Blog Entries tagged 'Elite Z28'

Jason - Day 3 and 4 Deer Everywhere!!!

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:00:00 +0100

It has been said that the love of the chase is an inherent delight in man-a relic of an instinctive passion. - Charles Darwin

Wow what a great quote�� I pulled it from my Runners World.� Hunters love the Chase.

Day 3

WOW� Great Day, I must admit that I have always hunted hard but I haven�t always put myself in the best position to succeed because I haven�t been aggressive enough or I didn�t have confidence in a spot.� This year I am in a new unit and I have nothing to lose.� SOOOO� What happened?� Well, I hope I don�t regret it but I passed on a 75ish buck this afternoon.� I think that there are some real monsters in this little area and I just need to be patient.� I am hunting a scrape line that was an old wagon trail.� You can still see the ruts from the wheels. It is a pretty neat area.� What I have found is that the deer in this area use these old roads as travel corridors and really make alot of scrapes along them.

The morning started out COLD and slow�.� 20 degrees and nothing was moving.� If you have ever hunted Coues deer you probably know that these deer just don�t get moving until the sun gets up and the weather gets a little warmer.� So I was praying for a calm sunny day and that is just what happened.� About 10:00 am I had a group of does walk up the scrape line so things were looking good.� My only concern is that they were not dragging a buck behind them.� That usually means that the rut hasn�t really kicked off or the bucks are on LOCK-DOWN.�� So I decided just to stick it out.� Sooner a later a buck was either going to use this trail to scent check does or to check his scrape.

SOO the wait was on.� Sometimes I hate, hunting from the ground and today was one of those days.� For some reason I was just not liking the setup but around 1:00pm I heard a buck raking a bush so I got ready.� If the buck came up the trail it would be a easy 35 yard shot. Very doable.� Before I knew it the buck was crossing my shooting lanes, I saw that he was maybe pushing 75 inches so I decided that it wasn�t his day to take a dirt nap.� As he crossed my shooting lanes I grunt at him and drew on him for practice.� It could have been over but this buck at this time wasn�t right.� If I get the chance later in the week will I let an arrow fly at a similar or smaller buck?� I don�t know, but today this buck walked.

Day 4

Same spot as the day before, I have a good feeling about this little area.� It just seems to funnel deer. Before sunrise I packed and setup a ground blind.� Hopefully, it would be able to stay a little warmer and be a lot more comfortable.� Again it was cold as hell�. 16 degrees. brrrr� Oh well�� You are only cold until you go numb.

Again the wait was on.� Around 8:30 I started a calling sequence of buck grunts and doe bleats.�� A� little buck came running in like a love sick puppy dog.� I love to watch these little young guys during there first rut, they don�t really know what to do or how to act.� This guys acted like little dogs chasing a ball.� He came in jumping around looking for a hot doe but all he found was a lot of nothing.

How about a view from the blind???

So the good thing is that I am seeing deer, the bad thing is that I am not seeing the deer I want.� That is okay, as far as I am concerned it has been a successful hunt,� I know that I could have killed the 75 incher.

So what are my plans?� Well, I really need to go and check a trail camera and I want to take spend some time in another funnel.� I just don�t know if I am going to make it in there before the season ends.

We will see�.

PS� I have only been hunting the mornings because I need check in at home, but mom is doing a lot better.. Thanks for everybody�s support..

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Jason - Day 1 and 2... Rough Start!!!

amaro_jason@hotmail.com — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:00:00 +0100

Perspective -

The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance: tried to keep my perspective throughout the crisis.

If you guys have been tracking some of the events that have been going on in my life over on Facebook you will have noticed that I haven�t really had a chance to hunt like I would like to, but in the in grand scheme of life it is no big deal.� I am just glad my mom is doing better and that she is going in the right direction.

Before my mom got sick, I was able to get out twice.� The plan was to sit a nice scrape line that I had found in some really thick cover.�� This spot was tight and the shots were going to be close and quick. � Below is a picture from my ground blind.� The blind itself isn�t anything special just a bunch of juniper and mountain mahogany branches cut and placed in a semi-circle.�� Some people like to build small fortresses when they make blinds but I like to let my camo work.� These deer really pick-up on when there habitat has been altered. When you hunt country like this you just need to really be on your game and alert� These little deer just show up� No warning, � If you are lucky you will catch the flicker of the ear or maybe a tip of an antler.

You can�t really see it in the picture but there are three scrapes under that little alligator spruces in the center of the picture.

So how did it go? Pretty well, I had 4 deer come thru, 2 bucks and 2 does.� The bucks were little forky�s, could I have killed them?� Yeah probably, but it just wasn�t there day to take a ride in the back of my truck.

Overall, it was a good hunt.� This is a little spot that I will return to.

DAY 2

I usually don�t like to hunt the same place two days in a row so I decided to sit a water tank that I had a nice deer coming into.�� A few days before the season I went in there to pull the card from my camera and I found that the tank was iced over� Brrrr� Poor animals couldn�t really get a good drink of water.� So I opened up the ice, DANG it was cold.

This spot isn�t too far off the road but it is really tricky to find.� So I like to get there just at sun-up so I don�t make too much noise.� Below is a neat little picture that my trail camera picked up of me breaking the ice.

I look like Harry Potter with a wand�

This is what my spot looked like once I got settled in.

So how did it go?� Well, I got a nice tan.. NOTHING came in.� Pretty rough but I am not ready to give up on this spot, bucks are going to need to water and this is a great little spot.� So, I might visit it later but it just wasn�t meant to be on this trip.

What are my plans now?� Well, I am going to be pressed for time but there is a another ridge line that I might hunt.� I just need to put in my time and get lucky.� The good thing is that I am not seeing a ton of mule deer and I think that the rut is a little late in my area.� I just need to put myself in the position to succeed� That means putting in my time.

STAY TUNED�

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Matt-Elite GT500 Review

matthewblog@bowcast.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Early this spring I began shooting as many different bows as possible.� I wanted to see if I was missing something in all the new bows on the market.� After shooting the Elite GT500 my mind was made up and I started a new journey with a bow that was totally different than my Mathews.� This blog is a follow up to my original review of the Elite GT500 that I did in March.�

After shooting the GT500�on the�3D�courses�this spring�and turkey hunting with it here is a breakdown of what I liked and what I would change.

Accuracy-� The first day I shot this bow I was more accurate and consistent at 40 yards than with any other bow I have owned.� My groups were tighter and my confidence was higher.� I contribute this to the bow being a little longer than I was use to shooting in the past.� This gave me more stability and that was�reflected in my groups.� Additionally, I believe the quality of the materials and workmanship on this bow added to the overall performance and accuracy.

The Grip- One of my favorite�design features�on the GT500 is the grip.� I like a thin grip with a flat platform on the riser.� This gives stability through the draw and at full draw.��Bows that have a rounded wood�grip or rounded riser seem to twist more in my hand as I come�to full draw.�� Adjusting�the grip back to its original position�once at full draw�can�cause one to�torque the riser.�

Riser Shelf- If I had one complaint�about the GT500 it would be with the riser shelf.� I used two different styles of rests and both contacted the left side of the riser shelf which has a little lip.��The GT500�and my Z28 paper�tuned to the left of what the laser center shot tool showed.� This caused the left fork of my rest to always contact the left lip on the riser and not sit flat on the riser shelf.� I don't know the purpose for having a lip on the riser shelf of any bow and in my opinion would look just as good not to have one and have the shelf width increased about 3/8s of an inch.

Quality Parts- One of the main reasons the GT500 stood out to me was the quality parts that are used.� The Barnesdale limbs, string,�string stop, finish, and machining of the cams.� I have had no issues with any of the parts on this bow and if I ever do Elite's warranty is one of the best in the industry.

Overall- This is a great bow for hunting and shooting 3D.� I give it 9 out of 10 for the smooth draw, stability/balance,�solid back wall, and its exceptional quality.� I will be using it in the future primarily for spring 3D and turkey hunting.� Next week I am going to start shooting paper with it at a new indoor range to work on my form and release.� If you haven't shot this bow at a pro-shop I encourage you to do so.� Compare it to other bows and you might walk away pleasantly surprised.

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Matt-My New School Rig

matthewblog@bowcast.com — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Here is the�roadmap�on my new school rig.� This year I traveled�out of my comfort zone,�leaving my�single cam bow�and fixed pins.� The result..... This rig left my old rig in the dust somewhere a few thousand shots ago.

I call my rig�the Camo Killer; although it's only killed foam so far this year. An Elite Z28 with a fresh Advantage�Max-1 paint job and two cams that REV my camo Easton FMJ's across the finish line and into the lung garage. I use�a 3pin Boss Hogg sight with .010 pins, Trophy Taker rest and a Fuse stabilizer and quiver. My arrows are tipped with a G5 Montec broadhead�and Fusion vanes twirl them to their destination.

I started using a brass nock as a kisser�this year and can't believe I never had one before.� It has been a contributing factor to my increased accuracy.� Now in my anchor routine I have the�string on the tip of my nose, brass nock in corner of my lip, and thumb�locked on the back of my neck.

I didn't totally�go away from the fixed pins this year, but just dropped a few off.� I have a 20, 40, and 60 yard pin.� I have my middle pin set up as the one that I aim with when I want to dial my sight in to a specific yardage.� My range is 0-100 yards with the middle pin and I used all that range at BowCast at the Bird.

�

I started using grip tape at BATB.� One of the�main advantages is that it keeps your�hand in the same position from the time you draw�through the release.� You don't want to reposition your hand on the�riser after you have come to full draw as this can cause torque in the riser.� I had a bad habit of moving my hand after I came to full draw.��A fellow BowCaster gave me a small strip of the stair grip paper and I placed it on the backside of the riser which contacts the palm of my hand.

My Fuse quiver is�a Caldera model which�I don't�think is even made anymore.� I found a brand new one online as I needed the adjustable brackets which allow the hood and bottom to slide back and forth.� I customized it by taking the top bracket flipping it and using it on the bottom.�� Then I took the bottom bracket and used it on the top.� I had to cut and thread a new mounting peg for the top bracket but in the end it was worth the extra work.� I also cut the length down on the top and bottom�mounting pegs�to bring my quiver in as close to the bow limbs and strings as possible.�

Now my bow is balanced and I have access to the�dials on my Spot Hogg sight for quick adjustments.

This is my new school rig and I'm loving the ride.

Matt

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BowCast at the Bird Pictures

matthewblog@bowcast.com — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:00:00 +0100

All I can say is that I��am counting the days until next year!� The shoot was intense, a learning experience but most of all a fun time!� Here are a few pictures.� More to come!

For me this was the best shot on the course.� A Dall at ~116 yards, shot for ~80 yards.� Anthony below did a great job in visualizing shots that were extreme, challenging,�realistic and�educational.� If you didn't know what�the�bubble level in your sight was for or why your 3rd axis�was so important, you learned quickly on the�elite course.� The�shots on the elite course pushed everyone physically and mentally.� I had the pleasure of shooting with Anthony Dixon and Curt Wells on Saturday.� I learned invaluable information about form and equipment, but most of all I enjoyed the company of two experienced archers and two great men.

The Dall was shot from a small ledge right after a 100 yard shot at a mule deer!� If I ever get to go Dall sheep hunting I will be practicing this type of shot so that when a 60 yard shot presents itself I will be more than confident that I can make the shot.� That is what this shoot was all about!

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We gave away a Z28 and GT500 from Elite Archery.� Yes guys she shoots and yes there were girls that hiked the elite course without complaining.� There was even one guy who went bare foot part of the way!�

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This was our base camp where you could shoot Elite bows, look through Nikon glass, learn about Easton arrows, buy Addiction apparel, and even get some new arrows made.� Below Curt Wells is giving a great talk about equipment and photos.� Everyone learned some great tips!

This is a just�one feather from the Bird.� I can't wait to see more pictures and videos.

Matt

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Matt-Daily Shooting

matthewblog@bowcast.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:00:00 +0100

Just a�quick post on what I'm up to.� I have been shooting my�Elite Z28 everyday this week and am finally getting it dialed.� Getting ready for BowCast at the Bird and hunting season!� I got my plane ticket this week to SLC and I can't wait to shoot some foam�at Snowbird.

I am�very impressed with the Z28 and have been shooting tighter groups than I was with my Mathews after three years.� Here�is a picture of my group at 80 yards today.��

I�also�fletched up some new arrows last week.��Easton Axis FMJ 400s with�BowCast�wrap and I'm trying out�Norway Industries' Fusion vane.� I am very pleased with the results and groups I'm getting with this arrow/bow combination.�

Hope everyone has a chance to get out and shoot this week.� Make it part of your daily routine!

Matt

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