Spin Vanes vs. Straight Vanes

 

With so many olympians winning medals with spin vanes, for so many years why use anything else?

Because refletching is tedious.

You will need to refletch.

This is easily done, and can be done on the field if need be.  With my Nano Xtreme Pro arrows, they come with  zero-degree fletching lines, right from the factory. What could be easier?  But, it’s costly, because you need to buy at least two packs of 50 fletches for a dozen arrows.  Also, you should buy extra glue/tape with your arrows, as they are easy to mess up and you will need to start again.

Could I get good results from straight vanes?  To find out, one of my coaches, Larry Lemke wrapped and fletched 6 of my arrows with plastifletch, and I kept 6 with red spin vanes.  I would measure the group size of the best 5 arrows.  Here are the initial results at 50m.

(Never mind the miss on the left target – wrong sight setting)

In the first end, the spin vanes produced a slightly tighter grouping.  But in the next two ends, the plastifletch was producing slightly better groupings at 50m.  The grouping was lower, but about 2 inches better on average, 2 out of 3 ends.

Next stop, 70m

 

 

(that one was pretty good shooting, if I do say so myself)

 

On average, the grouping size was much better on every end with the spin vanes.  I thought case closed.  Then I thought about my arrow spine – did it become weaker as a result of using heavier vanes?  I decided to put a full turn on my cushion plunger, and shot just the plastifletch arrows at my next practice.  The results was a tighter group. 

(note the flyer in the lower right corner – yeah, messed that one up!)

Disclosure – these were some of my best groups at 70, but on average my best 5 out of 6 were as good as the Spin Wings grouping.  But hey, why not show off some good groupings, as I felt really pleased with them. 

My next test will be the lighter AAE Wav vane.  Why?  Why not.  Lighter and good durability?

Final verdict - If you are an olympian, or funded as an athlete, spin vanes are a good choice.  There are more durable varieties out there now, but you still can’t go wrong with the Sping Wing brand – it is a proven product.  But, if you want a little more durability, I don’t think you can go wrong with a high quality straight vane like the Plastifletch vane (I think also by AAE).

PSE X-Pression Limbs–Smooth as Silk

 

I have been pretty pleased with my choice of limbs. Aesthetically, they are absolutely beautiful, with a two-tone color.  The belly of the limb (side facing away from me) is silver, but the face of the limb (part facing me) is black.  The limbs were surprisingly narrow in profile, which made me and the local pro-shop owner wonder if it is this shaping that gives it a bit more speed.  They come with nice limb covers, and the finish on the limbs were impeccable.  They were also really affordable at only $579 CAD from Boorman Archery, before taxes.  This is a world class limb that is at least $100 – $200 less than limbs of comparable quality made by other companies.  And as these limbs are ILF limbs, you could pair them with a wide variety of risers. 

From the time I ordered them to clicking them into my riser – 3 weeks. 

It is by accident I chose the 46lb limbs, which is the heaviest poundage that PSE offers in size medium (possibly any size?).  I thought my draw length was measured from the yoke of the nock to the cushion plunger (which is typically over the deepest part of the riser).  Turns out, according  to ATA (Archery Trade Association) it goes from yoke of the nock to the pivot point on the riser, PLUS 1.75 inches.  My draw length is therefore not 27.5 inches, but in fact is 29.25 inches!  That translates to almost another 4 lbs.  This might explain why I was pulling just a bit above 50lbs! 

Also, some recurve  manufacturers measure their limbs from the middle tiller position, such as Hoyt and Win&Win.  According to the X-Factor manual the factory setting for the riser is at the minimum position (4 turns off the bottom).  This made me speculate that when you buy X-Pression limbs, they are marked for the minimum poundage position, and can increase up to 10%.  The would then not go down 5% like other manufacturers mark their limbs.  So by my reckoning, buy X-Pression limbs marked at a lower poundage you would like to use, perhaps for the indoor season, and turn them up an additional 10% for outdoor shooting if that is something you would like to do (i.e. buy 40lb limbs, and then turn the poundage up to as much as 44lbs for outdoor season).

The limbs are carbon with a carbon foam core.  They are made by Win&Win for PSE, but are designed by the folks at PSE, and apparently have two kinds of foam in different layers.  Some archers say the best in the world use wood core because it is smoother through the clicker.  I have just transitioned from some Yamaha Wood Core limbs.  At one point I would have argued that these limbs were the best in the world.  I feel the PSE X-Pression limbs are just as smooth.  And, I think that because they don’t have wood cores, perhaps they will be less affected by weather. They are smooth through the clicker.  In fact, if these limbs were not so smooth, I wonder if I could draw the additional 7 lb. increase in draw weight! 

Overall, I love these limbs and would recommend them if you were buying the PSE X-Appeal, or any ILF recurve.  They are smooth, well made, and really well priced.

Better to Err on the Side of Gutsy

 

Slowly, slowly my clicker has been moving backwards.  I draw a bit faster, and am gradually anchoring harder against the chin and nose.  I still sometimes draw a bit short, because like so many I am afraid of pulling through the clicker too fast.  But, as a result, I have been setting my anchor point too short.

I am thinking about my scapula, shoulder, and arm to the elbow acting as one unit to pull through the clicker.  I wear an under armour long sleeve compression top as it helps me feel the whole “quarter” of my body pulling the string as a single unit.

I know it sounds dumb to think of it as a quarter, but when you quarter a chicken, this is what you get.  Whatever image helps you imagine the process, that is what you use.

I have been yanking through the clicker, pulling with my fingers, because if you don’t pull back far enough to anchor with back tension, you can’t shoot properly. 

So I am giving it the full pull, and keeping a strong deep hook on my fingers (the AAE tab is really excellent for that), and then just trusting if I go through the clicker a little quickly.

I have dialed the poundage back to 48lbs on the fingers, which feels pretty good now.  Some muscle soreness after training between 48 to 50.5 lbs., but I think I will go up in poundage for the outdoor season.  I shot 273 tonight, which is pretty good.  I have been shooting 240’s in January, 250’s and some 260’s in February, and now I am in the 270’s a couple times in March.  I would call that progress.  Tonight when I shot a bad 3 arrows, I just accepted the fact that this is where I am at, record the data, and then move on to the next three shots, which I am sure will be better.  And they were.

The limbs on my PSE are sometimes a bit hard to remove, as it appears to be sticking in the dovetail area.  When my buddy Ken checked, the tiller bolts were a bit loose.  Maybe that is why the limbs are so hard to pull out when disassembling the bow.  whereas before they were not.  So I cranked the tiller bolts down again.  Man, everything loosens up at this poundage, but I am reluctant to use shock absorption like doinkers, lest it counter act the usefulness of my stabilizers.  Besides my bow is pretty quiet.  Perhaps I will dial the poundage up a bit as my 2213’s are a bit stiff at this poundage and 29 inches (yoke of nock to shaft) and I am feeling pretty strong.  

I sprayed foot powder on my bow today, and found that my bottom fletch was hitting the shelf of the riser.  One little bit of rotation and my fletches we clearing the riser no problem.  No strikes on the shelf, rest, riser window, or clicker.  Perfect.

I can’t wait for my shibuya DX cushion plunger to arrive, as my existing cushion plunger is rather old (20 years old, but only 7 years shooting time), and the screws keep rattling lose.  I keep loc tite in my case for when  the screws loosen up, but I am getting pretty tired of this.  Adding an o-ring has meant I don’t have to tighten the plunger after every shot. 

I am grateful to my wife for making it possible for me shoot so much.  I found a ride to the BC Indoor Championships – good things happen in life all the time.

PSE X Appeal Riser– Recurve Done Right!

This is my new riser.  I haven’t had a new bow for 20 years, but then I haven’t been shooting for the last 16 years.  I was looking at different models of Hoyt and Win&Win, and perhaps Samick.  I was fascinated by the PSE X Appeal, as it had good but didn’t give it much thought as I didn’t know anyone who had one, and knew PSE as largely a compound bow company. 



PSE X-Appeal Riser, with X-Pression Limbs

I walked into my local pro-shop, Boorman Archery in New Westminster, and found an X Appeal riser hanging on the wall.  The price on it was very reasonable, and as a PSE dealer they could also order in my limbs (PSE X-Pression Limbs, Medium length, 46lbs).
I really liked the grip on the bow, however I found it really thick in the throat of the grip.  I sanded it down, but it is still thicker than a Hoyt grip.  It’s the same with the lower portion of the grip; wider than the Hoyt grip, but still very comfortable in the hand. 

I thought the paint job was pretty high quality, looks like a nicely done anodized finished.  The threads for the cushion plunger were pretty clean.  I really liked the groove down the riser handle, as it makes lining up for center shot really easy. 
When I got the riser it was missing the lock screws that hold the tiller bolts in place, but once I got them, setup was pretty straight forward.  PSE does not make a manual for the X-Appeal.  Why?  I have no idea. 

The clicker extension is a screw in rod that extends in front of the riser.  I don't like this design.  While it is sturdy, and has never vibrated loose on me, there is a bit of no-man's land where your clicker will neither cleanly contact the riser, nor the extension.  My clicker for my indoor arrows currently sits on the edge of the riser, so I am keeping the clicker extension on there just as a bumper to protect anything from moving my clicker when using the bow, or when it is taken down and put in the case.  I would have preferred a clicker extension that is flush to the riser. 

The dovetail groove is cut into the riser, and some people have speculated that if it wears out you will have to replace the riser.  I have run thousands of arrows through older model bows that had the dovetail cut into the riser, and I had no such concerns.  The limb alignment is done by moving the tiller bolt, which is different to how a bow company like Sebastian Flute and Samick accomplish the task.  Those companies have a moveable dovetail.  Limb adjustment was pretty easy, and I like that there are two screws that hold everything in place.  They have not rattled loose on me once. 

One thing I noticed was that on my last practice I have a little limb wear on one side of the top limb, and the opposite side of the lower limb.  Perhaps I need to adjust my alignment further?  I will check this with a friend who has Beiter limb aligning tools.  My limbs show no sign of twisting, and from day one have been strung and unstrung properly.  If it continues, I will document it, and look for a solution.

The main stabilizer bushing looks close, but when I align the string to the groove on the shelf, it appears to angle off a bit to the left.  This is not a deal breaker, as lots of risers have stabilizer bushings that are just a bit off, (although my Yamaha Eolla was perfect). 

When I installed my sight block, I noticed that I had to re-install the vertical adjustment of the sight higher, which says that the holes for the sight block are a little lower on the riser than some other models.  Threads again were clean of paint build up, and smooth.  I really appreciate when companies take the time to do the finer details.

When I first shot the PSE X-Appeal, the first thing I noticed was that it was comfortable, balanced and quiet.  In short, it was everything I was looking for in a world class piece of equipment.  It is quite forgiving, in that even when I make a small mistake in my form, the arrow doesn’t deviate as much as it could.  Now, to get my arrow volume up, do a better job tuning, and start shooting in more tournaments.