Archery Notes

 

 

 

This afternoon after work and school Wyatt and I grabbed our gear and headed out to the archery range.  After a long day cooped up inside getting outside to do anything sure does help.  We've also had two days of solid rain showers here in Ohio making us even more stir crazy.

 

I've been busy adding a couple upgrades to my Hoyt target bow and have been waiting to get out and do some testing.  The riser (middle handle section) came stock with a black plastic hand grip.  While this grip was fully serviceable it wasn't the most attractive part to look at.  I appreciate wood and as an archer who has made my own bows from wood I like  to have the bow-human interface made of wood.  There is some narrow strips of maple in the limbs but it's sandwiched between layers of glass-fibers and so is rather out of sight.  A little bit of wood that I can feel helps bridge the gap and feel the connection to archers in ages past.

 

 The grip made by Hoyt is called the "Ortho Grip".  It is carved for high wrist shooters with a very narrow throat or the part of the grip that rests firmly in the web of the hand between the thumb and index finger.  This type of grip helps to minimize handle torque by reducing the contact patch between the handle and web of the hand to as small as possible.  In the archery game it's all about consistency and once I start pulling back the string the grip settles into my hand the same way every time. Installation was quick and easy; just unscrew the plastic grip and secure the wood one in place.  Not only does the new one look good it feels terrific.

 

The second component I changed out is called a sight aperture. Pictured below is the original aperture that came with the bowsight.  It is inexpensive and made of plastic.  What I don't like about it is its small size. The sight window is only about 1/4" diameter and the pin is too fat for my liking.  I was going to purchase a similar aperture but made of steel that was a 1/2" diameter ring.  I figured that would give me a better sight picture downrange and it was only $9.  Unfortunately the one I wanted was sold out so I ended up splurging on a much nicer quality aperture from a company called Titan Scopes.

 

    

 

The Titan recurve aperture is 14mm wide and made from a coated Japanese Hoya 0 power lens for the clearest optics.  Why have a lens with no magnification for a bowsight?  The cool part is that a hole is drilled precisely in the center of the lens to hold a .030" piece of fiber optic rod end wise that becomes the sight "pin".  I like this arrangement  much better than the old aperture with its crude stalk and bigger diameter pin.  When I'm shooting at 60 feet the target I'm aiming at is only about a 2 inch dot so I like an unobstructed view.  The fine .030" pin should work even better when I move back start working at the 40 and 50 yard butts.

 

So how does the new aperture work?  In the following shots is the nock end of an arrow I nearly "Robin Hooded".  The arrow was stuck in the target bale and a follow up shot hit the nock only about a millimeter from dead center between the two prongs.  The V shaped furrow is visible cut into the hard plastic from the field tip as it glanced off to the side.

 

 

After that I decided to just shoot an arrow or two at each spot. 

 

 

 

Here is four shots starting from the top right and working down.  The third shot was a little low.

 

 

Two shots at each corner spot.

 

 

Wyatt likes shooting bare bow with no sights.  Look at this group shot at 30 feet!

 

 

 



Bow Tuning

 

 

 

I spent some time flinging arrows off the shelf instinctively with my Hoyt recurve while the string stretched out.  I had to unstring and add twists to the bowstring numerous times over the past week to keep the brace height at about 8 inches.  Since then the brace has stabilized I have moved on the next stage of the bow tuning process.  This weekend I installed a target bowsight, magnetic flipper rest and an adjustable plunger.

 

Other than a short period shooting an early 1990's round wheel compound bow I've spent the last 15 years shooting traditional recurves and primitive longbows exclusively without sights of any kind.  While this instinctive archery is cool and fun it requires nearly daily practice to really become an expert shot.  Because of all my other hobbies and not to mention a full time job I was not willing or able to devote the time necessary to become proficient as I would like.  This knowledge along with my desire to get away from heavy draw weight hunting bows is what led me the target archery.

 

It didn't take long at all for the accuracy potential of my new Hoyt recurve to make itself known just shooting barebow.  Once I had the bowsight installed and dialed in my groups went from gigantic foot and a half spreads to 6 inch groups at 20 yards (60 feet).  Up close say 5 to 10 yards I can hit a bottle cap size target regularly shooting instinctive but much past 12 yards things get sketchy fast.  It's been a long time since I used any type of sighting device and I have to say that it has done wonders for my confidence and group size to be using a pin sight again.

 

 

 

I've used flipper rests before but the riser mounted plunger is something completely new to me.  The plunger is the threaded rod with the black barrel shaped object protruding out from the lower right side of the riser in the opening picture.  I think the main purpose of the plunger is to move the shaft out away from the riser providing clearance for the feathers or vanes as the arrow leaves the bow.  The less contact the arrow has with the bow after release the better.

 

The plunger also provides for the fine tuning of the "launch platform" for the arrow and works in unison with the flipper rest.  The threaded rod is hollow to house the brass plunger tip and a spring to provide preload.  The plunger can be adjusted in or out to position the arrow shaft nose in or out relative to the string.  The barrel or body of the plunger can be screwed in or out to adjust the tension on the spring which acts as shock absorber to counteract flex of the arrow shaft as the transfer of energy from the bow limbs to the arrow occurs just after release.

 

 

 

I learned just how useful of a device the plunger can be in just two shooting sessions this weekend.  While shooting off the shelf with no rest or plunger I noted that my arrows stuck out of the target butt at a perfect 90 degree angle even though when at full draw the arrow pointed slightly right relative to the string.  The perfect square angle indicates that the arrows are of a correct spine or stiffness for the draw weight of the bow. 

 

When I installed the rest and plunger I initially set up the arrow to be pointing nearly straight ahead off the string.  After shooting a group of arrows I noted that all the nock ends were pointing slightly to the right. Consulting the Easton bow tuning guide online I learned to screw in the plunger to orient the tip of the arrow a bit left of center.  After this adjustment of only 1/16" to 3/32" off center the shot arrows were back to 90 degree penetration of the target.

 

The bow and arrow is a very simple device that's been around for thousands of years. The interesting part is how physics come into play and interact at the instant of release.  Add to that the marvel of modern technology and materials and the ability to tweak the equipment in such minute scale tuning the bow is almost as fun as watching the graceful arch of the arrow in flight.

 

Following are some pictures of groups I shot at 20 yards (18.288 meters)

 

 



Target Archery

 

 

 

Wyatt will drop whatever it was he was doing if I mention going to the archery range.
 

LeeAnn came along to do the picture taking.  She did a great job! In the opening shot she released the shutter less than a second after Wyatt released the shot.

 

Wyatt has good form.



Arrow in flight.

 

I'm testing out some new archery tackle. A Hoyt Excel 23" riser and ZR330 30# limbs.  My arrows are 285 grain Easton A/C/C with 80 grain points.  Because the bowstring is new I'm just shooting bare bow off the shelf while the bowstring fibers stretch. It shoots like a dream! Once the brace height settles in I'll worry about an arrow rest and a permanent sight. 

 



Arrow in flight
 



Bullseye

 

 



Traditional Archery!

  

Today Wyatt and I took advantage of a beautiful sunny summer day to practice our archery skills.  Archery is an amazing sport that combines elements of extreme mental discipline, physical dexterity and strength.  There is something magical about watching the gentle arch of an arrow in flight and hearing the satisfying thunk of a well placed shot hitting home.

  I got serious about archery in the 1990's with the help of my brother-in-law who is an accomplished bow hunter and Native American expert.  I've shot bows and arrows all my life starting with the typical stick and string attempts while a boy.  As a older kid my dad got me a fiberglass recurve which I continued to use to advance my competency and simply have a lot of fun.  As an adult with an eye towards bow hunting I started off with a "wheel bow" or compound, the modern culmination of thousands of years of archery evolution.  

In time thanks in no small part to my love of history I soon discovered the incredible heritage that the bow and arrow has provided to mankind.  I jumped headlong into the world of traditional archery exploring the more organic experience of shooting a wood bow and arrow shafts and drifting away from the machine like and in my mind over commercialization of  the compound bow.  I learned to shoot recurves and longbows in the traditional manner through repetition. Aiming instinctively without the aid of a rack of sight pins much like a pitcher learns to throw a baseball into the box.

  I use a technique called "gap shooting".  When at full draw I orient the tip of the arrow to a position just below and to the right of my desired point of impact before I let it fly.  Over time and with lots of practice this automatic mental targeting system sharpens and even compensating the angle of the bow arm for elevation when shooting at unknown distances becomes second nature and not a conscious part of the mechanics of shooting. 

     

In the above photograph Wyatt captured the arrow in flight just an instant after release.  When an arrow is released the energy transferred from the limbs causes the shaft to flex and slightly bow around the handle as it leaves the string and begins it's trajectory.  This oscillation continues for a few cycles and the bend of the arrow is plainly visible in the shot. 

  

As much fun as I have with the hobby myself the real treat has been introducing this discipline to my son.  This summer he has grown strong enough to draw his mom's recurve bow which has greatly increased his range and precision.  The bow is a 25# recurve target bow and fits him perfect.

Range is about 20 yards.

Today was Wyatt's first time out with the recurve and he was enjoying himself immensely.  The performance was a huge step up from his basic "toy" kid's bow.  The arrows I handmade from Red Cedar shafts and natural feathers glued with the help of a fletching jig.

About ten years ago I reached the point where I had to try my hand at bow making.  After all I already had a woodworking shop and I always jump at the chance to use my skills from one hobby to augment another.  After much research I settled on a design and wood type to use.  The bow I'm shooting in this post is one I made in 2004 and is a Hickory backed Osage Orange flat bow.  The flat bow is a style of traditional long bow that was used by the woodland peoples who inhabited the Ohio valley for thousands of years.  Osage Orange, sometimes known as hedge-apple or boise d'arc from the Louisiana French literal translation "bow wood" is in my opinion the ultimate material for traditional bow making.  Besides possessing superior elasticity and the ability to remain flexible even in extreme cold temperatures this very dense and hard wood was first used for bows by Native Americans.  While my German ancestors from the distant past probably shot bows of European Yew I consider myself an American and I wanted to shoot the same wood as those who once roamed the forest and field of my homeland. 

This flatbow is 64 inches long and at my draw length of 26" the pull is about 47 pounds. I've chronographed the speed of a 525 grain arrow shot from the bow at an average of 180 feet per second.  Adequate energy to bring down any game in North America with a well placed shot.

This is the third bow I have ever made and the second from Osage.  I have been so happy with the performance of this one over the past eight years I've not felt the need to make another.  A curious trait of Osage Orange worth mentioning is the photo-sensitive nature of the species.  When first cut the color of the exposed wood is a bright lemon yellow.  As time passes the yellow mellows gradually to the  golden honey shades shown in the photos.  This slow color change adds a unique facet to the enjoyment of owning an Osage bow.

The hickory backing is glued to the front of the limbs to reinforce the wood fibers and prevent a catastrophic failure of the Osage limb.  Backing a bow was a technique also used by native Americans except instead of modern two-part epoxy and precision machined laminations the Indians used natural materials such as sinew and hide glue.

The arrow rest is covered with a small patch of Alaskan seal skin a durable yet slippery surface for the arrow shaft to touch before and during it's launch.  My arrows I also custom made from Sitka Spruce with a dark stain for camouflage, solid brass field points and banana cut barred feathers.

In closing I have to say this was a great father and son outing and something I have wanted to share in my blog pages for quite a while.  There is something special about archery that has been ingrained into the human psyche over the millennia.  The proof of this I think is watching the wonder and enthusiasm displayed by a youngster when given the opportunity to experience and develop one of mankind's oldest skills.