arrow flight accuracy

[old fart jim]

my current set up is an older Horton [sorry guys it's all I got right now] 20" 2216, 5" vanes, 100grn muzzy heads. one time it groups good and the next time it's like I have an entirely different point of impact. with several shots it always seems there is one way off. was shooting the other day in gusty wind and it was a total dissaster. now I'm not the best shot but I know where the cross hair was at when it went off, and my experience tells me something is not quite right. my little brain says uh oh the broad head is guiding the arrow not the fletch. I'm old school so I refleched with 5" helical feathers and so far every shot goes right where the cross hair is pointed and the groups tightened way up. oh yeah my foc is now 3 1/2" foc. I know I could experiment with different heads but it's hunting season and I'm trying my best to make what I got work.

the frustrated old fart jim

[Hoss]

if every shot is going where you put the cross hairs.....go with it...if you are confident that is what counts...good luck//my wife shoots a horton yukon sl so dont worry about the kind nobody here cares what kind..we are just glad to see you hunting.....

Hoss

[dlzinck]

Fletching my own arrows for the first time, I had the same problem. Turns out it was the arrows and not the bow

Found this out by numbering the arrows, then numbered the dots on the target. Always shoot the #1 arrow at the #1 dot. This way you weed out bad arrows real quick and can adjust your scope based on multiple shots on different arrows. I now have a dozen, that fly right on.

I still put the one with the blood on it in the max when hunting though.

[Boo]

If you are using 5" feathers that should be lots to guide the feathers but may be too high for the channel. I would think you would get erratic shot to shot accuracy rather than moving groups. Check out your scope and especially the mount and or base. Could be something loose. Do you have a scope mount with adjustments?

[wabi]

The way I'm reading your post I get it accuracy improved with the 5" feathers?
One thing to watch for is too much helical which can cause the feathers to not have enough clearance in the channel (in width). Height isn't a big problem because the feathers will compress, but width can cause them to ride up erratically. With my Excaliburs the max is about 6º with 5" fletching.
I ended up using 2" "Blazer" vanes and get as good of arrow flight as with feathers, but that's with an Excalibur.

If the 5" feathers give suitable accuracy with your broadheads - stick with that setup for now!
If you want better accuracy you might want to try a mechanical broadhead. Some of the older Hortons just didn't like broadheads.
A buddy of mine had one (150# Hunter???) that had a front hold-down clip for the arrow. With field points you could remove the clip and shoot great groups, but with broadheads and no clip you felt like ducking when you pulled the trigger for fear the arrow would circle back to you. With the clip it was still a very close range crossbow, but at 20 or 25 yards you could keep groups close to "minute of deer" size. I finally let him shoot a group with my Phoenix and the Horton has hung in the rafters of his shed ever since. That was on a weekend, and he owned an Excalibur the following Wednesday.

If it's all you have right now you might as well check group sizes and determine the maximum range you can dependably hit a deer's kill zone at, then hunt with it. With archery it isn't speed and power (within reason) or style that kills deer - it's accuracy! Put a good sharp broadhead through the lungs and the deer will die quickly!

Good luck - and "good hunting"!!!!!!!!!!

[old fart jim]

thanks for the replies, the feathers have done the trick, and the clearance in the channel is good. shot in the wind today and results were excellent. was just trying to make what I have work so I can spend more time hunting. I've only had this bow for 1 week but now I fell confident with the set up