One... How much accuracy should I expect?

[Panhandler80]

And Two... Should you expect greater accuracy and consistency with heavier field tips with shots under 35 yards?

And Three... for small deer (nothing over 180 lbs) is there anything wrong with shooting 100 grain tips on a 20" firebolt out of an Axiom with an Excel string?

I went to an outdoors place yesterday with the intention to buy 125 grain FPs and a pack of 125 grain Rage crossbow two blades.

None of their FPs matched the threads on my fire bolts.

I want to shoot a mechanical... they are all I have shot with my V bow and I'm comfortable / confident with them. That being said 125 grain are as large as you can find. I was hoping to get my new axiom dialed with with 125 FPs and then fire a couple shots with the rage practice head to double check things.

Well.. no 125 BHs or FPs at the shop. I go home and all of my 100 grain field points for my V bow fit my Firebolts just fine.

Now I'm thinking... well, let's just dail the bow in for 100 grains and we'll hunt with that set up this year. 100 grain tip on out-of-the-box Firebolts has me at 367 grains, so I'm over the min 350 mark.

I dial her in at 10 yards no problem.

At twenty most of my shots are pretty good, but there's occasionally an outlier, and it was not the same arrow everytime.

All shots are off of a make-shift bench... a chair and a bar stool. Not super sturdy, but way sturdier than the shots reflect at 30 yards.

I back off to 30 and I'm all over the place. Worst shot was dead center but probably 3" high. Next shot was probably 2.5" low and to the left, then one at right hight but off to right. ????????????????????????

I realize that a shot that's a little bit off at 20 is going to look worse at 30, but this too me looked more like the arrow was doing something on it's own out past 20. Doing something independent of how bow was shot. Light head, maybe?????

Also, because the FPs were for my V-bow, they are just a touch smaller in diameter compared to the crossbow bolts. Any chance that little reveal up front might be pushing the air funny as the bolt slows out past 20???? Seems unlikely, but????

I welcome your thoughts.

Thanks,

PH80

[TPM]

There are others on here who know a lot more about the science of arrows than I do but I do know that I use 100 grain field points on my arrows for 3D and have no probrems getting pin point accuracy out to 50 yards.

[Panhandler80]

Well, that's great for you, but not exactly what I was hoping to hear for me.



By the time I got to my 30 yard stuff it had gotten a bit darker out, so maybe using those little triangles on the axiom scope in low light conditions is to blame.

Tonight I'll just shoot the main crosshairs at 30 and see if that helps with the consistency at least. Obviously I'll be off mark, but hopefully I'll at least be the same off the mark with each shot.

Considering that the season is just around the corner, yesterday afternoon's shooting did not leave me all that thrilled.

[rayman]

Gave up on local shops. Never have just what I need and too pricey. Order almost everything from Cabelas or other.

Just started with Axiom this year. Have been using factory fps and boltcutters and accuracy has not been a problem. Mostly snuff can groups to 40 yrds. Little or no change between fp and bh.

Good luck. Love Panama City.

[Legnip]

I just went through this, but with some good advice (thanks Bill T), I've got a nice tight grouping at 40 yards . I'm shooting 2219's. I cut off the 4" fletchings, and now use the "Twisters" that shrink to fit in hot water. Eventually I'll re-fletch all the arrows with 2" helical vanes. Use your practice head once you are sighted in and then dial it in again.

Have you broken in your string yet? 20-30 shots should do.

Good luck.

[Aero320]

I am shooting 100 grain FP and they group within the diameter of a snuff can (or even smaller) shooting off of a rest. I do have the heavier brass inserts in the 20" bolts. Bolts are Easton 2117 with GT brass inserts and 2" blazers. I think the extra weight on the front helps at the longer distances, that is why Excal recommends the 150 grain fixed blades that they sell.

[Panhandler80]

I am shooting 100 grain FP and they group within the diameter of a snuff can (or even smaller) shooting off of a rest. I do have the heavier brass inserts in the 20" bolts. Bolts are Easton 2117 with GT brass inserts and 2" blazers. I think the extra weight on the front helps at the longer distances, that is why Excal recommends the 150 grain fixed blades that they sell.

I was thinking that the heavier weight up front would make for a more consistent downrange POI.

All of my shots would have resulted in a dead deer, but at 30 yards I'd like to see the groups a little bit tighter. Most of mine were within a large coaster (like for a drink on the table) with a couple maybe 1.5" outside of that... N, SW, E and NE.

Sometihng ain't right.

My rest did s-u-c-k... better than off hand, but not great by any stretch of the imagination. I have the 4" out of the box vanes. I really don't feel like getting into the whole insert game for extra weight. My closest archery shop ordered some 125 inserts for me. Hopefully they'll straighten things out because...

1. I really want to shoot mechanicals, and...

2. I don't want to have to buy insets for weight.

We'll see. I'll also try at 30 again tongight with a better rest and more shooting light.

[awshucks]

The latest Eblast had an article by Bill T that told their testing w/ Firebolts and 150gr Boltcutters gave 4" groups at 40 yds.

[Panhandler80]

The latest Eblast had an article by Bill T that told their testing w/ Firebolts and 150gr Boltcutters gave 4" groups at 40 yds.

What would most people consider 4" at 40? I'd call that acceptable to good, but certianly nothing worth bragging about... well, I guess with a fixed BH that's pretty good, huh?

I really need to get my x-bow figured out. 6" group at 30 is in no way acceptable. Hopefully it was low light or rest from last night. Will know more when I get home today. If I can't straighten things out, it will be Vbow for opening day for me, which will be frustrating... not using the new toy and all.

[gerald strine]

Here is a mechanical I am sure will group well that weighs 170 grains and cuts the deer in half to make it easy to get out of the woods.

http://www.newarchery.com/products/1-57 ... s/foc.html

[Limbs and Sticks]

The latest Eblast had an article by Bill T that told their testing w/ Firebolts and 150gr Boltcutters gave 4" groups at 40 yds.

What would most people consider 4" at 40? I'd call that acceptable to good, but certianly nothing worth bragging about... well, I guess with a fixed BH that's pretty good, huh?

I really need to get my x-bow figured out. 6" group at 30 is in no way acceptable. Hopefully it was low light or rest from last night. Will know more when I get home today. If I can't straighten things out, it will be Vbow for opening day for me, which will be frustrating... not using the new toy and all.

I'm curious to see the results of you're shooting session, please post it.

Wes

[deerhunter0430]

Here is a mechanical I am sure will group well that weighs 170 grains and cuts the deer in half to make it easy to get out of the woods.

http://www.newarchery.com/products/1-57 ... s/foc.html

Thats one big broadhead 3 inch cut holy sh*t !!!

[Panhandler80]

Okay...

So I went home last night and made myself a little bit better rest.

I also shot with way more available light yesterday than I had two evenings ago and I started fresh yesterday at 30 yards... as opposed to 10, 20, and then 30.

I must say that I am WAY more pleased. The picture below was my last and by far my best grouping of three. The other three shot round were probably 3.5" groups, but they were all centered around the black dot... which is good.

Worst case scenairo of a 3.5" GROUP (not from center) at 30 yards is okay, I guess. I probably had 4 rounds along those lines. My last shot of three is what's pictured here.



Bow was shot off same rest, same body position, same everything, but this group came out great. Actually, if you wanted to get real picky, I guess it's a hair high and right, but the MOA / click on that Axiom scope aren't about to make any adjustments that small. In all seriounsness, I would be THRILLED with shots like the ones pictured above at 30. I just don't know why every group isn't like that when I'm shooting from the same rest, same body position, same everything.

THEORY and a FACT... I do NOT care for the little triangles in the Axiom scope. Would much rather have either additional reticles. They triangles are bulky and the make target acquisition (espeically a small black circle on a practice target) difficult. At times the black out the target entirely. I"ll move the bow and they come zipping out from behind the bulky triangle, then I get them up on the tip of the triangle, but if it goes down even slightly, I can't see if I'm L or R or target. Yuck. WAY different on a game animal, I understand. In that case the triangle is but a speck on the target, and I just put the tip of the triangle where I want the bolt to go. The triangles SUCK for sighting in, though.

THEORY... I have never used anything like them and they might be messing me up a little bit.

[VixChix]

I'm not fond of the triangles either - especially for 3D. I hope to someday be able to afford to put a Hawke scope on. For now, it's the triangles though.

It might help to sight in using the TIP of the triangle. That gives a bit more precision and allows for a better sight picture.

Also wanted to ask if you were cocking by hand or with the rope cocker?

[Wildlife Control]

Here is a mechanical I am sure will group well that weighs 170 grains and cuts the deer in half to make it easy to get out of the woods.

http://www.newarchery.com/products/1-57 ... s/foc.html

That's funny!