Funny, I just bought a 38" target bow for BHFS. I figure if I can't beat them, join them!

 

wow that was a tough read...

 

Tough call for sure, I have thought about this for years and really don't have a answer. The most pure class is a bare bow traditional class with no arrow rest shooting off the shelf. Any class up the ladder from there is going to have rules that you have to stay inside but as long as you stay within them you are legal and should be able to shoot. For example my dad hunted with a 40 inch compound bow for over 40 years and he never attended a tournament, does that mean that if he shows up and beats you that he is a jerk? No, it just means that he brought his hunting bow that happens to be a target bow that matthews painted with camo and he kicked your butt with it.

But, I do have a issue with pro level shooters who drop down to the bow hunter class just to win. That to me is not cool, they can beat a amateur with anything they put in their hands and it is not right for them to do that. The bow hunter class is a entry level to moderate level class to get started with what you hunt, it is not there for pro level shooters to go take a easy win.

 

Agreed

That said, Fatty arrows shouldn't be allowed in the hunter classes.
Doubt many people hunt with fatty arrows? And if they do, it has to be a very small %'ed...

 

I am also shooting a hunting bow for league and indoor tournaments. Out of the 20 or so guys in my indoor league only 2 of us are shooting a camouflage bow.

But no the rules should not be changed, this is target archery and not bow hunting. I have my first ever target bow on order and am excited to see if I shoot much better with it than my current hunting bow.

 

Are you using an adjustable sight? How fast is your arrow? when you say "bow hunter equipment" what exactly do you mean? Wood arrows, stone tips and a long bow with a sinew string?

I shot hunter class (40 yard max) with my hunting bow (fixed pins, no lens, no back bar, 273 fps) for a few years in ASA. My hunting bow was 36" axle to axle. If the guy beating you is using an "Hunter class" bow he is only shooting 288 fps max for ASA. IBO and ASA both require fixed pins. 3d is a target archery game.

A club that has many Hunter class archers should utilize two hunter classes, Hunter A (40 yards) and Hunter B (30-35 yards). The real problem is that many bow hunters now use adjustable sights which pretty much the same as target sights. I have to add, the best bow hunter shots I know would shoot well above even with their hunting rigs on a 35 yard course!!!!!

 

Much higher scores on five spot can be shot with a bow hunting rig. ( small arrows also)
A 300 shouldn't be a issue. I see a lot of 55X plus scores.
This is with a 32-35 ATA camo bows. (Color of bow doesn't make one bit of difference.)

 

I shot a 299 47X 5 spot just last night with a hunter set up. Not great but if I can do it, anyone can!

 

I’d say.

Practice more. [emoji2955]

 

I have shot 299+ with a hunting setup. that being said that guy with a full target rig can probably still bust 300 all day long with his hunting bow too...Its not the bow its the guy (or gal) pulling the string. As my eyesight goes I cant put up 299+ anymore but I can still hang 297s most days with a hunting setup. I switch everything over to a Elite tour and didnt pick up but maybe a point or two averaged out over the whole league so .......

 

I've done 298-299 with a WB on my hunting rig...:darkbeer:
Without fatty arrows too...

Moutainbowman,
In hunter class their stab lenght is limited to not 10" , correct?

 

Around here Hunter Class means limits on sights: no optics and limited extension (5" or less), and limits on Stabilizers (12" max). High 290's get you nowhere but middle of the pack. Winners shoot 300's and over 50 x's. Some do it w/ basic hunting rigs and std arrows. Practice more I guess...

 

If you think about it, there’s not much difference between what you’re calling a “target” rig and a “hunting” bow.

Plenty of people hunt with 35”+ bows, front and rear stabs and a moveable sight.

The only major differences might be the fat shafts and a little longer AtA but those are only good for a point or two here and there. They won’t make a 300/60X shooter out of a 298/48X guy.

 

Get better not bitter

The class is designed for a entry level into target archery
Play within the rules and practice getting better

 

Get better not bitter.

Great post. Hope all of AT reads and takes to heart.

 

funny thing is I shot my best 5 spot count with an old hoyt havoc-tec bow 30 inch axle to axle 7 3/4 inch brace height bow shooting my xx78 2312 hunting arrows at 72 lbs [300 x 57] and although I have been shooting 3d for many years since and some indoors with super high end target rigs, I have yet to shoot a higher x count since.the real kicker is I shot that bow at a draw length more than 1 1/2 inches longer than my actual measured draw length go figure.

 

I’ve always said the exact same thing. Even tho I can shoot 300 every time I shoot a 5 spot with my 32” hunting bow, a 10” stab and a short fixed pin sight. But my hunting rig is standard sized arrows and a qad drop awarest. Not 27 diameter arrows and a damn blade rest. Guys can say it all they want, but the fact is when a man steps on the line in a “bow hunter class” with a 40” Hoyt Prevail with a 9” sight bar and an AAE pro blade rest and 27 diameter arrows with 5” feathers , he’s just doing that looking to take an advantage. All he has to do is turn the sight light on and screw on his 30” front bar and have an Open Pro rig. I’ll say it until I die and don’t give a damn. If you look on the factory sight at their line of bows and it says” target bows” it should not be aloud in a bow hunter class. If it says “ hunting bows” it should not be aloud in an open class. Bows have a label and if you are going to label your shoots then only shoot the bow label that the shoot is labeled itself. This is nothing more nothing less, that a guy that doesn’t have enough confidence and a an ego that needs a win to get a fix and uses anyway to get it. That’s the same kind of guy that rolls his golf ball into perfect grass before every stroke, and don’t count the out of bounds shots he hit all day. That 79 on the score card was an actual 124, but yet he brags about how many strokes he beat his buddy’s. But hey I say it like this, “ it’s your lie, tell it like you want to”, and if you sleep easy then it ain’t wrong in your eyes . But like I said in the beginning, I can shoot with there target setups with my “ bow hunter” equipment, so I know when I whip that ass, they don’t sleep well that night. That’s the best part of that game . It’s a proven fact that deer see the color blue better than any other, but yet that guy with that 40” ata “ blue” shiny target color and a thin blade rest, he takes that in his tree stand ,,,, rightttttt.

 

In Competition a competitor should look for every advantage within a given set of rules. Whether that be competitive engine building, long range rifle, or archery. Its competition and if you are with in the rules then no harm no foul. So I guess I cant hunt with my old elite tour (because the brochure says target bow) or Turn up custom screw in tips on my lathe to use in 27 series shafts for IBO hunter class? If you want to shoot for fun great find a small club and shoot for fun. If you want to really compete on a national level you better be looking for every advantage within the rules because the guy next to you sure did!

 

Guess my hunting bow is illegal then. Deer don’t give a crap what color it is. Blue jeans and blue bow is how I roll. Camo is for turkey hunting


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Lol!

I guess camo bows shouldn’t be aloud in the open class

 

Centerpoint, the problem with your analogy is that moving a gold ball or not counting strokes in golf is AGAINST THE RULES. Using a blade rest and and fat shafts is perfectly legal according to the rules. You are confused as 5 spot is target archery and has nothing to do with taking a bow into a tree stand.

As others have said the Bowhunter class is kind of an entry level class and I am shooting Senior Bowhunter this year since it’s my first year back to archery in 27 years. I do, however, plan to move to the open freestyle class next year.

 

NFAA? Eh, I will agree somewhat. No one actually hunts with 27s. I think BHFS should have a max diameter 23s. Because yes people still hunt with aluminum. The rest of the rules for indoor I agree with.

I shoot standard diameter for everything. Easy to find components and lots of arrow options. Not tiny, still good enough to cut lines. I would never shoot 27s in fear of getting into inside out rules.

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I guess I can out my thoughts down. I will say within the past 5 years the hunter class has gotten much stiffer competition. I used to be able to pull off a 297 and still be in the top five but now you're not even on the boards. I used to have the idea to play the hunter class game so I could complete but it doesn't really matter now.

Having said that I have always re-tuned my bow to shoot fatboys in the off season for target hunter class. This year I bought a specific target bow that I setup for hunter class shoots. Ironically I shot my hunting bow better, likely just need some getting used to the new one. If you go back 20 years most guys were shooting fat aluminum arrows for hunting setups. Just because the new carbon arrows are smaller diameter doesn't make that a hunting arrow. There's still guys that shoot the winter league and use the old large diameter aluminum arrows they have to get a bit of advantage but also just in case they are raking arrows together.

Unless they change the rules though what's legal to shoot is legal to shoot within those parameters.

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I’ve shot multiple 300-55/58x NFAA rounds with a Hoyt Vectrix (33” ATA).

It’s the shooter, not the bow.

Stop *****ing online and practice more.

 

Everyone knows the gear helps in competition. The fact that you lost by only a few points is pretty good. And the guys who beat you know the gear is the reason. Don't get too worked up over it. If you have a 32" hunting bow and give the competitors a run for their money, that's good shooting. I know it, they know it, you should know it.

 

Some of Y’all are missing the point.

It’s just the name of a CLASS in a TARGET archery competition. There’s a reason they threw FREE STYLE into Bow Hunter Free Style. It’s not necessarily meant to mirror actual hunting set ups.

If you go to a club that’s running under NFAA rules then you should be well aware of said rules. If you’re not using all the equipment allowed by those rules, you really have no complaints.

 

agreed.

 

Target archery is bass ackwards when it comes to equipment anyways. Make it tougher for the pros. Gap shoot fixed pins, no mag, short stab, skinny arrows at 40 plus yards. Now how many 14s do they hit? I know, I know, they will still out shoot my mediocre arse. I think trad guys are the pros that deserve the big bucks. I’m not a trad guy, but just sayin

 

I’ve said this for years. There shouldn’t be any paid “pro” class in asa that has known yardage. Pros should have to use arrows under 25 series. Ranges to 60. All fixed pins. 24” of total stabilizer. No lenses. The same people would probably still win but it would be far more entertaining to watch. What took golf from the most boring thing on tv to one of the most watched sports on tv was the potential for collapse in new course design. Nobody wants to watch a guy par in from 12 to win. People want the drama of some guy rinsing one on 17 to go from 2 up to 1 down. Imagine how much more exciting a 3d shootdown would be if there was a real chance for an x because there’s a 5 fixed pin limit, shooting an inside out 3d score, and I’m not sure if that crow is 50 or 60.

 

If they’d just change the name of the class to OPEN LIMITED or something of that nature we wouldn’t have these discussions on a regular basis.

 

Bingo we have a winner. ^^^^^^ It’s a target game, whether you use the rules to maximize potential or not doesn’t matter, the only thing that matter to win is if your the best shot that day! If your never winning and would like to, practice more, it’s that simple.

 

I’ve struggled as well

 

Jeez, who would have thought it.....back in the day my 44" compound (all the bows were over 40") and my rest with the plastic blade, were really target equipment!......:doh:

A bow is just a bow, no matter what the specs (or color :chortle.....a bow with different specs is just designed to tailor performance in a certain direction....that's why some bows that are marketed as "target bows" also come in camo....and if you haven't noticed some bows marketed as "hunting bows" also come in target colors.
You pick a bow for the performance parameters you want and then set it up for your specific needs.