getting tired in Heathrow Airport

Here is a pic my slave driver boss snapped of me.

I had to get my archery talk on.... during our layover

Off to Nimes....

I am minutes from starting the long trip over to Nimes. I've got loads of arrows in my case. I hear that their tagets eat arrows for lunch. I will be experimenting with vanes this trip. My buddy at Easton says that they are more accurate on heavier shafts than feathers. I have always said "nothing but feathers indoors" but I am not above testing a new paridigm against my old ones. Because I have been traveling so much, I don't have time to test this stuff prior to a shoot, so I have to just hot test them in competition. I guess that is a better test anyway. :)

Cya in Nimes! come by the STAN booth and say Hi.

Wait a minute......

Does "solidly built american"

Mean "Fat"? :)

It is a wonder I can get my head through the door :)

Here is a nice article in Australia's Archery Action Magazine. Thanks to DanceswithDingo for letting me know about it and sending me a PDF. These guys really did their research. I didn't interview for this and they did a good job anyway. I guess you can find anything on the net these days.

:sticking fingers in ears and screaming lalalalala la: THAT DIDNT HAPPEN!!

My perfomance at the Iowa Pro Am was embarrasing to say the least, But I am happy that I know what the problem was. I would feel bad about it if it were a total mystery, but I have it under control.

so here is the deal.

The ProElite holds like a rock but when I overtry it doesn't group as good as I can hold it. It may be arrows, tune, or my form. I don't have any idea yet and I don't have any time to dink with it any further... So, out comes old trusty UltraElite. I set it up last night and holy cow does that thing shoot.

The guys at Hoyt really slapped it out of the park with the new Elite Grips. It is the most comfortable and consistent grip I have ever used. It is the first one in 20 years that I have been able to shoot without grip tape.

I will shoot more tonight and try to cram for Lancaster

Uh Oh..... :(

Ok, so the secret weapon arrows were a total disaster. The process must have ruined the shafts because they didn't fly worth a crap. I just got a call from a friend at Easton and he informed me that the process was actually dangerous. Well... I new the chemicals were caustic and it makes poisonous gas when you stick aluminum into it, but It can damage the wall thickness on thin wall shafts and cause breakage on the shot.

DONT DO IT. The process is a poisonous pain it the rear and It ruins the shafts.

Luckily I still have my trusty old stock 2315s and I am back on track and they are drilling like crazy.

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594 I hope to raise the bar a tad higher before Nimes, France

CRUD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I zipped off my super straighties that I shot at the Face 2 Face and after further study I am thinking that 29" may be better. I have been doing some comparisons with the easton chart, Archers Advantage, and another computer software and I am also thinking that 220 grain points may be better.

ARRRGH! Well... It's not the first time that I have cut off a whole dozen and changed my mind.

Does anyone want some hot new 2315s that are 28" and totally straightened and weight matched. They have one shoots worth of experience.

I set up the secret weapon shafts with the 220 grain points and they look great. I shot a few end with them and WOW. They are drilling. I guess thier first test will be at the Iowa Proam in a couple days.

Just zipped off my new dozen to 28"

Well... I think I have settled on the 180 grain and 28" 2315. I just shot a 58X NFAA, and for me that's not all that impressive, but to ones that I missed were just stupid mistakes. The ones I hit, however, were GROUPING LIKE CRAZY!! That was the tightest 58X game I think I have ever shot.

I have to head out to Iowa on Thursday, so I only have one more night to practice in the copper closet. I am working on my secret weapon arrows still and will have them ready and at the Iowa ProAm. :) they are hot.

For those of you that will be at the Pro Am, I will have the full on STAN booth there and will be ready to show off the new releases and thier catalog.

Comment from Shaun (imported from old BLOG)

Comment from: Shaun [Visitor]
So what weight is working for you?I am about to build a new set of arrows for a 60# Trykon (28" draw) on Easton FatBoys. Any recommendations?
01/04/06 @ 12:24

So far the 28" with 180 grain points are working like gang busters. I am getting super groups and am LOVING IT!!

I don't have any recommendations on the Fatboys. I have never shot them before.

New Question from Pierre (imported from Old BLOG)

Comment from: Pierre [Visitor] ·
When you are talking about arrow Voodoo, you refer to your technic of finding arrow nodes?I know Dave Cousins was doing some experience for Easton with heavy points on his arrows (300-350gr.). Is it something that most pros are going into, heavy points?Thanks for the infos, I appreciate :)
01/04/06 @ 07:26


Yes, I am talking about setting up the nodes for proper rest positioning. I used some archery software to decide what point to use and settled on the 180 grain points. Now that I have all that worked out... I made myself some sexy polished "chrome" shafts for the Iowa ProAM. I just got them all straight and an fletching them now... I will post a pic as soon as I have them.

The ATA show

WOW

The response to the new STAN line was amazing. I talked until I was nearly hoarse and I think I demonstrated the SuperX adjustents 5 million times. well.... maybe not that many, but enough to make my fingertips sore from twisting allen wrenches.

Here is a shot of me that Ryan Martin snapped with his phone. We have spent a ton of time on the product and the marketing of it. I can't wait until you guys can see the full rollout of product. It will be HOT. I was also impressed at the number of shooters that were coming out in droves to shoot the new SuperX. Thanks for the support guys.

Working on Points!

Quote From Pierre...

Can you explain what can be the advantage of shooting heavy points? I think in Toronto you were shooting a standard set-up (2315 with 100gr. points) with longer arrows. Are you cutting them and going heavier on front to get the same spine?? What are those points?



Currently I am experimenting with shooting heavier tip weight. I am using Rod Menzer's Pro Points. He makes 2613 and 2315 points in varous weights from 180 grain to 300 grain.

You can get your hands on a set by sending a pm to "footsteps" and ask him about them. He takes PayPal.

My initial findings were that the points were very consistent in weight and overall diameter. The finish on the points was nice as well. I used Archer's Advantage to calculate my best arrow match and performed a little arrow voodoo to decide how much overhang I wanted with the new points. I cut off an old dozen and popped them in and ran around the corner and shot a round in the copper closet.

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I thought that was pretty hot, but I am aware of new product syndrome and am on guard for that. I have now shot several NFAA rounds and managed 4 60X games out of 6 rounds. The main thing that struck me was how tight my groups are. I have not been shooting my best, but the new arrow configuration seems to be more forgiving.

Here is what I think....

Heavier tips are seeming to track better indoors and I am beginning to think that they are also more forgiving to shooter errors. I didn't put much thought into heavy points indoors, because the distances are short and typically my arrows have a lot of drag. I didn't think it would matter that much. However, I reserve the right to change my mind on an issue anytime someone or something proves the old paradigm wrong.

So I am in full reverse.... and trying to decide what I think is best now. Give me a little more time for experimentation and I will keep you posted on anymore shifts in my arrow setup universe.

After about 3 weeks of shooting the points, I am adding them permanently to my gear list. These things ROCK!!! and I am soooo happy to get out of screwing with weighting stock point. Whew! THANKS ROD!!!!!!!

Well.... Here is the new home

The spammers found my old blog, so... They can have it.

This blog engine is way cooler anyway. :)

I also have the power to add pics so I think this will be much better.