A couple years back I decided to return to the great pastimes of my youth - archery. I actually got quite good at it, performing at a sub-Olympic level for a few years. Then I acquired target panic…and it was all over. I also discovered that the pro shooters I competed with were largely cheaters, poseurs or blowhards and I left the sport.
I’m back in now, but as a gentleman-sportsman, unconcerned with cut throat competition or the other shooter’s follies and foibles. I now compete only with the bum in the mirror and it’s great. I bought the year’s top line bow, put on best sights and accoutrements…and started trying to figure out my arrows. I am conservative in my approach to the shooting sports, preferring the things with established reputations for high performance and reliability rather than the fashions of the day. I found a super deal on Bloodline arrow shafts and bought 3 dozen. With care…that’s enough to last me the rest of my life. I special ordered 175 grain fieldpoints to match my 175gr. hunting warheads. I finished it off with a classic three fletch with 3-1/2” offset…and I was in business! The finished arrow came in at 525gr and came off the bow at a conservative 258 FPS. It was balanced to my preferences with a full 18% FOC. The perfect arrow, according to Filthie!!! π


I made these arrows with the same care
and deliberation that God did when he chose his Apostles.
The points were forged, the shafts assembled
in a cave in the side of a live volcano.
Tibetan monks blessed my arrows.
They glow and fly with divine light!!!
Praise be to God Almighty.
I am starting to shoot like me again.
After half a lifetime…
Perfect for the indoor plinking and casual Turkey Shoot tourney! Perfect for hunting too - unless I hit bones this arrow should go right through a deer with ease. Not so great for the 3D tournaments though, where the shots can be long, and errors in judgement of distances can become critical.
King Peter is insisting that I develop a lighter, faster speed demon arrow - and gave me two dozen shafts that he couldn’t get to fly for him. I tried to politely refuse…but Pete was adamant. And he does have a bit of a point. I’d hate to lose my precious stash of arrows on the 3D course…and he was giving them away…so…with some misgivings I took the lot.
Archers fight about bow and arrow set ups the same way gunnies do about calibres, pet loads, techniques etc. And fuggin Pete…he worships at the altar of speed. I took the arrows he made, fired a few and they cam off the bow in the mid 285 FPS range. That’s nothing for gunnies, but in archery…that is a huge step up in velocity. But hell’s bells…like guns, everything in archery is a trade off. Usually (but not always) speed comes at the expense of accuracy.
The FOC on Pete's arrows were terrible; no wonder they didn't fly for them. He's a big far kid shooting at 75 lbs, and off his bow, these things moved at over 300 FPS. Sure, I pick up tons of speed with these; and yes, it follows that range estimation is far less critical as a result. But jeez...getting a decent groupd out of these things is like pulling teeth!!! In my world... this is unacceptable.
I am going to tell Pete he can have them back... and if he refuses to take them... I will deal with them myself. I will cut them down a couple inches, and add some weight up front to bring that FOC bac into spec... and then we'll see what effect that has on velocity. It's just like guns... there ain't no such thing as a free lunch...
The tinkering continues apace. Thans for dropping by - keep your corners square, and keep your score cards honest.
Filthie