mythbusters

stillhunter · March 01, 2014, 12:10:00 PM

Lets take a look at some of the statements we have heard over time to see if they hold water- I'll start with the idea that the quality of Port Orford cedar isn't as good as in the older days. Has the tree changed? Has the procedure from raw to finished product changed? Let's hear your views and feel free to start other mythbuster topics.

threeunder · March 01, 2014, 12:12:00 PM

The greatest myth in archery:

Your bow has to have wheels and cables to reliably kill deer.

njloco · March 01, 2014, 12:54:00 PM

Ethically speaking, you can't or shouldn't shoot a light weight set-up for hunting deer or larger animals.

To get good or great arrow flight, one must bare shaft.

Don't want to hog it, i'll leave the others for someone else to list.

**DONOTDELETE** · March 01, 2014, 01:07:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by stillhunter:
Lets take a look at some of the statements we have heard over time to see if they hold water- I'll start with the idea that the quality of Port Orford cedar isn't as good as in the older days. Has the tree changed? Has the procedure from raw to finished product changed? Let's hear your views and feel free to start other mythbuster topics.

The problem with making generic statements is that there is always exceptions to the rule.

Your statement about Port Orford cedar not being what it used to comes from harvesting trees that haven't matured & slab milling the smaller trees rather than quarter sawing the larger stuff that has a tighter grain structure.... There still is good cedar out there.... its just harder to find than it used to be..... the trees are getting used faster than they are growing...

My favorite one is: "Speed doesn't matter" but the first thing folks ask is how fast the bow is...LOL

LBR · March 01, 2014, 01:42:00 PM

I could write a small book just on string myths and misconceptions.

I guess I'll go with "longbows get a string 3" shorter, recurves 4" shorter".

That does apply sometimes...to some bows...if you measure a certain way.

AMO/ATA specs say:

"AMO Bow Length Standard is designated to be three inches longer than AMO
Bow String Master that braces bow at proper String or Brace Height. Bow String
Master will carry only the bow length designation. Example: A Bow String
Master designated as AMO 66" (bow length) will have an actual length under
tension of 63".

IMO that's goofy too, but nobody asked me to write the specs. That is AMO, but there are tons of bows that aren't/weren't made to AMO specs, so that "rule" is hit or miss also.

The only "safe" method is to measure the string that puts your bow at the brace you want. I've seen longbow strings vary from 1.5" to 4" shorter than the marked length; recurve strings vary from 2.5" to 6" shorter. AMO specs can be found here: http://www.texasarchery.org/Documents/AMO/AMOStandards.pdf

According to Paula and Cecil Driskell (formerly of Rogue River Archery) Port Orford Cedar is a protected tree and only naturally fallen trees can be "harvested" for arrow shafting. What was once culled is now being used due to the lumber being harder/more expensive to get. I can't verify that--never been part of that industry. Might try contacting Wapiti or some other producer of POC shafting for first-hand info.

threeunder · March 01, 2014, 01:51:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by LBR:

I guess I'll go with "longbows get a string 3" shorter, recurves 4" shorter".

That does apply sometimes...to some bows...if you measure a certain way.

Classic!!! I love that last statement!!!

March 01, 2014, 06:43:00 PM

My buddy once told me: "If you get a shot out of this stand, it will be a slam dunk!"

There is certainly no such thing as a slam dunk in traditional archery!

Bisch

Tony Sanders · March 01, 2014, 06:50:00 PM

X2 What Bisch said.

Keith Zimmerman · March 01, 2014, 08:32:00 PM

Flies like a dart.

Huh, every dart Ive ever seen had a big arc in it as it flew to its target. My arrows fly like laser beams.

jsweka · March 01, 2014, 11:41:00 PM

Quiet bows prevent deer from jumping the string.

Sorry, no bow is completely quiet and arrows make noise as they fly. Also, we aren't breaking the speed of sound here. Whether or not that deer jumps the string depends on how wary it is at the time of the shot.

stillhunter · March 02, 2014, 12:13:00 AM

Is there any math that makes an arrow fly high out of a tree at an angle or is it shooter error by not bending at the waist,not coming to full draw,or string jumping? And so should we instruct archers to pick a spot low or shoot to center as some 3D range targets score? I've heard some bowhunters say that arrows naturally fly high at downward angles.

Fattony77 · March 02, 2014, 02:51:00 AM

To add to jsweka's post, as far as deer jumping the string, it matters most which way the ears are pointing at the shot.

Back in my wheelie bow days, I misjudged the distance to a buck and shot right underneath him. Had he "jumped the string" it would have been a perfect heart shot. While relaying this story to a friend that ran a successful deer hunting operation, he told me about this small detail and it made perfect sense.

If the deer's ear is pointed away from the shooter, the sound waves must go past the deer and bounce back before they reach it's ears. By then the arrow has hit it's mark. Conversely, no matter how fast your arrow is traveling, the sound waves will reach the deer before your arrow, and if it's ears are pointed at you or your general direction, it WILL react before the arrow gets there.

Just a little "mythbusting" advice I received and thought I'd pass along. FWIW.

nkartscher · March 02, 2014, 07:15:00 AM

I think the one about arrows point of impact being high out of a tree is true.I believe it has something to do with there being less of a effect of gravity shooting strait down.If you could ever get a chance to speak with a high level military marksmen(sniper)I think they would tell you there is actually math that comes into play when shooting from an elevated position.

Keith Zimmerman · March 02, 2014, 07:28:00 AM

I missed the biggest buck of my life this year. 20Yds. Broadside. He stood watching me. I shot just under his chest. He never dropped or flinched. Just stood there. I was shooting slighly up hill. U never know......

old_goat2 · March 02, 2014, 08:45:00 AM

Knew a guy that thought his arrow was still accelerating for a distance after it left the string. He was quite adamant about it too!

mellonhead · March 02, 2014, 08:47:00 AM

The myth about shooting high from an elevated stand is just a myth. The distance of the shot is measured from the base of the stand to the target assuming level ground. Why we shoot high from a stand is based on the fact that our line of sight to the target is farther than the actual distance from the base of the stand to the target. Basicaly gravity pulls on our arrows from the center of the earth. So we get the same amount of drop on any 20 yard distance based on level ground. Mountain hunters that shoot targets at longer distances that us trad guys know this. If you are on the edge of a cliff and you look down to find a sheep 60 yards below you. You would think that was a 60 yard shot, but it is not. If the sheep is only 20 yards straight out from you assuming level ground thats what you would shoot it for. Thats why the new angle compensating range rinders are all the rage. No need to figure it out, range finder does it for you. I'm usually not real good at explaining things like this, but I hope it helps.

Toby

stillhunter · March 02, 2014, 10:46:00 AM

Doe in heat scents trick a buck into thinking a hot doe is in the area or it's just a curiosity scent. Roger Rothhaar didn't put much faith in them at one time. What ye say in your experience? Had one buck I shot at 4 yards off the ground come into rattling with his nose straight out to a doe in heat wick 2 yards off his nose but had other bucks on the trail of a doe pay no attention to a saturated wick 5 yds upwind. still is fun to put out but don't quite know if it's all that reliable.

stillhunter · March 02, 2014, 10:50:00 AM

Here's another one as long as I'm on the keyboard. The longer your married the more your wife WANTS you to go hunting! lol

Trumpkin the Dwarf · March 02, 2014, 02:16:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Keith Zimmerman:
Flies like a dart.

Huh, every dart Ive ever seen had a big arc in it as it flew to its target. My arrows fly like laser beams.

Thats cause you've never seen ME throw a dart!

Of course, I never hit what I'm aiming at with darts.