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How to Install Nock Out® Lighted Nocks

July 24, 2018/0 Comments/in In Action Blog /by Nock Out Lighted Nocks

Installing Lighted Nocks | Nock Out® Contender Nocks

Nock Out® lighted nocks has developed an impressive lighted nock for compound shooters that is durable and accurate while being simple and easy to use. The Contender vertical lighted nocks fit X,H,S/GT shafts with the included universal bushing kit contained in each package, making them the perfect fit no matter what size arrow shaft is in your archery setup.

Nock Out® includes the needed bushings to make the Contender lighted nocks truly a universal fit for any arrow in the industry from 5mm all the way up to 6.5mm shafts. Installing the nocks at home is an easy process that requires few tools. Some items you will want to have on hand include bowstring wax, a pair of needle nose pliers, and possibly a universal nock tool for inserting and indexing nocks. Organize your arrow shafts, tools, and Contender nocks on a clean level work surface, and follow these few steps to smoothly install your new Contender lighted nocks by Nock Out.

Lancaster Archery Supply – Lighted Nock Contender Install

Steps to Proper Lighted Nock Setup

Remove the orange C clamp located midway on the nock body with needle nose pliers. This clip is used strictly for packaging purposes.
Identify the arrow shaft size and the appropriate bushing for your arrow shaft.
- Contender nocks fit 5mm or X shafts directly from the package with no bushing required.
- 6mm (H) and 6.5mm (S/GT) shafts require the use of the included appropriate bushing.
For 5mm or X shafts at .204” ID the Contender Nocks are ready to install after the removal of the orange C clamp. Simply apply a liberal amount of bowstring wax to the lower nock body and insert the nock into the shaft. Take care to index the nock to the arrow fletching according to your arrow rest. Never force your Contender Nocks into the shaft by forcing the nock and shaft down onto a hard surface without a nock tool.
When installing the Nock Out® Contender nocks into 6mm (H) or 6.5mm (S/GT) arrow shafts, first remove the orange C clip on the lower nock body. Identify the appropriate bushing for your arrow shaft from the packaging. Insert the nock into the bushing before pushing the bushing into the arrow shaft. After installing the nock into the appropriate bushing with the orange C clip removed, apply liberal bowstring wax to the exterior of the bushing and insert into your arrow shaft. Take care to index the nock to the arrow fletching according to your arrow rest. Again, never force your Contender Nocks into the arrow shaft by forcing the nock and shaft down onto a hard surface without a nock tool.
Key takeaways to installing the Contender lighted nocks are to be sure and utilize bowstring wax on the nock body during installation, do not force the nock into the arrow shaft by pressing the nock down onto a hard surface, and remember to index the nock according to your arrow’s fletching and bow rest.

The Contender lighted nocks are activated by string pressure at the shot. During the installation process it is easy to pull back on an installed nock that has been activated to turn off the illumination. Be sure your lighted nocks are not activated when you finish the installation process to conserve battery life.

Tuning Nocks

Tuning Lighted Arrow Nocks | Nock Out® Lighted Nocks

December 29, 2017/0 Comments/in In Action Blog /by Nock Out Lighted Nocks

Nock Out® Lighted Nocks | Tuning and Installing Lighted Nocks

Bow hunters have a responsibility to be as efficient and ethical as possible. This means making sure your equipment is tuned before the hunt. You wouldn’t shoot at a game animal without first making sure your new broadheads hit their mark, right? The same can be said about installing lighted nocks to any hunting arrow setup. You should never add, subtract, or change anything about your bow, your arrow, or your accessories without first testing and tuning your bow. This is standard and common knowledge when it comes to broadheads, new fletching, a new rest, a new sight, a new release, or a new batch of arrows. This should also be extended to installing lighted nocks.

Factors to Consider

The fact is that the installing of a lighted nock means the arrow will fly differently than a standard or manufacturer’s arrow nock. Adding a lighted nock, like any other component of an arrow will not only adjust the weight, but the location and distribution of that weight, the length of the arrow, and other factors to consider as they cause a difference in arrow flight.

Arrow Nock Weight

Regular nocks generally weigh between 8 and 16 grains, while contenders can run up to 25 grains, meaning Nock Out® lighted nocks are double the weight of most traditional nocks. This change in weight will impact your arrow’s front-of-center (FOC), requiring you to adjust your setup to compensate for the difference. Remember, the front-of-center helps determine your arrow’s trajectory. This is especially important when choosing the proper field tips and broadheads.  In most instances, archers will want a higher front of center (more weight forward).  Most manufacturers often recommend an arrow with 10 – 15% FOC when fully assembled (with broadheads).

Weight isn’t the only factor that changes, as this can also affect your length.

Arrow Nock Length

Length varies between types, brands, and even within brands. For example, the nock length is 1 5/8 for the original Nock Out® lighted nock, and 1 ½ for the Contenders. This difference changes the weight distribution of the arrow, and subsequently, its flight.

Indexing Your Arrow

Finally, you’ll need to know how to properly index your arrow. This is one of the last things you should consider that could significantly alter arrow flight. This should remind you that you should never just insert a lighted nock without first indexing the arrow. The index (or cock) vane should be facing up directly in line with your string if you shoot a whisker biscuit, and down if you shoot a drop away rest.

Knowing these factors ahead of installing a nock should allow you to shoot lighted nocks without sacrificing accuracy! Follow the information and steps below for installing lighted nocks.

How to Install Lighted Nocks

The new Nock Out® Contender and Nock Out® Contender 300 for Crossbows are the new leading lighted nock for the archery industry. The driving forces behind the Nock’s excelling features are the simplicity, strength, and functionality of the nock.

The Nock Out® Contender comes with 3 black bushings, allowing it to fit X, H, and S/GT arrows.

G nocks fit shafts with a .166-inch inside diameter.
X nocks fit shafts with a .204-inch inside diameter.
H nocks fit shafts with a .234-inch inside diameter.
S nocks ‑ also called Super Nocks ‑ fit shafts with a .244-inch inside diameter.
GT nocks fit shafts with a .246-inch inside diameter.

Steps for Installing Lighted Nocks

First, remove the regular nock from the arrow with a pair of pliers.
Next, fit the right size bushing into the arrow shaft or in the case of X-nocks, the Contender directly into the shaft without the bushing.
Next, you will want to install the Nock Out® Contender and index it so that the arrow vanes are properly aligned to your rest. This is also assuming that your broadhead and vanes are properly indexed. Improper nock indexing could cause improper arrow flight or contact with your arrow rest. This is especially true if you have long and/or helical vanes. The index (or cock) vane should be facing up directly in line with your string if you shoot a whisker biscuit, and down if you shoot a drop away rest.
Once your nock is properly indexed in accordance with your vane, broadhead and rest, you are ready to sight the bow in.
Sight the bow in like normal, adjusting the bow sight housing and pins in accordance with the yardage you wish to reference.

Ensuring your equipment is as accurate as possible is your ethical responsibility as a bow hunter. This includes your responsibility to realize the addition or subtraction of any gear, accessory, or arrow feature can and does alter accuracy.

Want more information? Check out the links below to find out more about Nock Out® lighted nocks or tuning your bow!

Lighted Nocks

Bow Tuning Steps

In-Depth Bow Tuning | 5 Steps to the Perfect Setup

December 27, 2017/0 Comments/in In Action Blog /by Nock Out Lighted Nocks

Bow Tuning Steps

As hunters, it’s our ethical responsibility to make sure our gear is ready, deadly, and going to perform as accurately as possible. This means not only having dependable gear but having a “tuned” setup that we can trust in the field.  Bow tuning should be at the core of our hunting values.

Most people understand that their gear needs to be tuned occasionally, to ensure that it is functioning at its best. In reality, gear needs to be tuned frequently. Change arrows? Tune it. Change nocks? Tune it. Change broadheads? Tune it. Drop your bow? Tune it. Haven’t shot in a few weeks? Tune it!

As you can tell, tuning shouldn’t be a one and done deal.  It should be a consistent process that you follow every time you change, damage, or upgrade your equipment. It should be implemented into everyone’s bow hunting routine. That’s why we have put together an in-depth guide detailing exactly what you should be focusing on and why.   If any of your equipment is not up to par, it’s your responsibility as a hunter to buy the right gear, understand it, tune, and test it. Let this article guide you on your way.

Step 1: Understand Your Equipment

A properly tuned bow requires you to understand what needs to be adjusted and why. This means knowing your gear and how it will affect your arrow’s flight. Below we go through each piece of equipment, detailing what you should be aware of and how to address it.

Your Bow

Before you can tune anything, you have to make sure your mainstay piece is ready to go. A few things you should think about:

Did your string stretch?
Are the cams aligned?
Is your draw length appropriate?

Strings and cables stretch over time, meaning mistimed cams, out of place peep sites, and too long of draw lengths. Adjustments can be easily made to remedy this. You can either twist your bow string back down to its original length or adjust your equipment to compensate for the change.

Hunting Arrows

Shooting the right arrow is a huge factor when trying to be consistent in the field. Too often, people buy the wrong arrow and waste significant time trying to site in their equipment, without ever knowing that their arrow is to blame.

That’s why we recommend you refer to our Arrow Buying Guide before making any arrow purchases.

For the purpose of this article, we have summarized the basics below:

Arrow length: In general, shorter arrows are faster; longer arrows are safer.  Finding a happy medium can be done by pulling back your arrow to full draw and having an assistant measure a distance between 1-½” and 2” from the rest.
Arrow stiffness: Higher speed bows generally require a stiffer arrow while slower bows will respond well to a flexible arrow.  Make sure to use the chart from your manufacturer to find the correct arrow for your setup.
Arrow weight: As a general rule of thumb, a heavier arrow will penetrate an animal better, but a shorter arrow will be faster. Make sure you practice with the weight you will plan to kill with.
Type of fletching: Fletching comes in multiple different lengths. However, the blazer vanes have become the standard.  Remember, the vanes and broadheads are dependent on each other. The bigger the vane, the heavier the broadhead can be.
Fletching position: How you align your fletching will influence the way it moves during flight. There are three common alignments: straight, helical, and offset.  The most common is offset, which creates a relatively resilient arrow path (both fast and forgiving).

As previously mentioned, the best way to tackle your arrows is by referring to our guide.

Step 2: Aligning Your Peep, Rest, and Nocking Point

The next step is to make sure your arrow will be lined up with the center of the bow.  This means making sure your nocking point and rest are properly aligned, therefore allowing your arrow to be “centered”.  This is often called finding the center shot.  

There are numerous ways you can do this, including measuring your bow, or using a bow square. However, using a simple laser center-shot tool will work well and save you time.

Here is how to set up a laser center-shot tool:

Simply line up the laser where your site would be and center the laser on the bow string.
When the laser is centered on the bowstring you can lock it in place.
Next, you’ll want to have an arrow mounted on your rest without locking the rest in place.  
Once you have an arrow and a rest in place you’ll want to turn the laser on and align it with your arrow shaft. If the laser aligns with the shaft, the rest is in its proper place. If not, adjust it so it is.
Tighten your rest and you are done! Your arrow should be at its true center shot.

Next, you will want to make sure your peep site is located in a comfortable position. Too often, people find that they are lowering their heads to see through their site. This is an uncomfortable position that will affect your form and consistency.

To remedy this, close your eyes and draw your bow back to your anchor position. When you open your eyes, you should be looking through your peep site comfortably. If not, adjust and try again. You’ll then want to reattach or attach a new site (if applicable). Specific site setups are beyond the scope of this article. However, when attaching any site, remember that a site closer to the riser is easier to keep on target while a site farther from the riser will be more accurate. In addition, make sure your pins are aligned with a nocked arrow and the string.

If you don’t have the right equipment (such as a bow press, bow square, or laser), don’t be afraid to bring your gear to your local shop. They can help inspect your strings and make any proper adjustments. Knowing that your gear is in good shape will boost your confidence and make the tuning process easier.

Arrow Nocks

Many people forget the significance the nock has on arrow flight. Using the right nock for your setup is important. Therefore, when looking for one, we recommend using our Nock Out Contenders.

Why go lighted? Not only do lighted nocks reduce the risk of losing your arrows and your game, but they also help with fine tuning your bow. They make arrow flight patterns easy to identify, helping you tune your equipment with ease.  

However, with nontraditional technology comes nontraditional specs.  One of the biggest changes between traditional and lighted nocks is the nock weight.

Weight isn’t the only factor that changes, as this can also affect your length. Length varies between types, brands, and even within brands. For example, the nock length is 1 5/8th for the original Nock Out® lighted nock, and 1 ½ for the Contenders. This difference changes the weight distribution of the arrow, and subsequently, its flight.

Finally, you’ll need to know how to properly index your arrow. The index (or cock) vane should be facing up directly in line with your string if you shoot a whisker biscuit, and down if you shoot a drop away rest.

The Nock Out® Contender comes with 3 black bushings, allowing it to fit X, H, and S/GT arrows.

G nocks fit shafts with a .166-inch inside diameter.
X nocks fit shafts with a .204-inch inside diameter.
H nocks fit shafts with a .234-inch inside diameter.
S nocks also called Super Nocks fit shafts with a .244-inch inside diameter.
GT nocks fit shafts with a .246-inch inside diameter.

Make sure to find the Nock Out that is most suited for your setup.

Your Broadheads & Field Tips

Finding the proper broadheads and field tips should come after assembling the rest of your arrow.  This is because your field tip and broadhead weight will depend on what your FOC (front of center) will need to be. This is where the nock weight becomes incredibly important.

When picking the right broadheads, try to shoot for the 10% to 15% FOC. Why? Because you will have relatively balanced penetration and trajectory. An arrow with too much weight forward will fall too fast, and an arrow with too much weight behind will lose force and accuracy.

Weigh Your Arrow

After you have properly assembled arrows, you are going to want to weigh and spin them. Remember when we mentioned the different arrow weights, nock weights, and vanes will influence your arrow flight? Weighing your arrows will tell you if each arrow is assembled and flying the same, therefore making your groups more accurate.

Make sure you weigh and spin test each arrow after assembly and before paper tuning.

Know your equipment, understand why you have the equipment you do, and then you’ll be ready to fine-tune your setup.

Step 3: Paper Tune

Once your equipment is properly setup, you are going to want to paper tune your gear to iron out any minor issues.   Keep in mind, paper tuning doesn’t work if you don’t know what to adjust.

Paper tuning should be used as a method of finding any minor problems.

Below are a few of the basic steps to paper tuning your bow setup.

Find a piece of paper, backstop, and be ready to shoot approximately six to eight feet away from it.
To find out which adjustments need to be made, the arrow needs to shoot all of the way through the paper. Therefore, be sure to set your backstop far enough away.
When shooting, focus on form. Bad form can compromise the entire test.
After shooting, analyze the shape in the paper. A perfect tear means your bow is properly tuned.

Step 4: Sighting In

Once everything is aligned, you’ll finally get to sight in your bow! If your gear is aligned correctly and paper tuned, sighting in should be a simple process.

As mentioned previously, sighting in for any particular site is beyond the scope of this article. However, for a general reference, follow the steps below.

Start by sighting your first pin at your chosen distance (usually 20 yards). You can always take your first few shots within 20 yards if you are worried that your shot will be significantly off.

If you shoot high, move your pin higher. If you shoot low move your pin lower. The same goes for left and right. “Follow your arrow” is the general term used when adjusting your site.

Be sure to site in over the course of days or even weeks. Shooting too much at any given time will result in fatigue and influence the accuracy of your shot. There will also be days where your form varies, or you simply perform better than others. Therefore, be sure to give yourself enough time to properly sight in before hitting the field.

Step 5: Stay Consistent

Your consistency out of the field will affect your consistency on the field. Therefore, checking your equipment, paper tuning, and making regular adjustments are crucial to your success as a bow hunter. It not only improves your bows performance but provides you with confidence when making any shot. Being responsible both on and off the stand is what makes a bow hunter great.

For more information on archery equipment and hunting tactics, be sure to visit our Nock Out In Action blog.

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Tracking a Deer Blood Trail 101

November 3, 2017/0 Comments/in In Action Blog /by Nock Out Lighted Nocks

Bow Hunting 101 | Deer Blood Trail Tracking

If you’ve shot a deer before while bow hunting, you’re probably familiar with the general sequence of events. Going from shot to recovery can take mere minutes or days, depending on several factors. It’s always a possibility that we could lose sight of a deer blood trail, which is guaranteed to result in sleepless nights. Here are some tips for blood trailing deer so you can improve your recovery rates and become a better hunter!

Stages of Tracking a Deer

Hopefully, for your sake, you are reading this blog before you make the shot. Ensuring that you know and follow each step of the blood trail tracking process is extremely important. With that said, this blog will take you through each step of the deer blood trail tracking method from directly after the shot, to the point where you recover your deer.

Replay the Shot

The moments directly after you release an arrow are some of the most critical seconds of a hunt that can influence the end result. Assess the shot and replay it in your mind several times. After that, you should be able to answer each of these questions:

Which way was the deer facing?
Was there any quartering that could have affected what organs were hit?
How did the deer react when the arrow made contact?
Is there a noticeable landmark (dead snag tree, spruce tree, etc.) in the area you shot it?
Which direction did the deer run?
What is the last landmark you remember the deer running by?
Did you hear a crash?

Burn these details into your mind before you even think about packing up to start blood trailing deer. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 15 minutes while you replay everything unless you watched the deer drop within view.

Many times, you can learn the most useful information by watching how the deer reacted and where your lighted nock disappeared. One of the benefits of using lighted nocks is that you can pinpoint exactly where the arrow strikes a deer. Regardless of which color nock you prefer, you can literally watch the LED light trail from the Nock Out Contender nocks and see precisely where it blinks out as it enters a deer’s chest cavity. Pay attention to how the deer behaves at this stage. If it jumps into the air and kicks its hind legs (oftentimes almost losing its footing), it’s very likely a heart, lung, or liver shot. If it hunches up its back and runs for a short distance before slowing down and walking away, you may have shot them in the paunch area in another place considered “no man’s land”.

Stage 2: Look for Evidence

After replaying all of these details in your mind, climb down and navigate to the landmark where you believe you shot the deer. This is where many hunters go wrong with tracking deer. Many hunters mistakenly just take up the trail immediately. Even if there is obvious blood, this action can ruin your recovery efforts quickly in the wrong situation. You’ll obviously be looking for blood, but also pay attention to hair, disturbed leaves, and broken branches. Lots of white hair means either your shot was low on the stomach or it exited the deer low.

Looking at the arrow

Hunting arrows can tell you a lot too. Examine the blood on it and give it a sniff. You may even have an indicator section or white wrap that can clearly show the blood. We’ll look at the blood types below for different shots, but if it smells rotten, it’s likely you made a paunch hit.

Stage 3: Deciding on the Type of Deer Blood

Knowing when to track deer after shooting is very important. Now for the real investigative part of the deer recovery process: the blood. Deer blood sign will be different depending on where you hit them. Look for this kind of blood evidence in the immediate vicinity of the shot location before proceeding with blood trailing deer.

Heart/Lungs

Blood from a heart and/or lung shot will be very distinctive. It will usually be bright red and frothy (lots of small bubbles) because blood in these organs is full of oxygen. Depending on the entry and exit wounds, you may also notice spurts of blood on the ground and even on the tree trunks and shrubs periodically, as the heart pumps it out.

Liver

Whitetail livers are tucked behind the lungs and higher up from the heart. Blood from these shots will usually be darker red or purplish, and may be thicker in consistency. It also may only drip from the deer after a while, producing a harder blood trail to follow.

Paunch (Stomach/Intestines)

The dreaded paunch or gut shot is something no hunter wants to make, but it does occasionally happen for a number of reasons. Blood from these hits will usually be thin and watery-looking, and may even contain green/yellow bits of undigested food in it. The blood will also smell foul, like stomach contents ought to.

Stage 4: Blood Trailing Deer

Knowing how to track a wounded deer is a critical skill you need to have. Depending on what you find at the arrow site, you’ll have a few different choices to make. Obviously, the sooner you recover your deer, the fresher and safer the venison meat will be. You may also be contending with coyotes and other hungry scavengers who would happily steal your kill. So knowing how long to wait and ultimately how far a deer will travel will help you know when you can start tracking a deer.

Tracking Heart/Lung Hit Deer

Unsurprisingly, the heart and lungs are vital organs, so a deer shot in either of them won’t last long or travel far. If you find frothy bright red blood at the shot site (and assuming you waited at least 15 minutes before getting down), you should be able to take up the trail immediately. It’s unlikely for a heart/lung-shot deer to travel more than 100 yards unless you only clipped one lung.

Tracking Liver Hit Deer

While a liver shot is always fatal, it will take longer for a deer to expire. If you find the thicker, dark red blood, wait at least four hours if possible before you start tracking. Liver shot deer will usually bed down within 200 yards to rest. If unpressured, they will usually bleed out and expire in these first beds. But if you rush in, you may jump the bedded deer. Since they may only produce droplets for a blood trail, every further inch you push them makes your tracking job much harder.

Tracking Paunch or Stomach Hit Deer

A paunch shot is usually also a death sentence for a deer, but it could take days to happen. The blood trail may also be sparse enough for you to lose the trail before you find the deer itself. If you notice a foul smell on your arrow or thin watery blood, quietly back out of the area. If there is no rain forecasted and if it’s a cool night, you can leave a deer overnight to track it in the morning. If it’s going to be hot in the early season, rainy, or you’ve got lots of predators on the property, try to give it at least four hours before blood trailing. Similar to the liver discussion, you don’t want to jump them from their beds. A gut-shot deer can run for miles before expiring, which could potentially push them off your property.

Stage 5. Employing Helpful Blood Trailing Tips and Tactics

Slow Down! – When blood trailing deer, you need to move slowly and pay attention to everything simultaneously. You’ll need to move three to five times slower than normal so you can scan the ground and trees for blood and glance ahead to look for the deer. Stop often to listen and scan ahead with binoculars.

Walk to the Side – As you walk along, make sure you don’t destroy the blood trail by walking on it – walk to the side of the trail. When you lose track of the blood, leave signs at the last spot you saw it. You can use flagging tape, toilet paper, or even your Nock Out lighted nocks! Start by walking in small circles around the last spot, and you’ll usually find where the blood trail picks up again. If you can’t find more blood, as mentioned above, pay attention to upturned leaves, rushed deer tracks, and broken branches, as this indicates a deer moving through the area at a fast pace.

Keep One Nocked – Keep your bow nocked with another arrow in the off-chance you can make a follow-up shot, if needed. This is harder for archery than it would be with a firearm, but sometimes you might spot a bedded deer and get a shot before it bolts again.

Hopefully, you’ll have an opportunity this fall to put these blood tracking tips to good use. If you haven’t already check out the NEW Contender Lighted Nocks from Nock Out®.

Contender Lighted Nocks

early season bow hunting tips | Nock Out Lighted Nocks

Bow Hunting Tips for the Early Season

October 9, 2017/0 Comments/in In Action Blog /by Nock Out Lighted Nocks

Tips and Tactics for Early Bow Season

Feature image: Clint Schwach of The Virtue TV

Early bow season tips and tactics are on the minds of bow hunters across the nation. If you are among them, you might be frantically searching for a tactic that could swing you an opportunity at your hit-list buck. There are many things you need to consider in the early season to help fill that tag, but fixating on the tactic that is tailored to your situation should be your focus. With limited deer movement, humid weather increases the need for scent control, and shifting weather patterns, the early season is the perfect recipe for difficult hunting situations. However, just remember that the early season has many positive attributes, too. These include longer days and milder weather, and also some key weaknesses deer might exhibit for you to capitalize on. Bow season is here whether you are ready or not, take a breath, stop being overwhelmed and focus on these bow hunting tips!

Reevaluate Your Archery Gear

Like anything built to last, a good foundation is a good way to start out your bow season. Sure you might have spent the summer fine-tuning your bow setup, but taking another look is not a bad idea. While bow sights, bow rests, quivers, broadheads, stabilizers, and other equipment are relatively simple, one overlooked key component in your bow hunting setup is the arrow. Careful planning towards your arrow configuration and components are critical. Arrow flight can be affected by many factors including arrow spine weight and straightness, fletching, arrow inserts, arrow nocks, and broadheads. While it might be too late to completely change your entire arrow setup, taking another look might reveal a slight tweak that could increase accuracy.

As an example, one very critical component of the arrow is its fletching. Vanes on the back of an arrow steer the arrow during flight, keeping the front and back end in correct alignment. Mass-produced and fletched arrows are not always tuned properly and are subsequently the reason for inconsistent shooting. Accurately tuned and fletched arrows can greatly improve your shooting performance. Some problems that you might be encountering with ill-tuned arrows are:

Vanes grazing the arrow rest
Stray arrows from solid groups
Irregular arrow flight and point of impact

While you might be doubting the importance of fletching, don’t dismiss this easy fix for better archery shooting. Believe it or not, you don’t have to take your arrows to a pro-shop to achieve this!

Fletching Hunting Arrows

The Addition of Lighted Nocks

The use of lighted nocks in your setup provides a greater level of confidence on that early season hunt. Having the ability to focus on the arrow through flight to the target is critically important to the bow hunter. This is especially true in the early season as deer move and present opportunities in extremely low light conditions. Without a lighted nock, you simply have to judge your shot based on sound, the deer’s behavior, and the resulting blood trail. Lighted nocks are a terrific tool in a bow hunter’s toolbox and provide immediate shot feedback both in practice sessions and during the hunt.

Practice sessions, both before and during hunting season, are paramount in developing confidence and accuracy with archery equipment. Lighted nocks are one of the best ways to make practice sessions as effective as possible. The use of lighted nocks in your practice sessions is a game changer when identifying arrow flight paths, patterns, and characteristics. Being able to quickly identify issues with arrow flight, archery form or other equipment such as arrow rests or releases is much easier to determine with the use of lighted nocks.

This also brings up one critical early season bow hunting tip…practice makes perfect. While that might seem redundant in most archery blogs you read, the point being made here is that you should practice how you hunt. Yes, that means shooting extreme archery angles like you might on an elk hunt or shooting from a tree stand, but also practicing with the same gear you will be using. You should be practicing with your broadheads and your lighted nock on your arrow, tuning your bow to that setup rather than a normal arrow nock and field point. While the broadhead and lighted nock might not significantly affect the shot, every bit of tuning helps!

Click the link below to find out more on Nock Out® Lighted Nock’s practice mode.

Practice Mode

Early Season Bow Hunting Tips

Early season bow hunting tactics are often different than the rut-crazed later season hunting we all thirst for, but it is a great opportunity to fill your tag. Early season tactics often center on food and the tail end of summer patterns. With fall and winter months just around the corner, deer are consuming critical calories before breeding seasons and winter months. The food sources that you should focus on for hunting opportunities are generally:

Fall plots
Corn
Beans
Acorns

Early season weather patterns and changing foliage are key items you should consider on your pre-rut hunts. Wind patterns change from dominantly south to north often during this time of year, and cover and color of fall foliage change from green to orange and brown. Consider multiple hunting scenarios and setups depending on the environmental conditions when you key in on an early season food sources.

Picture: Flatline Whitetails

Deer movement usually centers on early dawn/first light, and late afternoon and evening hours. The only way to catch earlier daylight movement would be to move closer to bedding areas. However, doing this could also put hunting pressure where it may not necessarily be needed this early in the season. Rely on observational hunts and trail cameras to reveal key intel before making a move this early in the season.

As late October approaches, more aggressive tactics can and will work. Centering closer to core areas, especially during cold fronts, could expose opportunities at mature bucks. Overall, the early season can be a difficult and overwhelming period. Keep your wits, only make smart moves, double and triple check your equipment, and always keep your eyes open for opportunities. The best thing about bow hunting in the early season is that plenty of opportunities exist, and you have the rest of deer season to capitalize on them!

Best Lighted Nock Color

Considerations for Building Your Hunting Arrows

October 5, 2017/0 Comments/in In Action Blog /by Stone Road

Hunting Arrow Considerations

Much like customizing your favorite truck or ATV, your archery hunting equipment can often be changed to fit your personal style and needs. There are many different facets of your archery equipment that you can tailor to fit your personal needs such as the draw length of your bow, your bow release and your bow sight set up. One critical piece of the equipment that lends itself to customizing is your hunting arrow. Customizing your hunting arrows to fit your specific draw length and purposes can not only increase your consistency and accuracy, but it can also ensure that you are getting the most kinetic energy out of your set up.

Although they may look simple, your hunting arrows are little more complex than you might think. Understanding how each part of the arrow functions can help you begin to understand how you might be able to adjust your specific set up to better fit your needs.

The Weight and Length of Your Arrow

Since the days of aluminum arrows, the white-tailed deer hunting industry and the archery equipment industry have tried to help balance the weight to kinetic energy ratio. The heavier the arrow, the more energy or “punch” it can deliver…if you can get it travel fast enough. Today’s modern archery equipment, with the addition of carbon arrows, have balanced this ratio. You now have the ability to send a larger arrow down range, with the speed and intensity needed to deliver plenty of impact at the target. That said, it is important that you know what length of arrow fits you and your bow the best. Once you have determined the appropriate length, you can begin to customize your arrows by style and weight.

Arrow weight is more critical than most archers realize in terms of optimal shooting performance. Ultra-lightweight arrows, such as those used by competition archers, will typically travel in a straighter line and group more tightly. There are lightweight hunting arrows designed for hunting that have similar characteristics. Heavier arrows will deliver more kinetic energy for better hide and flesh penetration on game animals while still retaining a good grouping.

The arrow weight for hunting is recommended for a total weight of 6 to 8 grain per pound of draw weight. It is important to never use an arrow with less than 5 grain per pound of draw weight with any bow; doing so could cause damage to the bow and cause injury to the archer, similar to that of dry-firing a bow.

Fletching

Whether you prefer to shoot a traditional style of fletching or a “blazer” style of fletching, the way in which your arrow is fletched can determine both how your arrow flies downrange as well as a spine that your arrow may have. Each can impact your accuracy and consistency when it comes to shot placement.

Fletching 101

Inserts and Broadheads

Your arrow inserts and knocks are likely one of the most underappreciated pieces of your set up, and although they may be undervalued, they can make some difference when comes to how your arrow flies down range and the energy it can deliver. The type of insert you use can often dictate the style and type of broadhead that will fit your bow. The weight of the insert will compound with the weight of the broadhead (regardless if you shoot fixed blade or expandable), all of which should be taken into consideration while customizing your hunting arrow.

Your Arrow’s Nock

The next area that can be subject to customization is your arrow nock. While normally dismissed, your arrow nock is the point in which the arrow makes contact with the bow (besides the bow rest). A nock that is too tight or too loose can affect the accuracy of the arrow. Ensuring the proper seating in the arrow shaft and the proper fit of the nock will result in better arrow flight. This is also where archers get a chance to upgrade their hunting arrows. Installing a lighted nock from Nock Out® lighted nocks allows you to not only shoot a lighted nock while hunting, but actively practice without wasting battery life. This allows you to ensure your hunting arrows are hitting their mark with the lighted nocks attached!

When adding any lighted nock, or anything different to your arrow always make sure you tune your bow again. Lighted nocks with differing weight and length can always affect accuracy, just like a new broadhead, learn how to tune lighted nocks here.

Don’t overlook the opportunity to customize your hunting arrows. They are truly where the rubber meets the road, and taking the time to give these few factors some attention can truly help to increase your success rate this fall.

Fletching the Perfect Hunting Arrow for your Bow Hunting Setup

September 13, 2017/0 Comments/in In Action Blog /by Stone Road

Bow Hunting | Fletching the Perfect Hunting Arrow

There are several components that make up a hunting arrow, but none more critical to its flight than proper fletching. Vanes on the back of an arrow steer the arrow during flight, keeping the front and back end in correct alignment. Mass-produced and fletched arrows are not always tuned properly and are subsequently the reason for inconsistent shooting. Accurately tuned and fletched arrows can greatly improve your shooting performance. Believe it or not, you don’t have to take your arrows to a pro-shop to achieve this!

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Chances are, you have experienced the result of shooting an ill-tuned arrow. Arrows that aren’t properly tuned can cause the vanes to graze the arrow rest, which in turn causes the arrow to fly erratically down range. Another likely scenario could play out like this: you have worked hard on form, you are consistently nocking at the same point, and executing a smooth release, but have a couple shots outside your group each time you shoot. Rather than an error on your part, the reason for this inconsistent shooting may be a couple bad arrows out of your practice batch. Properly tuning and fletching your hunting arrows takes a little extra effort, but will result in consistently tighter groups on target and better accuracy in the field.

Hunting Arrows 101

Fletching Applications

There are three fletching application styles popular with hunting arrows:

Straight fletching is applied straight with the arrow shaft. This type of fletching results in the fastest arrow flight and is recommended for close range shots. Straight fletching can cause slight arrow drag and is at a higher risk of the flight being affected by the wind.
Off-Set fletching is applied straight with the arrows’ shaft, but are turned at a slight offset from front to back without twisting the vane. The off-set is comparable to the rotation of a bullet shot from a rifled gun barrel. This rotation offers arrow stability with the weight of a broadhead and is recommended for long distance shots. Off-set fletching will result in a slight loss of speed due to air resistance.
Helical fletching is applied with a slight curve or helical twist in the vane, often two to five degrees, depending on the arrow stability desired. Helical fletching offers the most stability among other applications and is ideal for shooting broadheads. The rotation of the fletching will decrease arrow speed at a greater amount than the other style fletching but offers great accuracy at longer distances.

Vane Styles

The style of vane that you apply to your arrow shaft can affect arrow flight and should be taken into careful consideration. There are pros and cons to each style of vanes, but tuning and matching your hunting arrow vanes to your style of broadhead can greatly improve your shooting consistency and accuracy. A variety of vanes are available in different shapes, lengths, thicknesses, and colors.

Vane types vary, from small, long, and low profile vanes to short, high profile vanes. Higher profile vanes have more surface area and will offer more correction of arrow flight than low profile vanes. However, more surface area will slow an arrow down slightly. If you are shooting fixed broadheads, a higher, larger surface vane will offer the greatest stability for that style broadhead.

Smaller, low profile vanes offer less flight stability of an arrow but offer more clearance with the arrow rest and bow shelf. Lower profile vanes have less surface area allowing minimum wind drag for more speed. Low profile vanes offer more stability of arrow flight with mechanical broadheads, blunts, or field points.

The “original” Nock Out® lighted nock.

Vane Adhesion

Secure adhesion of the vane to the shaft is critical to the proper flight of an arrow. Not all adhesives are the same. Taking into consideration the typical weather you plan to hunt in will give you some guidance as to which type to use. There are quick-set glues, thicker gel type glues, and glues that are similar to epoxy. Solvent based adhesives will take longer to bond and dry but offer a durable adhesion that can withstand varying degrees of weather and temperatures. Cyanoacrylate glues are fast setting, however, the brittleness of the glue is more susceptible to the vane breaking free of the shaft in different weather conditions.

Hunting Arrow Nocks

Nocks will often need to be removed to use some styles of fletching jigs. It is important to use the correct nock for your arrow diameter and the style of nock that works best with your bow string. Press-fit nocks will be labeled by common size, for example: G and F nocks fit shafts with a .166-inch inside diameter, X and A nocks fit shafts with a .204-inch inside diameter, H and H.E. nocks fit shafts with a .234-inch inside diameter, S nocks fit shafts with a .244-inch inside diameter, and G nocks fit shafts with a .246-inch inside diameter. Smaller pin nocks are snapped onto a small pin on the nock end of an arrow. This allows for damaged nocks to be replaced with minimal effort in the field. The pin nock is mostly used in target competition because its purpose is to protect shafts from being damaged by other arrows.

Lighted nocks are favored by many hunters and are legal to use in most states, with the exception of a few out west. Not only do lighted nocks help you tune your bow before the hunt, they also make it easier for you to see your bow shot placement on game animals. Gone are the days of frustrating lighted nocks that came off in your quiver, were difficult to turn off, or added extra weight to the back end of the arrow. Nock Out Lighted Nocks are lightweight, extremely bright, and feature an easy off and practice mode. Each pack of Nock Out Lighted Nocks come with bushings to fit the five most common carbon arrow diameters for a custom fit.

The Fletching Process

The supplies you will need to self-fletch your arrows:

Fletching Jig
Denatured Alcohol
Lint-free Rags/Paper Towels
Vane stripper
Fine grit sandpaper or scrub pad
Bare arrow shafts
Vane adhesive
Fletching
Nock Tool
Wraps (optional)

Fletching your Hunting Arrows

Spine tuning arrow shafts is one step many archers don’t complete when self-fletching their arrows. Spine tuning helps you to find the weighted side of an arrow, allowing you to adhere the vanes in the same way on all of your arrows, making for a more consistent grouping. A small variance in shaft weight is common and normally does not make a significant change in the point of impact on the target. Matching the configuration of vanes on each shaft, identical to the other, will greatly improve consistency.

Using the float method is the easiest way to do this from home. Fill a bathtub up with about 6 inches of water and a few drops of dishwashing detergent to make a few suds for buoyancy. Place a bare shaft in the tub, making sure that the point and nock ends are not touching the side of the tub. Spin the arrow with your hand once, allowing it to stop. Then spin one more time and mark the top side of the floating arrow with a grease pencil or marker. This will be the light side of the arrow; you will place your cock vane on the opposite side of this mark.

Prepare your arrow shaft by wiping the entire shaft down with a lint-free cloth saturated in denatured alcohol. One of the main reasons vanes do not adhere to the surface properly and pop off easily is because the shaft and vane surfaces were not clean at the time of application. Denatured alcohol is fast drying, however, you should still make sure the shaft is completely dry by wiping the shaft down with a dry, lint-free cloth. Never use a cloth that was washed with water softeners or dried in a dryer with anti-static/fabric softener dryer sheets.
With the broadhead you will use in mind, select your ideal style of fletching in your preferred colors for your shafts and place them aside in groups of three. Make sure not to get body oils from your fingers on the adhesive edge.
Your next step will be the actual fletching application.

Load the vanes into the fletching jig that you have chosen, making certain that you don’t touch the portion of the vanes that you will add glue to.
Place a thin, solid line of adhesive known as a bead along the base of the vane from end to end.
Place the shaft into the jig as instructed by the jig’s manufacturer, keeping in mind the correct tuning of the cock vane; in alignment with the heaviest side of the shaft.
Close the jig, placing the vanes against the shaft. It is important that you be patient and wait for the proper set time for the adhesive you are using before opening the jig.
Once the adhesive sets, carefully release the jig revealing the newly fletched arrow. Clean off any excess glue. Add a droplet of glue on the leading and trailing end of each vane for a strong, secure adhesion to the shaft.
Always wait several hours before shooting freshly fletched arrows.

Ultimately, choosing the style of vane and the application of those vanes will vary among archers. Some archers are more concerned with higher accuracy than faster speed because while speed may matter in the equation of kinetic energy, it is not as forgiving as accuracy. Deciding on what is good for your bow hunting setup will depend on what you are trying to achieve. By fletching your hunting arrows, you have the opportunity to experiment with different style vanes and fletching applications, giving you the advantage of having the best hunting arrow for your bow hunting setup.

How Many Arrows?

What You Should Know About Your Hunting Arrows

July 26, 2017/0 Comments/in In Action Blog /by Stone Road

The Importance of Knowing the Anatomy of Your Hunting Arrows

Knowing your equipment is the first step in trusting that you can get the job done, no matter what that particular “job” is. Nowhere is this statement more correct than when it comes to hunting equipment designed to take an animals life. However, the common misconception is that the bow is the object doing the killing. It’s not…it’s the arrow, the object that delivers the final blow. So an ethical question is this…”do you know the anatomy and important features of your hunting arrows?”

There are five basic parts that make up your hunting arrows: the point, the insert, the shaft, the nock, and the fletching. Hunting arrows have these five things in common, but that is the only similar features among arrows. Every arrow is going to have a specific weight, spine tolerance, and length that is important to the optimal use of an arrow with a particular bow’s specification as well as the game the hunter is pursuing. Ethical bow hunting is knowing what you are slinging towards another living thing, and being confident that this object is set up for the most effective, quick, and painless death it can deliver.

Point

There are a variety of points that can tip an arrow: field points, broadheads, judo-points, or blunt-tips. Field points are available with longer tips or more blunt tips. Broadheads can be fixed or expandable blade. There are broadheads customized for specific game animals such as small game or turkey with a variety of tips and cutting diameter. These points are available in a variation of styles made of a variety of materials. The point, regardless of style, is weighed in grains and commonly available in 75, 100, 125, and 150 grain. You should always practice and sight your bow in the same grain weight of the broadhead that will be used for hunting.

The Insert

Inserts are aluminum, brass, or plastic sleeves which is slightly smaller than the diameter of the shaft and has a slightly larger rim to keep it from going completely into the arrow shaft. The insert is placed into point end of the arrow shaft and glued in. The insert provides a threaded end to insert and screw on points.

Some brass inserts, having a little more weight than plastic or aluminum, can assist in adding front of center weight for weight forward accuracy and penetration.

Lock-n-Load® Inserts make the job of installing inserts quick and easy! Now within seconds, you can install, index and lock your inserts in place without glue.

Precision, self-centering design improves concentricity by aligning to the center of the shaft resulting in better overall flight accuracy and arrow to arrow consistency. Easily index your blades to your vanes before locking the insert into place.

Arrow Shaft

The shaft is literally the backbone of the arrow and consists of two important components; weight and spine deflection or tolerance. The most commonly used arrows for hunting these days is carbon or a carbon-aluminum blend shaft. Some aluminum arrows are still being shot but are few and far between. Wood arrows are used by primitive-style archers but will not be covered in this writing.

Aluminum shafts are durable and more affordable than carbon. Carbon shafts are a little more expensive but are favored for the lightweight design that comes in a variety of diameters. However, carbon shafts can be damaged easier than aluminum shafts. Aluminum-Carbon blend shafts incorporate an aluminum tube and a carbon outer layer or just the opposite, a carbon tube with an aluminum outer layer. For all practical purposes, the carbon and carbon blend arrow will be within this article.

Arrow weight is more critical than most archers realize when it comes to optimal shooting performance. Ultra-lightweight arrows, such as those used by competition archers, will typically travel in a straighter line and group more tightly. There are lightweight hunting arrows designed for hunting that have similar characteristics. Heavier arrows will deliver more kinetic energy for better hide and flesh penetration on game animals while still retaining a good grouping.

The arrow weight for hunting is recommended of a total weight of 6 to 8 grain per pound of draw weight. It is important to never use an arrow with less than 5 grain per pound of draw weight with any bow; doing so could cause damage to the bow and injury to the archer similar to that of dry-firing a bow

Every arrow is going to have a certain stiffness referred to as the spine deflection or spine tolerance of the shaft. Arrow weight and arrow spine deflection are often confused as being the same thing; they are not. The spine deflection is technically the most important trait of an arrow but probably the most misunderstood characteristic of an arrow. This misunderstanding is often a result of different manufacturers using different spine numbers for each shaft tolerance; there is no standard as to labeling. There is, however, a standard to measuring the spine tolerance.

Ultimately, it is important to make certain that you purchase arrows that have a spine tolerance for the draw weight of the bow being used. Often the arrow manufacturer will advertise that an arrow is “suitable for bows up to a 70-pound draw weight” or “suitable for bows up to a 50-pound draw weight.”

Arrow length is also critical to optimal shooting. Typically, a bow hunter will want the arrow shaft to extend out at least two inches from the rest contact at full draw. This measurement can be affected by the type of rest that is on the bow. It is important that the broadhead has proper clearance from the bow and the archer’s hand/fingers.

Fletching

The three vanes on arrows are known as fletching and can be made up of feathers or pliable plastic material of varying length and height. To allow optimal arrow flight, the fletching can be tuned to the arrow shaft by weight. The three vanes have a cock feather, or index feather, of different color which is used to indicate how the arrow is loaded onto the bow string to allow arrow rest clearance.

Feather fletching is still popular with many archers, but they are not as durable as plastic vanes especially during wet weather or storing. Plastic vanes adhere easier to the arrow shafts, offer more durability, and a more consistent flight. Target archers typically use smaller vanes for less drag, but a small vane will not offer stability with a broadhead. Longer vanes, or shorter, high profile vanes will offer better control for broadheads. Remember, the taller the vane, the more drag the arrow will have in flight.

For the most accurate and consistent flight among arrows, weight tuning is recommended. The easiest way to weight tune a shaft without a professional tuning device is to place a single shaft in a tub filled about a one-quarter full of water that has some soap suds. Place the shaft in the tub and let it spin until it comes to a halt. Roll it once more, making sure the ends are not touching the sides of the tub. Make a mark on the arrow shaft close to the nock on the side facing up. This is the lightest side of the shaft. The cock feather needs to be affixed to the opposite side of that mark; on the heavy side of the shaft. Doing this for all of the arrows will help in the consistency of the arrow groupings.

Fletching is normally affixed to arrows with a two or three-degree helical offset in the vane. Helical offsets have been proven to offer a more stable, tighter pattern with both field points and broadheads. If a bow hunter wants to make certain that the arrow and broadhead are tuned, they can take a fletch tuned arrow, place the insert in the end of the shaft with epoxy cement, screw on a broadhead and match the blades to the vanes.

If a bow hunter walks into a big box store and grabs a handful of pre-fletched arrows, they will find the arrows will shoot down range and hit the mark on the target. More often than not, one or two arrows will shoot consistent every shot. Often, those few are the arrows that are the closest to being tuned. There is nothing wrong with this method of purchasing arrows preseason. For optimal shooting, imagine the advantage a bow hunter would have when they have taken the time to make sure that the arrows are properly tuned, not only for the draw length and draw weight of the bow, but also that the vanes are tuned to shaft weight. Not only would this allow for consistently accurate shooting, but it also goes a long way in building the confidence of the bow hunter.

The Nock

The nock of the arrow is available in several designs and can easily be removed and replaced. It is important to use the correct nock for the diameter arrow and the right tension on the bow string to prevent it from falling from the bow string when being drawn. A nock that is too tight or too loose can affect the accuracy of an arrow.

The proper fit of the nock will result in a click of the bow string but still allow the nock to turn freely on the serving; not allowing the arrow to torque the bow string when the string is pulled back to full draw. If the nock is too tight, it can result in a late release of the nock from the string, causing the string to pull forward resulting in an erratic arrow flight. Or, if the nock is too loose, it can cause inconsistent arrow flight or can result in the arrow falling off prematurely.

The press-fit nock is the most common nock used on arrows. The design allows the nock to be easily turned so that it can be positioned in alignment with the fletching to clear cables and rests. Nocks are available in diameters to fit snugly in the shaft. These diameters range in increments from .166-inch to .246-inch in diameter and are marketed in common sizes of G, F, X, A, H, S and GT. A bushing can be added to ensure that the nock will not damage the arrow shaft.

Lighted Nocks

Another popular nock among bow hunters is the lighted nock. This nock incorporates a lighted end when it is shot from a bow, allowing the hunter to have a visual representation of the shot and assists hunters in being able to retrieve the arrow for inspection on a pass through, or for finding downed game in the dark. Using a lighted nock during practice can also assist the archer in seeing the arrow’s flight to the target.

A lighted nock will affect arrow accuracy, just like adding a new broadhead would. The fact that a press-fit nock weighs 11-16 grains depending on brand; whereas a lighted nock such as Nock-Out Lighted Nocks weighs 21-24 grains, means there is a significant difference.This also does not mention the fact that you may be adding more length to your arrow, shifting FOC. When adding a lighted nock to your setup be sure to install and tune the lighted nocks correctly.

Nock Out Lighted nocks feature a practice mode. This mode allows a hunter to shoot the nocks without having to waste the battery life. This allows the bow hunter to ensure his/her hunting arrows are hitting their mark with the lighted nocks attached.

Knowing the anatomy of your hunting arrows will provide you a foundation to build from. This will inevitably lead to a more accurate arrow build, tighter groups, and an effective arrow that can punch through the game it is designed for.

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