Long Distance Spec.
- Thread starter tel
- Start date
Max
New member
Hi Tel - I think cash has a little influence here. Late last summer, I was stuggling to transfer the draw weight from my arm to my shoulder using 38lb limbs. The club coach suggested I was over bowed and would benefit shooting lighter limbs until I sorted my form out. I did not want to lose the opportunity to compete at long distance, so I bought a pair of WinEX 36lb limbs, which claim to shoot as well as limbs up to 3lb heavier, due to increased mid range draw weight (around 16 - 19"). I combined these limbs with 670 ACE's with 85 grain points and the result is a bow very nearly as good as my 38lb bow. It remains to be seen just how it fairs in very windy conditions, but 36lb will do the job if the arrows are light enough and the limbs fast enough (which usually means a bit expensive).
Max
Max
Max
New member
Surely though, accuracy and grouping are an issue here? I accept that just to get the distance, a fairly light bow will lob an arrow 100 yards at high trajectory, but then we begin to suffer from the same problem that longbows do and get killed by cross wind. Maybe the question should be how light can you go and still retain the advantage of relatively flat trajectory and short time of flight?
But that gets into a "how good is 'good enough'?", type of question - opinion, rather than fact. At least with the "what setup will reach 100 yards?" question, you can give definitive answers. The "least" setup for that I've heard of so far, was Murray's 34lb/ACEs...Max said:
Long rod covering the target... I had a friend in college who had to aim at 100 yards by placing the weight of his long rod over the target. 36lb limbs (IIRC) and X7 shafts. That was pre-A/C arrows, of course.
Being a little person.... I shot at 100yards last year just to see if I could. :raspberry
I was shooting about 30lbs on my fingers, I had v-bars with a 20" longrod on - this allowed me to see the target. I missed a fair few times but achieved a 1st class score, I'm sure if I was to continue to practice at this distance it would improve.
My arrows are ACC's 2L-04.
I was shooting about 30lbs on my fingers, I had v-bars with a 20" longrod on - this allowed me to see the target. I missed a fair few times but achieved a 1st class score, I'm sure if I was to continue to practice at this distance it would improve.
My arrows are ACC's 2L-04.
Max
New member
But surely Rik that is the whole point? The "how good is good enough" question is important, because it has to be subjective. You have to ask "can I live with the additional variability that a lower draw weight will imply". Opinion and perception are important. You want to hear that someone else in a similar position to yourself can shoot good groups with this or that set up, without using unusual aiming techniques.Rik said:
I am still debating my own strategy of going into the summer season on a lower draw weight kit. Will the improved form offset the external influences of the higher trajectory? What you tell me in your post is that, yes, here is an example of someone shooting 34lb with an ACE combination - that is important to me in terms of confidence in my own decision. Time and results will tell.
I think Murray was still shooting in the low-to-mid-30s when he shot his first 1200 FITA (care to enlighten us, Murray?).
I also seem to recall that Denise Parker of the US shot a very high 1300 Ladies FITA with aluminium arrows and somewhere in the 25lb range.
Ultimately, it comes down to all sorts of factors (arrow weight, stabiliser length, tab shape/style, face shape etc.) so it's hard to generalise. However, I think it's safe to say that to get a workable sight mark with light arrows (like ACEs) at 100 yards most gents will have to shoot something in the mid-30s or above.
While a quick set of limbs may help (Border, WinEX, etc.), they may also require that you shoot a stiffer arrow, which could lose you a sight mark click or two.
I also seem to recall that Denise Parker of the US shot a very high 1300 Ladies FITA with aluminium arrows and somewhere in the 25lb range.
Ultimately, it comes down to all sorts of factors (arrow weight, stabiliser length, tab shape/style, face shape etc.) so it's hard to generalise. However, I think it's safe to say that to get a workable sight mark with light arrows (like ACEs) at 100 yards most gents will have to shoot something in the mid-30s or above.
While a quick set of limbs may help (Border, WinEX, etc.), they may also require that you shoot a stiffer arrow, which could lose you a sight mark click or two.
R
rgsphoto
Guest
I think it's a very difficult question to answer t be honest. I had 39lb on my fingers and shot with G3's and Everest pro limbs shooting ACE 670's. I could just manage 100 yds but struggled to get a decent sight mark. The reason for this was my very high anchor point. Anchor point makes a huge difference to how far a given person can shoot. This variable makes bow power/arrow type impossible to predict. What suits one may not suit another.
However one thing that is fact is light arrows go further and flatter than heavy ones. If I shot recurve an ACE is the only arrow I would consider. Oh and plastic surgery on my face to make it a bit longer. lol
However one thing that is fact is light arrows go further and flatter than heavy ones. If I shot recurve an ACE is the only arrow I would consider. Oh and plastic surgery on my face to make it a bit longer. lol
When you point your bow upwards, the stabiliser points up too... If it's long enough and the angle is extreme enough, the target is hidden behind the stabiliser!Max said:
I have seen attachments which angle the longrod downwards, which would avoid this as an issue, but then you'd get into how that would affect the overall balance of the setup...
Another data point:
It occurred to me that I used to shoot 100 yards occaisionally with a (just) sub-30lb draw weight and aluminium shafts. I had to turn the sight round though, and the arrow behaviour at long distances was sometimes just plain weird. I wouldn't recommend it.
Hmmm. Non-weight factors affecting sightmarks; Tab shelf height, nocking point position, sight extension, jaw position (open/shut - see "tab shelf height"), head tilt.... I'm sure I can think of a few more if I try hard enough
Max
New member
Thanks Rik. I should have paid more attention to Shirts reply! I think once the stabiliser had blocked my view, I would be thinking I was on the road to nowhere with that draw weight. Interestingly, of all the non weight related obstacles to long distance, I think anchor point is probably the most critical. The difference in sight marks with two different people using the same bow can be amazing - Rich has shot my bow at 20 yards and his impact point is a good 12" lower than mine.
A very informative thread - thanks for all the info.
A very informative thread - thanks for all the info.
jadlem
New member
shorter arrows mean less weight held at the fingers for a given set of limbs too.
Bow tune, efficiency of the archer/bow/arrow system and physical dimensions of the archer are all factors in this.
Another illustration of how variable the factors are, my recurve setup:
30" acc 500 spine, light points, 70" bow winact with long limbs 39lbs at my draw length, could barely get 80 yds sensibly on the sight.
My wife: 28" 810 navigators, 68" aerotec and everest carbon limbs with a very thin string using beiter nocking points could get the distance. The same arrows out of her 30lbs compound make for an almost flat trajectory out to 100yds too.
Bow tune, efficiency of the archer/bow/arrow system and physical dimensions of the archer are all factors in this.
Another illustration of how variable the factors are, my recurve setup:
30" acc 500 spine, light points, 70" bow winact with long limbs 39lbs at my draw length, could barely get 80 yds sensibly on the sight.
My wife: 28" 810 navigators, 68" aerotec and everest carbon limbs with a very thin string using beiter nocking points could get the distance. The same arrows out of her 30lbs compound make for an almost flat trajectory out to 100yds too.
R
rgsphoto
Guest
jadlem said:
I agree totally on the first point.
I'm not surprised to see the 500 spine ACC ( 3-28?) did not go to 100 yds very well. At 30" long they weigh a wopping 384 gn's! With only 39lb of thrust behing them I'm amazed they made it at all. By my calculation a 520 ACE (307gn)would be sailing 144" or 12 Feet over the boss with the same sight mark. I don't rate ACC arrows with recurves bows, they simply don't do the job well. They are too fat and too heavy. The ACE is the best option, or something of equivalent weight anyway, the thin profile is only of benefit when it's windy, which it always is.
Compound bows are more efficient than a recurve bows anyway. Less power will still give more performance even with the same arrows.