Acceptable Accuracy ?

[vixenmaster]

Just what is acceptable ? Hardball size at say 50 yds. fer BH's ? Maybe golfball size at 25 yds. ? Each of us has our own thoughts on what is acceptable. When i shot 3-D i wanted 3" & under at 50 yd targets thats includes any movement on my part & off hand thats very hard to do. Now this is jmo i like my arrows to be able to hit 4" circle at 50 yds using a rest. I have never shot a tick toter at 50 yds, i don't think i have a stand you can actually get a clear shot at 50 yds. I may have a 40 yd off my ladder stand more likely its 37 or 38 yds. A crossbow as in an Excal model usually is capable of very good accuracy hit silver dollar at 50 yds with field pts. On the hand other factors play a major roll in this accuracy hunt. String serving is one arrow retention spring is another equal tillered limbs arrows & their components. I have saw commercial built arrows that were a pia from the 1st shot. Thats all part of the learning of what our model wants & likes. Happy frog day I am, i am finer than frog hair this morning i have coffee internet & chair to sit in, heck friends thats down right country home living fer ya

[georgiaboy]

I don't hunt off sandbags so........6" at 40yds off my summit viper is a dead critter, 4" at 30yds in hunting conditions is acceptable to me.

[Bullzeye]

Please elaborate on how the arrow retention spring effects accuracy, an how one can check it.

[Pydpiper]

Please elaborate on how the arrow retention spring effects accuracy, an how one can check it.

It has nothing to do with accuracy, that spring has no control over the arrow.
Some people adjust it to keep the "twang" down, after the arrow leaves it it has a tendency to smack the rail. Some people take them off to bend it, I did mine with needle nose pliers while it was still on the bow.

[Pydpiper]

I had some head scratchers when I first got my bow, was getting pretty frustrated for a while too.
It all turned out to be these silly little plastic tabs, they were touching the fletching at a crucial time and was resulting in erratic arrow flight. I trimmed them down with a blade, and have been busting arrows ever since.
May be something for Athena to look in to as well.
My arrow is in the rail backwards for the picture.

[Normous]

Good point for everybody David! It could take an assembler seconds at Excalibur to trim them and eliminate head scratching for many.

[Dash]

Are you shooting hollow points now Pyd ?

[Bullzeye]

Wow, that's sticking out quite a ways, I guess the QC guy was sleeping that day. Another great tip for us Neub's !

[nchunterkw]

For me, I just kind of enjoy chasing accuracy by varying all of the factors involved. Different sized vanes, different sized feathers, FOC, placement of the vanes on the arrows, brace height, what part of the reticle I use to aim with, etc. Doing all of this shooting I have been doing lately has let me learn a lot about my bow and my ability to shoot it. And I am dialing in on a setup I really like.

My thinking goes like this...........the more accurate I am, the more confident I am at longer distances. The more I practice out there (40 50 yards) the more I will understand of what my arrows will really do and the more I can dial in the bow. Then when it comes to a hunting situation (for me 20-30 yds), the shot will feel "easier" and I have more margin of error to account for excitement etc., and I will still make a lethal hit.

"Aim small, miss small" - I'm trying to make the first small, smaller and smaller so the second small is small and getting smaller all the time.

[Ont_Excal]

I use bags but only during the sighting in process.
From there forward I always shoot free hand.

I use yardage increments for the accuracy I want to achieve with broadheads.
20 yards...............less than 2" group.
30 yards...............less than 3" group.
40 yards...............less than 4" group.

I don't shoot at game past 40 yards with out to 30 as my real comfort zone.

[agingcrossbower]

I use bags but only during the sighting in process.
From there forward I always shoot free hand.

I use yardage increments for the accuracy I want to achieve with broadheads.
20 yards...............less than 2" group.
30 yards...............less than 3" group.
40 yards...............less than 4" group.

I don't shoot at game past 40 yards with out to 30 as my real comfort zone.

X2

[vixenmaster]

I have several pic's i just took n up-loaded, 1st one is at 2o yds. Also the 2nd, shooting Miss Vixen using 395gr GT II's Boo string with about 400 shots on it & reserved center serving using the old Excal type serving material. 1x46mm Hammers GRD=gn/red dot



This group at 30 yds

This group at 40 yds into an old MeKenzie block layer target that not holding up to the Vixen


All of these shots are very acceptable fer my hunting area!

[vixenmaster]

Please elaborate on how the arrow retention spring effects accuracy, an how one can check it.

Anyone can have their own opinion. Mine if'en retention spring is abit loose lets yer arrow slide forward if'en yer not paying attention causing partial dryfire to tight will cause wear on rail arrow slot & let front of arrow raise when shot

[wayne]

Acceptable accuracy, has changed for me, when I first got the excal's & shooting in my hunting position (seated, or kneeing on one knee, with elbow resting on my knee), my goal was the 2 - 4 inches @ the 20 - 40 yards. & I was very happy with that Then one day I shot using rail of my truck bed as a rest, at 40 yards & found out the bow can do 2 inch or maybe alittle better groups @ 40 yard with the same arrow.....Some day I want to be as good as the bow!!!!!!!
Now what is acceptable for me is to touch a 1 inch dot at 20 yards & a 2 inch dot at 40 yards. I know our bows can and have do/done it, sometimes when they don't I know that I just need to work on the nut behind the trigger
I'am aways amazed at what these bows can do, & still be able to change the string in the field in a few minutes, like I had to do last fall.

[Pydpiper]

Please elaborate on how the arrow retention spring effects accuracy, an how one can check it.

Anyone can have their own opinion. Mine if'en retention spring is abit loose lets yer arrow slide forward if'en yer not paying attention causing partial dryfire to tight will cause wear on rail arrow slot & let front of arrow raise when shot

Have to disagree with you on this one Mike. If accuracy is indeed the topic than a spring loose enough to allow the arrow to slide forward it will be more than an accuracy issue, partial dryfires are harsh and about the last thing a person would be concerned with is a POI shift.
Too tight and all that will happen is that spring will slap the rail, but it wont affect arrow flight. The rail is anodized aluminum, looks like type 1 to me, being slightly harder than the non anodized aluminum nocks. The wear that you see is not actually the rail wearing, it is the harder aluminum of the anodized rail filing off the softer aluminum of the nock, the perceived wear is just little bits of the nock on the rail. If any wear does show from lots and lots of shooting, it will just be a layer of anodization getting thin. Once the arrow clears the spring the rest of the bow takes over to ensure the arrow is seated properly, and as long as everything is square the arrow will ride the rail tightly.
Looks like ya got a nice day to be out shooting!