Tweaking your set-up during extreme heat and humidity. Your tips?

Tedd · July 13, 2014, 05:07:00 PM

Do you have any tips or tricks for keeping arrow flight perfect during extremes in temperature. Or have you noticed differences?
My set-up always seems to be off a little during extreme heat and humidity. Possibly the string is a bit slower?
I noticed an extra twist higher in brace height cleaned flight up. I might try a few strands less in the string for summertime?
Anyone else have any tips?
Tedd

Jim Wright · July 13, 2014, 05:28:00 PM

If your set-up is adversely affected by heat and humidity, don't come near the Gulf Coast Region.

KenH · July 13, 2014, 06:15:00 PM

Second that, Jim!

Frankly, I never heard of such a thing. In long range riflery, yes. But archery? Too many other variables, IMHO, to consider temperature and humidity as in any way significant.

Do some experiments with a shooting machine, not a human shooter, and report back to us.

Alexander Traditional · July 13, 2014, 06:20:00 PM

I just came in from shooting,and it's real hot and humid down here. I had a real good shooting session.

Sam McMichael · July 13, 2014, 06:23:00 PM

I have never noticed enough difference to be significant as far as equipment performance, unless it is wet. However, heat and humidity really affect me, personally. I lack energy and it is more difficult to really bear down on the shot. Concentration becomes difficult. Then, in cold weather, stiffness makes it hard to pull the bow and follow through correctly. Overall, my personal issues far outweigh any equipment problems caused by weather.

jess stuart · July 13, 2014, 06:48:00 PM

The heat once caused a friends bowstring to stretch after a few hours in a very hot antelope blind. This of course went unnoticed. Made for a weird flying arrow when a buck finally came in for a drink. I try to make it a practice to take a glance at my brace height once in awhile.

M60gunner · July 13, 2014, 07:14:00 PM

I have not noticed any real heat related issues except alum arrows get hot to touch. I do wax my string more often when it is hot. So far have not noticed my SBD strings stretching.

timbermoose · July 13, 2014, 07:29:00 PM

are you shooting laminated bows or selfbows? with my laminated bows, i notice no change. but with my yew selfbows, they seem "sluggish" in HOT temps, and "stiff" in COLD weather.

dragonheart · July 13, 2014, 08:10:00 PM

Hydrate, yourself that is.

LBR · July 13, 2014, 08:32:00 PM

BCY-X string. Most consistent string material I've used.

Pheonixarcher · July 14, 2014, 12:00:00 AM

I've noticed a little difference myself. I've always bare shaft tuned my bows. I've found that if I bareshaft tune in the heat (and humidity) of summer, I almost always have a little tweaking to do for broadheads in the fall. Or vice versa. I had perfectly tuned broadheads last fall for deer, and this spring (late may) for turkey, I noticed some eradic flight. I got out my bare shaft from last fall, and it showed much stiffer than before. And I know that it was tuned, because I did my practicing last fall with that shaft and two fletched arrows.
I think the change is more noticeable when the seasons very greatly. Here our temps are in the 70-90F range in summer with humidities 60-80%. In the fall, our temps are usually 40-70F with RH around 35-50% unless there's a weather system in the area. That's a pretty big difference in atmospheric conditions, and those are not the extremes that we experience here. It is akin to the change in arrow flight at higher altitudes.

Matty · July 14, 2014, 12:26:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Sam McMichael:
I have never noticed enough difference to be significant as far as equipment performance, unless it is wet. However, heat and humidity really affect me, personally. I lack energy and it is more difficult to really bear down on the shot. Concentration becomes difficult. Then, in cold weather, stiffness makes it hard to pull the bow and follow through correctly. Overall, my personal issues far outweigh any equipment problems caused by weather.

That's me in a nut shell

Stumpkiller · July 14, 2014, 12:32:00 AM

If it is 100% humidity (raining) I cover my fletch with a plastic bag under the detachable polarfleece fletch cover that my side quiver came with.

Otherwise - have not noticed a problem or any effect of heat and humidity. Relax - this is traditional bownunting and it's simple.

July 14, 2014, 03:27:00 AM

The small travel sized of either foot powder or talc that fits in your pocket. Humidity can drag yor release. One may think it is equipment, but a wet sticky release can change things.

Pheonixarcher · July 14, 2014, 10:57:00 PM

Good point pavan! I didn't think of a tacky tab, but now that I do think about it... It definitely feels different in the summer than in the winter.

Cootling · July 17, 2014, 10:20:00 PM

I did a lot of indoor target shooting in winter back in the days when compound bows had wood-laminate limbs and dacron strings. I could not discern an effect a change in my point of impact as my bow warmed from below zero to room temperature. Shooting Vegas rounds, even a very slight effect would have been obvious.

I think heat and cold affect me a lot more than they affect my bows!

Cyclic-Rivers · July 18, 2014, 07:28:00 AM

The only thing that changes is me. I stay home... I hate high heat and humidity. and yes Hate is a strong word lol.

halfseminole · July 18, 2014, 11:13:00 AM

I leave the horn composite put away. It's held together with hide glue.

Other stuff? Nah.

TommyBoy · July 18, 2014, 11:24:00 AM

I do notice that my woodies are slower to recover from paradox during the hot humid days of a Missouri summer. I usually up the spine of my shafts by 5 lbs. or so and make them my summer arrows.

ddauler · July 18, 2014, 02:51:00 PM

Thats funny Cyclic I am the opposite I hate cold makes by bones hurt. When bow season opens here it is 90 degrees plus some days. By thanksgiving its too cold for me I seldom sit in stands below freezing!