Newest Bow

yes, i make most of my own arrows. they're just too expensive store bought.

frank: that looks nice.

what kind of feathers do you use. goose or store bought? what kind of wood? and how do you make your tips?

Nice work Frank.

i use all kinds of woods.

my favorite to tell the truth, is bamboo. particularly, when i see small diameter bamboo garden stakes on sale, i try to grab them up.

that aside, i've used rose, wild and domestic, coyote brush, california bay, dogwood and just about any that i can find with woody stems, with 26-32" sections branch free, or without major branches.

the only skill to learn here is how to measure stiffness, how to dry/season if needed and how to straighten with heat.

for feathers, i use the flight and tail feathers of any medium to large bird i can get my hands on, but i mostly work with turkey and goose primaries.

ive never thought of turkey. but ill remember that. and do you use arrowheads or just fireharden your wood?

Thanks for all the pos. comments.


The arrows I just made had commercial black feathers that I got in a trade somewhere. Usually I use real turkey feathers. about 5 years ago, a turkey hunter who has since passed away, gave me 5 sets of turkey wings.

I had them stripped in trade and now have a lifetime supply of both right wing and left wing fletchings.

I don't use primaries..........there just are not enough of them. As far as goose, I will use them if I can't get turkey.


My arrow shafts, these I purchased from Ted at Raptor archery. I usually don't buy shafts, I either make them or trade for them. But I wanted a specific birch shaft, not laminated birch, but rather solid birch. They are hard to find and Ted went in his rafters somewhere and came up with some just like I order 6 years ago. He even pulled out the sales reciept and I got his last 2 1/2 doz. Lucky me.

My ELB shoots my candy canes perfectly.

ive always thought goose was much more high quality then turkey and how do you do your tips?

P.S. is your sig from jerimiah johnson? love that movie

Is there any other movie? LOL. I think I will prob. be watching it tonight after everyone goes to bed. Got the kids a new 40" flatscreen for their Wii.......Jerimiah Johnson on the big screen.

Goose is a bit more waterproof, I'll take either honestly. Again, I don't use the primaries just seconds.

As far as arrow tips? I use the glue ons. I use to drill out the end of the arrow and insert a nail head, drill a hole through and glue. Looked cool.

I do make self nocked arrows. My hunting arrows are all selfnocked and wrapped with sinew.


If you ever get a chance, read "Crow Killer" the real story of Jerimiah Johnson. I read it every fall to get me in the mood.

LOL....read it this year and have not gotten in the mood for hunting yet. Only 2 days left for deer.

it sure is a bummer. aint gotten me a nice buck yet. i wish i could watch it. might pick it up on netflix sometime. big screen 8)... well anyway ive got a friend who hunts goose and i can get some from him. maybe a turkey when its in season.

ive heard you could just use coffee cans for small game. cut a pint out of the bottom and cut a thing in the arrow for it. i can see the point. i cut myself on cans all the time. specialy when im in the mood for some cornbeefhash

turkey and goose flight feathers both make excellent fletchings. there is no good reason to compare them.

i've also used other materials, such as fur.

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_0583.jpg

i make all kind of tips, from self points and hardwood point inserts on target arrows, to stone points and lately, some steel broadheads.

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...rrow_point.gif

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...broadheads.jpg

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...oose_point.jpg

http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/IMG_0582.jpg

there's really no shortage of ways to do things.

Canid,

You're on Paleoplanet aren't you?

I have not tried deer hair, but i'm going to try. I have not make any forged trade points, have cut a few out of sawblades. They worked okay.

i'm on there a bit. i don't post too much.

the steel points i've been making are bench ground and hardened. they're pretty gnarly. i managed to put one through a fence board while playing around last week.

the fur fletching was elk fur, but i bet a fold over of tied on loose hair would be just as effective.

I use to post more.

I go to Paloe when I start drifting in other directions. Tom always brings me back.

Now I do post more on Primitive Archer. I don't get the mag. but the website is great. I will enter my bows every now and then. Came in second a few times. Kinda makes ya feel good.

I won't enter the ELB in the bow of the month. I feel like I cheated by trading for a blank that was already glued up.

wow. never even thought of deer hair. i suppose it would stabilize the arrow like it is supposed to but would put as much spin as feathers.nice little hook on the wooden one. the steels look pretty vicious too

spin isn't necessary, it just helps accuracy.

the barbed self point was on the fur fletched shaft. it would make a nice fish arrow.

ive heard that it helps to put something to float the arrow.ive knever known what the mean. i understand the logic though. keep the fish in reach and you can get to the arrow if you miss. accuracy is everything when your shooting at that deer from 40 yards

i don't know many people who bowhunt from 40 yards.

elk is probably the only situation i can think of that would require such long shooting, at least in north america.

you knever know. could be your only chance of food

i think i'm too accustomed to coming within 10-15 yards of deer even by accident.

personally, i wouldn't shoot at large game from over 15, but i know my own shooting abilities. they aren't the best.

I've killed a hog out to 30 yards, but I was in a tree shooting down. That was a bit far for me. It was a good shot, hog died 20 yards away.

As far as 40 yard deer shots, all but one rifle killed deer I've shot has been within 15 yards. Usually we are talking feet rather than yards.

Would I take a 40 yard shot? I have tried it and found that even if you are shooting a 75lb modern recurve, 40 yards is just to far on a deer. Now on an elk, you bet ya.......but I'd be dialed in for elk.

Now, I've taken 50yd shots at 3D elk, deer, and rams and all kill shots. But if I wounded it, all I had to do is pull the arrow. Real life is a bit diff.