Wind Testing the Gold Tip Skinny Shafts

[robby denning]

Hey Roksliders, just published a video on the Rok Blog testing the GT Kinetic Pierce Platinums vs Beman Hunter in high winds. Here it is in case you missed it:
[video=youtube_share;Qr-25bt27EM]http://youtu.be/Qr-25bt27EM[/video]

 

[5MilesBack]

You have got to shave those feathers off and use the exact same vanes as on the Pierce arrows to compare apples to apples. Huge difference in the wind effects just between those vanes. Also FOC differences have an effect in long range shooting in the wind as well. And lastly......were you the shooter shielded from the wind so only the arrows were being affected by the wind? That also makes a big difference.

 

[robby denning]

5miles, you're right and I noted that in the video that the feathers would be more affected. Apples to apples probably not the best wording so how about previous apples to new apples.

 

[robby denning]

On the shield, I shot off my back patio and had some shielding but it still affected me as the wind was whipping around the wall. I shot more groups than what I can put in video and the result was always the same, bigger groups with the bigger shafts.

If I get time and a windy day, I'll see if Archery Idaho will put vanes on those three shafts and test again.

 

[gelton]

Great video Robby...thanks for the input. I haven't made the move to the skinny shafts just yet, but pushing 491 grains hopefully will help any wind deflection problems

 

[robby denning]

Great video Robby...thanks for the input. I haven't made the move to the skinny shafts just yet, but pushing 491 grains hopefully will help any wind deflection problems

Yes, I'd guess at shorter yardages, you'll have less deflection depending on velocity. My arrows were 370 grains and I'm shooting about 265 fps

 

[robby denning]

Hey 5milesback, I'm you're huckleberry. I had the proshop strip those feathers and install vanes on the Beman Hunters as you suggested. We didn't calculate FOC for each but both arrows shot bullet holes in paper.

Had to wait for a windy day but still didn't get as much wind as the first test (12-15 mph vs 20-25 mph).

Results were similar to the first test as near as I can tell although not as drastic as in the higher winds. I was protected from the wind like in the first test. Your thoughts?

[video=youtube_share;v2LvhB1VnSQ]http://youtu.be/v2LvhB1VnSQ[/video]

 

[Nick Muche]

Tim sent me a few dozen of the 250s and I can say these are the best/most accurate arrows I've shot. Very impressed. I can't wait to use them this fall.

 

[5MilesBack]

Hey 5milesback, I'm you're huckleberry.

Hey now........I don't know how you guys roll in Idaho......but I'm not liking the sound of that. And to think, I was just in your neck of the woods 10 days ago.

Arrows seem to be scattered to both sides of the bullseye with the Bemans, but you seem to be more consistent with the Pierce arrows. It would make sense that the thinner the shaft, the less they would be affected by the wind.

 

[robby denning]

Hey now........I don't know how you guys roll in Idaho......but I'm not liking the sound of that. And to think, I was just in your neck of the woods 10 days ago.

Arrows seem to be scattered to both sides of the bullseye with the Bemans, but you seem to be more consistent with the Pierce arrows. It would make sense that the thinner the shaft, the less they would be affected by the wind.

ha ha, not that kind of huckleberry!

Yes, the groups were better with the the GTs in both tests but you were right that those feathers were causing as much drift as the larger arrows themselves. Seemed to have made as much difference to switch to vanes as it did from big to small diameter arrows. Wish I could have had as much wind as test #1. The difference should have been more pronounced.

Either way, I'm convinced that the small diameter arrows have an edge. Thanks for chiming in on this- good advice.

I'll have a blog post on this later in the week or next week.

 

[5MilesBack]

Trying to get any kind of accurate information in the wind is tough. It's rarely consistently the same speed, and then there's the gusts, etc........just hard to find a consistent pattern. A few years ago I did some shooting in the wind in MT. Strong crosswind while I was being shielded beside a garage so it didn't really affect me or the shot sequence. I was shooting at 80 yards with 125gr Shuttle T's and they were consistently hitting about 18" left of the bullseye. My buddy had me throw on a Grim Reaper expandable and I shot it several times. It consistently hit only about 2" left of the bullseye. I started carrying an arrow with a 125gr expandable after that. I know you guys can't use expandables, but BH's make a big difference in the wind too.

 

[robby denning]

That's another test right there, BH vs Expandables. I wasn't thinking on those terms. 18" vs 2" is alot. I think on the test with the 20-25mph wind I was getting about 6-10". Never thought about how much more a fixed blade BH would add to that! If I get time, I'll run a test on BH vs Field point. Thanks 5miles!

 

[mtnrunner260]

Nice videos Robby.
Did you ever have time to run the broadhead test?

 

[Nick Muche]

Not sure what broadhead test you wanted, but last week I shot 6 different fixed blade heads at 50 yards, with the Pierce arrows, out of a 68 lb Nitrum 34.

Montec, Slick Trick Standard, Slick Trick Mag, Solid 2 Blade, Shuttle T, and a Magnus Snuffer.

Every single one of them flew as good as a field point, I was very impressed. (I think it has more to do with the bow/shooter, than the arrow though)

This caribou was taken last weekend by me, 61 yards or so, with a 7-8 mph crosswind and I barely even compensated for the wind. Perfect shot and a pass through with a Rage Hypodermic.

I really like these arrows!

 

[mtnrunner260]

Just wondering if he shot any in the wind at 50+ yards and noticed a difference from head to head.
Did you have any wind last week for your test Nick?
Awesome caribou by the way.

 

[robby denning]

Nice videos Robby.
Did you ever have time to run the broadhead test?

Not yet but I just started shooting my BHs last week, so I should know something soon.

 

[5MilesBack]

Just wondering if he shot any in the wind at 50+ yards and noticed a difference from head to head.

I will most definitely tell you that 125gr Shuttle T's will impact 18" off the bullseye at 80 yards in a good crosswind. Whereas the Grim Reaper I tried was only about 2" off. That's the reason I put a mechanical in my quiver.

 

[Nick Muche]

Best arrows I've ever shot. Pass through on this Alaska Bison at 48 yards. Can't ask for much more than that.

 

[realunlucky]

Best arrows I've ever shot. Pass through on this Alaska Bison at 48 yards. Can't ask for much more than that.

Impressive performance

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[robby denning]

Nick! as said above, Impressive (animal and performance), thanks for posting up