Monday, March 9, 2015

Easton Axis Traditional Arrow Review

Easton Archery has been making the Axis line for a number of years now, and in 2013 they launched the Easton Axis Traditional, that was modeled off of the legendary look of Doug Easton's 1920's hand-made arrows.



easton axis traditionals cu 1
The Easton Axis Trad features a vintage, wood-grain look, but boasts the same performance as the original Axis carbon arrows. The Axis Traditional is slightly heavier, with a brass insert installed to improve front of center weight preferred by some traditional archers.

This means that the insert is secured further back, closer to the arrows center of gravity, giving the arrow better flight characteristics and deeper target penetration.

easton axis traditionals flight cu
The Axis Traditional is also a skinny arrow. At 9/16th in diameter, it was made to fly fast, and the carbon nano tube construction is meant to dampen arrow vibration and tighten your groups.


The arrows look amazing! And paired with some 125 grain field points, these arrows really do pack a punch. These shafts are a 340 spin and fly better than any carbon shaft I've loosed. Most of my targets are "stump style" targets, so when I miss, which happens often, my arrows are often finding there mark in mud, clay, and gravel.

For 2 weeks they took a pounding and the only damage that was done was some minor chipping in the outer wood grain finish. This was unfortunate, but understandable as these arrows have been rattling into each other in nice tight groups. 

easton axis traditionals flight group
At the end of my test I thought I would put them through the ringer by launching them into the river bead.

Normally I wouldn't stump shoot here; at this angle, as you are bound to hit large rocks. I've shattered a few shafts down here, but I wanted to see if the Easton Axis Traditionals could take it. I launched a couple into the stones around my target to see how they'd take it, and honestly, I thought they'd be toast.

easton axis traditionals into solid rock 2


Amazingly, I was wrong, they were tough as nails. The collars are all scuffed and chipped but that was their purpose, so absolutely no complaints here, the shafts were as strong as ever.

For more information about Easton Arrows visit: http://www.eastonarchery.com/

For more information about 3Rivers Archery Supply visit: http://www.3riversarchery.com/

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

How to build a PVC Bow Stand

Recently, Karma Tales began giving Archery lessons at Chanslor Ranch near Bodega Bay California. With over 400 acres, along Northern California’s breathtaking coastline, there was plenty of room for us to practice Traditional Archery. We needed targets and plenty of arrows, but we also needed something for the Archers to hang their bows on while retrieving arrows down range. Also, since these were beginners with no equipment of their own, we needed arrow holders to keep our firing line neat and orderly.

You can make a bow stand out of anything. It could be just a peg in the wall, but since we had no walls, our bow stand would need a base of it’s own. We chose to use PVC pipe after finding a few others on the internet who had already done so with great success. We used tough 2 inch schedule 40 PVC pipe and fittings from the local Home Depot, and a handful of easily wielded tools.

You’ll need a saw and something to clamp the pipe down with while you cut it, and you’ll need some self tapping screws and a power drill. You might decide that glueing each joint is more your speed, but we liked the fact that if we made a mistake, or simply wanted to take it all apart and make something else, unscrewing was a better option than ungluing.

Once you’ve rallied your tools, you’ll need to purchase your pipes and fittings. Working with PVC pipe like this, is allot like working with Legos. You need to pay careful attention when buying all the bits so that you don’t miss one joint, and have to endure another trip to the hardware store. Our bow stand is just over 5 feet high and will accommodate most bows, although if you planned on hanging lots of really really long, longbows, you might want to go higher with the main arm. There will be plenty of extra pipe if you’d like to make your bow stand taller.

Here is a list of all the fittings that we used to make our bow stand. All of these fittings are compatible with 2 inch PVC pipe except for those marked accordingly. (pictured above on the left)

4 x Right Angle Elbow
4 x T Joint
1 x 2 inch to 1 inch reducer Cap
1 x 2 inch to 1/2 inch reducer Cap
(below are 1 inch fittings)
1 x T joint
2 x Caps

The longer straight sections of bow stand were cut from 2 separate 10 foot long pieces of  2 inch PVC pipe and are displayed here in this photo like a plastic church organ for your viewing pleasure. You will also need a short piece of 1 inch PVC pipe, but they conveniently sell those short pieces right next to the long ones. It is a good idea to use a Miter Box, like the one pictured, to hold the PVC while cutting your sections. Here is a list of the pieces and their lengths that we used for our bow stand.

2 x 18 inches long
2 x 9 7/8 inches long
2 x 5 inches long
1 x 7 1/4 inches long
1 x 5 feet long
2 x 7 inches long (from the short 1 inch PVC pipe)

Once all the pieces have been cut, your bow stand will come together in minutes. Simply fit the sections together, starting with the base of the bow stand as they were laid out in the picture above, making sure you have the forth T joint standing by for when you build the main arm.

Next you’ll want to make sure the 3 T joints used in the base, are angled straight up, 1 for the main arm in the back and 2 for holding arrows up front. You’ll be screwing the entire stand together next so you need to make sure both arrow stands are inline and pointing up.



Next, Carefully turn over the base unit and screw in 1 self tapping screw for each connection. Do NOT secure the T joint which will be holding the main arm as you will want to double check that it is standing straight. The good thing about using screws here instead of glue, is that if you do twist something on wrong, you simply need to unscrew the set screw, and try again.

The main arm is next. We made ours 5 feet high, but you can make you bow stand whatever height fits your needs. Anything too much taller than 5 feet, may become unstable if you plan on hanging heavier bows. We wanted something reasonably tall, but also sturdy enough to do its job out in the field.

Fit the last 2 inch T joint on the end of the main arm, and secure it with a set screw. Next, fit the 2 inch to 1 inch reducer into the right angle end of the T joint, and a cap for the very top of your stand. This is where we used a 2 inch to 1/2 reducer. We will be adding flags to the tops of our bows stands and we found the reduced 1/2 inch fitting is perfect for holding a dowel flag pole on top.

Next, set the 1 inch T joint into the reducer, and attach your short sections of 1 inch PVC pipe into the other ends. Cap the ends with the 1 inch caps you purchase and drill in set screws so everything is lined up and sturdy.
Finally, turn the base over, and insert the main arm into the T joint in the base. Make sure it is nice and straight and then add set screws to secure the angle. We decided not to screw the main arm into the base so that we could partially dissemble the stand for transport and storage.

You certainly don’t have to sand or paint your bow stand, especially if you like that “working construction site” look, however we decided to paint ours. First sand off the lettering that goes down one side of each pipe. Also, there are sometimes sharps edges that can be dangerous on PVC pipes. A small electric sander makes short work of this.

Pick a color and spray away! Make sure the paint that you choose is rated for use with plastic. PVC pipe will degrade over time in the sunlight, so a good paint job will actually extend the life of your stand.

We hope that this information is useful to anyone practicing the art of archery. There are hundreds different ways you could put one together for yourself. We recommend you customize the building process to your desire and means.

For more information on Karma Tales visit: www.karmatales.com


Blog post written by Edward Seaton

Monday, March 2, 2015

Wind Warrior Bow Review

The Wind Warrior is a very quick, low profile bow modeled after the Hungarian or Mongolian horse bows. White Wolf Archery is located in Thorn Hill, Tennessee, and they make Longbows, Recurves, and all sorts of beautifully hand crafted Archery kit.



wind warrior bow and Hannah Gart belly
On the Wind Warrior Website it explains, "As its name implies, the Wind Warrior is remarkably swift and imparts more kinetic energy into the arrow. This gives the bow a flatter trajectory, making it considerably easier to hit targets at a longer range." Hannah found the bow incredibly quick for such a light draw.



wind warrior bow and Hannah Gart boots
Not only is this 60 inch bow a very stable and fast shooter, but it will win best in show wherever it is taken. The turquoise colors in the riser match with the inlayed fabric covered limbs that Hannah was able to choose for herself, making this an instant favorite in her collection. 

Tony Semenuk, owner and head bowyer at White Wolf Archery says, "I have also continued to step out of the box with White Wolf. I now offer more colors, styles, and personalization than ever as customization has always been my priority. Like with anything else, give me the wood to do it and I'll find a way to make it."


wind warrior bow and Hannah Gart grip
wind warrior bow and Hannah Gart riser

Tony goes on to explain about the Wind Warrior, "this bow has a very small profile for the amount of limb that is actually coiled up and the riser of moves back towards the shooter by almost 3 inches, giving it a great early string weight. The Wind Warrior is immensely stable and is sure to land arrows right where you look. An all around amazing bow, it will steer you in the right direction for hunting, competition, and 3D."
wind warrior bow and Hannah Gart blue riser
"Wood is an old soul and every ring has its own story to tell. It's willing to teach us to speak its language and transform it into greatness. All we need to do is listen.

For more information on White Wolf Archery and all of the their beautiful traditional equipment, please visit their website at: www.whitewolfarchery.com


wind warrior bow and Hannah Gart rear angle


For more information on Karma Tales visit: www.karmatales.com


Blog post written by Edward Seaton