Hello friends, Deer season opens up on Saturday, my bow is pretty dialed in (i think) and am shooting well. I'll be hunting with my 10 year old son who is pretty dialed in too. This is our first season. A friend of mine just told me that he would never shoot without lighted nocks. I'm starting to second guess myself as I do not have them on my arrows. I'm nervous about messing with my arrows 3 days before the opener. Do lighted nocks change the arrow flight? Do they need to be installed in a certain way/ in a shop? Can I quickly adjust for any changes? Do I really need them? Help this rookie out. 3 days to go and I can't sleep!
a lot of deer are shot with arrows that do not have lighted knocks. you don't need them if your dialed in already. anything you change will effect the shot. if you want them just weigh them and then weigh your knock and see how close they are. shouldn't take long to get it ironed out. I'm no expert by any means! Good luck
I put them on my hunting arrows but not my practice arrows. They group within a half of an inch of each other which to me means they fly the same. It may slightly change your FOC but if it's above 12% then your fine. Mine went from 12.9% to 12.4% so not much difference. You just put them in like a normal nock. Twist it until you have it lined up with the vane you want. Nockturnal makes a tool for there's that helps you push it in the shaft but I don't use it. Not needed Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Fairly certain MOST of the deer killed in the history of bowhunting... were killed sans lighted nock lol Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
I have them since last season but didn't use them this season. I switched arrows and didn't like my FOC with them. I just killed a doe, they do however aid in the finding of the arrow. I saw the deer fall so I got lucky and didn't need a blood trail, but kinda wishin I did have them in cause still have not found arrow and it was a pass through.
Lighted nocks are helpful but not required. The biggest benefit you'll have, especially being a rookie, is that you'll be able to see the arrow, and find the arrow. Keep in mind, the biggest mistake you'll make is trying to watch the arrow. If you release then immediately move your bow to watch the arrow, you could be moving before the arrow is out of the bow. Toss a lighted nock in, shoot your arrow at the deer like you would without one, and see what happens.
If you have them put them in and try them. You can adjust them as required. If you don't have them you don't need them so don't stress yourself over them. They help in filming setups and finding your arrow after the shot so they do add value but are by no means required, just a nice to have.
Aside from the fact that they cost more than regular nocks, and are illegal in some states, I don't know why anyone wouldn't hunt with a lighted nock. Yes, they add a touch of weight to the back end of the arrow but not enough to worry about. And if you're super crazy about FOC you can always add weight to the front of your arrow to counter balance the weight on the back and bring things back where you want them. Knowing where your arrow impacts the animal, especially in low light conditions, it's critical to making the right decisions on when and how to track them. A lighted nock is extremely beneficial in this regard and can truly make a difference in whether or not you recover an animal. As for accuracy, I haven't found a noticeable difference in impact at most distances bowhunters are going to face (sub 30 yards). If you're planning on taking longer shots it's certainly wise to sight your bow in and practice with your lighted nocks just to be on the safe side. While 10-15 extra grains doesn't seem like much, it will cause your arrow to start impacting low at further distances.
The part about seeing the arrow impact on a deer in low light conditions really is the main point for me. I would want to maximize my chance of recovering an animal. Thank you guys.
It is kinda cool to see the light disappear for a second then it it is right there when the deer runs off.
In my opinion lighted nocks definitely help you out but, you do not need them and from my experience of shooting lighted nocks they don't effect your shot if they do it's a small effect.
I have killed a lot of deer with out them. But since using them the first time in 2013 I doubt I will ever hunt without them unless I am hunting somewhere they are illegal. I use Nockturnals and they don't seem to change my POI much at my practice ranges. I have never tried any real long range shooting, I can only shoot to 55 yards at home.
if you can take a couple practice shots to try them before you hunt, then go for it. if not, I would hold off until you can. bottom line you don't NEED them and your instinct is right, don't screw with what works until you have time to test fire again to make sure any modification is OK.
