Yesterday I had the pleasure of working my butt off for something I’ve never done before.  In this picture please notice there is plywood all around the outside of this dirt field.  Well, that wasn’t all that was put out yesterday.  We actually added more plywood than you see in this picture.  The object of the plywood is to stop arrows from hitting the building.  Hopefully arrows will stay within the dirt area, but I’m not really sure that will happen.

Here is what I understand is going to happen for the next two days.  First off you have to know there are 25 stations for each of the archers to “enjoy”.  Each archer will shoot 2 shots from each of these stations and each arrow is to be shot at pre-determined targets and at ranges that vary from a few feet to many yards away.  Some target are large and some are very small.  None of the targets move, which is a good thing.  Well, by move I mean they don’t run or jump, they might sway back and forth because of the way they are mounted.  So, put 50 archers out on the line (2 archers p/station), sound the “shoot” whistle and 50 archers are going to try to hit their particular target.  Some targets are kitty corner across the field from both directions.  Some are straight in front of the archer, some are at a diagonal from where they are standing, either right or left of them.  Close, far, in the middle.  Can you imagine 50 arrows flying through the air at the same time from all directions?  Well, that is the fun the people in the stands will enjoy!  Sort of like watching a car race and hoping for a crash.  There are people who like that sort of thing.

Well, let me tell you there is a whole lot of work that goes into setting up a tournament like this archery event.  I’d like to now post up some picture I took yesterday of this arena coming together to look like an archery event is going to take place.

So, start with an empty arena and add the plywood.

Stand up a bunch of old Christmas trees and unload the 3D targets.  What do you have right now?  A mess.

You know what?  It takes a lot of people to pull this sort of thing off in such a short amount of time.

Someone has to put the stands on the trees if we are going to have them looking like a forest.

And what is an archery event like this without a lake?  Nothing!  HEY!  Quit showing off and get to work!  This looks like a typical government job…..One supervisor, one goof off and one worker.

Hey!  This is starting to take shape.  Maybe it will be done before the starting time.

I think I could hit that close target.

Let’s have some lunch!  Pizza and water!  There were lots of choices too!  Thanks Chris and Brigham Bowmen for the lunch, it was great!

Now, you have to know, I was in the middle of helping out and only once in awhile was I afforded time to take any pictures.  I almost lost my camera in this maylay and fortunately someone picked it up, otherwise it would have been buried in one of the piles of dirt used as backstops for some of the targets.

When you need a mountain….bring in a digger machine!

Targets are high and low!  Remember, don’t shoot at the antlers!

Now we are getting serious.  Placing red dots on the kill zones!

From an empty arena to this in just a few hours!  Now for the finishing touches.

Each of the 25 stations is placed along a line.  There is planned for two shooters at each station and each will be shooting at their respective target.  Most targets have two animals to be shot, but some only have one animal that needs to be hit twice.  One is a bear on a stump and the object is to hit the bear and the stump.  You will see that in a minute.

Well, it takes time to get them all trained to stand up.

It appears it is easier to train elk than is is to train foxes.

Now we are going to go down the line and let you see what the archers are looking at when they are at each of the stations.  Remember there are 25 stations!

I can’t remember what the targets are for each of the stations, but you will get the idea when you see which target looks like it is the most “broadside” to you.  Each one has a sign near it that tells the shooter “Hey, I’m your guy”!  Binoculars and range finders are both welcome in this event!  Even one guy gets to use a cross bow!  I hope I get to see him today when I go up to play.

See that elk way down there?  That is your target from this station!

Don’t shoot the close guys!  Those are for the kids!

How about this tricky shot.  Two foxes and one is on the other side of the pipe!  Gotta shoot through the pipe!

There are your targets folks, a deer and a cougar and try and miss the tree while you’re at it!

This will be fun!  Sitting in a chair and shooting out of a blind!

Ah Ha!  Kill the two wolverines!

Two fighting Jackalopes!  Get em boys!

And then a laying down bull elk!

It’s hard to see but there is a bear and the stump in there somewhere.  Let me see if I can make it bigger.

Here you go, shoot that Caribou down there.  And remember there is someone on the other end shooting at the standing bull elk at the same time!

Well you shot at the Caribou, now shoot for the buffalo!

And you are almost done.  You have shot big targets!  Small targets!  Close targets and far away targets.  You have shot and barely missed.  You have shot and barely hit!  You have shot and didn’t even make it to the target.  You have shot and lost your arrow in the forest.  You have shot and hit the sign that marked the target.  But wait!  You still have one more station!

It’s really close!  You should easily hit these guys!

Well, there you have it!  An event that will go down in history as one of the best!  Come on out and see what these guys have put together!  The event goes for today and tomorrow.  It’s at the Box Elder County Fair grounds in the newest building there.  An indoor arena that is heated, has lots of seating and every seat is a good one.  Follow your favorite archer as they move down the line taking their best shots!  Eat at the concession stand and buy some raffle tickets!

The Brigham Bowmen have really outdone themselves this year!  COME ON OUT AND ENJOY!

Bears Butt

February 28, 2015

This picture looks pretty interesting and today Weasel and I are going to be part of a team setting up for a 3D archery event that is taking place this weekend in Tremonton.  Having never even seen such a setup will be extremely interesting to me and hopefully I’ll  get to shoot in the event this weekend as well.  I have heard there will be targets from close up to as far away as 60 yards.  60 yards?  I hope it ain’t a rabbit out that far….maybe an elephant!

At any rate, we will be taking in old Christmas trees to make the event more realisitc.  I’ll take a bunch of pictures and post up today’s set up and also plan on covering the entire event over the next two days as well.  These guys, The Brigham Bowmen, work their butts off for the archery sporting world and deserve a hand.

If you aren’t doing anything tomorrow or Sunday, you really need to come out and see what is going on.  It will be held at the Box Elder Fair Grounds in Tremonton and it is inside the brand new indoor arena.  I understand there will be vendors there with goods and services offered as well as food!  We will know more tomorrow!

Bears Butt

February 27, 2015

The lanes were filled to near capacity last night as it seems most everyone was there to post up league scores for week 4.  Being new to this whole deal it seemed VERY crowded, however, everyone stayed in their particular portion of their shooting lane and it was quite organized.  Here is a picture of the shooters down range scoring their targets.

With that many shooters there has to be some kind of “safe” and “organized” method to allow everyone equal opportunity to shoot and not be disturbed while doing so.  From my limited knowledge, when it gets this crowded, the lane captain (in last nights case, the lane captain was Weasel), will call for “double line” shooting.  What does that mean to you and me?  I suppose right now I should show you what the range looks like when nobody is around.

This picture shows a double row of “bunks” (bunks is what I call the big blocks of foam material that stops the arrows).  The Brigham Bowmen have a range that looks almost exactly like this one.  So, you have upper bunks and lower bunks on which to put your target.  When the shooters come up to shoot, they will place their target on either the upper or lower bunk to start with.  And with any competition, there are stinking rules.  No matter whether you place your target on the range, upper or lower bunk, after half way through the shooting, you will move your target to the other bunk.  HEY!  Don’t ask me!  I just follow the stinking rules.

So, folks come down to shoot and do as well as they can, but remember, no alcohol is allowed in the range building, but also remember, you left it at home and it’s getting warmer by the minute.  So, you want to get down there, shoot your target, get is scored and signed off and get back home as quick as you can!  Here is where the double line comes in to play.

Multiple targets down range!  Some on the top bunks, some on the bottom bunks.

If you are shooting in a lane with someone else and their target is on the bottom bunk, you honor their position and let them shoot first.  When they are finished, they move out of the way and allow you to shoot your target on the upper bunk.  It stays organized and civil.  However, if you are the only one with a target on your bunk it doesn’t matter if you are on the top or bottom, you can go ahead and shoot whenever you wish.  It’s the “lane sharing” folks that have to live by the stinking double line rule.  That is the price you pay to have someone who likes to be close to you.

So, last night was week 4 scoring for Weasel, Squirrel and I.  With this weeks trapping and archery and orchestra happenings, I felt Monday was the only day I could go up and have a “sort of relaxing” shoot in which to score.  And it was obvious that a lot of folks felt the same way.

Squirrel did not want to take my soda money away from me last night and so we just shot for our scores.  I offered, he turned it down and I’m glad.  Wait till you see the results of the scoring last night.  Conner came up as well just to get some practice in and both he and Squirrel were shooting some impressive groups.  Squirrel even took more quarters from Weasel with his “X” shooting!

Conner kept his score on his target and came away with a very impressive 212 (I think).  When you think about a 212 against a 300 that is not a bad score for someone relatively new to this sport.  The target we are shooting requires 60 shots in sets of 5 p/end and to shoot a 212, that means you gave up about 1 1/2 points each time you shot, or in other words, with a 5 being the most you can score p/shot, you averaged 3 1/2 points each time you shot.  Averages are meant to make you feel good.

(I worked with a guy who liked to golf and when he shot a bad hole, he would always put his “average” score down on his score sheet rather than the score he actually shot.  I know!  I know!  That is not how you are supposed to do it, but that was his way of making himself feel good).

Squirrel was shooting extremely well last night and came away with a scratch score (no handicap added in) of an even 200!  Someday I’m going to grow up and shoot a 200 score.

We were scoring a couple next to us and they were scoring us (that is another example of following a stinking rule) and he said to me “That little guy is kicking my butt tonight”!  I told him to get used to it, he is just now getting his game on.

Well, let me remind you of myself.  Recurve bow, no sights, 7 lessons under my belt, limited practice time, old, tired out from trapping, arrows I’m told are not made for my bow (is there anything else I can throw in here?)…..my raw score….144!

I was ON FIRE last night!  I only gave up 2.6 points each time I shot!  AND, I’ll add, I only missed the target (paper) 6 times!  AND…I got an X!

That 144, my friends, is my personal best!

Bears Butt

February 24, 2015

Most archery nuts like to wish they could shoot their arrows and have them hit the target like this one.  It’s all our dream and some of the better people can do just that, or at least get close to it.  For the rest of us our dream is a little bigger than that.  I like to just hit the target….anywhere.

If I could do as good as this target shows I would be very happy.

My problem of late is the fact that I can’t seem to get the right arrows for my bow.  I’m learning a thing or two about arrows in my attempt to find ones that fit my bow and my type of shooting.  You see, most people shooting bows and arrows use compound bows.  They kind with wheels and strings going everywhere around the bow.  They have sights and long stabilizers sticking out the front, the sides and the back.  They are rock solid when it comes to shooting and the arrows fly straight and hit very hard.  The targets down range don’t have a chance.

Me, on the other hand, have a recurve bow, with no sights, no stabilizers, no wheels….just a stick with a string on it.  That’s all OK….I like it that way….simple.  And to hit the target is all on me to make it happen.  BUT, I need the right arrows.

There is a thing called “Archers Paradox”, you’ve no doubt read about it on here, or seen videos about how it works.  You nock the arrow, pull back the string and let it fly down range.  Upon movement toward the target, the arrow has to overcome the “nothingness” of being resting on the arrow rest.  You know, resting.  When that resting arrow is interrupted by the string and power in the bow’s limbs, forcing it to fly somewhere away from the rest, the arrow actually bends and it bends around the handle of the bow.  Once cleared from the bow handle the arrow wants to bend back the other way and then fly toward the target with ever smaller and smaller bending from side to side.  Like a fish tail.

So, what I have learned so far is that the stiffness of the arrow has everything to do with that bending process.  In order to achieve the correct archers paradox, the arrow has to be able to bend properly.  That bending must be proper for the draw weight of the bow.  The more powerful the bow, the stiffer the arrow shaft has to be.  My bow is considered a light weight.  It is only a 30 pound draw weight and so to find an arrow with a light weight stiffness is my latest problem.  I have contacted two different archery places and asked them to provide me with proper arrows for my 30 pound bow.  Both of them have provided me with arrows that are too stiff.  Experts?  I’m sure they shoot bows and arrows all the time and in my mind they sold me arrows that worked for them at some time or another when they began shooting bows.  But they probably started out with what they considered light weight bows in probably 40 to 50 pound draw weights.  I’m guessing.

Well, if I were their boss’s I would commend them on a job well done.  They sold me some pretty expensive arrows and I’ll be back to buy more.

Now, I have been researching arrows and spine weights and what can be done to make them work for my bow.  My buddy and mentor Lynn told me that the 500 spine weight arrows I have been using are too stiff and I need 600 spine weight arrows.  He also told me I could add weight to the front of the arrow to make the 500’s work with my bow.  His words were something like this:  Add weight to the front of the arrow to make it bend more.  Add weight to the back of the arrow to make it bend less.

When thinking about this theory, or law, or whatever it is, I like to think in extremes.  So, to add weight to the front of the arrow to make the spine weaker, I will add a huge block of lead, maybe 5 pounds of lead, melted to the point of the arrow.  I’m going to teach this arrow spine to bend and it will bend damn it!

Try shooting that one!  When you draw back and let that string go, the only thing that is going to happen is the arrow is going to break in half and teach the shooter a lesson on broken arrow shaft penetration!

On the other end of the spectrum, adding weight to the back or the nock area of the arrow will make the shaft stiffer.  Add that same 5 pound chunk of lead to the nock area and try shooting it.  The first pain will be in your bow holding hand, the second pain will be the doctor bill and the cost to replace the bow.  There is a lot to be said about “the stiffer the shaft”.

So, there is definitely something to be said about “compromise” when it comes to adding weight to either end of an arrow.  Try cutting the weight of that lead block down by half.  And then half again, and half again and half again.  At some point in time, your experimenting will arrive at the right amount of weight to be added to get your arrow to fly straight as a dart and end up where you desire it to be in the target.  That is, if all other things remain the same.  Remember form, draw, stance, bow straight, anchor points, release and follow through.

Well, I’m not the first person shooting a bow that has come across this issue of finding the proper arrow for my bow and this is what is so frustrating to me at this point.  Why on earth can’t I go to a store and buy the arrow I need?  How hard can that be?  They should be over stocked with arrows that will work for me and my bow…but NOOOOO!  The store guys always say the same thing, they must be taught it when they begin working at the arrow department….We Don’t Gots your arrows….

Let’s look a the following charts and try to figure this out on our own:

You must know the parts of the arrow first of all in order to properly fit your arrow to your bow.  This chart shows you just what you need to know.

Next you need to know what size the arrow is and how much it weighs in gpi (grains per inch).  Then the flex in the spine in inches.  And don’t forget what we have already said about the weight in the front of the arrow and the weight in the back of the arrow.  Both of those will affect the flex…If you have too much weight in the front it will flex more and if you add weight to the back at the same time you will take that flex away and maybe even make it stiffer.  So the weight of the tip and the weight of the nock have to compliment each other.  And with that it is a good thing there is a distance between those two worlds.  “Hey tip, you sure are a cutie!”  “Nock it off bucko or I’ll reverse the archer paradox and have you hit the target first”!

 This chart is tossed in here just so you can see that someone made a chart about arrow drop vs distance shot and how much energy is still left once the arrow reaches that distance.  Nothing more and besides you are not really interested in these charts anyway.  You just want Bears Butt to find the right arrow and get on with shooting perfect scores, right?

This chart is to show you how you can be nocked up.

This picture shows you how not to miss the target.

And the last one is me trying to figure out what arrow I need.

Bears Butt

February 22, 2015