I’m not a fan of fletching, but I got my new arrows put together. I was down to three hunting arrows without having to dip into my practice arrows. Now I have 15 good hunting arrows and nine practice arrows. I was really impressed with this batch of Gold Tip Hunter Pros. Every single one of them spun perfectly. Also, I was pleasantly surprised that all six of the new Slick Trick Magnums I screwed on spun perfectly. I added Nockturnals to the back end and now my quiver is loaded and ready.
^^ good choice of arrows & BH's ... they look good ... how do the 4 vaned heats with the mags fly ?? ( those are a 4 fletch ??)... with a 3 fletch, I had problems controlling fixed with Heats .... never tried a 4 fletch with 'em .... with mech's they flew fine with 3 ....
Yes, they’re four fletched. I tried three fletch Heat Vanes at first and had the same problem you did. There just wasn’t enough stabilization. Adding one more stabilized the Slick Trick Magnums just fine. As long as I make sure the broad heads spin perfectly (and I mean perfectly) they hit with my field points out to 50 yards. I went with Heat Vanes primarily for the reduction in arrow hiss in flight. There is a huge difference in sound. Shorter profile vanes are so much more quiet in flight, and I know that the sound of the arrow “hissing” in is what makes deer drop at the shot. I also found out that there are two more advantages: First, the smaller profile vanes all but eliminate potential fletch contact. Second, having a four fletch arrow means you can’t nock your arrow upside down no matter what you do.
one of these days, I'll fletch up some 4's with the Heats and try 'em with my Black Hornets and Wicked Tricks & Mags and see how they fly ... with my flo. yellow Blazers I use a marker and put a dot above the logo to indicate which vane is up ...
Did some shooting yesterday first shot didn’t even touch the target. After 10 arrows I was happy. Now getting some preseason beverages in. Hoping to get up early enough to touch up 1 stand in the morning. It’s supposed to below a 1000 degrees and 100% humidity. It’s an easy get to so shouldn’t be an issue the 4 wheeler is loaded already but the fridge isn’t empty. The struggle is real BHOD! The weather has been trash this year from my view.
Great looking setup LC. With the number of deer you shoot in a season, I can imagine you go through hunting arrows. What is a yearly average for you of arrows that get lost or broke? I am experimenting with a 4 fletch this year too. I have been using a tall profile vane in a 3 fletch for many years now, since aluminum arrows and 5" vanes on them. I have predominantly been using Q2i vanes, mainly the Rapt-X's. I 4 fletched a couple arrows with Q2i 2" Fusion x-ii's. I also bought some 2.25" TAC vanes to mess around with. I did a couple arrows with them, one in a 3 fletch and one in a 4 fletch. I have some old 3 blade Muzzy practice heads that I use for fixed blade tuning, and I have shot all the above configurations at 20 yards to see how they'd do. I always fletch with around a 2.5° right offset. All of them are shooting with field points and each other at 20 yards. I was really surprised that the 2.25" TAC vanes steered well in a 3 fletch. I did first have the bow bare shaft tuned to 20 yards. I like how light and stiff the TAC vanes are but they distort pretty darn easily, you have to be careful about leaving the arrows sitting with the vanes in contact with each other or a wall or something. My only complaint about them, other than needing to use a primer pen. I think I'll end up going with the Fusion x-ii's, they just glue on so easy and hold their shape way better. They are only .43" tall and are very quiet in flight.
I almost always lose a couple of arrows each season due to breakage, but last season I lost four. Three broke after lodging in the off-side shoulder and one disintegrated when I hit a limb.
hell, a dozen GT's last me years unless I break or lose 'em somehow ... I'm lucky if I get one or two chances at a deer a year, and IF I do, I'd better make it count .....yea, I see more than that and get several well within range/makeable shots, but its state land and I'm picky what I draw on .... I used to take 4-6 a year, those days are long gone when the private land went bye bye .. I try for one decent buck and one big Doe... Its been several years now that Ive even killed a decent doe, a few I passed I could have killed 'cause they had nice bucks chasing 'em, and of course the shot on the buck never came, like last season (3 times) and ended up with zilch for the season which is only twice out of 37 yrs bowhunting ..
gonna start the hand washing/laundry of the hunting clothes this week after this rain/front pulls thru, so I can hang outside ... a heck of a lot to wash too, got two new bottles of Sportwash to use ...........
I’ve really started to quit worrying so much about scent control. It seems that the harder I try to get scent free the more I get winded.
I just bought my Arkansas license. There went $420. I guess it isn’t too bad, but it seems like a lot to hunt Arkansas.
Today I cleared all but 2 trails of the logs blocking them I'd cut all but the 24 " beech a week or so ago and today winched the logs to the side of trail. I also dropped a 14" maple that was stunting the growth on one of my chestnut trees. Limbed most of it and dragged some to the road side brush pile fence. I have that back uptohead high again. This opened up a ton of light to the tree but also plot and a plum tree in the plot I found out that the boys will stay with me in the woods as I drive the trails. Which was a first time try today. Good to know if I have any walking issues and they need a run which they get daily. Tbe rye I dragged flat then left has a ton of growth. This being wild chichory , a slew of weeds a whole bunch of white clover and some red. The rye in the tree plot that I just flattened trails through and around fruit and chestnut trees, has mainly weeds. That said, the rest of it is still standing great and as I drove a trail I found several flattened beds not 30 yrds from ladder stand and 50 from raised blind. Oh ground is covered in acorns from red that is infront of a favorite stand and near a ground blind
I shower before going usually, spray my boots and clothes, if needed and try to play the wind mostly. Entry and exit I do worry about, but the days of hard core scent control are gone for me.
I want to try to keep as clean as possible, I still do the sprays, pit deodorant, boot powder, etc. and I still play the wind .... I just can not let my clothes/gear get smelly, just cant do it, goes against the grain with me ......
