Hunts On Outfitting Podcast
Stories! As hunters and outdoors people that seems to be a common thing we all have lots of. Join your amateur guide and host on this channel Ken as he gets tales from guys and gals. Chasing that trophy buck for years to an entertaining morning on the duck pond, comedian ones, to interesting that's what you are going to hear. Also along with some general hunting discussions from time to time but making sure to leave political talks out of it. Don't take this too serious as we sure don't! If you enjoy this at all or find it fun to listen to, we really appreciate if you would subscribe and leave a review. Thanks for. checking us out! We are also on fb as Hunts on outfitting, and instagram. We are on YouTube as Hunts on outfitting podcast.
Hunts On Outfitting Podcast
Beginner's Guide To Compound Bow Shooting
Ever watched someone pull back a compound bow and thought, "That looks way too complicated" or "I could do that easily"? Either way, you're in for some surprises! In this eye-opening episode, we demystify compound bow shooting with former Bass Pro archery department expert Logan Elliott breaking down everything beginners need to know.
The journey begins with finding the right bow for your body - a process that's far more personal than many realize. Logan walks us through how proper draw length, draw weight, and grip can make the difference between frustrating failure and addictive success. We explore the science behind let-off percentages, anchor points, and release techniques that form the foundation of consistent shooting.
Equipment selection becomes crystal clear as we discuss arrow spine ratings, broadhead options, and the great debate between whisker biscuit and drop-away rests. Whether you're considering bow hunting or simply target shooting, understanding these components removes the intimidation factor that keeps many potential archers on the sidelines.
Perhaps most importantly, Logan repeatedly emphasizes that practice trumps price tags every time. "I could still outshoot myself with my $600 bow compared to my $3,500 setup simply because of practice," he notes, highlighting that dedication creates proficiency regardless of budget. For those looking to extend their hunting season, challenge themselves with a new skill, or simply enjoy backyard target practice during summer barbecues, compound bow shooting offers an accessible pathway to outdoor accomplishment.
Ready to pull back that string and experience the satisfaction of perfect arrow flight? Subscribe to our podcast for more outdoor insights, and connect with us on Facebook or email us at huntsoutfitting@gmail.com to share your archery journey.
Check us out on Facebook and instagram Hunts On Outfitting, and also our YouTube page Hunts On Outfitting Podcast. Tell your hunting buddies about the podcast if you like it, Thanks!
this is hunts on outfitting podcast. I'm your host and rookie guide, ken mark. I love everything hunting the outdoors and all things associated with it, from stories to how-tos. You'll find it here. Welcome to the podcast, all right, hey, thanks for tuning in. This podcast would not exist without you listening, and the great guests we are fortunate to have on this week is no exception.
Speaker 1:So have you ever thought of trying to challenge yourself a little more in hunting? What about maybe getting a little longer hunting season or more opportunities? Maybe you were looking to add another hobby or possibly obsession? Well, how about compound bow shooting? Now, for those that know nothing about it, maybe it seems a little intimidating to get into the bow itself with multiple strings looks a bit different from the old ones we're used to seeing in cartoons as kids, such as Robin Hood. So where do you begin? Well, we have former Bass Pro archery department worker, logan Elliott, who is going to help cover the basics in getting started. And what's in this great pastime of many people? I am also joined by crossbow, not yet converted to compound bow hunter, ethan Stiles, and by future can't get enough of it, but still hasn't really tried it much yet. But plans to Kyle Gillies, also speaking about trying new things and finding out. They are great.
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Speaker 1:And I thought this would be a great podcast to start talking about compound bow shooting, slash hunting. But we're mainly just going to get into the shooting part of it and we'll do another one on the hunting. I find that there's two trains of thought, like we were talking about earlier with the bow shooting. If you don't know about it. If you're someone that doesn't know anything about it, you're looking at a compound bow. I find you either think, oh, that's easy, just pull back the string and shoot. There are people looking at it like boy that. And um, I brought self-proclaimed expert and I call him that logan elliott, on to talk to us about it. Logan's been on quite a few times before. Logan is the sheep farming farm equipment salesman. But logan, you also worked was it three, four years at bass pro in the archery department.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you dealt with a lot of people coming on, coming in, uh, knowing nothing about bows yeah, there's a lot, of, a lot of new people, new shooters, young people trying to get into it. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I mean here where we're at new brunswick, canada other places too, you'll have just a bow season.
Speaker 2:We can get out what two, three weeks earlier for deer season, yep here yeah, three weeks for deer, and then I mean you still got spring bear, any compound bow shooting like you want to practice as your best friend, as always, like to an extent, like I've still shot a lot of, well, a few animals with a rifle and right up soon, you say in your scope, and you can. Most people can run a rifle without doing a whole lot compared to compound bow shooting, like even even to now, like I have a. I have a two year old Matthews V3 now and I would still say I'm not as good a shot with it as when I was back in college. Oh boy, what was that? Almost 10, no, eight to 10 years ago with the $600 bear Crocs was my first I'm going to call it real compound bow. I picked up and but I was in there every day shooting and if I put myself side by side from seven years ago I'd still be a better shot with that bear, just from practice.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, practice. So I mean we've got some other people on the podcast. We've got Ethan Ethan Stiles is in, he's been on before, and Kyle Gillies, who's only been on the trivia ones. Your first non-interview one where you get your own mic and everything.
Speaker 1:Thank, you kyle, you're looking at getting into bow hunting yourself, completely new to it. So like we're going to talk about you know someone comes to you, logan. They want, like I want, to get into bow hunting, bow shooting with a compound. Where do you begin? I mean, the first thing is picking the right bow, would you say that a lot of people you know you can. A hand-me-down good to go, you've got to be fitted to it, right? Everyone draws back differently Arm length, how many pounds? We've got to talk about the draw weight. Most places in Canada and the US the minimum draw weight is usually around 40 pounds. It takes 40 pounds of hole to get that bow back. But so someone comes in to you, logan. They're like I've never shot a compound bow before, I want to buy one. Where do you begin?
Speaker 2:Uh, basically start where in the bow department. Well, the hardware too. One of the main things like is what, what's your budget going to be going forward? I mean, I'm not going to tell you to go buy.
Speaker 1:it All right, so their budget's $800.
Speaker 2:$800. All right, because you can still get a good and I know a lot of people and I've shot animals myself with a $500 to $800 package. That comes full kit ready and they're a really good package. It just depends too, what's your ability for? Draw weight is one. What's too like. What's your ability for draw weight is one. What's your ability? Well, not what's your ability, but what's your draw length going to be, because there's some bows that are going to be like a 28 to a 31, if you're.
Speaker 2:If you were a younger person coming into it, I'd say get one of the. They call them like a grow with you bow, and they're very and it's great for your first bow too, to play, be able to play with weights and get very comfortable because you don't want to. One thing a lot of people do is they put too much draw weight on way too fast, right, and you get tired. You can't hold it back. They tire themselves out quick and as soon as you tire yourself out, you're shooting a lot of arrows.
Speaker 2:Your shot gets worse and it's hard to get better when you're tired, especially when you want to shoot 40, 50, 100 arrows in the evening. You're going to be done after 20, and then you're going to be shaky and tired, right. So get very comfortable with a lower weight first. And even the bows like they make bows now. The technology's crazy that you can go from five to 70 pounds on a single bow and not change a part, and from anywhere from like a 20 inch draw length for someone who'd be like four and a half feet tall, anywhere to a 31 inch draw length all in the same bow, without ever changing a part, just moving around your modules, which is the parts that basically, just when your cam or your wheels turn, or when your cams turn, on the cans.
Speaker 1:So people trying to visualize it at the top and the bottom of your compound bows, they're those things that when you pull the strings back they turn a bit so I guess, well, if you want to dig into that a little bit, like you can get it most bows now you'll see you're 90, basically all of them.
Speaker 2:You can either get a most compound bows or a dual cam bow, meaning top and bottom. It's more. Each bow has their own design but more of an oval shaped or almost even some are almost triangle for how aggressive they are, and those genuinely that's what the strings are rested on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the top and bottom. If you're looking at a compound bow, the top and bottom it looks kind of a wheel, but a weird shaped wheel. If there's two that are more of an oval triangle shape, that's a dual cam bow and genuinely they're a little harder to draw back, but they tend to have a little bit more let off and they tend to shoot a little harder just because they're working together simultaneously and they work a little more. Just a little more together, and they just work a little more aggressively. As soon as they turn they really pull that string through versus a single cam bow. If you're looking for something that has single cam bows usually it's a big round cam at the bottom and then a perfectly circular wheel at the top you might not get as much let off just because there's not as much. It's more circular, so there's not as much turn at the. What do?
Speaker 3:you? You mean by let off?
Speaker 2:So when you get your compound bow all the way back, when that cam turns there's shape, so when it turns over at the very back it takes weight off your string. So like, let's say, like my personal bow, it's set at 80 pounds and I have an 80% let off, meaning when I have that bow drawn all the way back that I'm only going to be holding 20% of that 80 pounds, which gives you a lot more ability to hold back for a long time, because holding 80 pounds back to shoot a deer after a minute it's pretty much impossible. But that's one big advantage of compound bows over shooting recurve for sure yeah.
Speaker 1:And then, with bows though, say, we'll say another scenario too. Someone comes into you and like oh my uh brother just gave me his old compound bow. You know, am I good to go? You'd be what you'd say like no, let's get you, let's get you fitted yeah, you'd have to get like, let's say like if your brother's.
Speaker 2:if your older brother handed down a bow and you had one and he's four inches taller than you, the draw length is probably going to be way back by your ear and it's just not going to fit you right. And when that string's back by your ear, your front arm's going to be straight and you will learn what string burn is pretty fast.
Speaker 1:I've always been scared of that. I've never had it done. No, but done, but like pulling back. No, I've always been fine, luckily.
Speaker 2:But I've always wondered yeah, I know people that's happened to and string burn for anyway, if your draw length's too long and you extend your front, you're the arm you hold the bow with two straight and when you shoot the bow the string slaps the inside of your forearm how do you, how do you size it?
Speaker 3:yeah, tell it.
Speaker 2:Do you size it?
Speaker 3:I'm gonna.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna mess this up. It's been a while since I've actually tuned one up, but it's a Measure your wingspan across the back Straight out as straight as you can go you put your arms straight out like on a cross.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Just arms, just basically straight out to your side, just like a wingspan. You're measuring your wingspan Go across the back, because across your back is flatter. So you get a truer measurement and then you divide it by 2.5 and that's your draw length. I think it's 2.5. If I mess that up I'm going to be mad at myself, but I'm pretty sure it's 2.5.
Speaker 1:Logan's not really an expert.
Speaker 2:It's been a day or two. But if you google it it'll obviously tell you the right.
Speaker 1:But that's kind of rough.
Speaker 3:Is the bow itself? Is there different sizes, like, like, say, if you were to set it on the floor, the height of it for compounds.
Speaker 1:They're pretty similar, are they all?
Speaker 3:relatively the same relatively the same.
Speaker 2:Usually a taller bow will be for a longer draw length on hunting bows, just because just the way they're built for, because if you had a very picture, a very short frame bow with a string that's really really far back, your, your brace height, which is your measurement from basically where your arrow rests on that you're shooting off of to your string, is going to be very, very far away. So you kind of got to extend the bow to just kind of keep everything I don't know what the right symmetrical.
Speaker 2:Yeah, more or less so, like, even like, if you're looking at, I want to, I want to pick on Matthews, cause I own one. I just know about the more than other brands, but other brands are very similar too. So if you have, if you have two different models, like a 28.5, like like a 28.5, like I shoot a matthews 31.5, which is 31.5 axle axle, which is center cam to center cam, because I have a fairly long draw length, but there's also one that's 28.5, which maxes out at 29 inch drawing so how would you determine whether you need a 28.5 or 31 or?
Speaker 2:that's the measurement of your wingspan divided by 2.5. So so whatever that number is at the end, like if you're, how tall, are you Six?
Speaker 3:Six feet.
Speaker 2:Six feet. So if I had to just guess, you're probably sitting at around a 29, 29 and a half inch draw length, just as a rough guess.
Speaker 1:I'm curious, when you get a bow, kyle, what it'll be at, what the draw length will be. Logan might be dead on like I'm. You gotta let us know I'm six. Yeah, what did you say?
Speaker 2:it would be 29, 29, 29 and a half, somewhere right around there usually bows, some of the some bows um, there's some bows that you can actually just change the module on the actual cam and the module being the piece that sets your draw length, because picture it when you're drawing your bow back and the whole cam or wheel is turning. Basically, basically, it's just a way, it's a stopper, so when it comes around it will hit one of your strings and that's what stops for your draw length. So basically, just a little bumper that when it swings around it stops, and then you just angle it back for longer draw lengths or shorten it up for shorter draw lengths, just basically, whenever you're just setting, when that stopper hits.
Speaker 3:So when you say, like we were talking earlier about overdrawing, yeah. How could you overdraw if there's a stopper on it?
Speaker 1:I mean overdraw if it's. If someone has a bow that they weren't fitted for, yeah, like if your buddy was 6'5 and gave you his bow.
Speaker 2:You're going to be drawn back to your ear.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah, it's got to be fitted.
Speaker 2:And I can't tell you where to set up your bow, because I don't shoot like you.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:Because, like my Matthews, even like most bows are anywhere from 75 to 90% let off.
Speaker 2:Higher end bows you get to kind of, you get to pick like I could have picked 80 to 90 with mine. So everyone thinks you'd pick 90% let off because, oh, I'm holding less weight. So everyone thinks you'd pick 90% let off because, oh, I'm holding less weight. But just for me personally, I like a little bit of tension on my string when I'm fully drawn a little more, just because I find myself I can stay a little more stable. I find if I have a bow that's like 90, there's some even now that are 95% that when you draw back your string almost feels like you could let it go and it's not even going to move because there's just no weight left on the string at all, which some people love and you can hold it for a long time. But I find my hand just floats around because there's no tension. I like a little bit of tension because I like having the weight on my front hand kind of like pulling your rifle snug into your shoulder when you exactly versus floating.
Speaker 2:You just get that. It's more of just a firm feel for me and I've always liked and I'm going to use terminology a jumpy cam like. I don't like a jumpy cam meaning that my let off.
Speaker 2:There's a little bit of tension always there and it's if you bring your hand ahead a little bit, it's ready to go. Yeah, I've always just found myself it's a little more steady, like if you're and that's where you're getting to like a great, very aggressive cam bows will generally have more let off, just because when they turn, when they turn up over, it's almost a triangle shape. When you get that turned all the way over, it's almost like locks in there like they've actually I remember hearing about an old when winchester used to make bows.
Speaker 2:They did, they made one I didn't know that they made one with a cam that was so aggressive that they had an issue. And when people shot the string didn't move. Oh really, they had too much let off, because when that cam turns over all the way and it locks over to let your let off, people would shoot and the string wouldn't move.
Speaker 1:So you're stuck. They didn't test it before putting it on the shelf.
Speaker 2:You're stuck there with a string and an arrow sitting there and you don't know how to make it move.
Speaker 1:You just take your other hand and ping it.
Speaker 2:But it's all what you're like. It's hard to buy a first bow. You almost just have to like.
Speaker 1:But as far as hand-me-downs, you know, you should go to a bow shop, get it fitted for you, get your measurements, get it fitted for you, and then you know they'll show you the proper form and technique and everything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's definitely form and technique that I definitely push because, like especially like I always well, let's get into that.
Speaker 1:So say so, somebody's been to the bow shop or they got a hand-me-down, but they've been there, they've got it fitted.
Speaker 2:They take the measurements, yeah, let's say, kyle came in with a hand-me-down bow. Okay, first thing we'll do is measure his draw length. Yep, I'm probably going to turn down the weight just to first, depending what the bow is, because most bows Because Kyle's not very strong, exactly Some bows are Like the Grow With you bows. They're like 5 to 70 pounds Average bow. Some are like a 20-pound range, like a 60 to 80. And some are Most are a 10-pound range, so a 60 to 70. Yep, so I'd probably just find out how many turns I can turn those, because all you do for tightening a bow is where your limbs connect to the frame of the bow. All it is is an Allen key and you just turn it back and you do them simultaneously, top and bottom, so they're the same.
Speaker 1:But you can't do all of them right, Because my obsession is 65, and I don't think that can be adjusted at all. Or can they all be?
Speaker 2:They should be able to. I don't know they should be able to, I don't know. That's one bow I'm really not familiar with.
Speaker 1:There's not a lot of people that are the Obsessions, doesn't seem. I like it a lot.
Speaker 2:I can't see, why not? But I can't tell you one way or another. I'll show you after Every bow I've ever touched. You can, so I don't know.
Speaker 1:So what kind of maintenance do you do to a bow?
Speaker 2:Okay, well, that's jumped ahead a little bit. Yeah, we'll get. We'll get there in a minute, settle down ethan.
Speaker 1:Uh, it's good question, though, I like it, yeah.
Speaker 2:So like I'm gonna say you're drawing length, I'll probably turn the pounds down, just because I don't want just get comp, just draw back.
Speaker 1:You don't want, you don't want to help, kyle say, and he's pulled back and he's just shaking and farting and going on trying to hold that and you're just like ease.
Speaker 2:Turn the bow down first just to make sure you're comfortable with it and then go up from there Like, if you can jump, if you can pull 70 pounds through the hop, great, it's fine. Most bow technology nowadays between 60 and 70 pounds, it's really not going to gain you a whole lot.
Speaker 1:It really isn't they say like? Is it 60 or 65 with most of your modern day arrows and or broadheads will go clean through a moose draw weight, so you don't need that. Most places like I said, states and provinces are like 40, 45 pounds.
Speaker 3:What is the minimum for New Brunswick?
Speaker 1:I think it's 45. Yeah, yeah, but I mean, that's you know you're going to kill something at that, right, oh?
Speaker 2:yeah, like, like, how sharp broadheads are, like an arrow. I'm going to measure your draw length and make sure your draw length is right. A lot of it for me, I found, especially with switching bows, is finding a grip that works for me on the bow, that's the hardest part.
Speaker 1:When I've changed bows… you don't want to grip it grippy, you want to have a bit of lift when you're holding it.
Speaker 2:Not even that. The fact that the grips are different and they sit different in your hand. Oh right, because my first bare bow, it was really slim and that just stuck in the V of my hand, so perfect. And then I went to a Matthews monster used when I kind of wanted to upgrade into a higher line of bow, and I got an older monster that I really liked, but it was a very wider old style wooden grip, oh yeah, so I kind of had more. I had to turn my hand, take it and put it more on my palm, so it and put it more on my palm so it would stay flat when I release. Because if your hand's sitting too tight on the bow, like if you're gripping your bow way too tight, yes, it's going to sit straight when you're drawing back because you're holding it, but as soon as you shoot, if you're gripping it too tight, your hand's going to turn and you're going to kick your arrow either to left or right, depending if you shoot it Kind of going to form your grip.
Speaker 2:Exactly, exactly so. It's just forming, finding a grip that's comfy. And even if you have a nice big target and you're really close to shoot at, don't even hardly watch where your arrow hits. You can tell a little bit if you're real close to which way your arrow's tailing it might be swinging out of your rest, because when you think about it, by the time you release that arrow your hand's going to twitch immediately, so that arrow might not be out of your rest by the time you twitch. Right, so you could kick your arrow one way or the other.
Speaker 2:That's, that's the trouble with it never thought of that so even one thing I've I've done with my new bows is even I've got really close to I mean, I have access to hay bales and everybody does but even get really close to your target and just shoot at it and just immediate, just stare at your hand and see what your hand does as soon as you shoot if you you twist one way or another and just find something that's comfy. But that's one thing I've found, especially when I've switched bows, that was the hardest thing to adapt to was finding the right grip that wouldn't kick every time.
Speaker 3:So when you buy a bow, if you're a left-hand shooter or a right-hand shooter, do you change the grip or you buy a bow?
Speaker 2:that's, you buy a bow.
Speaker 3:That for a left hand or right hand? Yeah, you have to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's just, there's no real way around it at all. Yeah, it just doesn't line up right. Nothing lines up right. Well, like your hand, like all your strings, because I'm actually left-handed, I hold the bow with my right hand, so all the strings are on my left side. So if you held that with a right-hand bow, all the cable strings which With a right hand bow, all the Cable strings which run up and down your cams, which basically hold the bow, balance the bow out With your when you're drawing back it, that'd be right against your arm the whole time. So you're you kind of have to buy For what hand you are.
Speaker 1:Good question though. Yeah, yep, alright, so he's got it all fitted and stuff. So you're teaching him the form and stuff. So you're teaching them the form and how to shoot form.
Speaker 2:I just always start with grip. Just find something that's nice and comfy. Find something that as soon as you shoot, like it's like a I always relate it someone who's never shot before like throwing a baseball. Like if you're throwing a baseball in a direct line straight at something, you're throwing it, watch where your hand finishes. If your hand finishes to the left, you're going to throw it to the left of them. If your hand finishes to the right, you're going to throw it to the left of them. If your hand finishes to the right, you're going to throw it to the right of them If your hand finishes, straight at them. Just, it's like a follow through. Like you're like a golf shot or anything else. It's all follow through straight through the target, kind of push your hand straight at your target. And then other thing I've always, I'll always preach, no matter who you are, I don't like cause I, I anchor. Some people anchor more with even their thumb under their jaw.
Speaker 1:I've tried it Cause I heard about it. I've heard that my thumb be on my neck. Uh, it was different, it's okay. I've heard some guys doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah For like and some, a lot of people use this like even a thumb under their jaw and their D loop. Your D loop is what you hook your release onto or your trigger, what you draw the bow back and shoot it with. You can use whatever, but I've always praised have two points of contact. So for me, I have the top of my D-loop sits in the corner of my mouth and then I touch my center of my nose, I come down on my string and then it's perfect with the peep sight. So like your peep sight's what you look through towards your sight.
Speaker 1:That's right in the string, yep. The peep sight is tied in the string Directly through the middle of your string.
Speaker 2:So for me I always have.
Speaker 2:Because if you're like, let's say, if you drew back your bow and you just turn your head sideways and nothing of the string was touching your face, you're going to be looking through that peep sight at your sight, different every single time, because your head's going to be floating, your hand's going to be floating, you're going to have no point of contact.
Speaker 2:So every time I get the corner of that d loop in the corner of my mouth and I touch the top of my nose to my string and then my peep sights right there. And always how I've always set up peep sites too. If you're even trying this at home, you can slide them up and down your string. You'll be lucky if it sits right, but if you do need to adjust it, the only thing I've ever done to adjust peep sites is find a two points that are comfy for you on your face and then as soon as you open your eye, you're looking directly through that peep site. If you're not, the peep site's in the wrong place. Because that's the most common thing I've watched with new hunters is they draw back and they start looking for the peep site before they find a good anchor point, anchor point being those two points, whatever's comfy for you.
Speaker 1:That's one thing I've always watched with people is they always look for the peep site and make it adjust to them not adjust the bow to you and then adjust the peep sight to that right, and then not everyone's anchor point's going to be the exact same. No, you'll figure it out when you pull the bow back, lock it. However.
Speaker 2:How you'll know then how you want everything to look, and then whoever's setting up your bow for you can yeah, like I can't tell you to put the top corner of the d-loop in your mouth and touch the top of your string to your nose, Cause everyone's no one's face is symmetrical to another. It's like there's nothing the same about two shooters.
Speaker 1:Most of the time, Kyle might not want the D in his mouth, so it might be in a, might be in a different spot but that's kind of the main things.
Speaker 2:And then and then basically just get arrows on target and then adjust from there Basically, like uh. And then adjust from there Basically, like always check the level of your arrow.
Speaker 1:And start when you're shooting. I find a lot of guys make that mistake. They're like oh, I'll go back to like 50 yards, Starting where like start close, Start at 10. And work your way back slowly really slow Start at 10.
Speaker 2:Start at 10 yards.
Speaker 1:That's just always been kind of my baseline was always 10 yards but then so we got that part out of the way, with you know getting bow and all that. So then we're going to look at you know, some people that don't know anything about this at all Say like Kyle, what's that thing that you've got in your, either in your hand, around your wrist or whatever the release right? There's many different forms of that. How do you get somebody to choose?
Speaker 2:pick one of them to start, I would suggest a wrist release being one that's almost just looks like kind of a belt buckle strap that goes around your wrist and hangs on to your wrist, has a bar coming off with like an actual trigger of sorts on the side either a straight trigger or a, and then basically all it is has a little clamp on it and that's what you clamp on your D loop to draw back, which then from there you'd anchor. But there's two types of those.
Speaker 1:There's a spring tension one, which means when you pull that trigger, the trigger on the gun, like one of those I've got, the one where you just barely look at it and it goes off.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can do yeah. One where you just barely look at it and it goes off yeah, you can do yeah that's one style that'd be a hair trigger.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I had the other style before.
Speaker 2:I didn't like that as soon as you tap it. It's style I like too. Some people die by, some people like the tension for the spring one.
Speaker 1:I tried that.
Speaker 2:I found there's a hair trigger and one basically, you just tap the trigger and it releases open like nothing the other one's spring tension, which means the more you pull back your trigger on a gun. Yeah, the more you pull back your trigger, that release you'll you'll feel be able to feel more tension on your trigger before the arrow releases. So as soon as you let go of that trigger, your clamp closes where the other one you have to flick back to close it yeah so there's those two styles, but then you can get into back tensions and thumb releases and but someone's starting, what would you think?
Speaker 1:I mean, I like the hair trigger, what I just barely touch it.
Speaker 2:I see, I said pull I set more people up basically with. It was. Actually it was, it's a uh, it's, it's made by scott scott releases. Scott, I think it's a, not the longhorn, oh, I can't remember. It's made by scott releases, but it was bass pros brand blackout, exact same release and it was half the price and just a hair trigger. It was like 65 canadian and I.
Speaker 2:I ran that trigger for five or six years and I loved it yeah and then I got into a thumb release, just my new bow, and I found it was just comfier and I like the tension of the thumb release versus the trigger. So there's just, it's just a change for me.
Speaker 1:So there's, you know, get the release part of the way with, and then, um, yeah, we, we get arrows.
Speaker 2:Well, your air. I was going to say sites.
Speaker 1:I was going to say like you got you want to talk about arrows first?
Speaker 2:okay, because you can run with whatever site and you can run basically whatever rest you want to. Yeah, but arrows have to be matched to the bow yes, I was going to say that.
Speaker 1:So they cut them. So that's the thing too. Some people might think like, oh, I'm just going to buy a pack of arrows, screw a broadhead on the end, good to go, but they, they need to be cut to the bow that you're shooting and they need to be spined right. Okay, didn't know that.
Speaker 2:So spine being the stiffness of your arrow and charts can be different, varied on the arrow. So usually, like You'll see numbers Anywhere from 250 to 500 Is your arrow spine as your stiffness. Usually the higher numbers the lighter On a couple Like yeah, usually, yeah, usually the lower numbers stiffer. There's a couple brands that are backwards. I know Carbon Express is different, say you're going out hunting.
Speaker 1:You're going to go out. You're going to tell them I'm going to shoot deer, I need arrows. What do I need? Well, I mean roughly.
Speaker 2:It's a loaded question. Depending on the bow, depending on what you're shooting.
Speaker 1:Say you've got a 55-pound, draw weight on your bow. For what?
Speaker 2:you're shooting, so you've got a 55-pound draw weight on your bow. I like for me, I like a really heavy arrow Okay, I like that punch and power. I like slim diameter arrows for hunting, especially because there's less friction to go through an animal, and I found the penetration with slim diameter arrows is second to none after I switched to them. As far as like grains per inch and total arrow weight, like I'm using, I'm at 502, which is like very heavy, considering average arrow Like, if you're looking at an average shooter average arrow, you're looking at, oh, around eight to nine grains per inch. So, and that's one thing too, if you're shooting a lighter weight, your spine is going to not be as stiff, which means your arrow is going to be lighter.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Because it's taking basically density out of that arrow. So if you're shooting a real heavy weight I'm at 80, at 30 inch draw and if you ever want to go buy arrows and you need help, on the back of every single arrow box there's a chart and it's just a YX axis and it goes down, it goes your arrow length and then it goes arrow length, draw weight, and then the squares are all your spine. So basically just follow the chart down and up until you get your arrow length and your draw weight, match it up and that's your spine and that's not your draw length, that's arrow length, because they're not always the same. They're usually pretty close.
Speaker 1:They're not always the same you get that cough when you go to buy arrows. Yep, what you're looking for. So what kind of broadhead do you like? Oh, that's a little bit of a. That's a loaded question, ethan, and I like your questions that you're coming up with, but they're just wrong time and wrong question, I like. I like a kidding. We're talking about arrows.
Speaker 2:I like a good heavy arrow. If you were shooting 45 pounds, I probably wouldn't suggest a super heavy arrow. Just for fact, if you're shooting deer, deer can jump a string pretty quick. Yeah, and you want a little more, I'd say, if you're shooting anywhere from like 40 to 60, 65 pounds, I'd go with a mid-weight arrow, because you're probably going to be shooting in that like 400 spine area, which means you're probably going to be, depending on the arrow, anywhere from seven to eight and a half, maybe nine, on a heavier arrow. So you're going to max your weight out pretty quick, unless you want to get into outserts and matching your spine and all that sort of stuff, but for just simple, simple hunting, simple arrow setup.
Speaker 2:If you don't want to spend $100 in arrows, which not a lot of people do. But yeah, you want a mix. You want to look at the shelf and like, okay, my lightest arrow, my spine option, is six grains per inch, my heaviest is nine. Eight would probably be a good balance for the middle. It gets you speed, it gets you a little bit of hitting power behind it. So that's what I'd recommend If you're shooting, if you got a long draw length and you're shooting real heavyweight and you want to and you're basically only hunting. I basically myself have ran the heaviest arrow I can possibly find.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Like my. My arrows are set up to be just heavy, hard hitting and the weight and draw length they just the bow shoots them pretty quick. Like they get to target on time, because even both last two bears I shot I was shooting rage hypodermic two blade.
Speaker 1:Well with that, though, like Ethan said about broadheads I think you mean like you mean mechanical or fixed.
Speaker 2:Yeah, mechanical or fixed.
Speaker 1:See, that's a loaded question too, because it depends, but isn't it? You need a certain draw weight for a mechanical to go off, or you don't, do you no?
Speaker 2:There's many different systems and I've tested quite a few of them just to know what would work. I like the Rage. It was funny I swore I would never use Rage. I never liked them. And then they went on sale one day and I said screw it and bought them. I've never put anything else on my arrow when I went hunting.
Speaker 1:I've got the Age Typhoon. Are they fixed or are they mechanical?
Speaker 2:They're a two-blade mechanical. Mechanical yeah, and they have a little collar system at the bottom. It's a little plastic collar and it's notched is just a grab. All it is is a friction. So it has two little front. It looks kind of Almost looks like a butterfly. If you're holding it up it looks like a butterfly.
Speaker 1:The top two push and they push against each other so then the blades come out the bottom, but the way it's set up is that when it hits it basically has to go off and open. Because that's the problem that you hear some guys run into Mainly the older ones, I find is that the mechanicals, they, don't go off. And like I've heard, this is set up to. It's like 99%. It's got to go off.
Speaker 2:I've used and seen and like I'm not here to bash brands or anything because I haven't used all their stuff, I used a set of NAP New Archery product, three blade mechanical and all they were were friction opening and they're like they're the ones that point to the top and the whole thing folds back over itself. Oh, they didn't open really like the friction of them was too much friction and they did not open what was that brand?
Speaker 2:nap did you guys hear that and I'm not here to say their two blades aren't good, or their new style is good, but the ones I used. I can't remember the name of them now. It was years ago, but I didn't like them. I've used a lot of different brands.
Speaker 1:You can bash it if it doesn't work. That's fair yeah.
Speaker 2:But I have NAP stuff and I like some of their gear. It's just those mechanical three blade broadheads.
Speaker 3:Do you always use mechanical, or or do you use some fix?
Speaker 2:I've never put a fixed in.
Speaker 3:Never no.
Speaker 2:I don't know Fixed it's all preference. Fixed are rugged yes.
Speaker 1:It depends what you're hunting to maybe.
Speaker 2:Fixed are rugged. Fixed will go through. Fixed will work All the time. What I do not like about fixed is shooting them in wind and I don't like tuning them, because you do have to tune broadheads to your arrows and your weight and veins, like you think you have to play with your weights and how the broadheads sit on your bow to make them mechanical is not quite as finicky it's not because they're just not as much stuff like those little, like those, any or my rage shoot like I haven't even played with them and I shot them identical to my field tips, at whatever range, doesn't matter yeah.
Speaker 1:so let's talk about that a little bit.
Speaker 2:So say, you have a 100-grain broadhead, if you're practicing on your target, you need to use a 100-grain field tip to mimic that, unless you're really trying to go for weight on a lighter-pound bow usually 100-grain is very, very standard, like for probably 80% of the time Some people go in for real heavy or trying to get, or someone that's like right between spines, because a heavier tip will make the arrow flex more. So you can kind of play with weights that way on the front of your, on the front of your arrow, for your arrow, spine and weight. But for standard, most 90% of the time, you're probably just going to be running hundreds and that's what's most available. Yeah, but you're probably just going to be running hundreds and that's what's most available. Yeah, but yeah, as far as like I don't, I've never seen, I'll never say anything bad about a fix, but you have to know how to tune your broadheads and it is, it's kind of an art to do because some like to like.
Speaker 2:I remember I don't know if anyone ever remembers them they had toxic broadheads. Looks like the toxic symbol on a barrel yeah, it was like three circles.
Speaker 2:And I tell you what I did shoot a bear at 20 yards. I've never seen a blood trail like that in my life. You could not tune those. I could not tune those broadheads. I tried for hours and hours to tune those and like every single shot I'd shoot 20 yards. I'd try it two inches high left, 30 yards, three inches high left, 40 yards, four inches high left, and I couldn't get them to move. But as far as mechanicals like those two blade systems like that or slick trick, any that are just like forced to open from the front, I find they're pretty tried and true and especially for shooting too. Wind doesn't affect them, they just fly straight and I just basically set my blades exactly horizontal and they've always just flown right for me yeah, so play around with them.
Speaker 1:But you know, like you were saying yeah because your because your arrow spins coming off yeah like your arrow spinning through the air.
Speaker 2:So if your front isn't matching up to your back, it's not going to want to do the right thing. Yeah, and you can go in to all sorts of other depths with building your own arrows and veins, and which way, your arrow naturally spins, coming out, cause if you put your veins the other way, it's fighting against it Fletchings.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's, there's. You can go into depth for hours on that. But as far as just getting into bow hunting medium weight, medium weight arrow if you're running 46 pounds, if you're shooting 70 pounds and want to go for something a little heavier, or if you're shooting if you know you're going to be shooting fairly close range, I'd say go for heavier all you want, but if you have something where you might be trying to make eventually, like a 40, 50 yard shot, you need it to get to that target on time too. Yeah.
Speaker 3:So it's, it's flex. Is that mostly what your bow is set for, or?
Speaker 2:is it?
Speaker 3:does it have any effect with what you're putting on it for a broadhead?
Speaker 2:No, as long as you keep the grains the same, as long as you have like your practice tips, as long as they're a hundred and your and your uh broadhead is going to be a hundred, you're good to go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it doesn't make any difference on the arrow. That way, it's that way, it's going to be the same weight, same everything. They usually give you a practice tip in the pack just to make sure it's shooting, fine with your arrows, but besides that, it's seems.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's always good to go, yeah, so then you're putting your arrows on a rest. And then do you want to talk about these dropaways?
Speaker 2:there's whisker biscuits yeah, I'm, I mean whisker biscuits, very tried and true.
Speaker 1:So what a whisker a whisker biscuit is very tried and true. So what for people listening? What is it A?
Speaker 2:whisker biscuit is basically? It's a round circle with one spot where you can insert your arrow on the side. Looks like a biscuit and basically, yeah, it's basically just a dead circle and it's just brushes or whiskers you might say yeah, but it's basically whiskers all the way around the circle. Your arrow sits right in the middle of it. They're pretty non-fail because the arrow just sits in there. The veins glide through the brush.
Speaker 1:It's nice, Like I used one for a couple years, but they can get worn out though they can get worn, that's the thing they can freeze they what you're waiting for. Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:But on most of your time, like the whisker biscuit, is a good rest, for the price of it, for an entry level, just getting used to it. I will never knock a whisker biscuit. They're great, Like they don't and they take a long time to wear out. Because if you ever look at a whisker biscuit there's black whiskers on the bottom and the color goes around. You can get whatever color you the whole thing. But the whiskers on the bottom, the black ones, they're actually stiffer so they last longer to hold up your arrow and basically you set up your veins. So when it goes through that your bottom two veins spread so it doesn't hit the stiffer whiskers, so it's less friction, obviously. And then there's a couple sites I really don't like on stock bows. I don't mean to pick on bows, because I've used them, I like them. But diamond bows, they have a three-prong whisker and it's very short, short, very firm whiskers held by plastic. If you get that on your bow, put something else on it please.
Speaker 2:They wear out so quick and then your arrow's tipping down and then you're wondering why's my bow? You're just getting used to archery and then all of a sudden, your bow's shooting down. It's not shooting like where it should be and you're getting frustrated, and yeah, but for me dropaways are the king, once you get them set up.
Speaker 1:So that's one where it's hooked to the string you pull back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can get it lifts up with your arrow, then when you shoot yeah, there's two different styles of dropaway and dropaway meaning you set your arrow in the rest and as soon as you shoot, that drops away. So it's completely no friction. So it basically stays up long enough to get your arrow going on the right path and then drop it for zero friction. And that even helps too. If you have a little bit of flinch. It might even be able to take that out of it a little bit, because your arrows picture a whisker biscuit. Your arrow has to get all the way through that whisker biscuit before you can move a millimeter, because what you do, that's a quarter minute, your hand three inches down range. So drop ways are good for that and I just how does a drop away work?
Speaker 2:so basically it's a little mechanism. Inside it's almost just like picture, like a little latch on, like even like a uh, like a crank something, so you get past one spot and then as soon as it drops away quickly, it bypasses that and then it just drops away. So it's basically like I've never actually opened one up and seen the inside. But it basically happens real fast. So you can click your most of them. You just pull it up a little bit or there's some sort of rest for your arrow to sit, and then when you draw it back it's either mounted on your limbs or on your cable string the cable string that pulls down, so it pulls the rest up and as soon as you're released it drops away, so it's like a mechanical rig then it's a mechanical rig.
Speaker 2:yeah, exactly, but I've used, but even for an entry level, like QAD makes the Hunter Edition, which is good for bows, I think, below 310 feet per second, which, on the spectrum of that, that's 310 feet per second is fast yeah.
Speaker 3:What is your?
Speaker 2:average, oh, average hunting, probably like 250, 260. Realistically, yeah, because, like, if you are going to a bow shop, you can, and you can see them every year. They put out their top tens for closest to what they actually claim. So if you go to a bow shop, your ibo rating for speed, let's say it's 310 feet per second. That's what it says on the tag. Like your bow is advertised, this bow will shoot 310 feet per second.
Speaker 2:That is, with that bow maxed out draw length, maxed out weight, with the lightest possible error, you can throw through that bow. So perfect, perfect. Draw length, maxed out weight, with the lightest possible error, you can throw through that bow. So perfect, perfect scenario. You'll get three, 10 out of that. You add 20, 30, 40 grains to that arrow. Take two inches of draw length off and 10 pounds off, you're probably shooting two, 50. Like the closest I've ever got. Like the closest I ever got, cause I tried it on my old monster and that bow and and that my bow was years old at that time too. And uh, usually the top bows are the closer ones. There's some that like, and how they test and they buy every brand new series of bow. They put the same arrow through all them at an average weight that works with all them, and then they see who's actually closest to what they're saying on a real, real world scenario, and some brands are definitely known for better ones than others.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But the closest I've ever got was my Matthews Monster and it was at rate of 336 and I got 332 out of it. That's pretty close, but I was throwing through a light arrow that I would never hunt with. I just wanted to see for fun. My hunting arrow 302. About a hundred grains difference.
Speaker 1:Also talk about shooting too. A big thing that people getting to bow hunting, bow shooting, even need to know is that you don't ever dry fire your bow.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Cause, you know, some people like oh, just practicing, you know dry like showing, yeah, showing showing your girlfriend, or showing your wife, or showing your boyfriend your new bow, and then you shoot.
Speaker 1:Cause, what is it? The arrow takes that? What kinetic energy, or whatever you want to call it? It holds it right. Because if you're pulling back, and dry firing, like, I've seen videos where, like yeah, the bow explodes, yeah, and it'll happen a lot too on cheap bows, like you see the videos now of.
Speaker 2:Especially like Hoyt was the first one to do it, they added in a machine 500 dry, fire straight really that was their advertisement, I think it was. I think that was for their rx3 or their carbon spider, I think when that came out I can't remember which one a few years back, but no, they did a dry fire test and it was a video of that bow getting dry, fired 500 times straight at 70 at like 80 pound, 32 inch, like full maxed out really yeah, like they can handle it.
Speaker 2:But if you get into the cheaper lines like well, don't do it, I don't say cheaper lines, because I still say, if I line myself up with that Bear Crux versus my Matthews, that I have quite a bit of time and money invested into yeah I could still out shoot myself my crux simply because I practiced yeah and that bow was.
Speaker 2:I bought that bow on clearance for like 580 bucks and I had the stock. I think it went from a three pin, four pin trophy ridge site for 120 bucks and I did put a q80 hdx. I did have the upgraded drop away rest on it but besides that but, but was like the whole package arrows, everything that cost me 750, 800 bucks and I could still shoot neck and neck with my three and a half thousand dollar matthew setup so practice, getting practice, getting to know your equipment.
Speaker 2:Does that matthew shoot smoother? Is it quieter? Is it comfier? Hell no. Is everything better about it? Yeah, definitely, but I you got to put in the time, that is yeah you got, you got to put in the time well, that's the thing with this.
Speaker 1:It's not like rifle shooting. I mean you should practice your rifle, but there's there's a lot more time and dedication that needs to be put in with compam bow shooting, but the rewards, would you say, are worth it.
Speaker 2:I mean I don't know for me, like I, and I probably will at some point, I always, I always say every year like I'd still love I still haven't actually harvested a buck with my bow yet and I definitely want to. But I'm saying like for myself or bear. Unless I'm out somewhere someday, I don't where, but like, if I'm going on my property where I always bear hunt, I will never take a rifle with me, I'll always have my bow in my hand. There's just something about bears at 30 yards of the bow. It's one of my favorite things, even compared to a big white-tailed buck or a big flock of geese coming in like white, I don't know what it is, no matter what size bear, it just it's just different. It's definitely different too when you yeah, when you see that first shot go through and the reaction it's just, it's definitely different yeah, then shooting some of the rifle and we'll get more into on another podcast.
Speaker 1:All of it like hunting with them and stuff. But then, ethan, you know is a little early of a question, but it was a good question nonetheless is that's why I quit. I quit asking questions.
Speaker 1:Well, you can ask more, Ethan, I don't want to keep you away from it, but is the, like Ethan said, the maintenance of them? Give us the maintenance. So you got your side stuff for your bow, you got the arrows, you got the broadheads, you got your sights are pretty standard with them and stuff. You got the release drop way or whisker biscuit you know, and stuff like that. What's the maintenance on these things?
Speaker 1:as far as maintenance wise, the your best friend, string wax because, say you're taking out, it's pouring rain, it's pouring rain out there's not a whole lot to go on them in the rain, like there's no real metal to them.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of fiberglass or aluminum now and even carbon fiber. So as far as that, like, unless you want to wash up your bolts, real good, you're fine. Yeah, you're, you're pretty much fine with rain and stuff. Like I always come home dry mine off Cause, yeah, that's my, my baby. But but as far as string wax, basically like that string is either is usually like an 18 strand string all twisted together. So all twisted together.
Speaker 2:So you have either. I always recommend it. It's just tight string wax. Get a Bass Pro Cabela's Canadian tire Pretty well wherever. Sorry for us folks, canadian tires ours, but Us folks.
Speaker 1:anywhere is any sporting, any sporting good store that has a bow?
Speaker 2:You would have like I always just use the bow string. I like the natural wax. I find it a little bit softer. You can get the artificial wax.
Speaker 1:I find it a little bit. Could you use these?
Speaker 2:wax you could That'd just be weird, I don't know. I just use natural string wax.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Some sort of natural.
Speaker 2:These wax is natural yeah it's very natural, but some sort of natural wax. I find it's a little bit softer and what you want to do is basically put some on your string and then rub it in with your fingers, really get it into the fibers, because and one way to tell that your string's dry is look at it, if you see little frays, or even you can feel it on your fingers that it's just dry, like you want to basically just rub your fingers on your string and you want to be able to feel the residue of the wax on your fingers.
Speaker 1:If you see frays is it time to replace the strings.
Speaker 2:If, if it's like little hair, hairline frays that you're just seeing in the light, give it a good wax. If you're starting to see actual single strings break, you should probably look at getting your string replaced. All right, but besides that, and on a bow, there's spots with string that's called serving, that goes around your cam and so on your bow string. The serving is, it's all. It's usually always well, not usually you can get custom strings that aren't black, but most stock bows are just black.
Speaker 1:It's wrapped around it and that's just for longevity of the string.
Speaker 2:That's usually the parts that are going through. Other parts like your sliders for your cable strings and around the bottom of your cams. You can't miss it if you are looking at a bow. That where it's served around, it's just reinforced. It's hard black string that's reinforced that's going through parts to last. So any parts that aren't that and you can see the two-color string that's woven wax that Do not wax the serving Don't. Don't wax it. Why? Because it's going through other parts and you don't want it to slide off anything.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, I guess yeah.
Speaker 2:But no, don through something with a purpose. Yeah, and it's that size for a purpose, right? So only wax what's open on the string and that serving will never that serving is almost plasticky. Yeah, so it's just, it's just fine yeah and it's basically keeping all the other string full yeah, you can see it quite easily.
Speaker 3:But yeah, yeah so only why, how often would you, would you wax it? I guess when it, when it looks great, or yeah, I'm pretty religious about it.
Speaker 1:Like I'll even I put a little bit on every time I shoot it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not that excessive, but pretty much not, far from it. Like even especially if I'm shooting it a lot, even when it actually does get dry is when it's just sitting in the case over winter. If you just walk by it in winter, take it out of the case, give it a little wax, and winter take it out of the case. Give it a little wax, give it a little love and your string will last. You can have a string last a long time if you treat your string right. That's the main thing for string maintenance. Besides that for maintenance, it's just like don't go out in spring and try to go shoot a bear with your first shot. Practice up again, because it's funny, even if you don't shoot, even if you don't shoot for a month, when you come back, how bad you are, everything starts to come back. But when you're in the stand you have one shot you owe it to the animal to practice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know there's a lot of practicing and everything, but it's it's worth.
Speaker 2:You know, I found it's really rewarding like could I, like most people that I did set up bows for, and probably be in the hundreds. But it's and I'm not saying I'm a professional at it, but like if, if someone came in, like usually you could get them shooting at 10 yards and a 12 inch circle in the matter of 10, 15 minutes. It's just how picky do you want to be? Cause, like real realistically, to make a kill shot, kyle, if we spend enough time.
Speaker 1:I could get you ready in a week to make it like 20 yards.
Speaker 2:No, this is 20 16 hour days at least yeah, I'm expensive, yes, but but realistically to make a ethical kill shot in a six inch radius circle at 20 yards. I could get you ready for that in roughly a week. I get mad when I miss it. I get mad when I miss a dime at 30. So it's just how bad do you want it? Like guys, I'm picky with that stuff. I just, I just am, always have been. I take a lot of time on it. I just like to be good at it kind of pride yourself in accuracy.
Speaker 2:Well, exactly like I. I like I've always spent money on what I've always done that, always spent money on what I'm shooting the animal with. I don't really spare much to that side of it and I practice to make sure when I have the chance it's ready.
Speaker 1:Any other questions? Ethan, I won't say anything though. No, I'm just listening.
Speaker 2:You're taking it all in. He's taking it all in. He's buying a compound this year too. No, I'm anti listening. You're taking it all in. He's buying a compound this year too.
Speaker 1:No, I'm anti.
Speaker 2:What are you Anti-compound? No, he's not. He's a crossbow guy, it's kind of weird. We're trying to convert him.
Speaker 1:I'm the only one in this room that's killed a nice buck with a bow family, yeah compound. I don't know if I'd call that a bow family compound.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I call that. Oh, did you say both family?
Speaker 1:uh, here we go. We could have a whole nother podcast extended family that no one talks to but yeah, in general, if, like, if you're going out for your first bow, it's not that intimidating though, do you?
Speaker 2:feel a little better, kyle oh yeah, I was never really that intimidated, but he was, and and now you're not yeah right yeah, but the fun part about a bow too, like once you have your bow and you have your setup and you have your arrows if you aren't breaking arrows all the time, which it's pretty cheap to shoot yeah once you like you could go spend. You could go spend eight, eight hundred bucks, get a pretty good setup and then all summer you can just shoot in the backyard, have a barbecue, like, like. We do it all the time.
Speaker 1:It's not like rifle or shotgun shooting. Where you're going to buy a shell, you got to go buy $80 for 20 minutes. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You buy one pack arrows from 75. Like even like arrows, like 75 bucks anywhere up to 200 for a six pack.
Speaker 1:Like well, even higher than that, like you said, unless you're losing them and stuff. You got them, yeah, unless, even higher than that, like you said, unless you're losing them and stuff.
Speaker 2:You got them. Yeah, unless you lose them. If you're just shooting target, don't shoot at the same spot. Like obviously, when you start shooting and I always recommend too if you're practicing you see people shooting their whole dozen arrows at a target. Don't Shoot groups of threes. Shoot three arrows. Go get your arrows, Come back, because if you're shooting 12 at a time by number six, you're already too tired. You're already going to be shaken. Like, just go shoot groups of threes.
Speaker 2:If you're starting off, you might not break a couple knocks once you're getting talented, but you want to see where your groupings are. Like that's the bigger thing when you start two. If you shoot three arrows and they're all six inches from each other, you don't know which one's the true, True arrow. Shoot at 10 yards until you get a good group within. I'm going to be a little harsh, but like a toonie, Because when you're at 10 yards, that's your most important.
Speaker 2:Like you want to be just tack, tack, tack, tack at 10 yards and then you can move back and then you can start like if you're to the right, if you shoot like three groups of three, an inch to the right, your bow is probably shooting to the right, so then you can adjust your sight over and with your sight too. I'll still do it to this day. I get all confused, but if you're looking at your target with your sight, it's backwards. What you think it's follow your arrow. So if you're shooting to the right, you move your sight to the right. If you're shooting high, move your sight up.
Speaker 2:If you're shooting when you pull it.
Speaker 3:Your peep sight is. When you move that peep sight, does it adjust your sight? Yes, it does.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you're moving that up or down, you're moving the whole angle, you're looking at that sight. So either if your peep sight's high picture that You're looking up at your pin, so your arrow's pointing down.
Speaker 1:Why don't you talk about the sights a little bit?
Speaker 2:So you've got your peep sight, which is on your string, and then you have your actual sight, which is hooked to your bow, and peep sights come in different sizes, the one that goes in your string, so you have anywhere down to like a 64th for competition, shooting all the way up to. I think you can get them up to like a quarter of an inch. So basically, what you want that peep site to do is match the size of the ring of your actual site at the end of your bow.
Speaker 3:So if you move your peep site, do you have to adjust your, your foresight?
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 3:You do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, basically, once you get your basis, don't touch your sites. If you get a new bow or you're setting up your buddies for yourself or your brothers or whatever, don't touch your sight at all. Close your eyes, find your anchor points, find where your peep sight's lined up. So as soon as you open your eye, your peep sight's there. Then adjust your sight to that and then just adjust your sight to that because obviously you're going to be shooting somewhere. You just have to find out how to bring it down or where to.
Speaker 2:But, yeah, adjust your. Get your draw length set, draw length set first, then adjust your. Then get finding some of this comfy for your anchor points, adjust your peep site down to that and then adjust where your arrow is going from there. All right. But yeah, so, different size peep sites, what, realistically, what you'd like to do is find if you have a peep site that's like, let's say, you're closer to the bow, smaller peep sight is going to be too small because it doesn't have enough room to open up to get to that sight. So I'm shooting, I think. What do I have?
Speaker 2:I can't remember I'm shooting eighth so that just works for me, that like I have a single pin, I'll get in that in a second, but I have a single pin. So my peep sight when I draw back is the perfect size of the ring of my sight. So I know if I'm moving, if I can see the right hand side of my sight. I'm not looking at it straight, so my ring matches my ring and my dots in the middle, which those sites are good. They're easier to shoot because you can't you're able to do that. So it's just another one of those things that you can match up to make sure you're the same every time.
Speaker 2:Your fault with those is changing them on the fly because you need you can't be drawn back to change them because basically a single pin sites on a slider. It's just a dial that raises your whole site bar up and down. So that's what adjusts your distance distance exactly, versus having five pins like 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or whatever. Excuse me, um, so, but 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, if you draw back and you spook a deer at 20, it jumps to 30 and you know what 30 yards is out there because you've been playing in your range finder for the last 14 days ranging stuff for fun.
Speaker 2:You can go from 20 to 30 on the fly in your sight for hunting, which is handy. But but if you got a picture at two, you're 10 yards going to be high, your 50 is going to be low. So you can't match circle to circle anymore because you're going to be cutting half your sight off to get at your bottom pin. So there's advanced disadvantages to both. I use a single pin because most of my stuff I don't know. I feel my setups are pretty good for ranges and I can adjust a little bit on the fly, like I even practice a little bit too with my long range.
Speaker 3:So with a single pin you adjust it. Is there like an indicator or something on there?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's basically on the side it's a white tape, and either you can get them, there's a, there's a math equation for each one, not even a math equation, but there's a. It comes with basically like 300 different site tapes, from usually like 20 to 100, and basically you shoot at 20, you basically put something on there. There's a, like a dummy, you put 20 and 60 yards. Once you get it ranged in, then you just go find the according tape. What I like to do is I just get a blank piece of something white that I can tape on there and I do all my marks myself, like I just go 20, peg, peg, peg, peg, 20, go to 30, make a mark 30 and just keep working my way down until however far I feel like shooting.
Speaker 2:Where the other ones? They're a fixed sight, fixed frame, fixed sight, usually 3, 4, or 5 pins, depending on what you think for range. Most bows 10 and 20 are the same. Honestly, don't waste a If you have 3 pins. Don't waste a pin on 10 and 20, because if you're shooting at 20, if you ever do get the chance to shoot something at 10 yards which is very rare, honestly, it's not going to make enough difference from 10 to 20 to miss that animal or make an unethical shot. You're looking even on a slower bow or later poundage heavier. You're only looking at like 10 to 20. You're looking max, maybe two inches. On a very slow bow Like mine's not even a quarter of an inch at that range. So just always, once you get 10 sight in just 20s you should just down just a hair and then just leave it there. But all sorts of different styles and sights you can use With practice.
Speaker 3:you would see, I guess, or you'd know, kind of like your fine lines.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, well, you know, logan, that has helped. Kind of like your fine lines, yeah, yeah, Well, you know, logan, that has helped, I think, people looking to get into it it's not that hard. There's a little bit to it. It's not as simple as a rifle.
Speaker 2:I mean you can make rifles quite complicated too, I guess. I mean, if you can only draw 50 pounds and you buy a 60 to 70-pound bow, it's probably not the one for you and for.
Speaker 1:But if you're looking to get into bow hunting, bow shooting and then bow hunting, you know it's doable. Just the big thing is practice, get it fitted.
Speaker 2:Get it fitted properly to you.
Speaker 2:Get it fitted first then practice and don't let someone tell you how to shoot because it might not be comfortable for you and you might not like it because of that. Everyone's got their own style. Everyone's got their own style. Like. I can't tell you to anchor what I do and do what I do because you aren't me. Or I can't tell you that you'll like matthews bows like I like matthews bows, like the way they shoot, like the way they feel. I like hoists too. They kind of shoot the same I'm. I don't like shooting elites. Elites, a great bow, great made bow. A lot of great people use them. I've shot them before. They just aren't for my shooting style, which is fine and that's fine.
Speaker 1:So try a lot, yeah, if you get the chance to go to a bow shop.
Speaker 2:Try a dual cam, try a single cam with one wheel on top, try a couple different styles and try to figure out what you like. Don't buy the first, unless you get a good hand-me-down deal and you just want to try it and you can get it set up for you. Go ahead, great, that's great. Just get into the sport. See if you like it, that's fine. But if you are going, if you want to go to a shop and buy one brand new off the shelf, try a few different styles and see you and what you like. Yeah.
Speaker 3:They'll let you test drive.
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah, most, most places have a spot you can range, and even if you have buddies that hunt too. Just some guys are picky, but ask them if you can try their bow. They refuse you. Pretty good about it.
Speaker 1:I won't let you shoot, no, I might.
Speaker 2:No, but yeah, just just try some different bows, just try different things. You got to find what's comfy for you. Like I still, I still go out and shoot some days and I find something that I want to change and I just, yeah, just find something.
Speaker 1:You still always find something you want to change as long as it's not your gender, you know, that's the fine.
Speaker 2:Like you get a good you get a nice bow you get a nice bow frame that you like on the bow, then you can work on upgrading to either a single pin slider or an upgraded sight, upgraded release, stabilizers, releases. Then you can get playing with all that. But yeah, try a lot of bows, see what's comfy for you and then just yeah, go from there, I guess, to what be a bit of a bow whore.
Speaker 2:You might say try them all try them all feel no shame no, exactly, but yeah, that's kind of the rundown, logan thanks for coming on.
Speaker 1:You can tell that you were very handy when you worked at Bass Pro and we'll have you on again to talk more, probably bow hunting, get more into that. So until next time.