Arrows Redefined

First of all, the “mystical flight of the arrow” as Ted Nugent calls it isn’t very mystical if launched correctly. I definitely love that saying though. For years, very little was understood about arrow science and there was a lot of hearsay as well as assumptions of how things work. I’ve heard so many cogitations regarding what to do to make your arrow fly better and all that jazz. I’m going to gladly dispel most of those here today. All of this is based on proven facts. I will cite where I found it so you can take the time and per use at your leisure.

IBO speeds deciphered. The advertised speed (IBO speed) when you get your bow is really not accurate. The manufacturer sets a bow up with a 30” draw length, 70 lbs. peak draw weight, and a 350 grain arrow. This puts speeds around 300-325 FPS. EVERY LITTLE THING YOU PUT ON YOUR BOW EFFECTS THIS SPEED! For example, your peep, string silencers, etc., etc., etc. The only way to know your true speed is shooting it through a chronograph. If you really want to delve into this, www.briansarchery.com has one of the best and most conclusive articles regarding this. There are other sites that give you a calculator, which is a good estimate. THAT IS ALL IT IS! Beware of that. If you really want to know how many feet per second, shoot it through a chronograph. I have a chronograph and I shoot my bow regularly through it. As your string wears out, your FPS drops slightly. For best results, shoot 3 arrows and average it. That’s really the best and most accurate reading.

ATA speeds defined. The ATA rating is a MUCH more precise reading and better number to follow. They have significantly tougher guidelines. The ATA allows better setup for a less standardized, more accurate “guess-timation”. That’s really all it is. They allow the bow to be set up at different draw weights, having a nock set on the string, and exact weights of the arrow. All of these have tolerances, but the ATA tolerance is very tight. Either the ATA site or www.archeryreport.com can give you the guidelines if you so desire to read them. The ATA number gives you a much better snapshot view, but nothing is going to be exact until you fire it through the chronograph.

All of this is fine and dandy for bragging rights. I hear it all the time in the circles of my friends, hunters, fellow competition archers and even just walking around the pro shop. I was actually in one of the pro shops recently and this guy was bragging about how fast his “custom built bow” shot. It was in for string replacement. He frayed some of the servings at a recent competition. I happened to have a friend who shot at this same competition and he was talking about the great paint job on this particular bow, but the bow couldn’t reach out and touch the 80 yard target. The arrow hit the dirt before it got there. He described it to me, and before my very eyes this bow was in the press. The guy replacing the string (who is amazing to be perfectly honest) was laughing as this guy was talking about how awesome this thing was. He’s a fellow archer, as well as a hunter, a bow-technician, and he competitively shoots as well. He was talking about speeds of over 350 FPS, which I know isn’t realistic out of a 60 pound draw bow. I shoot a 60 pound bow in competition and use the same bow to hunt as well. I regularly shoot mine through a chronograph and the ABSOLUTE MOST I’ve ever got was 338 FPS. That was with an undersized arrow, super light, nothing on the string, no stabilizer, no fletchings on the arrow. I didn’t throw the bull crap flag, I just listened.

When it was all said and done, the bow tech and I nodded at each other, and challenged him to the chronograph shoot. Well, his only put out 312 FPS at the highest. His average was 308 FPS, which is still not bad at all! Moral of the story, beware of bragging until you really know what your FPS are. Also, believing a manufacturer’s rating is like believing a politician. They are there to sell speed. How realistically accurate that speed is, is directly proportional to how well the next president you are voting for is really going to do what they say.

All this being said, what’s the real reason behind FPS ratings? Well, there are a myriad of answers. The best answer I can give is this: launching power. When that arrow leaves that string, rest and starts flight, it is one truly beautiful sight. There is a You-Tube video that shows an ultra-slow motion view of this. The arrow moves through the air like a sine wave. As it moves forward, it flexes and shakes, and somehow, goes where you aim it (hopefully). The more velocity you put behind it, the further it will go and if your target is within reach of that, the harder it will hit. Also, the further it will penetrate whatever target you are aiming at. There are a million other reasons why FPS are “so important” but for the hunter, that is really the main objective.

Let’s talk fletchings for a minute. I’ve been lectured by “old-timers” on more occasions than I can count about fletchings. Some swear by feathers, some by the plastic and others swear by the vinyl flethcings. Some insist about length, styles (helical, straight, different offset) and shapes. Let’s be honest, some of that is purely personal preference and your bow. The one rumor I can eliminate is this. Helical fletchings are your choice. I personally like them. I’ve heard much debate in the way they are spun. SCIENCE HAS PROVEN that no matter what hand you shoot from, length of arrow, draw length, or draw weight, which way you fletch your helical fletchings doesn’t matter. It will spin regardless. It makes absolutely no difference in which way the offset goes. I fletch my own and it is rather therapeutic for me. Time consuming? Yes, but completely worth it! I’ve tried left hand helical, right hand helical, straight, every angle of offset you can get. Point blank it doesn’t matter.

As for fletching styles, my arrows fly farther and more accurately with the short 2” Blazer Vanes. They are vinyl and take abuse. Not to mention they are inexpensive, so if you do tear them up it doesn’t break your wallet. I’ve found for my shooting style, actual feathers don’t fly and don’t last. However, if you are serious about it, you should try before you make the decision. Try in groups of 3. Just like sighting in a gun, taking 3 shots and getting a group always leads to best results.

As for arrows, well this is one heavily weighted topic for most. I will say this; most archers or hunters don’t try a whole lot. They stick with what was recommended and what they know. That is perfectly fine. However, limiting yourself and not trying to find the best is like eating only chicken nuggets and French fries your whole life. I have spent loads of money over the years trying arrows, arrow configurations and everything involved with them. It was a labor of love, solely because I love the sport that much. I have found by personal experience Gold Tip makes the best carbon fiber arrow money can buy. That’s all I shoot now. I tried the Beaman, Easton, Carbon Express and pretty much any of the others on the market. Gold Tip arrows are hands-down the best. Straightness quality, stiffness and durability make them the industry leader.

For clarification, I am not paid to say that. I am not sponsored by them and I hope I don’t offend them by being honest about their quality of arrow. I used aluminum arrows for years. I was too stubborn to change. One particular day I was shooting with a friend of mine in his back yard, just playing around like I do this time of year to prepare myself for the upcoming deer season. I robin-hooded 2 of my aluminum arrows. He then handed me a carbon fiber one, (actually it was a Carbon Express arrow) and I shot it. I immediately noticed a difference. We literally went down the street and I bought 2 dozen. Never turned back. The change was amazing. If you are stuck on one particular brand/style, just try to expand your horizons a little. You may be impressed on what you find.

Another thing I will say about this whole arrow discussion is broad head/field point alignment. You can shoot all day with field points and be great. The minute you screw that broad head on the end of that arrow and go to shoot it, you may be surprised! Anything you do to that arrow will affect its trajectory. You have to be extremely careful and MAKE SURE you have tested your combination BEFORE you hit the field. There is a lovely tool, called the ASD or Arrow Squaring Device. The ASD when used will make sure you have perfect mating surfaces from broad head to arrow insert and for nock to shaft. I use mine regularly. They are relatively inexpensive and last quite a few years. Another product that should be used frequently is Pine Ridge Archery’s Arrow Inspector. You can square the arrow literally perfect, but if the arrow has a severe wobble or doesn’t spin right, well, you have defeated the purpose of squaring it. No matter how many times you square it, if it doesn’t spin right it won’t fly right. This tool is also relatively inexpensive, but WELL worth the few dollar investment. It will cut down the time of questioning yourself, “Is it me? Or is that arrow bad?”.

These are just a few explanations for archers or those interested in archery. It truly is a science. This science isn’t exact though. I cannot stress enough, how important it is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! You can have all the latest and greatest, but if you can’t hit the target, you just wasted money. A shooting coach I had in the military used to say to me all the time “aim small, miss small”. I used to beat myself up for being ¼” off at 50 + yards. I found it was the fact I didn’t aim small. I aimed, but aiming “small” wasn’t my focus. Know your target. Know your gear. Know your shot. BE your shot. Aim small, miss small.

Be safe out there, good luck, and shoot straight!

-Bill Vahle, Fall Obsession Field Staff