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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 11:18:00 AM

Title: FOC?
Post by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 11:18:00 AM
What is FOC and how can you measure your arrows FOC?
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: George D. Stout on February 03, 2010, 11:26:00 AM
FOC....Fully Occupied Condominium.      :thumbsup:  

Well, that would be a NOT!   It means front-of-center.  If you go to Easton Archery's website, you will find a calculator that tells you how to cypher it.  That way you can figure ahead of time how to go about reaching the FOC that you want.

Here's a link to an interactive chart:

http://www.archery-engineering.co.za/conversions/arrowweightandfoccalculator.htm
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 11:32:00 AM
Thanks George but how do I calculate it for wooden arrows?
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Tim Fishell on February 03, 2010, 11:36:00 AM
Measure to find the center point of your shaft.  Then measure how far in front of that center point is your arrows balance point.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Chris Shelton on February 03, 2010, 11:43:00 AM
I dont think those calculators are acurate!  What you need to do is mark the center of the shaft, then find the balancing point using a pen, mark that spot.  Then you measure the distance between the two spots!  And that corresponds with a chart, which is several places, I think it was in a issue of traditional bowhunter a mag before last, it is on there website, and in the middle of the 3 rivers cataloge.  You might be able to find it on the alaska bowhunting site.  But using that chart you can find out your FOC!  

Good luck!
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: JimB on February 03, 2010, 11:45:00 AM
1.Get a figure for half your shaft length.
2.Measure the distance of the arrow's balance point from the front end of the shaft(behind your broadhead or point)
3.Subtract that measurement number 2. from the first one,the half shaft measurement.
4.Now take that measurement and divide it by the full shaft length.The answer you get will be your FOC percentage.

I have a 30" shaft.Half length is 15".Say my balace point is 10" from the end.Subtract 10" from 15"=5".Now,divide 5" by 30"=16.666666% FOC
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: George D. Stout on February 03, 2010, 11:48:00 AM
There will be a quiz on Friday.     :readit:    :thumbsup:
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 11:51:00 AM
Thanks allot everyone but I have one more question. When I measure the shaft do I measure from the tip of the broadhead or the end of my taper and the same question for the knock end
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Jerry Wald on February 03, 2010, 11:55:00 AM
here's what the calculator figured my new safari arrows to be ok....just something to go by

FOC = Front Of Center             
   * percentange of arrow balance with regards to total arrow length         
            
GPP = Grains Per Pound             
   * arrow weight as compared to bow holding weight         

this is a excel chart you can get on the search too. you just plug in the numbers ok            
            
FOC   ARROW   length            31   
   shaft+feathers+nock wt   684   
   separate insert weight?         
   adapter weight?         
   point weight      315   
   total arrow weight   999   
   balance length      23.00   
       FOC %           24.19   
            
GPP   draw wt   arrow wt   GPP   
   57   1000           17.54   
            
            
Arrow length is the distance from the nock groove to the back            
of the point,            
            
Balance length is the distance from the nock groove to the            
balance point on the arrow.            
it's real easy if you have the arrow and a grain scale. i bought a Proscale 600 Luxe - works great

Jer bear
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 12:00:00 PM
I believe Im going to have to buy a grain scale.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: raideranch on February 03, 2010, 12:04:00 PM
I would use Stu's Calculator.

http://www.heilakka.com/stumiller/
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 12:17:00 PM
My arrows are 31 1/4" long from knock grove to the base of the broadhead making the centerpoint 15 1/8" in. The balancing point was 4 5/8" past that so the balancing point was 19 3/4" from the knock grove.

Using JimB's method I have a FOC of 14.8%.  Thats with a 3rivers Hunter arrows tipped with a 160 gr. Magnus I.

My draw length is only 27 inches but I have good flight with the arrows now but if I was to cut them down a bit would that increase or decrease my FOC.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Chris Shelton on February 03, 2010, 12:22:00 PM
It would increase your FOC I beleive!  But I am not 100%, more like 85%.  That is where the FOC calculators will give you a estimate!
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 12:27:00 PM
I would use the calculators but i havnt been able to find one yet that doesnt focus on carbon arrows.  All the ones I have looked at ask me about inserts, knock adapters, and things like that in which I dont have on my arrows.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 12:30:00 PM
I snapped the tip off of an arrow earlier while shooting Ill use that one as my practice arrow to cut down this evening and hopefully bring up my FOC.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: razorback on February 03, 2010, 12:38:00 PM
May be a dumb question  :)  Do you find the balance point with the broadhead/fieldpoint, in place?
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: JimB on February 03, 2010, 12:40:00 PM
I couldn't remember the answer to that so I compared 2 arrows.Arrow number 1. is 30" long and 27.5% FOC.Arrow number 2. is identical except it is 28 3/4" long.It's FOC is 28%.

1 1/4" shorter shaft gained .5% FOC.That isn't enough to even consider.

If your arrows are truly tuned for your bow,cutting any length off them will make the dynamic spine stiffer and will change the way they fly.I would be much more concerned with proper arrow flight than any amount of FOC,especially a small gain like .5%.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Chris Shelton on February 03, 2010, 12:41:00 PM
yup, broadhead or really anything that weights the same as your broadhead needs to be in place!
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: always89s boy on February 03, 2010, 12:45:00 PM
Okay so I just cut down the arrow and found my new FOC which, like you said Chris, increased. It went from 14.8 to 15.18 after I cut it down.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: George D. Stout on February 03, 2010, 01:38:00 PM
Now....the final key is, are they flying well...and I mean without any wobbles or gyrations.  If not, you need to go back to work.  Make sure your flight is as perfect as you can get it, or you will negate anything you gained with more FOC.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Earl Jeff on February 03, 2010, 01:41:00 PM
George is right for once!  Just kiddin George. I'm  big on FOC but it all for not if you don't have good arrow flight.
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Rob DiStefano on February 03, 2010, 01:43:00 PM
like george sez - it's the arrow FLIGHT that matters way more than arrow weight (gpp) or arrow balance (foc).

FOC and GPP Excel spreadsheet calculator (http://www.tradgang.com/docs/arrow_calcs.xls)

(http://www.tradgang.com/docs/arrow_calcs.gif)
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Dr. Ed Ashby on February 03, 2010, 02:24:00 PM
Now ... get your EFOC arrrow flying perfectly and you REALLY have something; each enhancing the other's benefits.

http://www.tradgang.com/ashby/2007prologueupdates.pdf

Ed
Title: Re: FOC?
Post by: Rob DiStefano on February 03, 2010, 02:39:00 PM
QuoteOriginally posted by Dr. Ed Ashby:
Now ... get your EFOC arrrow flying perfectly and you REALLY have something; each enhancing the other's benefits.

  http://www.tradgang.com/ashby/2007prologueupdates.pdf  

Ed
+1     :thumbsup:      :thumbsup:  

i totally agree, THAT'S the BEST route to take, and far better than just getting 'good arrow flight'.  take every advantage you can - you can bet our archer ancestors would (and probably have).  

getting a well flying arrow with high gpp and foc, and sharp c-o-c broadhead, is a bowhunter's best friend - then all ya need is proper placement ...