Greg
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Post by Greg on Oct 4, 2010 17:20:43 GMT
Even tho this section is a bit out of the way, it looked like the best place for me to set up my archery thread.
So yesterday when I was practicing, I broke my first tip off. Argh, it pains me that I don't have a better suited place to practice. When I put the target in my yard, the missed shots bury themselves under my grass. When I put the target with the mountain backing it, I can't stand far enough from it for the arrow to equalize, and the missed shots hit a rock rich hill side. (Which is what broke the tip) Oh, and 2 of my arrows that had hit my stand have driven the head back a bit into the wood. Nothing a small bit of sanding didn't fix, but I'm not "happy" about it.
So now my concern is using fiber glass arrows instead of wooden ones. I want to keep the same flex that the wood offers, but I want something that will be more forgiving if I hit the stand or a rock.
So will fiber glass still flex similar to wood? Or is it a whole different feel as far as arrows go?
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 4, 2010 17:57:22 GMT
I found fiberglass to feel similar enough to wood, but I did notice how they were thinner. As far as shooting they feel fine for me- but maybe there is a different feel when using your style bow. Fiberglass should have better flexibility and be more forgiving- that's one reason I switched to fiberglass when practicing; they will last you longer. - also becuase they are cheaper. -eBay had the best prices for me...
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Oct 4, 2010 19:52:05 GMT
Yeah, I looked at the 40 arrows that you had posted in my last thread. As soon as I can confirm my "fun" money, I'll be putting in an order for them.
Right now in my archery career, I don't need to be worried as much about authenticity as much as I need to worry about form and expense of shooting.
Which brings me to my next question!
So I've been watching some archery vids on youtube and in most of the vids, people are shooting in to what looks like a coil of twisted hay. Is this something I could make out of a bail of hay? Or is a certain type of hay used... That sounds dumb, but I've heard of dumber things.
Also, every friend that I've told about my bow says to bring it over. The only problem is that they don't have anything to shoot with it. Chris, I'm probably gonna do a variation on your packaging stuff target. I've been thinking about filling a large cardboard box with hay and then pack it down and fill it some more. After that, just tape over the holes to keep the hay from getting everywhere. As far as the bungee cords... I'm not really sure what you meant with them. But I'm thinking about just making a small tripod to lean it up against.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2010 20:01:27 GMT
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 4, 2010 20:02:13 GMT
I'll post a pic of my target tonight when I get home. It's not too pretty but it works quite well.
No idea about the hay though, sorry. Ima city boy- we have a lot more cardboard and tape around then hay.
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Oct 4, 2010 20:17:53 GMT
AH HAH!
Ok, so scraped the hay idea and after watching the vids that Rob posted, have decided on plastic grocery bags! MUAHAHAHA!
Not sure why these didn't come to mind before. Heck, I could probably raid the store's "Put old bags here" bin, and if anyone stops me, I'll just explain that I'm doing the "Reusing" part of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Perfect!
Now I just need to find a box that would be an ample target size. I'm wanting something like a 42" LCD tv box. Looks like I'll have to frequent the recycling center and try and catch one before it gets put into the crusher.
If I can, I hope to find two of them so I can make something like a Cardboard, bags, cardboard, bags, cardboard type of set up.
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Post by LittleJP on Oct 4, 2010 21:35:20 GMT
How far back are you shooting from?
I usually end up backing some plywood layers on a wall, then I put my target, about 15x15, then start shooting at about 20 yards.
Depending on poundage, the arrows will be a pain to remove if you miss, though preferable to killing the tip by hitting rock.
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 4, 2010 22:00:12 GMT
Yep, his suggestions are pretty much the same thing as mine- just jam one box full of other boxes and junk- works great for me. You don't even have to wait for the right size box if you have a little duct tape to hold everything together.
Then run some straps (or bungie like I do) through each top corner, front to back- and you can hang that sucker off any branch or whatever. Making an easel type stand is good too but I like the hanging style as it absorbs the shock of the arrow strike nicely.
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 5, 2010 0:58:25 GMT
Alrighty- decided to make a video instead of just posting pics. Here ya go:
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Oct 5, 2010 4:31:19 GMT
Chris! You are my hero for the hour! Any man that isn't afraid to put in the out takes is alright in my book. I procured an awesome box today. It's 2'x3'x2'. I wish it was 3-3-2, but oh well. Before watching your video, I was afraid that I had some overkill with how deep my box is, but I don't suppose it will hurt anything. Would you say that your target is at the very minimum for stopping your arrows? Or do you think you could go thinner? I was worried that something that thin wouldn't stop mine, but then I remembered that my bow is 10lbs lighter in the draw then yours... and mine is a longbow and not compound, so I think that as long as I make my target as deep as yours, I'll be fine. Although... it's not like there is a preschool or anything on the other side of the target. So if an arrow goes through, oh well. +1 to you for posting the video. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so a 3 min video is somewhere like 10^300000 words right?
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Post by LittleJP on Oct 5, 2010 5:09:48 GMT
It's not really how deep, but more on what you pack inside. If it's hollow, well then, good luck. For the record, how heavy are your bows?
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Post by chrisperoni on Oct 5, 2010 11:55:51 GMT
I think the thickness is good as long as it's well packed with cardboard- if you only use plasitc bags it might not be enough to stop the arrows. I've made my kind of target a couple of times and this one is a little light in the cardboard at some spots and the arrows pass through much deeper in those places because of it. The one I made before this one was actually thinner but much more compressed and packed with cardboard and styro. To tape that one I sat on it like it was an overstuffed suitcase. For the one in the video I just left the top open and filled it- the difference is noticeable to me.
Given your bow/arrows set up I think you'll be fine as you've planned- maybe leave the top of yours open when you test it so you can fine tune the density.
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Greg
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Post by Greg on Oct 5, 2010 15:30:45 GMT
I'd think that the plastic bags would do better at stopping target tipped arrows because the bags would be more prone to move with the arrow for a short while, sort of the way kevlar can stop a bullet. Either way, it's not worth wasting to much brain power on. If I fill the box, shoot it, and the arrow passes clean through, then I'll just add more cardboard.
Lil JP- The only bow I have right now is an english longbow that is 40# @ 28".
Oh, and another question came to mind. How much settling should my bow be doing? It seems that when it came, it was much straighter then it is now. I haven't shot it more then 20-30mins at one time and I always unstring it when I'm not using it. Should I expect it to bend more? Or once a bow settles in, that's pretty much as far as it will go?
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Post by LittleJP on Oct 5, 2010 16:04:19 GMT
AFAIK, it really shouldn't settle at all, but I use a modern laminate recurve At 40 lbs, you shouldn't get much in way of arrow penetration unless you're using very thin/light arrows.
I'm shooting 60 lbs, and my arrows rarely go through if I stick a medium sized piece of styrafoam in the box.
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Taran
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Post by Taran on Oct 5, 2010 16:45:38 GMT
I use carbon arrows for my practice shafts. Or, rather, I did. The new bow needs a new setup and I don't have the ~$200 it takes me to find the perfect shafts, so I'm playing with bargain bin aluminums and carbons. I'm hoping to narrow the search more cheaply that way.
But once I got the setup right for my other bows, the carbon shafts flew just as well as the far more expensive wood ones. Almost precisely the same profile (which is mildly impressive, in my book, because the wood arrows have a good helical to their fletchings and the carbons don't have any helical).
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avery
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Post by avery on Oct 5, 2010 18:51:02 GMT
I'm a little late to the thread, but something else that might help; when I shoot in a confined area I use a big piece of carpet as a back drop. That way if I miss, the arrows drop off the carpet. But this works best with longbows from about 25-30 yards. Compounds and recurves tend to go through the target up to the fletchings, and when you pull the fletchings through the carpet it can tear them.
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Taran
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Post by Taran on Oct 6, 2010 0:20:25 GMT
Compound bows require different targets to stop their arrows. They reach upwards of 300 fps and a couple rigs have recently been recorded around 450 fps.
A longbow tends to fly between 100 and 150 fps and even a recurve tops out at 200 fps.
A compound bow is after the fastest, flattest flight and deepest penetration with the hunting purpose of putting 2 holes in the target. Like a .22. They're always trying to get shorter, lighter arrows, trying to drop under a total of 300 grains. A longbow is more like a 12 Gg trying to put the biggest, ugliest hole in place and maybe even knock down the target It uses a larger and FAR heavier arrow to deliver its punch.
What this means for the target is that a perfectly normal hay bale will stop a longbow shaft or even a recurve, but a compound bow Should send its shaft clear through that same hay bale and still penetrate a harder target. Also, because of the way most compound bow targets are made (and how wood arrows are made), using wood arrows on a compound target will usually result in your arrowheads being removed when you pull the arrows out. Yet another reason I practice with modern arrows and save my wood ones for tournaments.
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Post by demonskull on Oct 6, 2010 19:23:46 GMT
They used to sell Excelsior bales. These were baled wood fragments. They were fairly expensive $30 or so over 30 years ago, but they would stop just about anything.
For a cheap backstop/target use the traditional stop, soil. Take a wooden framework and fill it with soil. Remove the rocks and pebbles and pack it firmly, wet it down and let it set, remove the frame. 18"thick will be adequate. After each practice, repair the backstop with morter from a handful of the same soil and some water and let it set.
Cover the backstop when not in use.
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Post by Larry Jordan on Oct 22, 2010 15:28:52 GMT
Is that a sliding glass door behind the trellice, behind the target?
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Aaron
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Post by Aaron on Oct 22, 2010 16:16:19 GMT
No, I believe the porch just wraps around.
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