With the TAC events starting soon, lets talk about arrow setups that you have used before that work, setups you want to try, and setups that you have used and failed you !
2021 Total Archery Challenge
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For me last year the arrow setup that worked the best was one that was easily replaceable because I lost a metric chit ton of arrows 
All kidding aside I will be running gold tip hunter xt's that have be cut on both ends to achieve the straightest arrow possible, 300 spine cut to 29”, the standard 12.1 grain aluminum insert, 100 grain tip, AAE max stealth in probably 3 fletch (I am currently playing with 4 fletch as well). This will be coming out of a 65 lb bow at a 29.5 draw length.
This is what I shoot everyday at my home range out to 60 yards and hunt with. I like to think of the TAC as a simulation to sharpen my skills rather than a game so I'm not thinking about optimizing. My setup is not exotic or expensive but its realistic for me. I am becoming more change resistant when it comes to my equipment because I feel that using the same setup for a long period of time (years) is helping me learn to shoot better.
Any way this is my thinking for this season and is subject to change
All kidding aside I will be running gold tip hunter xt's that have be cut on both ends to achieve the straightest arrow possible, 300 spine cut to 29”, the standard 12.1 grain aluminum insert, 100 grain tip, AAE max stealth in probably 3 fletch (I am currently playing with 4 fletch as well). This will be coming out of a 65 lb bow at a 29.5 draw length.
This is what I shoot everyday at my home range out to 60 yards and hunt with. I like to think of the TAC as a simulation to sharpen my skills rather than a game so I'm not thinking about optimizing. My setup is not exotic or expensive but its realistic for me. I am becoming more change resistant when it comes to my equipment because I feel that using the same setup for a long period of time (years) is helping me learn to shoot better.
Any way this is my thinking for this season and is subject to change
I shot 2 courses last year and shot my axis hunting arrows. I only lost 1 arrow all weekend so no big deal but I’m going to be shooting gold tip velocities so I can get a little more distance out of my slider with the faster arrow. I maxed out at 120 last year and there were a few targets at 130+
i will be shooting my first one this year. i bought 18 arrows, beman ics hunters. got them on a heck of a sale, only spent 60 bucks on them. i'm not planning on bringing them all back and i don't care to bust or lose any of them. TAC is exactly why i bought them lol
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I’m gonna throw some victory RIP XV’s with blazer X-vanes 1.75 inches at the foam monsters this year. Also using a sight with a smaller housing and more travel, I centered my peep at 40 yards.
I’m really trying to not run out of elevation on my sight this year.
I’m really trying to not run out of elevation on my sight this year.
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That being said, I totally get the guys who use their hunting setup.
My justification is I’ll never shoot at a critter at 80+ yards, so why use the same 600+ gr. setup that I shoot at 20-30 yards?
I like extremes, play with super light/ fast in a35” ATA bow and hunt with heavy/slow setup in a 28” bow.
My justification is I’ll never shoot at a critter at 80+ yards, so why use the same 600+ gr. setup that I shoot at 20-30 yards?
I like extremes, play with super light/ fast in a35” ATA bow and hunt with heavy/slow setup in a 28” bow.
so when you set your peep for 40 yard shots do you set your sight and peep as you normally would starting at 20 and so on?
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Never shot the TAC, and I ordered a 60 pound Nexus 4 for hunting whitetails and 3D. I will shoot the Victory 3DHV's in 400 spine, 100 grain glue in tip, and the tiny little Q2i fusion vanes in 4 fletch. I even got me a cool new hip quiver, and a 30" stabilizer, which may be a little much. I hope the bow comes in soon so I get the chance to get it shot in good before the challenge. I also got a Black Gold Pro single pin sight to try out. Should be fun. Oh and I got a Leupold RX Fulldraw 4 rangefinder to help with those crazy shots.
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I have a separate “play bow” that I use outside of hunting season.
When setting it up, I sight it in with no peep and get my sight tape out to 40 or 50. Then I get the most natural head position I can at full draw and set my peep with the sight set at the 40 or 50 yard elevation. It is a small adjustment on the peep elevation from 20 yards. But I figure if I’m going to be shooting it primarily at 40+ I should align everything at those ranges.
Nuts and bolts had a good post on here a few months back about setting your peep at different ranges and the benefits of it, I decided to try it.
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I shoot TAC Montana and Utah every year. I don't have special setup for TAC. I just shoot my normal setup I use for hunting. Last year and this year it's a 438 grain arrow going 315 fps. Love TAC. Total blast. Looking forward to this year's events.
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I’ve shot two of them, used my hunting arrow which is an axis 260 with a 50 grain insert. I hunt with a 100 grain point, but I went to a 60 grain point to lighten up for TAC and get some extra distance. Longest target we encountered on the TAC course last year was 123 yards (and I hit it...). I think I had clearance with sight marks to 126 if I remember right.
Shot my hunting bow which is a 70 lb traverse at 30.5”. I used a 15” front bar which is longer than I hunt with and I created a Frankenstein sight for the occasion. I put a hogg double pin scope on my shibuya target sight. I then found the scale difference for the second pin and the top of the bubble level so I’d have accurate marks for those. The bubble level was used for the super long range stuff, only needed that once or twice on the course.
D
Shot my hunting bow which is a 70 lb traverse at 30.5”. I used a 15” front bar which is longer than I hunt with and I created a Frankenstein sight for the occasion. I put a hogg double pin scope on my shibuya target sight. I then found the scale difference for the second pin and the top of the bubble level so I’d have accurate marks for those. The bubble level was used for the super long range stuff, only needed that once or twice on the course.
D
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Yes, Yes, and Yes.
good grief whats your DL and DW
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31.5" DL at 70#. Traverse. I was actually getting 320 fps when new but slowed down a tad.
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dang that is awesome lol i am a 26.5 DL and 60# DW so i will never see those speeds
Reckoning 35 for 3D, RealmX for hunt, PSE SupraFocusXL for spot . Axcel, ARC release, Victory.
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Hate that we don't have TAC here Finland. What Im checked from Youtube, seems like a lot of fun.
One "kind of" TAC is "snowman"-competition what's in early spring.. so there might be pretty much snow and freezing temperatures.
There's not overly long distances, maybe 60m max, but some nice different targets.. like moving target (has been fox last 2yrs), shooting from blind, shooting indoor barn with no lights there. etc. Otherwise it's pretty normal hunting 1 arrow competiton with hunting gear.
And yes.. that "incitement madman"- target, a Moose figure, where U can shoot anywhere from 20m up to 150m, I thin that field usually ends there. More points for longer distances. And target is film plywood with soft vitals so if U miss to body that arrow is usually goner. Last year I did shot it from 70m. U have 3 arrows what U can try, only one will get points, and U can't move forward after You choose your distance. That's quite fun target 😂
One "kind of" TAC is "snowman"-competition what's in early spring.. so there might be pretty much snow and freezing temperatures.
There's not overly long distances, maybe 60m max, but some nice different targets.. like moving target (has been fox last 2yrs), shooting from blind, shooting indoor barn with no lights there. etc. Otherwise it's pretty normal hunting 1 arrow competiton with hunting gear.
And yes.. that "incitement madman"- target, a Moose figure, where U can shoot anywhere from 20m up to 150m, I thin that field usually ends there. More points for longer distances. And target is film plywood with soft vitals so if U miss to body that arrow is usually goner. Last year I did shot it from 70m. U have 3 arrows what U can try, only one will get points, and U can't move forward after You choose your distance. That's quite fun target 😂
Well you could bump up the dW to 75lbs and gain about 25-30'ish fps if I remember correctly that it's roughly 2fps for every lb of dw increase. Provided your strong enough to handle the increased dw.
Also look at shortening your arrows up a bit to knock off a few grains, you gain roughly 1fps for every 2-3 grains you shave off.
You could also look at going to a lighter shaft. Just be aware they won't be as durable with a higher poundage. And if you go to light it's like basically dry firing a bow with higher Poundage.
Oh and most importantly, don't forget the old stretching rack to gain the extra 1/2-1" increase in draw length. Couple of draft horses strapped to each wrist should work nicely.
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Also look at shortening your arrows up a bit to knock off a few grains, you gain roughly 1fps for every 2-3 grains you shave off.
You could also look at going to a lighter shaft. Just be aware they won't be as durable with a higher poundage. And if you go to light it's like basically dry firing a bow with higher Poundage.
Oh and most importantly, don't forget the old stretching rack to gain the extra 1/2-1" increase in draw length. Couple of draft horses strapped to each wrist should work nicely.
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Can we also throw into this discussion exercises to prepare the knees for all the downhill walking in places like Montana and Utah.
Every year my knees are shot by the end of the day from walking down these hills coming from South Florida.
I know it’s the ligaments on the side of the knees but how do we stretch these or get them in good shape before TAC?
I had to basically walk backwards the last hour just to get back down to the main area
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Every year my knees are shot by the end of the day from walking down these hills coming from South Florida.
I know it’s the ligaments on the side of the knees but how do we stretch these or get them in good shape before TAC?
I had to basically walk backwards the last hour just to get back down to the main area
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