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Getting back into the archery/bow hunting game...

ccm75

ccm75

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Been planning on it for awhile but was delayed a bit (years). (Work, kids, elbows, shoulder.) Last time I shot seriously or bow hunted was early 90's. So here's my story:

Started working out more so I could actually pull a bow (I'm 56), had some cortisone injections and started looking to replace my 30 year old PSE that weighs about 10 lbs.

Did some online research, shopped around at the big stores and decided I wanted to do business with a local shop where I could get set up and have help with issues and adjustments if I couldn't figure it out on my own. I ended up at Jerry's in Milford and left there with a Hoyt PowerMax, arrows and release.......Man do I love this bow! Jerry was away on a bear hunt but his man Rick did a great job setting me up and answering all my questions......Great shop.

I killed a spike buck in 1989 and missed more than I can remember in the early 90"s and then stopped bow hunting...(Moving from Central NY to MA didnt help)

The modern day bow technology is amazing. Sights, rest, release. I'm shooting at 60lbs now but already want to dial it up to 65. Within a half hour of getting home and shooting behind the house I was smacking a paper plate at 30 yards @ 100%. Same at 40, and played around with some 50 yard shots from the patio but my deer shooting range will be no more than 30 yards....This damn bow practically shoots itself....I've probably shot 200 arrows in the last three days....The muscle memory is coming back. I cant shoot more than three arrows at 20 yards without hazard of dinging up expensive arrows due to tight groups....I'm no Robin Hood; with this bow you pretty much hold, fire and bang!

Just ordered a 3-D target, another 1/2 doz. arrows (Easton 340 Carbon Hunter Classics) and now need some broadheads.....So, now which broadheads?

Looking at the new Muzzy One, a one piece fixed blade. I think I'd prefer fixed over mechanical...? 100 grains. Open to suggestions on points and also getting same accuracy from broadheads as I am from field points....

I have not had a chance to post in the trail cam thread lately but I just pulled my card and there is a bunch of bucks behind the house, 4's, spikes, 2 nice 8's and a 9 pt. The three big bucks all photo'd on the same day within minutes of each other....

Anyway, It's been a lot of fun getting the new toy and flinging some arrows. Hope to stick Mr. Bucky a little later this fall; God willing and the creek don't rise.....

Cheers,
[smile]
 
Awesome! looking to get in to archery not this year but hopefully next. Kids work etc has made it tough to find the time. I already hunt Ny and mass gun seasons but feel to see deer not pressured need to get into archery.
Do you mind if I ask ballpark what am I looking to spend to get a quality setup ?
Thanks
 
I looked at some cheaper bows and some used.
Decided to just go for it and had a little fun money tucked away. Last bow I'll ever buy:
Bow - $700.00
Release - $55.00
1/2 doz. carbon arrows - $70.00
Real nice Hoyt hat - n/c.

You can go to Cabelas or other places and spend half that.
But like I said, I was looking to do business with local shop.
They have higher end Hoyts at $1,200.00 - $1,600.00....
The PowerMax gets great reviews as far as bang for the buck.
 
Thanks for the info ! I always try to use a local shop will definitely check out Jerry’s not to far of a ride for me
 
Welcome back to the addiction we call hunting.

Asking which broad head is like asking a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge question. They all will get the job done if you put it in the right place.

At 60-65lbs you have enough energy to shoot just about any broad head you want.

My go to broad head is the NAP Spitfire. They are a mechanical and punch two big holes resulting in a terrific blood trail.

Bob
 
Jerry's is the best. Just bought my first bow from them, but I've spent a fair amount of money on fishing gear there too. Jerry is a great guy.
 
one-eyed Jack said:
With your elbow/shoulder problems a note from a doctor might get you the ok to use a crossbow. Jack.
Click to expand...

This is what kept me in the game.

I got my crossbow permit years ago and back then it was only a couple of weeks to get the card.

Some say it isn’t archery but F them. When the choice is sit on the couch or use a crossbow I bet they will change their mind.

Bob
 
HorizontalHunter said:
This is what kept me in the game.

I got my crossbow permit years ago and back then it was only a couple of weeks to get the card.

Some say it isn’t archery but F them. When the choice is sit on the couch or use a crossbow I bet they will change their mind.

Bob
Click to expand...
Good for you, Bob. Jack.
 
one-eyed Jack said:
With your elbow/shoulder problems a note from a doctor might get you the ok to use a crossbow. Jack.
Click to expand...

Once you get a crossbow permit in MA, you can't go back to regular archery. What people tell me anyway. Seems weird to me and WTF. But it is MA!
 
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HorizontalHunter said:
Welcome back to the addiction we call hunting.

Asking which broad head is like asking a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge question. They all will get the job done if you put it in the right place.

At 60-65lbs you have enough energy to shoot just about any broad head you want.

My go to broad head is the NAP Spitfire. They are a mechanical and punch two big holes resulting in a terrific blood trail.

Bob
Click to expand...


This.....don't go crazy going up in weight. These new bows are efficient, and I've shot 60# for years now and blow thru the deer almost every time using a moderately heavy arrow weight going about 260fps.

I like cutting heads and use G5 strikers with good success. They are shaving sharp from the package.
 
HorizontalHunter said:
This is what kept me in the game.

I got my crossbow permit years ago and back then it was only a couple of weeks to get the card.

Some say it isn’t archery but F them. When the choice is sit on the couch or use a crossbow I bet they will change their mind.

Bob
Click to expand...

This kept my dad in the game. He shot some damn nice bucks with the Xbow too in the latter part of his hunting career.
 
My personal opinion..

I want a solid fixed blade head that is 1 solid piece. No moving parts. No assembled parts, welds, etc. So, I like the G5 Montec for example. Or the VPA 3 blade. Or if you're rich the Bishop Archery Holy Trinity or the Bishop Archery Scientific Method.

Mechanicals are great, if you hit your mark and you're square to the animal. Things start to go south if things don't line up though. Anyone who has been hunting for a while and has used mechanical heads will have a horror story or two involving them. Lots available to read on BowSite, Archery Talk, Saddle Hunter and the Beast. They have their fans and they have their "not a fan". I'm in the latter.

I have personally shot the Muzzy 3 blade (had some inconsistencies in flight). Like the head because it was cheap. But you get what you pay for. Still - lots of deer die via the Muzzy every year. Buy the 6 pack because only about 4 out of every 6 will spin true. They're a one and done head. Hit an animal or something hard, throw it away.

I've shot every Magnus head they make. I like the black hornets the most. But the ferrule on the Magnus 4 blade heads are VERY weak. There's a slice down the middle to accomadate the main blade and a notch milled out the side for the bleeder. Only a tiny screw holds all this together. I have broken a few ferrules. Like the Muzzy, they're a disposable head. Once you shoot an animal, throw it away. If you hit something hard like the ground if you miss your practice target - throw it away. The Snuffer SS isn't bad, but the tip isn't reinforced and it curls easily. All of their heads are one and done. Lifetime no Q warranty though. So you can exchange them, at your expense.

I've used Rage mechanicals. The hypodermic specifically. Not impressed. Blades are very thin and prone to bends, breaks, etc. They're devastating if you make that perfect broadside shot through the cavity. They're god f_cking awful if you hit the shoulder. These heads are also one and done.

Tried Slick Tricks... Too many parts. Didn't like how the heads went together and they didn't spin true. They never made it out on a hunt with me. I returned the unopened package and religated the open pack to mu "junk" drawer.

The G5 Montec, the VPA and the Bishops can be used over and over again. There are no mechanical parts to fail. No assembled parts, etc. So they take a LOT more punishment. They're incredibly easy to resharpen. They also punch through bone and maintain their structural integrity. One of my fav shots now is quartering towards.. I shoot through the near side chest (bone) and out behind the opposing shoulder. It's devastating. But I would never take that shot with a mechanical or even an assembled fixed blade like the Magnus or Muzzy.

With a solid high quality 1 piece head, a 63# bow at a 27" draw, and an arrow just north of 500 grains at 19% FOC, I don't shy away from shoulder hits either. If that's all the animal gives me for a shot, I'm taking it. I can't punch through both near and opposing side shoulders, but I can punch through the near side shoulder and the cavity taking out the top of the heart and both lungs in the process... It also breaks the near side shoulder/leg so the animal ain't running. Dead animal inside of 40 yards. I don't like the shot though because it pretty much destroys alot of the front quater. It's an absolute last option. But it's an option and that's my point.

I wouldn't do that with a mechanical. I wouldn't do that with a multiple piece assembled head. I wouldn't do it with cheap chinese made knock-offs either. If you want to take shots like that you need to be on point with your setup, soup to nuts.

The one advantage mechanicals have is that they fly better out of a bow shot by someone with inconsistent form or a bow that's not in perfect tune. Fixed blades are very unforgiving in that regard. The blood trails of a mechanical, when everything goes right, are something Stevie Wonder could follow as well. But don't expect a lot of exit wounds. They go in, the blades get bent when they hit a rib, the arrow redirects like the f_cking magical bullet that killed Kennedy, and they don't come out.

I practice out to 60 yards with BHs. But I keep the shots inside 30 in the woods. 95% of my oppertunities are actually around the 20 yard mark.

YMMV... This is IMHO...
 
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PBM nailed it in the post above.

Mark from MA said:
Once you get a crossbow permit in MA, you can't go back to regular archery. What people tell me anyway. Seems weird to me and WTF. But it is MA!
Click to expand...

This is true.

In order to qualify for a crossbow permit you must have a permanent disability. Unfortunately, this requirement creates a gap for hunters that have rotator cuff issues and other surgery’s that will heal in time and they lose the archery season that year.

Bob
 
Stopped in to Jerry’s tonight he is a great guy down to earth and wealth of knowledge. I had hoped to get the Hoyt powermax after recommendations but having a 32” draw length no go and I am also a lefty.
So we discussed my options and decided I am going to wait to October when the new bows come out and see what they make in 32” draw length.

Good shop I did buy a few saltwater jigs while I was there wish I lived closer.
 
It's a good idea, IMHO, to have a couple of options in your quiver. I usually have 3 arrows with a 3 blade cut on contact head. But I also have a couple with a 2 blade single bevel.

Consider the following...

You're doing some run and gun in-season scouting with the stand on your back. You're in a swamp filled with scrub brush, dogwood, green briar, pussy willow, tall grass, and very few huntable trees. You come across a fresh rub line coming out of a piece of brushy high ground you suspect is a buck bedding area. The only huntable tree that will keep your stink out of the deer's nose will put you in position for a hard quartering to shot as he walks towards you leaving the bedding area.

....if the only broadhead in your quiver is a mechanical like the Rage or the Grim Reaper Whitetail special, you basically have no ethical shot. Your only ethical option is to follow the trail out until you get to a huntable tree with a broadside shot and hope the buck makes it to you before closing. But - if you had an arrow with a 2 blade single bevel head in the quiver, now you have options for that specific shot.
 
ThePreBanMan said:
It's a good idea, IMHO, to have a couple of options in your quiver. I usually have 3 arrows with a 3 blade cut on contact head. But I also have a couple with a 2 blade single bevel.

Consider the following...

You're doing some run and gun in-season scouting with the stand on your back. You're in a swamp filled with scrub brush, dogwood, green briar, pussy willow, tall grass, and very few huntable trees. You come across a fresh rub line coming out of a piece of brushy high ground you suspect is a buck bedding area. The only huntable tree that will keep your stink out of the deer's nose will put you in position for a hard quartering to shot as he walks towards you leaving the bedding area.

....if the only broadhead in your quiver is a mechanical like the Rage or the Grim Reaper Whitetail special, you basically have no ethical shot. Your only ethical option is to follow the trail out until you get to a huntable tree with a broadside shot and hope the buck makes it to you before closing. But - if you had an arrow with a 2 blade single bevel head in the quiver, now you have options for that specific shot.
Click to expand...

After 25 years of bowhunting, I pretty much opt for Broadside only shots now. While most quartering or hard quarter shots (even quartering to me) have gone OK. Some haven't, even with a sharp cut on contact head.

So I pretty much pass the questionable ones at least in CT, where I'm in close quarters with people. 100% broadside only, will usually be a definite pass thru. Hopefully a double lung, or heart lung. I dont want to leave an arrow in an animal down there, its bad news.

The other reason I never use lumenocks down there either, just in case. It would be a disaster for urban archery if a high shoulder hit deer with a lumenock was seen running around.

I also don't set my stands super high because I don't want a big angle down... That said, I see a lot of deer down there, so passing is not an issue.

Up north, I'd likely roll the dice a bit more, as there's much more tracking room. Still, I strive for a broadside shot. Double lung broadside with a sharp arrow the deer is only on its feet for only a few seconds and gets max 100 yards in distance, and bleed a lot. Some of those quartering shots, you barely get any blood, and sometimes no exit if you hit something solid like a shoulder on the way in or out. Usually you get one lung and liver, and paunch making fxcking mess in the process, depending on how hard the deer is quartering. Nothing like a double lung hit for a nice clean gut job.

You are spot on with mechanicals and quartering shots....I've seen some amazing holes that have killed, and I've seen on litterally hit the side of deer on a sharp quarter and never enter the deer, just go in under the skin nearly the whole way.

Ive used mechanicals for broadside only shots and honestly there isn't much more blood than the sharp fixed heads I use....so why in the world would I change them out to something that wouldnt give me 100% confidence if I needed to shoot a sharp quartering shot.
 
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Ended up lucking out today at a local shop found a leftover lefty Matthews Halon 32 for a good deal. Got it all set up and had me shooting and sighted in with in an hour. Can’t believe how accurate they are. Now to practice practice practice.
 
Anybody have any ideas for for diy backstops and targets ?
Cleared a good shooting lane at the back of my property all cleared out and mowed down marked out out yardages out to 40 and have a tree so may setup a stand to shoot from as well.
 
I have nice stack of straw bales with a bag target in front.
I cover it with a tarp, bales up on a pallet, been working good for about five years now due to keeping it dry.
I did recently spring for a 3d buck though...
 
Sparkey said:
Anybody have any ideas for for diy backstops and targets ?
Cleared a good shooting lane at the back of my property all cleared out and mowed down marked out out yardages out to 40 and have a tree so may setup a stand to shoot from as well.
Click to expand...

A pillow case stuffed with rags makes a good field tip target. When the pillow case gets shot out put it in another pillow case. Burlap coffee bags are good as well if you have a roaster nearby. Cut out zippers and buttons.

Straw bales always tore up my fletching.

There are tons of more permanent ideas on the interwebs.

Bob
 
People can poo poo mechanicals all they want but they do not know it all. Not even close.

I use strictly NAP Spitfires and have shot through shoulders and upper front leg bones (on exit) numerous times. I have never had a failure. In tight neighborhood spots I purposely shoot the shoulder out to keep them from dying in someones yard. Last doe I did this was 142 lbs. In the Front shoulder, out through the offside leg bone and buried 8 inches in the ground. Deer bulldozed 30 yards pushing her chest on the ground only being able to propel herself with her hind legs.

Not long after I took a 42 yard shot at an 172 lb 8 pointer. I missed my spot by about 4 inches too far forward. Again smashed the shoulder and broke the offside leg. Then on exit the arrow smashed in a shower of sparks when it hit a large boulder just beyond the deer. Deer ran 40 yards and expired.

535 grain arrow at 285 feet per second and 95 ft/lbs of KE is nice insurance incase your shot is not perfect

Pick a well made and durable mechanical and you will be fine.
 
Sparkey said:
Ended up lucking out today at a local shop found a leftover lefty Matthews Halon 32 for a good deal. Got it all set up and had me shooting and sighted in within an hour. Can’t believe how accurate they are. Now to practice practice practice.
Click to expand...
I am also a 32 draw. I found a Diamond Medalist 38 at KTP on sale in March. Absolutely love it and really not that heavy for a 38 axle to axle bow. And it is accurate as well, esp. since it is a target model as well as a hunter. It was tough looking with that long draw length. Good luck and get those deer on the ground.
 
So my groups are good at 20 and 30 yards been practicing every day.
So I am ready to hunt but been doing research on broad heads which is similar to researching carry ammo so many opinions. From recommendations here I have narrowed it down to NAP spitfire and NAP kill zone. Also interested in people’s opinions on Chisel tip or the cut on contact tip ?
Shooting 32” draw at 60lbs 29” arrow
 
Sparkey said:
So my groups are good at 20 and 30 yards been practicing every day.
So I am ready to hunt but been doing research on broad heads which is similar to researching carry ammo so many opinions. From recommendations here I have narrowed it down to NAP spitfire and NAP kill zone. Also interested in people’s opinions on Chisel tip or the cut on contact tip ?
Shooting 32” draw at 60lbs 29” arrow
Click to expand...

At 60lbs either is fine. You may have to finesse your sights when you switch to your broadheads. Whichever flies closest to my field points is what I would shoot.

Cut on contact broadheads are useful in lower poundage setups.

Bob
 

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