I hate tracers!

[one shot scott]

I record my hunts, so having the luminok and footage I can rewind allows me to see how well my shot was and how long I should wait the animal out. And it has helped me find the arrow numerous times. The luminok is the only one I have used and it does not seem to effect POI. I have experimented with different grain heads and feildtips and with no drastic change. They usually require some light sanding to get them to fit into the arrow but once you get them right they are very dependable.

[sumner4991]

I record my hunts, so having the luminok and footage I can rewind allows me to see how well my shot was and how long I should wait the animal out. And it has helped me find the arrow numerous times.

OK . . .but, is there an improvement from regular nocks and lighted nocks? Sure, I can see where, if the nock is exposed, then it makes it easier at times to see and retrieve the arrow. However, I typically wait the same amount of time to start tracking regardless of how well I thought the animal was hit. During this waiting period, I usually have plenty of time to recover my arrow.

Really . . .once you pull that trigger, you could just hold still and close your eyes . . .you know where that arrow is going to hit. If something goes wrong, then there isn't anything the lighted nock will do to help.

Honestly, isn't it more of a toy? Something fun? Something cool?

Depending on the angle of the shot, I'll bet the deer see it coming.

[one shot scott]

Yes, part of the attraction is the coolness factor, 2 years ago I was hunting in freezing rain. I didnt notice but my rail had iced up and when I shot at a buck the shot was off. I ended up hiting too far back and high. The arrow stayed with the deer, there was no blood trail at all but because of the luminok I was able to track that deer. I found him bedded but kicked him back up and he made his way to another forest. I was able to find him just by driving around on the snowmobile and looking for the light. Now i admit that that time I was lucky, but that night the 20 dollar cost of the luminok was worth ever penny.

[sumner4991]

Yes, part of the attraction is the coolness factor, 2 years ago I was hunting in freezing rain. I didnt notice but my rail had iced up and when I shot at a buck the shot was off. I ended up hiting too far back and high. The arrow stayed with the deer, there was no blood trail at all but because of the luminok I was able to track that deer. I found him bedded but kicked him back up and he made his way to another forest. I was able to find him just by driving around on the snowmobile and looking for the light. Now i admit that that time I was lucky, but that night the 20 dollar cost of the luminok was worth ever penny.

You should sell that story to luminok. That's some mighty fine tracking.

[sumner4991]

Take a pencil and write boo on them if it'll make you feel better.

That's funny.

Dang Bob . . .I can't see the benefits . . .actually, it surprises me that you would find them worth the cost. So, you harvested seven deer while using them . . .how did the luminoks help make any of those seven deer a successful harvest? I can see where it might make it more fun. There's a slim chance that you can recover an arrow that you would otherwise not have recovered since you hunt from a tree.

[sumner4991]

This is a tremendous comfort

Bob . . .still makes it a toy. I can only think of one tool that brings me "tremendous comfort" and it only qualifies as a tool because you normally can't get along very well without it.

One Shot Scott has the only example of how to properly make the luminok a tool. I like the idea. Make your set-up to where you do not get a pass through, then follow the light.

I've recovered my last 5 deer without even tracking.

No need for a pencil here.

[Missin]

Anyway just to let you guys know the tracer nock didnt change POI at all. I didnt even think about it and went straight to 50 with it. Hit the same spot.

Sumner, a mans gotta have toys...even if they are flying LED lights! I thought ut was my xmas decorations

[gerald strine]

I just bought a set of the luminocks to try for next year and I tend to agree with Sumner to a point that they really offer very little advantage in the grand scheme of things, but I am used to being able to see my arrows hit the mark from my vert bow and I can not see the bolts hit and I do not like it. I recovered both bucks I shot this year with standard nocks and the lighted nocks would not have contributed any real advantage besides make me feel happy about seeing the hit.
Being able to see a poor hit so you can give extra time before tracking is really the only real advantage I see that would put them in the tool classification but I bought them because seeing the flight / hit will make me feel more like an archer and less like a gun hunter witch will make me happier even if it is more of a toy.

[sumner4991]

Sumner, a mans gotta have toys...even if they are flying LED lights! I thought ut was my xmas decorations

I agree . . .nothing wrong with having toys and lots of them!

I place these in the same catagoey as wraps. But, they are better than wraps. Yet, they offer the same thing. A better ability to watch the arrow's flight in certain conditions. However, they do nothing for your ability to harvest a deer. In fact, they probably hinder your ability to harvest due to their negative impact on FOC.

They are a very cool toy. Probably great with the kids(or the kid in us all). They certainly have their place in the market. If luminoks get you pumped up for some hunting, then that's great.

Let's just not blow a lot of smoke about them having a benefit to tracking and or recovering a deer. If it does, then it's a fluke. Our typical routine of tracking after a hit should be the same, regardless of where we think the arrow hit. Luminok or not.

[Horizontal Hunter]

The BH i tried was a Carbon express 3 blade which basically looks like a rip off of a slick trick. I did notice that a vane fell off just after it left the bow but at 20 metres i wouldnt expect 1 vane to make such a difference.

I will try the other 2 Bh's later and will let ya know if they fly bad or not. I could have pulled the shot too.

Can't be a knock off of Slicks, they have 4 blades. It's one of the things that make em fly good. Lighted nocks are heavier than regular (some weigh over 30 grs) which changes the arrow's FOC. That plus a head that planes will cause a change in POI. IME, a missing vane will also affect POI, in fact a tear in one or loose edge can also.

I agree with Cossack. The problem is the arrow, or broadhead, not the nock. If you are going to use a lighted nock you need an arrow with a high FOC and a low profile broadhead. I shoot a Laser GTII with a brass insert and either a 125g Slick Trick or a NAP Spitfire up front. I have shot the Lumenok, Frienock, and Tracer with no appreciable effect on the POI out to 40 yards.

Bob

[wabi]

Hate to admit it, but I can't afford to loose lighted nocks.

Bought one to test a couple years back and it worked fine in my 2215 arrows.

Went hunting opening morning and a nice doe showed up. Took the shot and watched in horror as she ran off with the arrow stuck in her shoulder blade area and the lighted nock made a fantastic bobbing pattern as she ran.
The problem was that my scope had shifted it's POA (and I had checked accuracy before I climbed in the stand!).
(BTW-I'm reasonably sure it was a non-fatal hit, I trailed as best I could and found no blood. In following days I checked several times in the area she had fled to and found no evidence of a kill. Never found the arrow, though. )

I decided right there the lighted nocks would be fine if they were affordable, but I can't afford them. I also decided I was going to buy a better scope or go back to the peep & f/o front sight.

I now use a Leupold scope and front inserts as nocks on my 2215 arrows. So far this year I've shot 2 deer and I was able to see the arrow impact (exactly where I'd aimed) through the scope.

Maybe if this scope passes the test of time I'll try lighted nocks again, but I can't see where they would have made any difference in the shot results. Both deer were very easy to trail the 30 yards or so they travelled after the shot.