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Arrows and bow setup for of season practising

V

Vipunen

New Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2021
Messages
3
Hi,

New to the forum, started archery less than year ago and shot my first deer (from saddle) couple weeks back.
Season here is almost over, so I'm gonna get back to practising soon.

I now have my bow setup for Victory VAP Elite arrows with 95gr steel inserts. Total weight 450gr/18%FOC.
These arrows are expensive, but if I use them only for hunting and don't practice with them dozen arrows could last me for several years.
I do occasionally check that they fly true with broadheads. But I am very carefull not to destroy them. I've only build 6 of them so far and all are still OK.

I have done my target shooting with my older Easton aftermath and Bloodline, they are thicker and lighter than VAPs but hit the same spot up to 30 yards.
(btw, bow was impossible to tune with Eastons, VAPs gave me zero problems...)
I now need to buy new set of arrows for practising. I also maybe take few pounds of from my bow so I can shoot longer without fatigue. Also plan to use different sight (slider) for longer distance.
I was thinking about buying couple dozen of cheapest arrow I can find, Skylon or Carbon Express.
I'm not gonna change the tuning of my bow. It's shoots perfect with VAPs, I'm not gonna mess with that. Field tips always fly ok anyways.
What you guys do for of season practice? Do you mess with your bow, or use different arrows?
Or do you have different bow for practice/target shooting?
 
The only thing I do is change out the broadheads for field points. If I destroy a hunting arrow or two, I consider it the cost of doing business. Once I have a set up that works, I stick to it and try to make my off-season practice as close to the real thing as possible.
 
I like to do a whole different arrow setup for summer shooting, the way I see it is if you have to retune your bow and re sight in 1 month before season you’ll be really confident with a freshly tuned bow
 
Write down exactly every single measurements of your bow at its most tuned setting. Take pictures with a tape measure. D-loop distance from cams, Rest position, sight position, setting of stabilizer, distance of peep sight from d-loop. Even your rest cable length and position on the activation style (limb/cables/etc). Mark your limbs bolts position. Once this is done, I would lower your bow by 10 lbs and practice on your form. You might not even need new arrows, just get heavier field points, like a test kit with multiple weights for $10.

Is your bow a modular that allow for different draw length? I would try out different anchor positions.

But once season near, go back to what you are going to hunt with and see if you see a difference. Archery is one of the few physical activities that over practice can have negative effect. Once you're tire, there is little to gain from keep shooting, so remember to take breaks.
 
I haven't ruined an arrow in over 10 years and I shoot groups. The secret? Pin nock bushings. They come in ID .204 size and I think .166. Heavy duty nocks only. If your a lighted nock guy, they won't work. However if your looking for a way to have a durable arrow nock so you won't ruin arrows, this is it. Well worth the money.
 
I shoot a lot of different arrows in the off season to try out new combinations and see what works.

I also set my bow up for indoor/3D season after hunting season is over.

I shoot different arrows for each activity i.e. hunting, Vegas 300, 3D, and TAC.

I don't think there is anything wrong with shooting different arrows, just understand that you will probably need to adjust your tune to the new arrows, and/or tune the new arrows. Once you change one thing with your archery equipment, you change everything.

For example, simply lowering your poundage makes small changes to your brace height and axle to axle measurements. Your string stop will need to be adjusted. Your sight will need to move. The lower poundage will change the optimal spine your bow will need to shoot.

It's not a bad thing though. The more you adjust your equipment and get used to it, the more familiar you will be.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
 
My hunting bow is my everything bow. I may experiment with different arrows from time to time but the black eagle rampage are hard to beat. I hunt with a 12" front and a 6" back bar stabilizers.For me it transitions right to 3d season. If u kept your weight up on your bow and practice a few times a week with it u won't get fatigue as easily. To each his own but I'm a hunter so for me to have a totally different 3d bow with different holding weights,3' stabilizers and magnification on my sight doesn't help me on once season starts. I've tried it and it's fun but it's almost a false sense of how accurate u are. If you're pin float is cut in half with a 3d set up then u pick up your hunting bow before season u might struggle with it at first. Just my thoughts and what works for me. Every one is different so whatever keeps it fun and motivates u to shoot more would be the right answer
 
For me - off season is the best time to try everything you can afford. Hard to do sometimes but it may pay off. 3D setups I usually just drop point weight which means changing inserts or going with target points @ 140 grains. Hunting setup is 550+ grains. Going to TAC again and pretty sure I'll be shooting the same 415 grainers I used last year. Never drop poundage, may twist a few things and increase it though. I love shooting long distance - 100+ in the summer, helps keep me honest. However, hunting arrows have a significant arch whereas the 415 grain is a heck of a lot flatter. That alone should save you an arrow or two at a TAC event. As far as re tuning the bow, man that's what I enjoy the most. Nothing better than getting the rig dialed in, even if you do it twice a year
 
For me, off-season practice is prep for hunting season. So while I might experiment with a new sight, or stabilizer, or whatever, it would be with the intent of hunting with it in the fall. You might try to find some cheap(er) arrows that fly similarly to your hunting arrows.
 
Vipunen said:
Hi,

New to the forum, started archery less than year ago and shot my first deer (from saddle) couple weeks back.
Season here is almost over, so I'm gonna get back to practising soon.

I now have my bow setup for Victory VAP Elite arrows with 95gr steel inserts. Total weight 450gr/18%FOC.
These arrows are expensive, but if I use them only for hunting and don't practice with them dozen arrows could last me for several years.
I do occasionally check that they fly true with broadheads. But I am very carefull not to destroy them. I've only build 6 of them so far and all are still OK.

I have done my target shooting with my older Easton aftermath and Bloodline, they are thicker and lighter than VAPs but hit the same spot up to 30 yards.
(btw, bow was impossible to tune with Eastons, VAPs gave me zero problems...)
I now need to buy new set of arrows for practising. I also maybe take few pounds of from my bow so I can shoot longer without fatigue. Also plan to use different sight (slider) for longer distance.
I was thinking about buying couple dozen of cheapest arrow I can find, Skylon or Carbon Express.
I'm not gonna change the tuning of my bow. It's shoots perfect with VAPs, I'm not gonna mess with that. Field tips always fly ok anyways.
What you guys do for of season practice? Do you mess with your bow, or use different arrows?
Or do you have different bow for practice/target shooting?
Click to expand...
Being a new archer myself, I watched a bunch of videos as I began. I found an archery school with a ton of weekly episodes that would take you through a few months of training. One of the first lessons was focusing on stance and building bow muscles.
1st Assignment-10 sets of 4 arrows, short rest in between each set. I will take my release off while I retrieve arrows. Quiver them up, put release on and go back up the driveway. Lots of stretching during the excercise too.

Like any other sport, when you practice, every shot should have a purpose! Be focusing on something specific. building up a routine that will never change. My routine is ok, not rock solid, and I missed a deer because of it. I’m working on it.

BTW-I have had really good luck with cheap $6 350 spine arrows from Walmart. After cutting them down adding 100gr insert and new fletchings, it is painful to ruin one, but I do it ALOT! Then again i shoot my bow pretty much every day and I don’t use different ones.
 
Find out the best proshop and bow tech where you live, one that also hunts. Buy your bow from that guy. Have him tune your bow for 3D season, right after hunting season. Have the same guy that tunes your bow build you a dozen arrows. Buy broadheads from him that kill deer and fly best. Buy once cry once. Swap your favorite 4 arrows with broad heads the month before the season and shoot them. If they are wonky, that guy will hook you up and give a last minute bow tune. Otherwise, he won’t have time.

When I drop from 12 to 8, buy 6 more arrows from the same guy.

Or spend countless hours learning to both tune your bow and build arrows yourself. I’ll do this when my kids are out of the house, or I retire.

I bought a midrange bow by the way, because you need to build in the arrow/tuning cost.

Another reason so much easier to gun hunt, lol.


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