Shooting off your Hand

[artcher1]

Well ...I guess that I have been doing something wrong for 20+ years then....Because I have always gotten nicks and cuts from Natural Turkey feathers....if they are not trimmed just right....Thats why I won't shoot anyone Else's Arrow any more.....

Would you not consider rough fletching a flawed component?   ART

[AllanM]

hey Del

Is Allan that lefty guy?  I probly asked you this before, but are you anywhere near York?

Hi Radius, Yep, I'm the lefty that Del made the yew bow for. Been having a lot of fun with it, shoots fast and true! Del and I live just north of London, a good couple of hundred miles from York. Do you have connections with York? cheers, Allan

[markinengland]

In my personal opinion a glove for the bow hand really isn't needed. I have never used one in more than 40 years archery. I only had a problem when I thought that the arrows should be 90 degrees to the string rather than slightly above this point.

If you bow hand is in the right place in relation to the arrow nock point then the fletch will never touch your hand.

If you hand it too high or your nocking point is too low or your shafts size varies a lot then maybe you will be cut by flatchings.

If the setup is wrong enough to need a glove it is quite likely that you won't be getting good arrow flight anyway. A glove could just allow this problem to get worse.

[islandpiper]

I got a pair of mechanics gloves from Lowes, like the fellows wear who handle automotive repairs on HOT engines.   Nice, thin leather, doubled palms, etc   Fit is great, and they are comfy on the hot weather, too.  Cost about $18 , and i'll guess these would be three times that in an archery catalog. 

I wear  both and then i don't need tabs either.   piper

[mullet]

Michael and dragonman;
  It's probally a story everybody is tired of hearing but might give everybody something to think about. I was shooting some 3-d targets with some friends and we were all just using each others arrows. Whichever one we grabbed out of the basket. My buddy had a wire, hog wire fence behind the target. One of the arrows must have glanced off the wire and cracked right in front of the cock feather. When I shot it, the piece dug into my knuckle and pealed off about 6"of wood, feathers and cresting paint.
  While they were pulling arrows I pulled a 1/2"piece of wood and fletching out of my knuckle. I asked them to check the arrow and see how much was gone. When they showed me I got that crappy feeling in my stomach and drank a beer. As I moved my hand I could start to feel all the pieces down to my little finger in the palm of my hand.
   I ended up in the Hospital, surgery by a Plastic Reconstructive surgeon, antibiotics intravenously 24/7, for 4 nights. If I think I even have a chipped or cracked arrow, I save my point and throw the rest in the trash. Unless Art made it. Even broke they look too good to throw away.

[radius]

hey Del

Is Allan that lefty guy?  I probly asked you this before, but are you anywhere near York?

Hi Radius, Yep, I'm the lefty that Del made the yew bow for. Been having a lot of fun with it, shoots fast and true! Del and I live just north of London, a good couple of hundred miles from York. Do you have connections with York? cheers, Allan

Do I?  Yeah, i'd say i have connections in York:  going to be married there in January.  I'm going to be in London next week.  Maybe we can get a beer?  I land tuesday and am free wednesday.  You down?

[dragonman]

Wow, unlucky, I hope your hand has recovered Mullet, thats a valuable lesson in that story. I've shot dammaged arrows many times  because I couldnt be bothered to make a new one and just made do,   and inside I knew I shouldnt . From now on I'm gonna stop that , its just not worth the risk  is it?

[Michael C.]

Yikes!!  Yeah no cracked arrows for me now either, never been in the hospital, been plenty of time for stitches and patch jobs but never had to stay.

[AllanM]

Do I?  Yeah, i'd say i have connections in York:  going to be married there in January.  I'm going to be in London next week.  Maybe we can get a beer?  I land tuesday and am free wednesday.  You down?

Hi Radius, Congratulations on your January wedding!  Unfortunately I'm Xmas partying on Wednesday next week o/w it would have been good to meet up and share archery tales over a beer. Maybe in the future and I'll drag Del along too!. Have a safe trip over. Cheers Allan

[Innocente]

mullet i was out shooting today with my newest build, pulled back an arrow, saw a new crack in it, and thought of your story.  pulled that arrow back offa my bow and put it aside.  thanks for sharing your experience, i learned from it.

[makenzie71]

A friend a while back showed me a vid where he was shooting and the arrow lifted mid-shaft...the last 20" drove between his radius and ulna, from about 6" south of the elbow and came out about 6" north of the wrist.  They actually had to use a screw driver to pry his fingers off his bow so they could get him into the truck to go to the hospitol.

I don't shoot wooden arrows.  Ever.

Michael and dragonman;
  It's probally a story everybody is tired of hearing but might give everybody something to think about. I was shooting some 3-d targets with some friends and we were all just using each others arrows. Whichever one we grabbed out of the basket. My buddy had a wire, hog wire fence behind the target. One of the arrows must have glanced off the wire and cracked right in front of the cock feather. When I shot it, the piece dug into my knuckle and pealed off about 6"of wood, feathers and cresting paint.
  While they were pulling arrows I pulled a 1/2"piece of wood and fletching out of my knuckle. I asked them to check the arrow and see how much was gone. When they showed me I got that crappy feeling in my stomach and drank a beer. As I moved my hand I could start to feel all the pieces down to my little finger in the palm of my hand.
   I ended up in the Hospital, surgery by a Plastic Reconstructive surgeon, antibiotics intravenously 24/7, for 4 nights. If I think I even have a chipped or cracked arrow, I save my point and throw the rest in the trash. Unless Art made it. Even broke they look too good to throw away.

[Michael C.]

Holy smokes you guys gotta stop your scaring the kids here I guess it's still more dangerous to go driving in a car though.