More Tidbits....

TAPERED NOCKS ARE NOT GOOD
It used to be there were only wood and aluminum arrows, and they could use the same tapered nocks. These particular nocks were glued onto a tapered cut at the end of the wood shafts. They used a belt sander to put that same taper on the end of aluminum shafts (and still do).

Many years ago, we found that the taper on the aluminum shafts was not concentric and true to the shaft. We discovered this using an indicator and lathe. We found that only about 40 to 60 percent of a dozen shafts would run-out less than .001". Some would run-out more than .006".

So, we used the lathe to cut the taper again. This gave too smooth a finish on the taper for the glue to hold the nock in place. However, by using some coarse sandpaper, the taper could be roughed up and the glue would hold quite well.

The arrows that we had trued up the taper on, grouped noticeably better. So much better, that it became a standard part of our arrow assembly. Straightening the nock taper on the shafts was the first thing we would do on a new set of arrows.

HALLELUJAH! Nocks were developed that could be inserted inside the shafts. Machined nock adapters were also developed for most of the arrow sizes. These types of nocks aligned so much better. We can't understand why anyone would use the tapered style nocks anymore. But, apparently many people still do. They are still making aluminum arrows that look like someone put one end into a pencil sharpener. Whenever we get any of those arrows, we cut the taper off and install nock adapters.

GIVING ARROWS A PERSONALITY
For the longest time now, we have been numbering our arrows. Knowing that a particular arrow has developed a personality of it's own (and won't stay with the group) is hard to identify unless you can tell one arrow from the next.

Because all the arrows look alike, and most of us can't be really sure that we didn't do something to cause the arrow to stray, writing a number on the vane with a ball point pen seemed like a good idea.

That way if #4 arrow is always going low, we know something is wrong with the arrow, not our form.

The trouble with that idea is that you have to write down what each arrow is doing, all the time. Given variations in form, aiming, and the belief that we are always to blame, it is hard sometimes to keep track of what each arrow is doing.

When the arrows seem to keep taking turns going low, it's hard to remember that # 4 arrow went low more often than any of the other arrows. (We are too lazy to write down where all the arrows hit all of the time. Let alone, take the time to analyze all that information.) For some reason, keeping all the numbers straight in our head did not work well.

Then somebody started naming their arrows. They would write a name on the vane with a ballpoint pen. At first, it was just kind of a joke. Names like; KILLER, FANG, HEARTSEEKER, CIRCUS MONKEY, TONY DANZA, XENA, etc. We soon found that with names, it was a lot easier to keep track of what each arrow was doing. For instance, we knew that TONY DANZA always hit right where it was aimed, and the GUTS arrow was always off a bit.

Come hunting season, everyone has a favorite named arrow that is going to be used. Remembering names works a lot better than remembering numbers, and it is a lot more fun.

TRYING TO HARD
The better we get, the worse we get. One weekend we shoot exceptionally well, then by the next weekend we've lost everything we thought we'd gained and more. We have come to realize that "TRYING TOO HARD" is a big problem.

When we try to aim too hard, our shooting form deteriorates. When we try too hard to get good shot execution, the aiming is off. If we can maintain just the right balance of both, the results are awesome. But, when we realize that we are doing well, we try aiming a little harder and are humbled. Some of our hardest practice sessions are the ones shot after we have shot our personal best. How do you not try hard?

We all get awesome shots, you know the one's where we did everything right and are properly rewarded (some of us more than others). But when we try real hard to repeat that awesome shot, we can't do it. So, we give up and quit trying so hard then we have another awesome shot and the trying hard starts again. It seems an endless cycle.

We still haven't been able to get rid of "TRYING TOO HARD". But we are trying real hard to beat it into submission.

STAYING CENTERED
After a season of indoor shooting, we're all eager to get outside. Having set up our equipment during the indoor season, we all ended up having to adjust our peephole size to accommodate the light diffraction phenomenon. In fact, we discovered that in order to get the same ring of light around our pin guard outdoors that we had indoors; we had to open up our peep sight hole AS IF we were shooting a pin guard that was 3/8" larger.

It's a good idea to center the pin guard in the peep sight hole by making sure that the two round circles (peep hole and pin guard) are concentric. When shooting in varying light (outdoors) the relative size of the peephole and pin guard is going to appear different as the light varies. (Like going from bright sunlight into dark shadows.) It's important to not align on an edge of the pin guard but to center it in the peep. Sometimes you might have a ring of light around your guard and other times you won't. We found if we don't monitor the light variations and stay centered no matter how big or small the peephole is, we don't hit what we are aiming at.

Good Shooting!