Looking to do some squirrel huntin.
What arrows work? Flu Flu? Point?
I have a 56" Mojostik 50# @ 26" usually shoot 28" arrows.
Thanks
Mel
Sounds to me like guys don't like the flu flu's for the noise, unless you shoot up into trees then it is probably a good idea. you will get all kinds of suggestions from hex heads to cheap broad heads. I would suggest some very cheap broadheads maybe with an ader or something to stop complete pass thru's. I have had a squirell dodge a carbon arrow out of a compound bow at 255 fps from 10 yards seriously! I have also connected on a lot of others though. You are in for a ton of fun. I just wish I went squirell hunting earlier in the season when I see more of them, but I can't tear my self from my deer. Any arrow should work fine.
whatever i have in my quiver is what i use.around here most of the squirrels are on the ground so im not to worried about shooting into a tree unless there sunning themselves.so i usually carry a couple of flu flus..as for heads i use a adder,one that goes behind a fieldtip..good luck lots of fun...........
Mo,
thanks for the info. Something cheap because i know i'm going to lose a lot of them. ;)
Mel
I use this type of flu flu it works very well! However I have not gotten a squirrel yet but I dont think its the arrows fault! They dont seem to make a whole lot of noise either. It was featured in an issue of TBM.
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Buying bulk is the key here. Split the cost with a friend or two if need be. Look for inexpensive wood shafts (seconds, dowels, whatever). Cull them to eliminate unsafe shafts, and sort the rest into matched bundles.
You can purchase full-length feathers and chop two 4" cuts from each to cut costs. There's also a company named Rainbow Feathers (?) that used to (and maybe still does) sell 5" archery fletching on their web site for about 8 cents each. They're not prime fletching, but more than suitable for squirrel arrows.
Look for vendors selling bags of nocks on clearance. I bought a thousand of them years ago at a 3D shoot from Lone Wolf Traditional Archery for $5/100. That's 5 cents each.
There are a lot of ways to make home made points out of discarded .38 or .357 casings (free) and blades cut from banding steel (also free). As far as commercially made heads, Ace Hex Heads are just about unbeatable in price at 6 for $8.95. I've used Hex Heads on all sorts of small game including squirrels, rabbits and grouse. They work great and won't break the bank if you lose a bunch of them.
The article Broken Arrow mentioned was in the Dec/Jan 2007 issue of TBM.
I like to use my old worn out cedar arrows tipped with a washer/nut combo. Cheap and you won't feel bad if they come up missing,LOl!!
I am trying some 145 Zwickey Kondors for heads on a bunny hunt, but would resist sending one up into a tree after a squirrel.
hex heads stop squirrels right now and dont stick into trees too far that you cant get them out. I use whatever shafts im hunting with and only take shots on ground or when squirrel has something solid like trunk behind it. If they are looking at you they will dodge the arrow, had it happen several times.
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Gold Tip Ted Nugent Signature 5575
4, 4" Flu-Flu Fletches
100 gr. Montec SGH
Works well out of my Plum Creek 48# longbow...
I've killed quite a few with this setup and have never had one dodge an arrow. Quick recovery of the arrow as well!
Gotta agree with arwin. I should have said I just shoot squirells on the ground or not far from it. I don't like the idea of sending a broadhead above me in a tree at all. I also forgot about the 38 and 357 casing with a blade on it if you have patience for that kind of thing. I don't even have the patience to see if I spelled patience right.
:bigsmyl:
That last sentence sounds like me, hahahhah!!!!
I have had good success with cheap broadheads and Ace Hex heads. Doesn't seem to matter if I use flu flus or not, they just don't go as far on the rare occasion that I miss (yeah, right!). I use Bodkin factory seconds. I bought a thousand of them several years ago from Whiffen's in Milwaukee when they were still around. Still have a few left.
Arwin has got it right. I hunt squirrels seriously, for years, and I have slammed them with all kinds of arrow set ups. Fact is they are very tough critters, and no matter what you hit them with (other than a head shot) once they hit the ground you better be ready to run up on them fast and finish off. If you are serious about hunting them you are going to loose alot of arrows and cheap is the only way to go. The washer nut combo has worked well for me, or the 357 casing. I use white feathers and paint shafts white to increase odds of recovery. Don't bother w/ flu flu's -they rarely get the job done. Broadheads are totally impractical, unless you restrict your shots to squirrels on the ground. Squirrels are the absolute teachers of still hunting and provide hrs. of intense hunting, w/ lots of shooting.-- Makes nailing a Deer seem simple by comparison. Bottom line- its a blast, and good eating too-- be sure to leave just a little hair on em :bigsmyl:
5/16 ramin dowels from Midwest dowel.com
Feather seconds from Rainbow feathers at $.07 each
and selfnock, or the old Jim Dandys. Wipe on Poly.
I have less than a dollar in an arrow for squirrels
The "Hammer" from 3Rivers does a great job.
I have a few questions for you guys that buy the dowels.
How many good dowels do you get out of a bulk buy of 200 or 300 dowels? What is the average spine on the dowels that you keep? What weight bow are you shooting these dowels out of?
I have tried this method for building squirrel arrows and I have wound up with a box of about 500 5/16" diameter shafts in my basement that are worthless to me. I have tried poplar, maple and oak for the material. At the time I was doing this I could not find a supplier for Ramin. Most of dowels had a spine weight somewhere in the average of 30-40 pound range. I wanted to use a weighted .38 cal cartridge for the point but once I got the weighted tip on the shaft, the arrow had way too low of a spine to shoot out of my bow.
So how do you guys do this? Do you not worry about the 8 to 12 gains per pound of bow draw weight rule? Jason, I read your article and it inspired me to go this route, but for the life of me I can not figure out this wood/dowel arrow stuff.
I buy 5/16, rotate them to find the stiff side, and get 50% over 45lb spine. Most of those will go 50+. I shoot these from a 45lb longbow.
I made a pretty cool batch of wood squirel arrows. They entire shaft is Blaze orange for ease of recovery.
I never liked Flu flu's. They are too slow and squirels will dodge them.
John Nail,
Do you add a weighted point to your arrows, a point like a weighted .38 caliber cartridge? If so, what does your point weigh? Do you worry about the 8-12 grains of arrow weight per pound of bow weight?
Thanks,
Tom
Do a search here for "Nutters"
I got tired of picking up broken woodies, so I switched to heavy Aluminums with Hex heads...bad medicine for squirrels. I only use Flu Flus for those ones that won't come down from the trees.
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To start with, I use these home made heads.
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On the ground I use a regular arrow. In a tree I use this type of Flu Flu.
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Nutters are the best squirrel heads I've used. They are cheap and as easy as it gets but very effective. Pat
A good source of cheap arrows is on the classified ads here. All those ads for 5 arrows of this and 7 of that. If you plan to shoot in trees, a little short is OK because you will lose some draw length even if you anchor on the corner of your jaw. Bill