Arrows

I’m using Easton Game Getter 2219’s. They measure about 32″ long and are tipped with old, often resharpened, Thunderhead 100 grain broad heads. They are launched, if you will, from a who knows how old Darton MX30. The really cool thing? Every time one of these “ancient logs” pokes a deer in the heart and lungs it dies. Completely contrary to what the dork at the old Gander store in EC told me so many years ago when I first started.

Truth be told I see all these fancy names and think to myself, are they named as such to kill deer better or catch the hunters wallet? I have no doubt this new stuff works excellent and will most likely, grudgingly, swap over to them myself if my old Darton ever fails me. But for now I get a total kick out of seeing the looks on people faces when they see my antique set up. If only they knew I most likely farted venison just a few minutes before!

RR,
You make a good point! The only reason why i bought the Quest was because i was able to get it for $275 instead of $680 It’s all about where the arrow hits in the end

G, I have tried both the Lumi-nocks and Easton Tracers and Tracer actually came out with a new model this year compared to last. I like this years model way better then last year. I liked last years Tracers model better then the Lumi-nock.

The Lumi-nock turns on by force when you release the arrow. You turn them off by pulling out on your nock. I don’t like the theory of moving your nock in, out and around like that. The Tracers are turned on by passing a magnet. They stay solid for about 10 seconds and then start blinking. Real cool to se in low light if you don’t get a pass thru and the beacon is on the deer blinking. Also I hunt different states that do not allow a battery operated accessories (sights and nocks). You can turn the Easton Tracers off into “Sleep” mode and they will not activate or turn on. Which allows me to shoot the exact same arrow no matter where I hunt with out switching and having different grain arrows as the lighted nocks adds around 15-20 grains. The Easton battery life is over twice as long if I remember right. The tracers also come practice nocks the represent the same weight as the real ones except for if your splitting nocks in practice your not wrecking a $10 nock Did that with a Luminock 2 years ago.

Not to mention the benefit of seeing exactly where your arrow or shot placement in low light conditions is huge benefit. I tracked a doe 2 Falls ago in the dark by following my lighted nock from my arrow from across the CRP field. Easy to find.

I’ve heard of lighted nocks before and think they are a wonderful invention. Anything to recover the animal faster is obviously a plus. I suppose a guy could use a carp fishing rig and follow the cord otherwise!

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I suppose a guy could use a carp fishing rig and follow the cord otherwise!

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I have not seen it for a long time but there use to be a product out that had a string that attached to your arrow, on the other end was a tube that held the string it attached to the bow where a stabilizer bar would go. I forget how much sting was in the tube but it was quite a bit, I tried it for a while but was too afaid of it messing up the flight of my arrow.

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I suppose a guy could use a carp fishing rig and follow the cord otherwise!

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Follow?????? Heck I wanna reel that one in.

Well after shooting my roomates Rage practice tips for the last month with my regular practice tips I gave in Friday and bought them seeing as there was ZERO difference in flight! So needless to say I am a Rage shooter as well and got my new Zuba looking blazer fletchings on now….wow I hope pretty arrows help me

I remember them Steve… its like a couple hundred yards of string. Theory is, find the string, find the deer… provided you don’t get a pass through and the running breaks the string, or pulls it all the way through the deer Lip, I use Luminocks, and love “seeing” where my arrow hits. I always thought there had to be a better way, than the nock push/pull switch. Maybe have to check out the Eastons

big G

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Whats the difference in them Brad ?

big G

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Exactly what Lip said above!

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I suppose a guy could use a carp fishing rig and follow the cord otherwise!

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Follow?????? Heck I wanna reel that one in.

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I shot Luminocks for one year until I tried the Tracers. Like I said, I like this model year of Tracers even better then prioirs. I’m not sure if I will be staying at my place on the pond Friday night, but if I do I will stop by your pad and see if you are around. You can take a looksy. However, I might head up to the cabin right after fishing Friday night so I can get into a stand Saturday morning.

Hey Lip,
Just be careful if you are hunting other states that made lighted nocks illegal, just cause you turn them off doesn’t mean that you still don’t have them with you. Kind of like the guy who has a lighted site and gets checked, it might not be turned on but it is on the bow. Good luck!

Erick, you need all the help you can get.

Just funnin’ with ya.

Erick, the only down side I have experienced with the Rages is the blades do come “loose”or partially deployed once in a while. I have just made it a habit when I sit down and nock my arrow, I check to make sure the blades are tight by pinching them into the O-ring. You hear people say that in flight they come undone. Well the truth is, they were “loose” before the shot. Is that a problem with archer or equipment?? Not sure, I think you should check your equipment before you shoot it, but it really should not come loose, so I think both. Otherwise you are right. The flight of these broad heads are incredible and just as true as field points out of my and Stacie’s set up. I especially notice improved flight at longer distances and in the high winds of the Dakotas. The entry & exit holes are truly amazing that leaves a blood trail that Ray Charles could follow. Everyone talks about penetration. I noticed better penetration and more pass thru’s with the Rages then I have from other fixed blade broad heads I have tried out of my current set up. This is to hard to truly determine as shot placement and other factors come into play, but I have not noticed a lack of penetration from the Rages. With that said I have not harvested a buck with a Rage yet, but from what I had witnessed from two years of testing and shooting some big does it convinced me to switch to hunt every day with the Rages. That decision did not come easy as I was a fixed blade man since I started hunting and my equipment is something I do not take lightly. This will be my 2nd year hunting with the Rages as my main broad head.

I remember them too, wasen’t the string red?

I was thinking about trying the easton nocks – how does the magnet work? Is it difficult to set up?

Dave

It’s very simple to set up. Check out this Easton Archery Tracer Site

ACC’s and FMJ’s with Tekan’ and Rage 100 grainers.

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Hey Lip,

Just be careful if you are hunting other states that made lighted nocks illegal, just cause you turn them off doesn’t mean that you still don’t have them with you. Kind of like the guy who has a lighted site and gets checked, it might not be turned on but it is on the bow. Good luck!

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Hmm never thught about it that way. I guess what I can do is use the weighted practice nocks that come with them and use them for Hunting in ND. Last year there was a bill they tried to pass to make the nocks legal. I will have to see if that passed. Thanks for the heads up.

From the ND Game and Fish website:

Deer Bow Season – A bow must be pulled, held, and released by hand. Any release aid may be used providing it is hand operated, the shooter supports the draw weight of the bow, and the release is not attached to any part of the bow other than at the bowstring. A compound bow used for hunting deer must have at least 35 pounds of draw at 28 inches or less draw length. Recurve and long bows used for hunting deer must have at least 35 pounds of draw at 28 inches. Arrows must be at least 24 inches long, tipped with a metal broadhead, with at least two sharp cutting edges, and have a cutting diameter of at least 3/4 inch (i.e., not able to pass through a 3/4 inch ring). It is illegal to hunt big game with barbed arrows. Broadheads with mechanical or retractable blades not manufactured to stay open are legal. Telescopic sights, range finding devices, battery-powered or electronically lighted sights or other electronic devices attached to the bow, or the arrow, are not permitted . Handheld range finding devices are legal. Arrows capable of causing damage or injury in excess of that inflicted by the cutting edges of the broadhead are prohibited (e.g., explosive arrow points, arrows tipped with drugs or chemicals, and pneumatic or hydraulic shafts are illegal). No firearms, except handguns, may be in the hunter’s possession while hunting with a deer bow license. However, handguns may not be used in any manner to assist in the harvest of a deer with an archery license.

So how do you guys decide what arrows to shoot?

Brand Names are just personal preference (Mine is Carbon Express Maximas), but the important part is each arrow shaft should be correctly spined for your set up.

CLCIK HERE to go to Carbon Express’s website and you are able to click on hunting shaft selection guide.