My 2015 new gear, new year season journal
08-13-2015, 01:49 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
My 2015 new gear, new year season journal
I figured I would start a journal for the 2015 season as I wait for my new Bowtech 360 RPM to arrive.
Cams were set and licking branches started back on Aug 1st.
After setting up a few bows for guys this year and after years of testing bows I finally got tired of my old compound and ordered my first new Compound bow in 30 years (for the last 9 years, when I hunt with a compound I've been using a used 2006 Bowtech)
I picked up some stuff to get ready waiting for the new shooting iron to arrive.
I like heavy arrows and heavy broadheads but this year I plan to use Slick trick magnums but they only weigh 100 grains so I picked up a few packs to mess around with.
I got some Maxima Reds and will replace the nock and collar with lighted nocks.
The nock and collar weigh 14 grains and the lighted nock 20 grains. Im not a fan of adding weight to back end but 6 grains isnt much.
Im replacing the 14 grain aluminum inserts that came with the arrows with 60 grain brass inserts since I will only be shooting 100 grain heads. This adds 46 grains to closer mimic shooting 150 grain heads.
I picked up a G5 Drop away for the bow.
and I will use a Copper John Dead nuts pro, 5 pin with extended bar.
Once the bow gets here I can figure out the length I want to cut the arrows and tune and sight in the new rig.
Cams were set and licking branches started back on Aug 1st.
After setting up a few bows for guys this year and after years of testing bows I finally got tired of my old compound and ordered my first new Compound bow in 30 years (for the last 9 years, when I hunt with a compound I've been using a used 2006 Bowtech)
I picked up some stuff to get ready waiting for the new shooting iron to arrive.
I like heavy arrows and heavy broadheads but this year I plan to use Slick trick magnums but they only weigh 100 grains so I picked up a few packs to mess around with.
I got some Maxima Reds and will replace the nock and collar with lighted nocks.
The nock and collar weigh 14 grains and the lighted nock 20 grains. Im not a fan of adding weight to back end but 6 grains isnt much.
Im replacing the 14 grain aluminum inserts that came with the arrows with 60 grain brass inserts since I will only be shooting 100 grain heads. This adds 46 grains to closer mimic shooting 150 grain heads.
I picked up a G5 Drop away for the bow.
and I will use a Copper John Dead nuts pro, 5 pin with extended bar.
Once the bow gets here I can figure out the length I want to cut the arrows and tune and sight in the new rig.
08-17-2015, 05:56 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,745
I've been shooting and getting used to my new Mathews. I can only shoot 40 yards here in FL but when I get back to PA on Saturday I will be able to stretch out the distance to 70 yards. I like your choice of broadheads too. I use Slick Trick Vipertricks in my lighter poundage bows. In the Mathews I'm going to use NAP Killzones. I put a NAP Apache rest on the Mathews and a TruGlo Extreme 5 pin sight.
I also have an Excalibur Ibex on the way so my young grandson can go out with me and hopefully harvest a deer under PAs mentored youth program. I'll probably put the Slick Tricks on the bolts or maybe even some Muzzy Phantoms.
I also have an Excalibur Ibex on the way so my young grandson can go out with me and hopefully harvest a deer under PAs mentored youth program. I'll probably put the Slick Tricks on the bolts or maybe even some Muzzy Phantoms.
08-17-2015, 06:48 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
Spent a few hours at the dealer setting up the new bow. Changed my mind on the G5 Cmaxx drop away and bought a Rip Cord instead. The new bow didnt fit in my SKB hard side case so for now I bought a plano for now. All the gear is mounted and after about 200 arrows I will paper tune.
Now its time to find the sweet spot (performance wise) so I know what weight arrows to shoot.
Now its time to find the sweet spot (performance wise) so I know what weight arrows to shoot.
08-18-2015, 07:20 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
50 arrows throught it so far as I stretch the strings. Ive got it set at 57 pounds and I really like it so far. Im doing performance testing as I work to find the sweet spot to help me select a final total arrow/broadhead weight to get the most out of this setup at 57 pounds.
08-18-2015, 08:23 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
Like every other bowhunter that with a new bow, I need hunting arrows. We need to select a brand and a spine and a length and a broadhead and eventually a final total projectile mass that will hopefully maximize the bows potential output while keeping in mind speed/trajectory. If I care only for speed, it would be simple. I would select the proper spine for the shortest arrow I can shoot with the lightest head and paper tune for that. The other option is to build long arrows, a heavy head and add weight (like brass inserts and weight tubes) to shoot as heavy as I can ignoring speed and trajectory.
With that in mind, I broke out my chronograph, grain scale and a variety of weights (both tip and inner weight tubes) and tried to find not only the sweet spot but the point of diminishing returns for my final arrow/broadhead weight considering speed/trajectory, K.E., MO, efficiency rating, Noise, vibration, etc. to help me get to the arrow I need to tune for as I go through the break in string stretching shots.
Bowtech literature states I ought not shot a total projectile weight less than 5 grains per pound of draw weight lest I wreck the bow and void the warranty. Since I set the bow at 57 pounds, the lightest arrow/head I could test would be 285 grains. I struggled to create an arrow so light and got within 5 grains of that minimum but shooting a 295 grain projectile. At the other end of the spectrum I built up a heavy arrow at nearly 10 grains per pound of draw making the heaviest arrow/head for my evaluation at 557 grains.
I know before I start that I really don’t plan to hunt with either of these arrow extremes but they represent the min and max starting points for my investigations as I work to determine the final arrow weight I will hunt with.
Below is the info I gathered shooting a variety of projectile weights. Right off the bat, I will say that I am impressed that a bow set at my hunting weight of 57 pounds can not only reach the 300 FPS mark but reach 330 FPS and beyond that, also produce 70 Ft/Lbs of KE. If I were into the current speed fad, I could stop right there and tune that arrow and have KE in excess of what is required for the deer I chase.
My former hunting bow (now 9 years old) was a Bowtech set at 64 Lbs and the 410 gr hunting arrow I used topped out at 245 FPS and developed 55 Ft/Lbs so right away I can see that I have way better performance while having getting to lower my draw weight 7 pounds. (SWEET!)
The data suggests that the sweet spot for K.E. and MO output for the effort of drawing 57 pounds would be for me to shoot a 486 grain projectile which represents 8.53 grains per pound of draw. after that point, performance began to decline. In the end I opted to build up these arrows/broadheads to a final weight of 420 grains. At that weight I’m pretty close to maximum achievable performance but still have a pretty fast arrow at 278 FPS. Once I send a few hundred arrows through this bow and the strings settle, I will set about tuning this setup for that arrow/head selection.
With that in mind, I broke out my chronograph, grain scale and a variety of weights (both tip and inner weight tubes) and tried to find not only the sweet spot but the point of diminishing returns for my final arrow/broadhead weight considering speed/trajectory, K.E., MO, efficiency rating, Noise, vibration, etc. to help me get to the arrow I need to tune for as I go through the break in string stretching shots.
Bowtech literature states I ought not shot a total projectile weight less than 5 grains per pound of draw weight lest I wreck the bow and void the warranty. Since I set the bow at 57 pounds, the lightest arrow/head I could test would be 285 grains. I struggled to create an arrow so light and got within 5 grains of that minimum but shooting a 295 grain projectile. At the other end of the spectrum I built up a heavy arrow at nearly 10 grains per pound of draw making the heaviest arrow/head for my evaluation at 557 grains.
I know before I start that I really don’t plan to hunt with either of these arrow extremes but they represent the min and max starting points for my investigations as I work to determine the final arrow weight I will hunt with.
Below is the info I gathered shooting a variety of projectile weights. Right off the bat, I will say that I am impressed that a bow set at my hunting weight of 57 pounds can not only reach the 300 FPS mark but reach 330 FPS and beyond that, also produce 70 Ft/Lbs of KE. If I were into the current speed fad, I could stop right there and tune that arrow and have KE in excess of what is required for the deer I chase.
My former hunting bow (now 9 years old) was a Bowtech set at 64 Lbs and the 410 gr hunting arrow I used topped out at 245 FPS and developed 55 Ft/Lbs so right away I can see that I have way better performance while having getting to lower my draw weight 7 pounds. (SWEET!)
The data suggests that the sweet spot for K.E. and MO output for the effort of drawing 57 pounds would be for me to shoot a 486 grain projectile which represents 8.53 grains per pound of draw. after that point, performance began to decline. In the end I opted to build up these arrows/broadheads to a final weight of 420 grains. At that weight I’m pretty close to maximum achievable performance but still have a pretty fast arrow at 278 FPS. Once I send a few hundred arrows through this bow and the strings settle, I will set about tuning this setup for that arrow/head selection.
08-18-2015, 09:52 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 921
The generally accepted minimums for KE that can be found anywhere on the web state that the minimum KE your setup should produce for deer is 40 Ft/Lbs. For lager game (re. elk) 50 Ft/Lbs and for dangerous game like brown bear, moose, African game 65 Ft/Lbs. While there is no plan to hunt anything but deer, its nice to know that should something go wrong in regards to a hit on a deer, 72 Ft/Lbs will increase the odds of a pass through. I don’t think I will have a problem getting to 420 grains with a heavy weighted FOC arrow and may even add a 10 grain ”All Blade” head between the brass insert and the slick trick head. I bought a few because they caught my eye. Their claim is that you can kill game with the “All blade” head behind a field point but I don’t think I would try that so placing one "All blade" head behind a slick trick (since I have quite a bit of KE) will result in additional carnage.
http://www.all-blade.com/
http://www.all-blade.com/
08-18-2015, 10:08 AM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,745
Nice bow. I've never seen that 'barbed wire" type vibration dampner. Do you really think its necessary? Seems to me to be a distraction form the looks of the bow.
But otherwise very sweet set up.
I checked my ATA on my Mathews when purchased and now after about 500 shots I checked it again and it is the same. These new prestretched stings and cables they put on just don't seem to give at all. Curious as to find out if yours will over a little shooting.
But otherwise very sweet set up.
I checked my ATA on my Mathews when purchased and now after about 500 shots I checked it again and it is the same. These new prestretched stings and cables they put on just don't seem to give at all. Curious as to find out if yours will over a little shooting.
