Using a Catfish or Torqueless bowstring loop has a lot of benefits and is very versatile.  This video takes a look at how to tie the loop:

This next video shows how to install the loop:  (still in production! check back soon)

Why Use a Catfish or Torqueless Bowstring loop?

There several good reasons to use a this type of loop over a standard loop as well as a few disadvantages:

Pros:

• No knots to come undone
• Does not place any torque on the bowstring, no matter the release position
• Virtually indestructible
• Easily field replaceable in certain configurations

Cons:

• Takes time and practice to learn to tie properly
• Rotates about string freely, cannot use to pull peep into proper position

Other posts you may enjoy:

• Archery Tips 4 – Bowstring Twisting
• 300 days to 300 – Day 7 update
• Archery Practice Loop: Tool of a Thousand Uses
• 300 days to 300 – Day 14 update
• Video: Intro To Archery With Shawn Hatem

A great way to install pin nock bushings or uni-bushings is to use grocery bags.  place the bag loosely over the end of the arrow shaft and push the bushing along with the bag into the shaft (layer the bag for a tighter fit.)  Carefully tear the bag away from the bushing; if material remains it can be removed by burning it with a butane lighter and/or running a razor or sharp knife along the edge of the bushing.Other posts you may enjoy:

• Archery Tips 2
• How to Make Perfect Arrows
• Review: Fletched Arrow Squaring Tool (FAST)
• Arrow FOC Basics and how to Calculate it
• Old Archery Equipment, new uses!

Places!  Roll tape!  Action!!!  What does video and improving your shooting have to do with each other?  Quite a bit actually.  By being able to see yourself and take a critical eye to you form, it’s much easier to see flaws that cannot be detected by oneself while shooting.

A perfect example happened recently with my son.  As he has been growing and increasing his draw weight, his form has been changing as well.  Somewhere along the line he developed the habit of what I call “hipping.”  This is when the hips are thrust towards the target as the bow is pulled back.  For several shooting sessions I tried to talk him through correcting the issue, even going so far as to stand behind him and hold his hips in place.  Nothing seemed to work and he subconsciously kept falling back into this flawed form.  Then along came the camera…

I have been using the video camera as a tool for myself for quite a while and have seen a lot of benefits while picking apart my form.  Because it has been successful for me, I decided to give it a try with him.  My hope was that by him being able see exactly what he was doing, and not hear me tell him what was happening, he’d better be able to understand the issue.

The first  part of the video shows the before and the second part, with me doing nothing other than showing him the video and pointing out the unwanted hip movement, shows the improvement:

What was amazing to me is that I had spent all sorts of effort trying to correct the problem verbally and with my instruction to no avail.  After watching the video of himself a couple of times, he turned around and immediately corrected 95% of the problem!   All it took was him being able to see himself and he was much better able to understand what was going on and to correct the problem himself.

Now that the main issue has been rectified, we can move on to other improvements such as the draw length and relaxing the bow hand a bit more.  But one step at a time…

Other posts you may enjoy:

• Archery Practice Loop: Tool of a Thousand Uses
• 300 days to 300 – Day 7 update
• 300 days to 300 – Day 21 update
• Strother Archery Infinity in Action (Video)
• Tuning Tip: Using Lighted Nocks to Check Arrow Flight

The last few weeks have seen lots of rain, more rain, camping, work and setting up my Bowtech Destroyer 350 for the upcoming elk season.  Therefore while there has been a lot of shooting, very little has been done with my target setup.  I had been asked to list the equipment I’ve been using and so here it is:

Bow:

• Hoyt Ultra Elite XT3000
• Spiral Cams
• 30″ Draw
• 50-60 lbs., set to 53 lbs.

Rest: Trophy Take Spring Steel

Stabilizer:

• Archery Kinetics AKS (no longer made)
• 32″ main bar
• 12″ left side bar
• no right side bar

Sight and Scope:

• DS Advantage (as seen here: DS Advantage) Hand crafted in limited quantities.  This is an absolutely amazing sight and worth every single penny.  It’s also nice to have some a bit unique.
• CR Apex Scope
• 4X lens
• Circle aperture, sized to just fit outside the 10 ring

Arrows:

• Gold Tip 30x
• 32″ length
• 150 grain points + 20 grain weight
• Pin Nocks
• 3 fletch, AAE Max Plastifletch, all black
• 3 degree helical

Releases:

• Carter Insatiable 2 with lots of character (it’s taken a couple of tumbles down the mountain with me while elk hunting)
• Carter “The Hammer”

Other posts you may enjoy:

• Archery and the Mental Game
• 300 days to 300 – Day 84 update
• 300 days to 300 – Day 35 update
• Archery History: The Mongol Bow
• Smooth Stability Stabilizer Review

One question that often gets asked is how to properly make arrows.  As soon as I got into archery I knew pretty quick that I wanted to make my own arrows.  The first dozen I ever bought came pre-fletched but after that I have only used self-fletched arrows.  For several years I worked in a pro shop and can’t even count how many arrows I fletched and how much I learned about what to do, and also what not to do!

Outlined here is my current method for preparing and fletching arrows.  Some may regard this method as way overboard and requiring too many steps, but I am a stickler when it comes to fletching and it’s worth the extra effort to get things done right.  When arrows are done right, they will fly truer, group tighter and last longer.

1. Get all tools necessary.  Lay  everything out and make sure that you have absolutely everything necessary.  If you don’t have it at hand, get it before starting.
2. Determine arrow length by either measuring your current arrows or getting some help and measure the desired length using a bow.  Always make measurements from the nock throat to tip of the shaft.
3. Cut arrows to length using a quality saw or have them cut by someone who has a good saw.
4. Square BOTH ends of the shaft using either an off the shelf arrow squaring tool, lathe or other solution.  I use a silver permanent marker to cover the end of the shaft so that I can tell when enough material has been removed to get the shaft perfectly squared.
5. Clean the tip area of the shaft by removing any burrs left from cutting/squaring.
6. Using a q-tip or similar and high purity alcohol (90% or better) clean out the inside of the shaft where the point or insert will be glued.  After using the alcohol, clean it again with a q-tip and water.
7. Use a small, round, medium grit file to lightly rough up the area where the glue with bond to the inside of the shaft.  Do not sand or remove material!  All that is needed is a slight roughness on the surface to get better bonding.
8. Glue in the inserts or points with your adhesive of choice.  For arrows I know that will not have the inserts removed, I use a good, slow cure epoxy.  Hot-melt glue with a low melting temperature can also be used if care is taken not to overhead carbon shafts.
9. If installing inserts, square the inserts.  This time use a dark colored permanent marker to cover the front of the insert before squaring.
10. Clean fletching area by using hot water, a Scotch-Brite pad and powdered cleanser (Ajax or Comet or similar.)  This will remove any manufacturing residue or build up that has occurred on the shafts without leaving anything behind.  Rinse thoroughly and let air dry.
11. If your fletching jig is adjustable, make sure that the vanes are seating properly before applying any glue.  Put a bare vane into the clamp and check for perfect alignment with the arrow shaft.
12. Fletch the arrows with your choice of vanes or feathers.  There are many quality glues that can be used; I prefer Loctite 380 Black Max for my fletching.
13. Clean up any excess glue around the vanes by using a adhesive solvent and q-tips.  They need to look pretty!
14. Optional: put a dab of glue on the tip and back of the fletching to give it a little more adhesive when they get roughed up by passing through targets or getting hit by other arrows.
15. Number all of the arrows.  This is important to do to keep track of any arrow that is not performing up to par.
16. Shoot and have fun!

Will these steps always lead to perfect arrows?  No, but if followed correctly the arrows should turn out good and last for a long time.

Other posts you may enjoy:

• Archery Tips 2
• Review: Fletched Arrow Squaring Tool (FAST)
• How to Measure a Bow’s Draw Length
• Review: QuikFletch QuikSpin Vanes by NAP
• DiY Lifetime Target: The Build

There are many methods that can be used to tune a bow and arrows such as paper, walk-back and bare-shaft tuning.  All of these methods have their place and can be used effectively when performed by knowledgeable hands.

For many years I’ve also tried to use a visual check by watching the arrow while in flight.  This is usually best accomplished by using the most visible nock and fletching combinations.  For me this usually means white fletchings and either transparent green or opaque white nocks.  It also helps to have the sun at your back when shooting.  While the visual check is nice, it’s highly dependent on getting a good view of the arrow flight which happens in a split second.

Last year I came across a new idea to capture the arrow flight when I was working on the Lighted Nock Review. By using a camera and a long exposure time, an arrow with a lighted nock can be captured during the entire flight.  My best results have been when using a 0.8 second exposure time and shooting just before full dark.

This exposure shows the flight of Carbon Express Mayhem arrows through a Bowtech Destroyer 350:

The image was taken as I was setting up the bow with the arrows for the first time.  Before it got too dark I was able to do a quick paper tune and start bare shaft tuning; the mosquitoes were getting really nasty and I was only able to get the horizontal part of the tuning done (eliminating fish tailing.)  I took the opportunity to take a few pictures of the slight porpoising still left to be tuned to perfection.

This next image shows what a perfectly tuned flight should look like:

The flight is even and perfectly straight (except for the arc of the arrow’s flight.)

By using lighted nocks and long exposure times, it’s easy to see any tiny perturbations in arrow flight.  The camera can be placed at various angles and locations to capture the different aspects of arrow flight.  I have put the camera to the side and looking down range (as the above pictures show), at my feet looking up, over my shoulder and even down range looking towards the arrow (using a remote to activate the camera of course!)

Not only is this method fun and can produce some neat images, it can also be a great tool to catch those pesky, minute imperfections in arrow flight.Other posts you may enjoy:

• Arrow FOC Basics and how to Calculate it
• Ripshot, F.A.S.T and warm(er) weather
• Arrowdynamics: does your choice of point affect arrow flight?
• Review: Fletched Arrow Squaring Tool (FAST)
• Lighted Nock Review

2010 is full of some great bows that push the limits of performance and introduce new technologies to the market.  One such bow is the Bowtech Destroyer 350 which was sent to Archery Report for review.  When the Destroyer arrived, my first impression was that the bow is great looking and seems to exude a feeling of performance with its aggressive appearance and styling.  Are looks everything or does this bow perform as advertised?

Bowtech Destroyer 350 Manufacturer vs. Measured Specifications

The measured specs came in very close to those stated on the Bowtech webpage.  The above measurements were taken at 72 lbs.  Turning the limb bolts 5 1/2 turns brought the draw weight down to 60 lbs even.  At this weight the brace height edged out to 6 3/32″  and the ATA 32 11/32″.  Many bows will change up to and sometimes more than 1/4″ under such changes; the design of the Destroyer does a great job at holding the specs very close no matter the poundage.

Each Bowtech is delivered with a birth certificate and this one has the following:

72 lbs., 29″ and a 350 grain arrow resulted in 342 fps.  With an IBO speed spec at 350 fps for a 30″ draw, this particular bow looks ready to impress.

Bowtech Destroyer 350 First Impressions

As I first stated, the bow looks great in person.  This bow came in RealTree Hardwoods camouflage with the InVelvet finish that looks and feels very nice.  The Destroyer’s cams are some of the biggest made; in pictures I thought they looked a bit odd, but in person they give the bow an impressive and aggressive look.

One thing that did bother me about the looks are the limb graphics.  By taking an impressive riser and cam design, adding nice looking camo but then putting a huge logo that is somewhat cheesy takes the looks down a notch.  Overall I give the bow a big thumbs up on looks, minus the ugly limb graphics.

Drawing the bow back for the first time shocked me a bit as I expected a stiff draw force curve (with speed comes the necessity of hitting the peak draw weight early in the draw) but wasn’t quite ready for the dump into the valley.  The Destroyer has an effective 80% let-off and combined with the stiff draw this is to be expected.  I don’t think the draw is unreasonable and after several times of drawing back I quickly became accustomed to it.  Normally I prefer bows with 65% or even a little less let-off so I will be interested to see how shooting this bow over the long run will be.

Pictures of the Destroyer 350

Without further ado, I present you with several pictures of the Destroyer 350.  Click for full size and view.

First Shots with the Destroyer

I set the bow up with a NAP Sizzor rest, Smooth Stability stabilizer, TruPeep and a Copper John Dead Nuts Extreme sight.  After installing a d-loop, setting the draw length to my liking and eyeballing the setup, I headed out to shoot with a few GT 22 Series arrows to give the Destroyer a test run.

I take everything I read about different equipment with a grain of salt because the internet tends to be saturated with those that either love or hate the equipment they post about.  Some things I have read praise the Destroyer as the best thing since sliced bread while others say the draw is too harsh and harp about a few incidences of cable derailment that have happened.  With all these stories safely stored out of my mind, I began my shooting with a blank slate.

OK, I lied, I did have visions of the greatness of this bow and the many praises that have been heaped on it no matter how hard I tried to block them out.  My first shot with the bow shocked me with it’s lack of anything really.  Lack of noise, lack of vibration, lack of bow movement other than gently rolling forward from the weight of the stabilizer.  I really despise sounding like a commercial or company shill, but twenty shots later I was still being impressed with this bow.  Rain be damned, I continued to shoot until the cold and wind forced me back inside.

There are two minor grievances I have; as with anything nothing is perfect for everyone.  The bow does have a short ATA and the string angle is a bit sharp for my liking, but with the massive cams pushing the string up at full draw, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.  For me to become consistent with this bow I’ll have to adjust my head/hand/string position to better fit the bow.   Time will tell.  Secondly is the issue of the let-off.  I’m one of those people that like a little extra weight at full draw and the 80% let-off is tough for me to get used to.

Tuning

Every bow has it’s own personality and attitude when it comes to tuning.  Some are a joy to work with and some are like spoiled children that do things behind your back when they think you aren’t looking.  Being that the Destroyer is a high performance, short brace height bow I expected it to be a bit temperamental.  I performed a quick paper tune on the bow using Carbon Express Mayhem arrows.  By eyeballing the centershot and doing a quick measure on the nock point height with a square, I was able to get the Destroyer tuned in less than half a dozen shots with no issues.

Next it was off to the target with some bare shafts.  Bare shaft tuning for me is where the rubber hits the road.  Starting at ten yards the bare shafts were hitting nearly identical to the FOB tipped arrows.  At twenty yards the bare shafts got a little squirrelly and were up and to the right.  A couple of taps and tweaks to the rest had the bare shafts hitting dead on.

Overall tuning the Destroyer was fairly simple with no real surprises.  For a high performance bow it is well behaved and easy to set up.

Destroyer String Stop, Cable Guard, Grip and Strings

String Stop:  All Destroyers come with a custom string stop (as most bows do these days) that has a substantial, soft rubber bumper at the end of a woven carbon rod.   The bumper is made of a fairly soft rubber and seems to do the job as good as any other quality stopper I have used.  After a couple of thousands shots there is a small mark where the string hits the bumper and not other visible wear.

Cable Guard:  Much of the noise this year about the Destroyer is due to it’s FLX Guard.  The FLX serves as a roller cable guard that is built on a composite base that flexes with the cables.  As the bow is drawn, the FLX Guard moves inward with the pressure of the cables and springs back on the shot.  In theory it helps relieve pressure on the cables at full draw and improves the tunability of the bow.  At first I was a bit apprehensive of yet another moving, breakable part on the bow.  It’s hard to say just how much the FLX helps the bow, but I had a very easy time tuning the bow and the FLX Guard has given me no issues.

Grip:  I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to my bow handles and grips.  Seeing the plastic grip of the Destroyer was a bit of a disappointment as I tend to prefer a good wood grip or sideplates.  As a engineer I understand the great properties plastics can have and do most of my designing with various plastics.  However, when it comes to touch and feel, a quality piece of wood is tough to beat.  Shooting with the handle has had no adverse effects and it performs well.  The throat is fairly narrow and fits my hand and as far as actual shooting is concerned, I have no complaints about the grip.

Strings:  Factory strings that come on bows are generally considered inferior to custom built strings though many say the Bowtech strings are some of the better on the market.  I have had some absolutely terrible stock strings come on bows and I usually replace them rather quickly.  The strings that came with the Destroyer have definitely been above par when compared to other factory strings.  After about five hundred shots I had to add on twist to one of the cables to correct a slight cam timing issue.  At the same time I added a half twist to the string because the peep had turned slightly.  Otherwise the strings have performed well and there are no visible wear issues with any of the serving after over two thousand shots.

Other Notes

One thing I really have to hand to Bowtech is their use of large hex bolts for the limbs.  I really despise the standard sized bolts that have been used for years that tend to scar and strip when the bolt has been set for awhile and applaud Bowtech for using the larger size.  It means using a different hex set than the standard archery ones sold in most stores and shops, but it’s worth the stronger bolt that is much less apt to strip or scar.

Adjusting the draw length and draw stop is not hard to do, but will require a bow press.  Pressing the Destroyer requires a very stout press as the limbs must be pressed a significant amount before the FLX Guard will relax enough to allow manipulation of the strings, cables and cams.  If you are not familiar with pressing different bows or question how to press the Destroyer, don’t risk it; go to a qualified pro shop that is familiar with the Destroyer to make sure it is done right without harming the bow.

Performance of the Destroyer

To judge the performance of the Destroyer I shot it with Gold Tip Ultralight 22 at 334 grains, draw weight of 67 lbs and draw length adjusted to measure 30″ exactly.  There was a draw loop, tied nock points and a TruPeep installed on the string.  This resulted in a speed of 345 fps which is right within the Destroyer 350 specifications.

The following chart shows the momentum and kinetic energy performance of the Destroyer (set at 72 lbs. and 30″) when shooting a variety of arrow weights from 466 to 1429 grains (see the kinetic energy and momentum article for more details):

With the kinetic energy ranging from 92.4 to 95.2 and the momentum from 0.62 to 1.1, the Destroyer packs plenty of punch for any large game.  The Destroyer is a fairly efficient bow and the KE continues to climb steadily even with an arrow weight of 1429 grains.

After having put over two thousand shots through the Destroyer, I am happy to say that the bow is a great shooter is very accurate.  It took a little adjustment to get used to the short ATA, but after a few dozen shots I was stacking shafts just as well with my target/3D bow.  With a quality stabilizer the balance of the bow is great and holds steady.

Bowtech Destroyer in Action

Here’s a short video of the Destroyer in action.  Notice how the sound of the bow shooting is only about as loud as setting the trigger on the release.

Final Thoughts on the Destroyer 350

I will admit that up until this point I had not found a Bowtech bow that I was overly thrilled with.  There has never been much wrong with them, they simply didn’t fit me quite like I would prefer and so I stuck with other brands for my personal shooting.  The Destroyer has definitely made a paradigm shift in my thinking of Bowtech bows.

The Destroyer is definitely not a bow for beginners, but if you are an experienced shooter looking for a bow with great performance and aggressive styling, the Destroyer is worth a hard look.

What I Like About the Destroyer 350

• Performance: one of the fastest on the market while still being accurate
• Smooth, quiet shot; little vibration and minimal noise even with light arrows
• Easy to tune, great to work with
• Aggressive styling that screams performance and “look at me!”
• Solid back wall and crisp feel

What I Don’t Like About the Destroyer

• Horrid limb graphics, these could be much better!
• Plastic grip cheapens the look of the bow, though it performs well
• Short ATA, I’d like to see a version with about two more inches

Other posts you may enjoy:

• Bowtech Destroyer 350 Review Part I: the Preview
• Bowtech 2010: Destroyer, Overdrive, FLX Guard and HardCore Limbs
• Mathews Z7 Review and Spotlight
• 300 days to 300 – Day 35 update
• Bowtech FLX Guard: New Video

Patsy Bear Archery Products (I love that name!) has a nifty little gadget called the Might Magnetic Release Aid Holder.  Have you ever had trouble (not me!) keeping track of your non-wrist strap release?  Do you set it down and forget where it was or randomly stick it in different pockets of your cargo pants?  Does it end up on your dresser, on top of the refrigerator, in your archery tackle box, quiver or some other strange place?  OK, I admit it, I spend a lot of time tracking down my releases because I continually put them in strange places or take them out of my pockets full intending to remember where I put them down.

Ray of Patsy Bear Archery Products has obviously had some of the same issues as I have and came up with a nifty little gadget to keep track errant releases, the Mighty Magnetic Release Aid Holder.  The principle is simple, put a fairly strong magnet onto a rubber base that can either slide over a standard cable guard or be positioned into one of the many holes in a bow’s riser.  Once in place, the archer simply sticks their release onto the magnet when not shooting and it’s always there, ready for the next shot.

Installation is a snap on a bow with a 3/8″ cable guard.  Just slip on the rubber boot and it’s ready to go.  I did notice after the first couple of shots that the boot was too far forward and my cable slide would hit it at full draw.  To fix this I pulled the boot out about 1/4″ where it didn’t hit the slide and it hasn’t moved from that position after around two hundred shots.  The rubber boot is flexible and stout enough to stay in place even when not pushed all the way onto the cable guard.

The only trouble I had with the holder is that it too me awhile to break my habit of shoving my release into any random pocket as I finish shooting.  Once I was used to using the holder, it was simple, easy and effective.  The magnet is strong enough to securely hold any of my Carter releases and should work similarly for any release that uses steel for the trigger, hook, hinge or other parts (which is most releases.)  It even survived the shake test where I violently shook my bow in an attempt to get the release to fall off.  Nothing short of whipping the bow around as fast as I could and stopping suddenly could get the release to come off.

If you like gadgets and have trouble keeping track of your release, this is a great little tool.  I’ll be using it on my spots bow and hopefully not loosing track of my release again!

Mighty Magnetic Release Aid Holders can be found at Patsy Bear Archery Products for $25.Other posts you may enjoy:

• Bowtech 2010: Destroyer, Overdrive, FLX Guard and HardCore Limbs
• Bowtech Destroyer with FLX Guard
• Bowtech FLX Guard: New Video
• RIPshot Release Strap System Review
• ArcheryReview.net officially launched!

And easy way to estimate your draw length is to use the wingspan method.  To measure wingspan, stand with your back against a wall and have someone make a mark at the tip of each of your middle fingers; now measure the distance between the marks.  Take this measurement, subtract 15″ then divide by two.  This method will be very close for most people’s draw length.  Of course as with any estimation method, it is not perfect and adjustments may need to be made to get a perfect draw length.

Here is a quick chart with the calculations already made:

Other posts you may enjoy:

• How to Measure a Bow’s Draw Length
• Archery Practice Loop: Tool of a Thousand Uses
• The fastest IBO rated bow possible?
• Improve Your Shooting Through Video
• Arrow FOC Basics and how to Calculate it

Other posts you may enjoy:

• Featured Video: Kyudo Archery
• Featured Video: Close Call!
• Featured Video: Bugling elk

As you may have noticed the amount of posts on Archery Report has dwindled somewhat.  This is certainly not because of a lack of material to write about but rather a lack of time for the writing.  I am in the middle of changing over the software that controls the design of the website as well as working on several improvements to the design itself.  As the site continues to grow and progress, all the little flaws of the original design are starting to rear their ugly heads.  It is time to make the change to a more flexible and robust design methodology.  Look to the coming weeks to start seeing the improvements and changes.

The next several days will see me away from the computer as I head off to the wilderness (literally!) with a group of Boy Scouts to enjoy some camping, hiking, fishing and maybe even a little archery thrown in.  As much as I hate losing the time that would be spent working on new articles and updating several others, it is almost impossible to beat time spent in God’s wonderful outdoors and all the wonders to be found there.

Once I have returned and finished with the first round of website changes, the number of articles should increase back to normal.  The opener of elk season is a mere two months away and my physical preparation, equipment setup and hunt planning will kick into high gear.  There is also a book of archery tips in the works; more information will be available on it in the near future.Other posts you may enjoy:

• 300 days to 300 – Day 84 update
• Reo Wilde Interview at Archery Report
• 300 days to 300 – Day 28 update
• Coming soon: ArcheryReview.net and Carpal Tunnel
• Announcement from Elite Archery

There is often confusion when it comes to shooting uphill and downhill shots on how to adjust for the incline.  Do you hold high on uphill shots or low on downhill shots?  Vice versa?  Or no change at all?  The answer may surprise some people.

The key to understanding an arrow’s trajectory on uphill and downhill shots is realizing that gravity only acts perpendicular to the earth’s surface.  Thus an arrow is only acted on by gravity for the distance that it travels parallel to the earth, or rather only the horizontal distance.  This results in having to aim low for both downhill and uphill shots!

Because the actual distance to the target will always be greater than (or equal to) the horizontal distance to the target, an adjustment must be made when shooting at extreme angles so that the yardage used on the bow sight matches the horizontal distance.  By remembering our geometry lessons, we can quickly calculate the amount of yardage that must be “cut” for either an uphill or downhill shot.

A right triangle is formed by the shooter’s height above the target, the actual distance to the target and the horizontal distance to the target.  The Pythagorean theorem states that the sum of the squares of the sides of a right triangle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse.  By knowing the height the shooter is above the target and the actual distance to the target, the horizontal or the aiming distance can be calculated.

Rather than trying to do the calculations in your head or by hand, the following chart can be used to find the exact yardages:

(download a .pdf of the chart here)

You may notice that there is not a lot of difference in most cases; only when the height above the target is extreme or approaching that of the horizontal distance does cutting yardage become an issue.  However, the difference is there and can affect the impact site of an arrow, especially when shooting at the 12 ring on a 3D target or the vitals of a animal.Other posts you may enjoy:

• Arrow FOC Basics and how to Calculate it
• Arrow Flight Fact or Fiction: one pin to 40 yards
• Archery and the Mental Game
• Archery, Arrow Flight and Altitude
• TAP (The Archery Program) Archery Software

Last update’s lesson consisted on focusing and the same theme was continued the last couple of weeks.  I have been struggling with switching between my target scope and the pin sight I use for 3D, and shooting with pins has suffered (see Archery and the Mental Game for details.)  The last few days I have spent mostly shooting the 3D bow and attempting to bring my aiming with it back into line, with some pretty good success.

Today’s target started off very roughly with the practice shots far from good and a 9 thrown in the first scoring end.  After that things settled down and I didn’t shoot another 9!  Only one point off of hitting 300.  A 299 is nothing to smirk at and I am quite happy with it, though I am disappointed in my ability to get those first shots in.

Even though the score looks good, my X count is still far from where I would like it to be.  This round was looking good and tight for arrows one and two, but arrow three was significantly worse with only a few arrows finding the X and many on the outskirts of the ten ring.

I believe the issue is that whenever I put together a couple of good shots, I take it for granted that the third shot will be good as well.  Often when either shot one or two isn’t perfect, I work that much harder to make three better.  Both of these cases show a lack of keeping my mental game together and this issue is going to need some significant attention over the next few weeks.  The ideal mentality should be that every shot by itself must be perfect and any shots before should have no bearing on the current shot.  My problem is that I tend to rethink a previous shot or be looking ahead to future shots rather than focusing entirely on the current shot.Other posts you may enjoy:

• 300 days to 300 – Day 56 update
• Archery and the Mental Game
• 300 days to 300 – Day 72 update
• 300 days to 300 – Day 7 update
• 300 days to 300 – Day 21 update

When I was originally working on the Fletching Review there was an issue with the FOBs (starrflight.com) that was causing them to drop more than expected.  At first I attributed this to the design of the FOB, it’s increased weight and possible higher drag.  After talking with Paul Morris of Starrflight, he suspected that I may be experiencing “bounce up” from the rest that was contacting the FOB just enough to upset it’s flight.  He suggested that I try using a Rest Rocket in conjunction with the the Ripcord rest that I was using.  The theory behind the Rest Rocket is that it helps eliminate cam timing problems as well as reducing rest “bounce up.”

The Rest Rocket consists of a couple of clips, two nock sets and a piece of rubber tubing that goes between the clips.  This gives the drop away cord a built in spring that at the instant of the shot delays the drop away arm from falling, then rapidly pulls it down before the fletchings reach the rest.

After installing the Rest Rocket I updated the results in the Fletching review, but I decided to go back and do a little more testing with some more back to back shooting.  For this testing I installed the Ripcord onto a Bowtech Destroyer 350 and tuned the rest to shoot Carbon Express PileDriver shafts, 125 grain points and FOBs.

After sighting in at 20 yards, I moved to 30 yards and shot two arrows from 30 yards.  I immediately installed the Rest Rocket (this took all of two minutes) and shot two more shots from the same distance.  The results can be seen below:

The first two shots are the ones down and slightly left, the shots with the Rest Rocket installed are high and a little right.  After this first round I uninstalled the Rest Rocket and repeated the experiment with approximately the same results.  This confirms that there is a definite difference in arrow flight when using the Rest Rocket with FOBs and confirms the findings from the Fletching Review.  Not all rests benefit from the Rest Rocket and there is a list on their website that shows which rests will work with it.  If you own one of the rests listed on the website and would like to improve the flight of your arrows, the Rest Rocket could be worth a try.Other posts you may enjoy:

• Review: Limb Driver Arrow Rest
• Review: NAP Quicktune Sizzor Rest
• Fletching Review: speed, drop, ease of use and more
• Fletching review update
• Arrow Flight Fact or Fiction: one pin to 40 yards

When adding or removing twists in a bowstring or cables, unwind the string or cable completely from the cam before changing the twists.  Pull the string tight while twisting.  This will ensure that the twists added or removed are distributed more evenly throughout the entire length and will reduce the amount of shots it takes for the string/cable system to settle in.Other posts you may enjoy:

• How to tie a Catfish/Torqueless Bowstring Loop
• Smooth Stability Stabilizer Review
• Bowtech Destroyer with FLX Guard
• Bowtech 2010: Destroyer, Overdrive, FLX Guard and HardCore Limbs
• Hoyt Maxxis 31 and 35 Review and Spotlight

With all of my recent emphasis on 300 in 300 days, the bulk of my shooting practice has been with my target bow and scope.  The progress has been going quite well in that aspect of my shooting.  However, I have been shooting 3D leagues for three weeks now and the results have been less than stellar.  One big difference is that while I am shooting very similar bows (Hoyt Ultra Elite XT3000 for target and Ultra Elite XT2000 for 3D) one is setup for freestyle and the other for BHFS.  The scope on my target bow has a hollow circle for the aiming point that I look through the center of to line up on the “X” while the other bow uses 0.019″ pins.

So if I am progressing well with shooting and in particular back tension with one bow, why is my shooting seemingly going backwards with the other setup?  I believe the problem to be purely mental.  The shot execution feels good and seems to be working well and the arrows are going where the pin is.  However, the pin isn’t where it’s supposed to be!  There have definitely been a few errant shots that were simply poor execution, but most of the shots that are not 12s are solid shots, but not great ones.

The problem as far as I can tell is that I am able to put together the full shooting package with the target setup, but not with the 3D rig.  I have focused so much on execution on aiming with the scope that I took it for granted that it would transfer over to shooting pins.  For whatever reason, I’ve developed a mental block on being able to put the pin where it should be every time.  Perhaps this has to do with looking through the scope and being able to see the “X” and having to cover up the intended impact spot with the fiber optic.

Whatever the case, my mind is not currently up to the task and something has to be done.  I see a few choices that could be made.  One would be to consolidate the type of sight on both bows so that there is little to no difference between aiming them.  Another would be to use the same bow for both types of shooting.   It could also be possible to set the pin sight so that the pins sit just under where the arrow should be hitting, thus allowing for seeing the impact point rather than covering it up.  The last idea I have would be to push through the mental block on using two different sights.

Right now I am tending towards the last option or the first.  I really enjoy shooting BHFS for 3D and I am reluctant to change that.  It would be nice to be versatile enough to shoot both styles of sights as well.  For hunting I will definitely be using a pin sight and so if I were to consolidate the sight types it would mean moving to a single fiber pin in my scope for the freestyle shooting.  Now that I have a good grip on what the problem is, it’s now a matter of choosing the solution…Other posts you may enjoy:

• 300 days to 300 – Day 84 update
• 300 Days to 300 – Equipment Corner
• 300 days to 300 – Day 35 update
• Uphill and Downhill Shots, How to Adjust for Proper Arrow Impact
• TAP (The Archery Program) Archery Software

I was finally able to find time and cooperative weather to get out and finish the shooting portion of the TAP Review.  Head on over to the TAP Review Page to see the final results of how well a sight tape created in TAP performs.Other posts you may enjoy:

• Fletching review update
• TAP (The Archery Program) Archery Software
• ArcheryReview.net officially launched!
• 300 days to 300 – Day 14 update
• Archery and the Mental Game

Knowing what draw length a bow is set to is important so that the archer can properly select and setup their equipment.  Most people rely on what setting the bow is set at to determine the draw length of the bow.  Unfortunately this is not always accurate as many bows are actually set anywhere from correctly to 3/4″ or more higher than their rating.  Thus buying a bow with a 28″ rating may actually get you one that is set to 28 3/8″.  Often bows come this way from the manufacturer, other times the strings may have stretched or the bow may not be tuned properly and the draw length is off.  It is in the archer’s best interest to measure their own bow rather than rely on the setting or markings of the bow.  It is also a good thing to check periodically to make sure that nothing has changed on the bow.

AMO Draw Length

The AMO draw length is what manufacturers use to rate their bows and is the draw length that is printed in the bow’s specs.  Unfortunately the way that the AMO length is measured can be a bit confusing because it is not an exact measurement.  AMO draw length is calculated by taking the actual draw length and adding 1 3/4″.

Checking a Bow’s Draw Length

There are several methods that can be used to measure the draw length of a bow; some more complicated than others.  Many pro shops and even home shops use a draw board or similar device.  Another way is to have someone measure the draw length while you are at full draw although this can be awkward and somewhat dangerous.  The simplest and easiest way that I have seen and the one that I use when my draw board is not available, is to make a draw arrow.

Before a draw arrow can be useful, you must know what exactly you are measuring.  The draw length of the bow is determined by measuring from the nock point to the point directly above the deepest part of the grip, where the arrow crosses the riser.  This point is easily found with the use of a bow square.

Attach the bow square to the bow string across from the grip and measure the deepest part of the grip.   Make note of this measurement.

Now move the bow square up to the rest.  Make a mark on the riser at the previous measurement.  I prefer to use a small strip of painter’s tape so as not to make anything permanent on the riser.

Next you will need an arrow that you can make draw length markings on.  Using a tape measure or similar, place the end 1 3/4″ past the throat of the nock (remember that AMO is actual draw length plus 1 3/4″.)  Mark the arrow at whatever increments you would like; I am using 1/4″ on my arrow.

Nock the marked arrow, draw the bow back and have someone looked to see where the mark on the riser matches up to the measurements on the arrow.

This simple method is easy to use and very reliable.Other posts you may enjoy:

• Archery Tips 5 – Estimating Draw Length
• How to Measure Arrow Shaft Specifications
• How to Make Perfect Arrows
• TAP (The Archery Program) Archery Software
• Arrow FOC Basics and how to Calculate it

Field points and broadheads tend to work themselves loose when shot, riding in vehicles or just generally getting jostled around.  This can be prevented by putting a small amount of string wax onto the threads before screwing them into the inserts.

The opposite can occur if the threads are exposed to water or other environmental effects that can cause corrosion and make the threads seize up.  A little bit of wax goes a long ways to preventing thread issues.Other posts you may enjoy:

• Archery and the Internet
• How to Make Perfect Arrows
• TAP (The Archery Program) Archery Software
• Archery Tips 2
• Less Conventional Archery Improvement Methods

My word of the week is “FOCUS”; as in don’t do what I did last update and lose focus so easily.  The last update was definitely an example of what happens when form and focus do not peak together.  My form felt good, the release was good, but without being able to consistently focus on aiming and putting the pin where it should be, the good form was squandered on poor shots.

The last couple of weeks have seen me taking a few minutes here and there at work, home or just about anywhere and doing nothing but focusing on a dot, a speck, a miniature version of a Vegas face or anything else.  This simple exercise seems easy, but for me, with my wandering mind, it can be very difficult.  By forcing myself to do absolutely nothing but focus I am training my conscious mind to settle in and forget about everything else.  To aim well, this is a necessary thing to master.

This target and the results were a good learning experience for me.  The first shot is the one hitting the two black rings; some fool forgot to extend his sight and lock it in place!  The rest of the green warm-up shots consisted of three marginal 10s and two 9s.  I was focusing so hard on focusing that I couldn’t focus!  That may sound confusing but that’s exactly what happened.  After those two rounds I had to sit down and pull my mind back where it needed to be and relax.

Once I had relaxed and was able to properly focus, things when quite well.  There were a few tens on the line, but a lot of Xs as well.  During the seventh end I realized that I hadn’t missed the ten ring since the practice ends.  At this point I got over-excited, lost my focus and threw my second shot high and left.  So much for keeping it together.  This shot ruffled me and the next shot flew high right.  Up to that point I had been doing great and then dropped two points in a row due to not relaxing and doing what I had practiced.

The first shot of the eighth end was nearly perfect and then on the second shot I remembered how I had messed up the previously end and promptly did the same thing again; unbelievable!  At this point I took about sixty seconds, breathed in as deep as possible a few times, settled down and shot four Xs to finish the round.

This round ended up being a great victory and a great defeat at the same time.  I showed myself that I can tighten the groups, hit more Xs and generally shoot better when the focus is in the right place and relaxed.  However, I also showed exactly what happens when that focus is lost and everything falls apart.  I’ve learned my lessons and should be better prepared for the next scoring round.Other posts you may enjoy:

• 300 days to 300 – Day 7 update
• 300 days to 300 – Day 56 update
• 300 days to 300 – Day 84 update
• 300 days to 300 – Day 14 update
• 300 days to 300 – Day 21 update