Best F.O.C. for hunting

agingcrossbower · Post by **agingcrossbower** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 6:54 pm

What is the best per cent f.o.c. for hunting. A chart I found says 10 to 15%. I thought I read somewhere here that it was more like 18%. Any help would be great. Aging

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 7:58 pm

The more things are out (arrow straightness, arrow spine, squareness of the inserts, broadhead issues, tiller etc) the more FOC is needed. If everything is 100% perfect (which it never is) you can get away with less than 10%. Easton says 10 to 15%.

agingcrossbower · Post by **agingcrossbower** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:07 pm

I was having issues with grouping and I checked my FOC and it was a whopping 21.4%. Got a new combo going and I am now at 11.50%. The catch is now I get to redo all the sighting in on the pinpoint scope again. Have to admit I kind of enjoy it.

I think the grouping will improve. As of now there is no way I can feel comfortable taking a 50 yard shot.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 8:10 pm

I haven't calculated closely, but I believe my arrows are under 10%. I can shoot 1" groups all day and have never missed a deer because of FOC.

I'm of the opinion that FOC was invented as a selling point for accessories such as heavy broadheads, brass inserts, insert weights, etc.

If your arrows are accurate my advice is DO NOT measure or think about FOC.
If they aren't accurate then perhaps increased FOC could help, but if you "read between the lines" in what Boo said it really is just compensating for other problems.

One thing I do question is the straightness of many of the carbons on the market today. I don't have the means to check them, but I do know that my 2215 aluminums are very similar to FireBolts in weight and balance but the aluminums will outgroup them easily. The Firebolts are still adequate, but it seems like there are one or two "fliers" in every package of 6 arrows.

I know my opinion is a bit extreme on the issue, and I hope I don't offend anyone.

agingcrossbower · Post by **agingcrossbower** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 10:32 pm

Thanks for the responses. One thing I tend to do when I am looking for a faster or should i say getting the most speed out of the crossbow, is getting the arrow on the light side and then having trouble controlling it. I am now shooting a 425gr. arrow and with the new FOC the weight will increase to 436gn. The heavier arrow should be more stable but I will have more drop and my distance judging will have to be spot on. All very interesting putting all the varibles together. Wabi right, if she is hitting spot on screw the FOC. Leave it alone. thanks again for the imput. All food for thought.
Aging.

BigNasty · Post by **BigNasty** » Sat Oct 15, 2011 10:39 pm

Wildlife Control · Post by **Wildlife Control** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:43 am

When shooting carbon bolts you need more FOC weight to compensate for the run out. Aluminum shafts are superior in straightness compared to carbon shafts and require less FOC. However, having a little more weight up front also compensates for other variables like wind, a tree branch or tall weed, or your heart beating out of your chest. Keep in mind that a bolt must hit the target straight on in order to deliver all of it's energy and at longer distances this becomes even more important. It's cool when you try a few different set ups and all of the sudden "WOW" you find the one.

Dash · Post by **Dash** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:55 am

G'day aging,
I've been experimenting with a lot of different weight heads,arrows, and fletching. The last 3 days I was out bush testing the 170 grain FOC tips on beman lightning bolts with 2"helical blazers. I was consistantly getting the tightest groups I've ever had at 40 & 50 meters. Well exceeded my expectations. They were hardly effected by the sidewind. I havent calculated the FOC yet, but from the consistant results I know I've finally found the perfect combination for me. Testing was done with an equinox. Give them a go.

agingcrossbower · Post by **agingcrossbower** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:10 pm

Dash wrote:G'day aging,
I've been experimenting with a lot of different weight heads,arrows, and fletching. The last 3 days I was out bush testing the 170 grain FOC tips on beman lightning bolts with 2"helical blazers. I was consistantly getting the tightest groups I've ever had at 40 & 50 meters. Well exceeded my expectations. They were hardly effected by the sidewind. I havent calculated the FOC yet, but from the consistant results I know I've finally found the perfect combination for me. Testing was done with an equinox. Give them a go.

Dash;
Thats the teaser. A 170gr. boardhead should lend to a more stable arrow but then the distance judgment has to be spot on or you miss because that heavier head tends to make for more drop. Its quite the teaser. Hope to get it figured out sooner than later. Thanks!

Boo · Post by **Boo** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:11 pm

Dash, if you are up for another experiment try going back to a lighter broadhead and increasing the offset of your Blazers. The Arizona Bolt gives a lot of helical offset to the Blazers and still fits in the channel.

Normous · Post by **Normous** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:31 pm

The AZ Bolt is Good.

Limbs and Sticks · Post by **Limbs and Sticks** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:55 pm

Wildlife Control wrote:When shooting carbon bolts you need more FOC weight to compensate for the run out. Aluminum shafts are superior in straightness compared to carbon shafts and require less FOC. However, having a little more weight up front also compensates for other variables like wind, a tree branch or tall weed, or your heart beating out of your chest. Keep in mind that a bolt must hit the target straight on in order to deliver all of it's energy and at longer distances this becomes even more important. It's cool when you try a few different set ups and all of the sudden "WOW" you find the one.

This is why I use feathers, more forgiving than any plastic vane or blazers made, if your bh hits or brushes a tree branch your done no matter how lite or heavy your stick is, wind has never bother my set-up, it's fast enough that the wind doesn't affect it at hunting distance.

Wes

flightattendant100 · Post by **flightattendant100** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 8:59 pm

enormous wrote:The AZ Bolt is Good.

Easiest thing to use I have ever tried!

bob1961 · Post by **bob1961** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:44 pm

i built my XX75 2117's to have as high a FOC i could get and stay at 550gr total arrow weight and my arrows are at 21.6% with straight flexed 2" blazers that are deadly out to 50yds with 125gr slick trick mags.........bob

....

agingcrossbower · Post by **agingcrossbower** » Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:49 pm

bob1961 wrote:i built my XX75 2117's to have as high a FOC i could get and stay at 550gr total arrow weight and my arrows are at 21.6% with straight flexed 2" blazers that are deadly out to 50yds with 125gr slick trick mags.........bob

....

Thats one heavy arrow you shoot. It amazes me all the combinations people have that work just fine. Yours should blow over a moose!

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