Krypt Keeper

Very great Xbow section I have stumbled upon. Lots of great info to read and learn. Also seems to be some really great people here with the same addiction as me and a sense of humor to boot.

This will be my 2nd yr of hunting with a Xbow. My other passionblackpowder hunting.I bought a PSE Copperhead with a 3 dot Red Dotstillin the bowfrom a co-worker last year to try something new.

I thought it was a good deal for $100 Some limbsavers, string silencers, deck lube and string wax later and been hooked ever since.

Only problem I have found is thevanes seem to get a wavy pattern in them after shooting them a dozen times or so.(All the vanes and not just the one in the rail) I am shooting 20" Horton Lightning Strike MX aluminum bolts with 100 grain FT's, and 100 Muzzy 3-blade BH's.
Same thing also happen to the bolts that came with the Xbow same tips.

Is this a common problem? Is there a better vane to replace them with to prevent this or should I get credit for starting a new fashion statement in the arrow industry.. [8D]

Any tips or help would be great..

Dave

awshucks

How are they getting "wavy"? Sinking to the fletch in a target? Try a hair dryer on them.

Krypt Keeper

Nope, they are stopping 4 or 5 inches from the start of the vane when shooting into my target. Will try to the hair dryer on one to see if it helps.

If I think about when I get home this evening I will take picture of them and post a pic.

There is a local shop opening up soon I was going to get them to put new vanes on them. (I never redid my own arrows before but wanna learn and do it) They are suppose to have a big archery selection and even some 3d targets to shoot at outback.

Dnk

You are getting vane contact on the bow.

10ptCrossbow

I agree with DNK. too much twist on the vanes.
Other possibility is the string going over the arrow if it is not seated or they are not indexed to the half moon nock

Krypt Keeper

The wife and kid will be gone this evening to chuch for Summer Bible school. Will give me some time to shoot and look over a few things when I shooting.

I always make sure the bolts half moon is securely seated. Also give a light tap towards the end of thedeck to make sure the bolt is seated evenly on the deck. Solid tap its good to go, or if you here light hollow "tink" sound its not or I got a slightly tweaked arrow shaft.

Never did think about the vanes touching the top of the deck. Will look into that. What about the 3rd vane that is always in the rail? Thats also got the wave effect.It doesn't seem affect my accuracy when shooting if the vanes are touching.

smokepolehall

If the vanes are not contacting rails or scope mount or yer hold down clip. Its possible the vanes are too thin out on the edge and get a rippling effect on them.

Krypt Keeper

Got a few pictures taken yesterday evening. Also tried the hair dryer on one of my arrows and didn't have any luck of it helping it.

Krypt Keeper

side shot

Krypt Keeper

other side, light was fading some.

Wish I had taken a picture of my punched paper target. I made 4 shots at 20 yards, each with a different bolt. I had a group of about 1" 2 shots were cloverleafed, I used the front rest on my little homemade plinking table to check for accuracy. Removed bolt after each shot, then shot a bolt that had straight vanes with my Muzzy 100gr. 3 blade tip and hit in the middle of the group of the 4 previous arrows. When I went to get this arrow I noticed that this one shot on this brand new never shot bolt started the wave pattern itself. [&:]

Starting to get annoying, and see my future of refletching my own arrows often drawing near. Or see about getting some solid aluminum fletching welded to the shafts. Be like Van Helsing with his awsome solid bolt shooting crossbow minus the semi-auto shooting action.