Tag Archives: jim Grizzly Kent

Feb 19 2016

lights, camera, action, I mean Archery

And the Oscar goes too…
Some people love being in front of the camera, others prefer to do the filming. The question is can video resources help you if you are an instinctive archer?A few weeks ago I posted an article on how we’ve been using a tablet computer mounted on a tripod to record archers at a club coaching session. So How does this help? This aids the archer as they can be shown exactly what they do when drawing up or at point of release. How their hand moves or whether they drop their bow arm. Often they think they are anchoring correctly to the face when in reality they aren’t because it all happens so fast , too fast for some to process. Recording them has huge benefits to the archer’s understanding of what they are actually doing as opposed to what they think they are doing.
Talking to fellow club members on Sunday they showed me footage shot on their iPhone, playing it back in slow motion to watch the arrow flight. With the growth of YouTube and ease by which people can make and edit their own recording I believe there are more budding Spielbergs are out there.

What we can learn from other sports

It is now common for touchline judges and sport referees to make lots of use of instant replays in games, multiple camera angles along with slow motion footage to aid their decisions. Managers and coaches use it for  post match analysis of players performance, game plans etc. So can we use it for our sport of archery, or more precisely for those of us who consider ourselves instinctive archers. I believe it can be used.
From my perspective I believe video resources can be immensely useful for many sports, field archery included and they are becoming more common.
One word of note, there are advantages and disadvantages of these helpful guides and video tips. For starters some may not be that helpful, so it is worth checking out multiple sources of information to get a more rounded understanding of the topic. If you are going to review these resources then make sure you watch a few different sites or techniques as each presenter convoys a slightly different perspective when they narrate their story. The important thing to remember is that they aren’t always right in what they say.
Some can come across as a marketing or sales pitch for the latest products or next development in the technology. Whilst others take a balanced view giving the positive and negative perspective which is important.Generally I’ve found these resources can be broken down in to three types
  • Instructional recordings  where a skill is demonstrated.
  • Video reviews of equipment, competitions or locations.
  • Personal achievement report.

Instructional –  these vary in length from a few minutes to longer durations. Short duration clips of a few minutes I think can be ideal for helping archers out on different topics from how to serve strings, to fletch arrows, to how to aim and shoot instinctively. The short duration is an important factor here as long reviews might go into more depth, but they are harder to find time to watch. Wolfie instinctive archery (https://www.youtube.com/user/Wolfiesairbrush) YouTube channel has some great advice for instinctive archery techniques.

Equipment reviews are good to so long as they aren’t marketing based publicity. I’ve come across a few that are more about selling the product than actually reviewing it’s merits and flaws. Jim Grizzly Kent Archery Adventures (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxl7N0J9Rc8kDnjV_BzH-yg) still comes across as a good product review even though they are now Merlin Archery Adventures. I think Jim does a pretty good job of giving a balanced viewpoint of the bows he reviews.

I also quite like the personal achievement videos; when someone has posted their own success story. You often see these pop up on Facebook sites and YouTube. It can take a lot of courage to put yourself out there for all to see and comment on. There are a lot of people who enjoy criticising others or simply being argumentative. 3d archery (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4HdCXofIA4jsWi1q9AdBUA) have some nice event reviews, showing shots from different courses, offering advice and views.

There are loads of different sites on the Internet so I’ve listed a few others sites that are worth a mention too.

Ironmind Hunting (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9zPmJfjW2R9r0y2uUzq9aQ) has some good instructional guides.
Jeff Kavanagh (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgGoY0qpH8f11COXWkE8aLQ) is worth checking out for a mix of archery related topics.
Nathan Skyrme channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1kxvgSeCWZXdg4I6_BI5Zg) has also started producing some material and equipment reviews.
If you know of any others that you believe are worth sharing then add a comment here.

Making videos where I’m in front of the camera has never appealed to me. As someone once said “I have the perfect face for radio” , but I can see their merits.
Thanks for reading and don’t worry, I won’t be coming to a YouTube channel near you.
Jan 29 2016

Equipment review – Flambeau bazuka bow case

Bazuka case in the rain

Bazuka case in the rain

I think it’s fair to say I get some ribbing about my flatbow bow case. The normal comments are   “Is that for the hard shots?” Or “Is it for the ones you don’t like?” But at the end of the day it works and protects the bow which is what I bought it for. This is also why I bought one for Sharon to house her Black Brook American flatbow.
Whilst many archers simply have a cloth case for covering their bow I wanted something more substantial especially when going camping. There are loads of different cases for takedown recurve or compound bows, but it is quite hard to find ones suitable for one piece  American flatbows. This is why I invested in a Flambeau bazuka case. For those interested I do use a cloth cover which the bow sits inside the hard plastic case.
I know other archers use these cases to transport their longbows and American flatbows especially when flying (I think Flambeau say it’s airline approved) as they provide excellent protection.
Though as Jim Grizzly Kent said when I was talking about the cases with him “I’m not sure how I would feel walking through an airport carrying something called bazuka. ”
It was in fact an old club member from Black Arrow who first showed me his Bazuka case some four or five years ago.
Some anglers among you may already be familiar with the case as I know it can be used for fishing rods too. I actually bought Sharon’s case from http://www.gerrysfishing.com/ an angling store who were very helpful when checking size and delivery times.

The plastic is very durable taking knocks without deformation, it’s also pretty light for it’s size.
The carrying handle is well positioned to make it easy to carry and balance in the hand. The only problem I’ve found with the handle is the moulding seem is a little rough on mine whilst Sharon’s is fine, but this is easily solved with a bit of sanding or tape.
The case opens one end allowing you to slide the bow in or out and the flap securely locks into place.
Opening flap of the case

Opening flap of the case , with my linen bow bag in the case

There are holes where you could fit a cable or padlock.

securing pin so you can extend the length of the case

securing pin so you can extend the length of the case

Mine was relatively cheap at just over £35 though this was a couple of years back. It was purchased from Merlin archery in Loughborough. I’ve added some foam padding inside the top to provide some padding at the ends .
The length is adjustable which means it can accommodate a variety of lengths of bows or fishing rods. The case comes in two sizes and the ones we have go from 63-87 inches which is the smaller one I think.

Give you an idea of the size

Give you an idea of the size

Dimensions and diameter of hole can be seen in the photo.
View of the opening of the case approx 10 cms

View of the opening of the case approx 10 cms

Being black plastic it can get warm if left in the sun or car, which is important to consider when storing or transporting your bow. Bows don’t like getting too warm. So when possible I will keep it in the shade or keep the flap open. Since it is pretty air and water tight it’s worth remembering never to put your bow away wet as the water has nowhere to evaporate.
The times I’ve found it of most use was when going camping, as I can pack the bow into the case and put it in the car without worrying about it being knocked or damaged in transit whilst buried under tent, sleeping bag etc.
Whilst you wouldn’t be able to fit a quiver in with the bow,  I think you could fit some arrows is you packed it carefully.

Overall I’ve been pretty impressed and happy with the case. I’ve been using it for about four years. When you consider the bow costs in excess of £600 I think  £35 (though that was several years ago) to keep it protected is well worth it. The case I bought Sharon was around  £50 including delivery so considering her bow was £670 again it is well worth it.
So if you are after a very durable bow case for your flatbow or longbow I’d recommend the bazuka case. 9/10
Thanks for reading.
Oct 1 2015

Equipment Review – Timber Creek Wooden arrows

Timber Creek Arrows

Timber Creek Arrows

I recently picked up some Timber Creek wood arrows from Merlin Archery care of Jim Grizzly Kent  and thought it worth putting a review together.
First impressions are positive.
The shafts are 11/32 with a 4 inch feather shield fletchings and black nocks. Made from Siberian spruce, these were spined as 50/55 as I wanted to use them with my flatbow.
The varnish finish is good being smooth and flawless over the entire length of the arrow.
Only thing I don’t like is the nock colour. Whilst they look great, fit well on the string, they are black which makes them very hard to see on longer targets. I like the thread binding at the front of the fletching as this can protect the tip of the fletching.
The shafts are straight and with the clear varnish you can see the quality of the wood grain.
Close up

Close up of fletching and nock

Having weighed them the six arrows come in 30 grains variance which is pretty impressive for unmatched out of box.
The piles are 100 grain field point which will be fine for most but I prefer an 80 grain.

100 grain piles

100 grain piles

Out of the box they are 32 inches in length and come pre – piled and ready to shoot.  Only thing I’ve noticed is the piles on two are very slightly proud of shafts, probably due to the shafts being slightly less than an 11/32. So if shooting a bag boss they can snag on the fabric. In fairness this is not an uncommon problem with wooden shafts and one I’ve encountered when making my own.Initial goes
I’ve tried shooting them at full length and they fly ok at about 12 -15 yards but really need to cut them down to my draw length. At 20-25 yards I was noticing the difference of pile weight and length. My normal arrows are fitted 80grain points so will probably fit 80 grain piles for true comparison.

Further testing 
Having now cut them to my draw length and fitted 80grain points I can add a couple of extra observations.
Being spruce the wood feathers or crumbles a little when tapering them. I found the same with other spruce and to be fair these were better quality.
Removing the old piles was easy using a gas ring to heat them for about 10 seconds and then unscrewing with a pair of pliers. Not sure if the 100 grain field point will blunt if a wayward arrow were to hit a rock, but this is the same for other pile designs and the reason I prefer steel to brass.
Having shot them they fly very slightly high and to the left but only slightly which makes me think slightly stiff.

Grouping at 15 yards

Grouping at 15 yards

Flight wise, they are very good and I’ve shot them a couple of hundred times.
I’ve not missed so badly as to bounce them off a tree yet so not sure of durability but am sure I will find out soon.

UPDATE – First casualty and note to self. If you shoot your own arrow it breaks. Managed to shoot the pile off one.  Yes pile, not nock, that takes skills.

First casulaty

First casulaty of the testing

 Those interested in the Timber Creek range of bows might like to know i recently picked up a Timber Creek Cobra and hope to write a review in the near future.
 If you don’t have the time or expertise to make your own arrows I think they are a good buy being good quality components assembled well. Priced at just under £5 each it’s not bad value. (http://www.merlinarchery.co.uk/timer-creek-wooden-arrows-basic.html)

Overall a 8.5 to 9/10 due to the nock colour.

Thanks for reading