Question

[Watz_Hunt]

Ok I am still fairly new to archery and have a question or two. I was wondering if anyone can explain to me the specs of the Easton ST Epic 300 10.0gpi and the Easton ST Epic 340 10.2gpi?

What is the difference between the two and how do you tell what the stiffness is??

                

[xXx Archery]

300 is stiffer than 340
how long is your arrow and what tip are you shooting?...100gr or 125gr
and what lbs are you shooting to bow at? all of this will tell us what arrow to shoot.

the 10.0gpi is Grains Per Inch so a 29" arrow shaft only will weigh 290Grains

[Watz_Hunt]

my arrows are approx 30in.

I have a draw pull of 60lbs.

tips are 100 grain thunderheads.

[halflife65]

Not 300s for sure.  Maybe the 340s and even 400s, especially with a 100 gr. broadhead.  As you increase strength through practice and/or change from 100gr broadheads to 125s you can increase your poundage and go with 340s.  30" is a pretty long arrow, though.

[xXx Archery]

yes you can shoot a 400 or 340...if you are hunting with it I would go 340 and then you can go up in lbs if you want later...so in a Gold tip you need a 7595...carbon express 350

[Watz_Hunt]

Ok NOW I am frustrated... I fletched 12 340's last night and put my 100gr broadheads on them and I was all over and needed to adjust my sights...  Is there any reason that I should be having to adjust my sights from a field point to a broadhead?   I am looking at hunting this weekend and it seems like all my stuff is jacked up from the time that I put on broadheads. I don't understand...... Granted I am not the most accurate but I can usually hit the circle of an animal target fairly consitently. Now it's all jacked up.... HELP!!!! 

[bowhuntin]

Ok NOW I am frustrated... I fletched 12 340's last night and put my 100gr broadheads on them and I was all over and needed to adjust my sights...   Is there any reason that I should be having to adjust my sights from a field point to a broadhead?   I am looking at hunting this weekend and it seems like all my stuff is jacked up from the time that I put on broadheads. I don't understand...... Granted I am not the most accurate but I can usually hit the circle of an animal target fairly consitently. Now it's all jacked up.... HELP!!!!  

Is the bow tuned? What kind of broadheads are you shooting? When you say it is all over the place is it consitently hitting to the left or the right or is it just random?

[Watz_Hunt]

My Bow is brand new as of earlier this year and I shot it a handful of times before I left the country and then when I got back it was spot on still with field points and but its crazy with broadheads even with adjusting sights.   

[bowhuntin]

If you are going to hunt with it this weekend i would just adjust my sight until your broadheads are hitting what you aim at. Then after this weekend get it down to a proshop and have them take a look at it. Something is probably off on it.

[Watz_Hunt]

Is that normal that you should have to re-align sights for broadheads though?

[halflife65]

Well, if all is "correct", no you shouldn't.  However, if your arrows aren't "square" that could cause your broadhead to not be lined up properly (did you spin check your arrows?) or if your bow is out of tune, it's much more likely to show with the broadheads.  With a field point there are (obviously) no blades but with the broadheads there are blades that plane in the air (like sticking your hand out the window when your driving along in your car.)  If your bow isn't perfectly tuned, the arrow won't be coming off the string perfectly straight and your broadheads will plane.  This could be because of a lot of things - a guy like xxxarchery will be able to explain all of the things that could go wrong better than me (knock point is bad, rest isn't tuned properly, etc.)

Also, if you use more "modern" broadheads that are short and have cutouts in the blades, it helps.  There are a lot of opinions on different broadheads and guys have their preferences.  Mine are G5 Strikers but I'm not saying that they're the best or that they work for everyone.

If you have something like an older NAP Thunderhead they might be a little bit more finicky, as well.  (I have to say that Thunderheads probably killed as many deer and elk as any broadhead, though.  They're good but sometimes just harder to tune right.)

[Watz_Hunt]

So my best bet for hunting with my bow this weekend is to sight my pins in at 20 and 40 yrds for how the arrows are flying and then take it to get tuned after that?  I do not know what you mean by spin testing them. I really wasnt happy with the way the fletching tool that I got worked out....... it put the vanes on straight but there is a slight ripple to some of the vanes. could this be another issue?

[halflife65]

Uh...maybe you better try to get to a pro shop before you go hunting with that thing.

[Watz_Hunt]

Great that sounds like it sucks for me....          

[halflife65]

Well, I'm not telling you what to do.  If you think you can shoot accurately, then go for it, I guess (I wouldn't, though).  However, there are some basic things about archery that you haven't learned that you might want to know before you go try to kill a deer with your bow.  You also should practice a TON before you get out there - with broadheads because you do have to really concentrate when you're shooting them.

I practice a ton with my bow and work all the kinks out well before season.  I'm really concerned about just wounding something so I'm ultra careful.  My philosophy is that I respect the animal that I'm hunting and work hard to make sure that I do everything I can to ensure a quick kill.  There's enough that can go wrong without adding faulty equipment to the mix or a lack of practice (with broadheads) resulting in a poor shot.

The guy that I mentioned above, xXxArchery, has a pro shop, I think, and can give you much better advice than I can as far as your equipment goes...