Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Yellow Dog on January 09, 2009, 01:28:00 AM
-
Just spent an hour at the indoor range with my "new to me" A&H ACS CX. 64" 49@30. I've been a recurve shooter that longs to find a longbow that I can shoot as good as my curves. Up until now I haven't found that bow.
Had a Black Widow LAG that was super quiet but just didn't shoot it well, sold it.
Had a Black Widow PLV that I shot well but had to put a pound of cat whiskers on the string to get it quiet, sold it.
Just picked up a used A&H ACS CX and all I can say is WOW! Played around with it in the basement setting it up, it felt good but shooting 12 yards doesn't tell you much. Went to the club and fired some arrows at 20 and 30 yards and after the first 20 arrows it felt like an old friend. Super fast and the grip is sweet. Quiet, fast, light and stable. I think the more time I spend with this bow the more I'll like it. There's just something about a shooter longbow and I think I finally have one.
And to top it off it's pretty darn pretty!
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/Yellowdog3822/P1090586.jpg)
-
They sure do make a quality bow. Glad you found the one for you :thumbsup: :clapper:
-
Yep my fav too.............
(http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q291/bjornweb/2CXsmall.jpg)
Love the tiny riser and the sleek limbs.
-
You just cannot go better than ACS-CX! All the attributes I was looking for in a bow period!
The most user friendly bow I've ever had.
-
Yep. They are sure hard on nocks though. I had to put beaver silencers on mine because my wife said that the "spider legs" were ticklin' her nose when she rolled over in bed. :biglaugh:
-
I bought one about a year ago and it shoots very quiet. The quality is obvious. It's 49# at 28" and I draw right under 30". I just can't seem to get the proper arrow set up for it. It flat just won't group like my other bows and I KNOW it's not the bow. Any suggestions? I really appreciate it because it seems a waste to see such a nice bow just sit on the rack.
-
Paul, sent you a pm. I think we can get you and your bow and your arrows to hum the same tune.
-
Looks like Mr. Havard and I were sending at the same time.
-
Looks like you're getting plenty of help and if that doesn't do it give me a jingle and maybe I can help... Anytime.
-
I'll offer my experience with you. First of all I will say this. I am never satisfied with a bow and usually turn them around on the classifiedes within a couple months. I shoot recurve bows somewhat better than longbows but really have a thing for longbows, so I keep searching for one I like and likes me... The ACS is a bit of a mystery. But once you solve the arrow tuneing part of it, it becomes unbeliveable!!!!!
With that, let me offer you and other readers and future ACS owners this advice...
Build out the side plate a bit. It is cut way past center... So much so that when I get an arrow to spine correctly from it, I still hit way to the right... So much so that I tried arrows that are way over spined and it still spits them to the right every time... So I build out the side plate quite a bit, bare shaft, fletch one up, broadhead tune, and then even paper tune with a bare shaft, and fletched shaft with field tip. When all is coming out consistantly I start to shoot. I may make a slight adjustment in nock point, but usually only minor....
The first time I tried the ACS CX, I was dissapointed. I couldn't hit anything... (I'll back up a bit and say I couldn't spine an arrow either. I shoot 3 fingers under so this may not apply to split finger shooters...) I put a second nock under the arrow and things cleared up dramatically. Like someone turned on a light switch for me!!!!! Started hitting really good...
Still had a problem. The string was hitting my arm something terrible. Actually left lacerations. NOt a bruise, lacerations!!! (see pic below)
(http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn220/longbowsteve/armscare.jpg)
Here is what solved the problem... NOw again my shooting style is 3 under and I hold my bow verticle, no cant at all.... I got the 16 riser and had Dan and John put a low wrist grip on it for me. I still keep 2 nock points on the bow, but make them out of serving string. Now this bow is set up for me..... It is the finest shooting bow I've ever had. Seriously. It shoots... Nice thing is I like the way it looks, the way it shoots and the way it feels... My pals have all shot it and to a person everyone of them say the same thing after the first shot, "Man, that is quiet", after the second shot, "Bro. this is the quietest bow I've ever shot!" It literally has ZERO hand shock and is quiet. I know, I've had every longbow and recurve you can think of.. I've owned and shot them all and let me tell you again. This bow is quieter than any I've ever been blessed to shoot..
So that is my take on the ACS. Solve the mystery and you'll have one of the finest bows produced.
(http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn220/longbowsteve/StevesACSnArrows.jpg)
-
Yellow Dog, enjoy your A&H.. It is one of the finest bows available, IMO. And your's sure is pretty too !
-
Keep your arm out of the way period.
I watched Fred Aspbells video and he talks about the stance and quartering toward the target more (not classic style I guess). in this postion you create space between your hand and shoulder and the string has a path to the bow not your arm.
I guess I was lucky when I started when I was 8 cause I always shot this way instinctively and never new there was another way until I saw some actually hit there arm....not pretty.
Jer Bear
-
Armguard? :banghead:
-
Hold your bow in your left hand with the wrist straight, that is a straight line from the elbow to the end of your index finger (if it was pointing at something). And as Orion said "Wear an armguard". I hope that was explained right. Sometimes I'm a little nomenclaturally (probably not even a word) challenged. Gary
-
P.S. I love my ACS CX. Gary
-
Thanks for all the help everyone. I'm determined to "solve the mystery" and get this bow tuned correctly. The thing just looks too good, draws too good and shoots too quiet to give up on. Pat, thanks for the offer. I'll take you up on it!
-
I just my new ACS yesterday. Haven't taken time to take any pics---I've been having too much fun shooting it! Tuning was a breeze, but I may end up building out the shelf a bit later (after I spend a bit more time with it).
This bow is absolutely one of the nicest I have ever shot, and I've owned pretty much all the big name bows. I've been more of a recurve shooter for the past several years, but I am in love with this longbow!!
-
What brace height are you finding that works best?
-
I have found 7 1/4 inch brace to be the best on mine...
-
7 1/4 to 7 1/2 works best for me too.
-
I have two ACS-CX's and a new 16" ST on its way. They have become the bows I just want to pick up. I struggle with the words to explain it, but I think it's a combination of the aesthetics (to me, they're gorgeous, even the aluminum riser!) , the feel in the hand (solid and comfy) and the performance (amazing). For me there has been nothing unusual or difficult about the tuning. The mystery of tuning my bows went away after I watched Rick Welch's video Vol II about ten times, and finally took his shooting school. The systematic tuning and setup protocol he teaches makes it really simple and effective.
-
flycastr, I agree. I have gone to Ricks School twice now and applied what he taught me to this bow and it wasn't as difficult as I was making it.
I had forgotten a bunch of tuning stuff he showed me, and after the refresher course in DEC. I came home and received my new 16 st ACS CX and bingo...
-
How do you find out info. on his school? Anyone want to sell his video?
-
Originally posted by Sipsey River:
What brace height are you finding that works best?
7 1/4....I have 4 ACS and that's the best brace height for me
-
Originally posted by flycastr:
The systematic tuning and setup protocol he teaches makes it really simple and effective.
what are the bases claimed?
-
yes i would also like to hear back on that
-
Oh, my, where to start? To describe Rick Welch's method, I guess the analogy I would use is from my old rifle-shooting and reloading days. When you take a new rifle out of the box and put a scope on it, you don't start right in tweaking different loads and bullet combinations. You bore-sight the rifle first to get it close, right? In archery, what do we do first? We start right in selecting shafts, bare-shaft testing, paper tuning, etc. We just assume the bow is going to shoot where the bow is going to shoot. Do we spend any time tuning the bow? Not really. We tune arrows and that's it. Rick starts by tuning the bow to shoot where you look. Basic and simple, and a huge step! Like bore-sighting, he makes the gross adjustments with the bow first. But to get the full impact of it all, you have to watch the video multiple times, and the light will at some point go on. It must have taken me 8-10 times, and I finally realized what he was talking about. Then take the school. In two hours he had me shooting better than I ever have. Truly amazing!
-
Set it up at 7 1/4 and it bare shafts great. Plan on leaving it there for now
-
Just got mine on tuesday. It's my 3rd one, foolishly sold the other 2. I'm loving it again!!
64" zebra wood 58@30. Taking it to the Hill Country in Llano Tx this coming weekend on a doe hunt.
-
Originally posted by flycastr:
Oh, my, where to start? To describe Rick Welch's method, I guess the analogy I would use is from my old rifle-shooting and reloading days. When you take a new rifle out of the box and put a scope on it, you don't start right in tweaking different loads and bullet combinations. You bore-sight the rifle first to get it close, right? In archery, what do we do first? We start right in selecting shafts, bare-shaft testing, paper tuning, etc. We just assume the bow is going to shoot where the bow is going to shoot. Do we spend any time tuning the bow? Not really. We tune arrows and that's it. Rick starts by tuning the bow to shoot where you look. Basic and simple, and a huge step! Like bore-sighting, he makes the gross adjustments with the bow first. But to get the full impact of it all, you have to watch the video multiple times, and the light will at some point go on. It must have taken me 8-10 times, and I finally realized what he was talking about. Then take the school. In two hours he had me shooting better than I ever have. Truly amazing!
the bare shaft method is a complete tuning method which concerns both the bow and the arrow, I don't really see how to improve it so I am very curious about it...