JAMES YATES // THE SKINNY ON SKINNY SHAFTS —
James Yates is an accomplished bowhunter, raised in Utah and Wyoming, who spent his youth hunting, fishing, and rock climbing. Climbing high alpine rock faces around the world helped James perfect his backcountry skills and polish his mental discipline. He is a successful consulting chemical engineer by trade, which has adapted his highly detailed mindset to hunting and archery. James wrote a series of articles for Western Hunter, about maximizing bowhunting forgiveness.
“Deer and elk shoulders are tough… really tough,” Yates writes. “Nearly all bowhunters who have hunted long enough have experienced the horrors of hitting the front shoulder only to see 90% of their arrow hanging out, wiggling like a noodle as the animal runs off. Animals can survive these botched shots, but regardless, they are gut-wrenching and should be avoided at all costs. I’ve unfortunately experienced this, as have nearly all my hunting friends.”
Yates speaks about the biggest factor for breaking and penetrating a hard object (like a bull’s shoulder): momentum – saying that: “From an arrow perspective, maximizing momentum primarily comes down to shooting a really heavy arrow.” Yates shoots the 4mm AXIS Long Range shafts with a 250 spine, while recently experimenting with the Easton 4mm Procomp.
“The 4mm diameter shaft is certainly less critical for short-range engagements compared to long-range engagements because crosswinds are not as much of a factor over short-range,” Yates says. “In order to create an arrow this heavy with a 4mm shaft, I typically have to load up the front of the shaft with lots of insert weight. This weight upfront can really reduce the dynamic spine of the arrow and will require a stiffer shaft. The stiffest spine available for most 4 mm shafts is 250 spine. In consequence, some long-draw archers will need to move to a different arrow to get a stiffer spine.”
Visit the links below to learn more about the Easton 4mm Procomp and 4mm AXIS Long Range, and take your hunts to the next level this year!
AXIS 4MM: https://eastonarchery.com/arrows_/4mm-axis-long-range/
PROCOMP 4MM: https://eastonarchery.com/arrows_/procomp-hunting-series/
FULL ARTICLE: https://westernhunter.net/gear-reviews/maximizing-bowhunting-forgiveness-part-2/
