thanks for the responses.

I didnt intend it to sound like I was blaming the heavy arrows for the difficulty in judging distance. I was pretty happy with how i went all in all, and I do want to stick to just one set of arrows - My archery equiptment is for bowhunting, so im not going to alter it to be better ar target shooting


regarding the high FOC of the arrows, i like it, they fly beautifully, cant see a downside to it if you can get get shafts stiff and light enough to make it happen and tune perfectly

[Macca]

thanks for the responses.

Regarding the high FOC of the arrows, i like it, they fly beautifully, cant see a downside to it if you can get get shafts stiff and light enough to make it happen and tune perfectly

Agree about the nice flight with the point weight. I am running 650g shafts with 360g up front and they fly nice and hit very hard @ 60lb .

As far as running that weight for target, if thats what you hunt with then thats the weight it should be. I have been using my hunting shafts for ABA rounds and have been shooting very well.

Keep us posted, cheers Macca.

[Trad Bound]

Hey Littlejohn
Thanks for your advice and your personal specfications. Could you tell me wether that detail has aided you at your last couple of shoots. By the way do you shoot 3 or 2 fletches with that set up as I am sure that might make a difference. More to the point it did. I have shot with LittleJohn on a number of occassions he is a very good archer but the weekend before last was one of his..............worst and yesterday wasn't much better. Thank goodness for a Bundy last night you are a good sport mate keep it up, sorry, I hope things improve. As you know my weekend before was on par with yours, if I hit a target.

[Fraser]

Fanto, I've been down this road when I first started archery again, 59# flat laid longbow, I tried both wood arrows and carbons, woods where port orford cedar and varied from 520gr to 620gr and velocities of 169 to 179 fps, carbons are power flight 400's and 450gr for 183 fps.

I found little difference in trajectory out to 20m with both arrow types, the woods where still manage able to 30m, but after that they had a trajectory of a mortar. I was hitting over hanging branches on the 48m shots, the wieght variation didn't help either. The carbons where much flatter but still frustrating at long range. This ultimately lead me to abandon lite bows in favour of heavy bows.

I hope that gives you a rough idea of what will happen if you change to lighter field points.

Fraser

[Fanto]

thanks for the responses.

Regarding the high FOC of the arrows, i like it, they fly beautifully, cant see a downside to it if you can get get shafts stiff and light enough to make it happen and tune perfectly

Agree about the nice flight with the point weight. I am running 650g shafts with 360g up front and they fly nice and hit very hard @ 60lb .

As far as running that weight for target, if thats what you hunt with then thats the weight it should be. I have been using my hunting shafts for ABA rounds and have been shooting very well.

Keep us posted, cheers Macca.

will do macca. i also shoot 60lb, also have a modern bamboo/carbon cored r/d flatbow 72# @ 28 (my draw) which shoots the same arrows.

out of curiosity, whats a good score for a barebow, traditional recurve shooter in ABA? i shot mid 250s, im going to aim for 300 as my goal for the year

cheers

[Fanto]

Fanto, I've been down this road when I first started archery again, 59# flat laid longbow, I tried both wood arrows and carbons, woods where port orford cedar and varied from 520gr to 620gr and velocities of 169 to 179 fps, carbons are power flight 400's and 450gr for 183 fps.

I found little difference in trajectory out to 20m with both arrow types, the woods where still manage able to 30m, but after that they had a trajectory of a mortar. I was hitting over hanging branches on the 48m shots, the wieght variation didn't help either. The carbons where much flatter but still frustrating at long range. This ultimately lead me to abandon lite bows in favour of heavy bows.

I hope that gives you a rough idea of what will happen if you change to lighter field points.

Fraser

hmm sounds a bit familiar. im point on at 40m and aiming quite high beyond that.

Its not unacceptable however and im going to persevere, the 40m+ shots certainly make the 20m ones seem real easy

[Ronster]

I shoot target only and my wood arrows 3 X 4" feathers at 28" weight in at a massive 412g -437g. I use mostly 100-125g depending whether I am shooting 3D or ABA.
I am now shooting 45# on a Recurve dropped from 50#. This allows me to shoot all day without buggering up the aging frame.

Ronster

[Macca]

Fanto, I've been down this road when I first started archery again, 59# flat laid longbow, I tried both wood arrows and carbons, woods where port orford cedar and varied from 520gr to 620gr and velocities of 169 to 179 fps, carbons are power flight 400's and 450gr for 183 fps.

I found little difference in trajectory out to 20m with both arrow types, the woods where still manage able to 30m, but after that they had a trajectory of a mortar. I was hitting over hanging branches on the 48m shots, the wieght variation didn't help either. The carbons where much flatter but still frustrating at long range. This ultimately lead me to abandon lite bows in favour of heavy bows.

I hope that gives you a rough idea of what will happen if you change to lighter field points.

Fraser

hmm sounds a bit familiar. im point on at 40m and aiming quite high beyond that.

Its not unacceptable however and im going to persevere, the 40m+ shots certainly make the 20m ones seem real easy

Fanto my ABA rounds of late have been about 290 - 320 depending on the day, also depends on if there are a lot of long shots. I am point on around 42 - 44m, saying that shooting the higher point weight the arrow still has some herbs in it down range. I can shoot arrows that are lighter but you get used to what you shoot and the lighter shafts arn't much chop on critters when encountering anything hard. I was shooting 590g with 225g point weight but encountered a lot of problems when bone was enterd into the mix. At the end of the day for me it's practice for your hunting. I am of the opinion because I shoot the recurve I do not always hit them where I wish so 4" to one side can mean a shoulder blade. I want my arrow to smash that shoulder, I am not shooting my Mathews Monster MR6 with a 500g shaft @ 281 fps with 390 - 394 ABA scores.

Stick with the heavyier shafts, cheers Macca.

[Fraser]

thanks for the responses.

Regarding the high FOC of the arrows, i like it, they fly beautifully, cant see a downside to it if you can get get shafts stiff and light enough to make it happen and tune perfectly

Agree about the nice flight with the point weight. I am running 650g shafts with 360g up front and they fly nice and hit very hard @ 60lb .

As far as running that weight for target, if thats what you hunt with then thats the weight it should be. I have been using my hunting shafts for ABA rounds and have been shooting very well.

Keep us posted, cheers Macca.

will do macca. i also shoot 60lb, also have a modern bamboo/carbon cored r/d flatbow 72# @ 28 (my draw) which shoots the same arrows.

out of curiosity, whats a good score for a barebow, traditional recurve shooter in ABA? i shot mid 250s, im going to aim for 300 as my goal for the year

cheers

Fanto, are you talking about combined scores for both rounds or 3 arrow only?

Fraser

[Fanto]

cheers guys,

ill stick with it, those are good scores i reckon Macca. ABA is a bit of a task bare bow and trad! I missed one target with all 3 arrows, and a few with 2 arrows and a few with 1 arrow.

at least i got a couple of As and Bs including a sweet pro-dot A on a deer at about 30

pity it was on the 2nd arrow!

[littlejohn59]

Thanks Trad Bound for those kind words
3 fletches are more desirable than 4 and definately better than 2. Though i do like that eliptical arrow flight that 2 give.

You know thats why i joined your club. So that you experienced archers would share such valuable information with me .....like 2 fletchers are better than 3 and my last 2 shoots with you were appalling. Thanks mate.
I shall try to lift my game this up coming weekend at the 3 D shoot.

My intentions was to make fanto aware. There are horses for courses. 1 bow and arrow requires a lot of practice to be accurate in all the different types of shoots. Its more realistic and practical to shoot with the right equipment. Right tools for the job. However if you want to persevere with the 1 bow and arrow its your call. I admit i am of the same ilk as Fanto. Tis challenging and when you succeed its a feeling of accomplishment. But thats me and thats why the longbow is appealing.

Practice fanto and tradbound and enjoy

[Fanto]

well said little john

I must admit I still shot the bejesus out of my foam block on Sunday night after the 3d!

it was a 3 arrow score, I didn't do the arvo 1 arrow

and finally little john I agree it's fun doing it the hard way. the bow is just so nice to shoot with the j
heavy arrows and it makes all the shooting I do effective practice for hunting.

my favorite virtue of archery is that because the practice is itself archery, to enjoy archery is to enjoy practice ! beats getting up at 4am and doing laps in a pool. (not that I'd know)

[Fraser]

From what I've seen from the other recurve shooters at my club, 250 is an about average score for 3 arrow. To score above 320 you need to get a 1c on every target. I've seen a couple of of guys get above 300 but you've got to be pretty handy with the recurve to do that.

Fraser