Anyone who picks up a bow has the same goal: stick an arrow right where you’re aiming. While trying to do that a lot of us fall into the trap of focusing on the wrong things. We obsess over buying a new bow or sight. Or make sure we have the best arrows possible. But if we were to direct that energy and cash toward what actually matters we’d be far more prepared for bow season.
In this episode of the Outdoor Life podcast, I sat down with Levi Morgan, a pro-archer, 16-time 3D archery world champion, and a bowhunter who has hunted just about everything in North America. This past weekend, he won his 14th ASA shooter of the year title — that’s the most shooter of the year titles of any archer.
He gave me candid advice on bow and arrow setups and how to properly prepare for hunting season. This podcast cuts through a lot of the noise and is direct advice from one of the best to ever shoot a bow. These are some of his takeaways.
I gave the Lancaster Archery Supply Catalog a quick look and found a 15% to 20% increase in price for upgrading from a .003 to .001 straightness shaft. Is that price jump worth it for .002-inch less run out?
Morgan said while preparing for a 3D archery event he couldn’t get the .001 straightness arrows he needed to compete so he shot the .003 instead. He won that tournament. “Nowadays most arrows are so good. .001 or .004, it doesn’t really matter in my opinion,” he said.
If Morgan can win a professional archery event with .003 arrows, then they’ll certainly work well for the rest of us. Morgan said the key to getting the best accuracy out of arrows with a lower straightness tolerance is properly cutting them. Arrows have the most straightness run out at their ends, so by selectively cutting either end of the arrow, you can make the whole arrow straighter. Here’s how it’s done.
What You Need
Spin the arrow shaft on the arrow spinner and look for wobble at each end. If one end wobbles worse than the other, cut more off that side. If both ends wobble equally, cut an equal amount off each. Marking the shafts with silver sharpie will help you keep track of where you need to cut arrows. Once you’ve cut all the shafts, squaring both ends will make sure you have optimal alignment for your nock and point.
Read Next: The Best Hunting Arrows
The Bow Brand Doesn’t Matter
Does the make, model, or length of bow matter for accuracy? According to Morgan, it depends.
“Two or three years ago I shot a different bow at every event. …and podiumed with every one of the hunting bows,” he said.
He says that a longer axle-to-axle bow is slightly more forgiving, but short bows are just as accurate.
“I like a shorter bow for hunting, I never had accuracy issues,” Morgan said. “I think it’s just personal preference. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer.”
Finding what works best for you and how you hunt is the key.
“I could probably take most bows on the market and shoot them well,” Morgan said. “Now there are some bows that I like better than others and it’s easier for me to shoot certain platforms.”
So, yes, a bow that matches your shooting preferences can make you more deadly in the woods. But Morgan also pointed out that, “The bow is only as good as you are.”
FOC and Arrow Weight
Heated debates over the best bow are mere polite conversations compared to any discussion concerning FOC or arrow weight. Something about this subject pinches a nerve with bowhunters. That’s especially true with people who prefer very light or very heavy arrows. Morgan is from the middle of the road camp and looks for a compromise between energy and trajectory.
“I don’t want to be shooting 330 fps with a 350-grain arrow when I could be shooting 300 fps with a 400 grain arrow,” he said. “And I don’t want to be shooting 240 fps either.”
Morgan has hunted just about everything in North America, including moose, musk ox, and grizzly bears, with arrows that weighed in the mid-400 grain range.
“Shoot as heavy of an arrow as you can to still have good speed and then pick the broadhead for that setup based on the animal you’re hunting,” he said.
For Morgan’s 31-inch draw length and 80-pound draw weight, his preferred arrow weight is 450 to 500 grains. That puts his arrow speed between 290 and 310 fps.
“You want to meet in the middle the best you can with speed and arrow weight,” he said.
Read Next: The Best Compound Bows
Larger Fletchings Mean More Noise
Morgan isn’t too concerned about point weight, but he does try to optimize the back end of his arrow.
That’s because he has seen too big of a vane or too much helical cause an arrow to destabilize after about 50 yards. “If you’re not shooting over 50 yards, you’re going to have a hard time putting too much vane on,” Morgan said. “But, you have to think that the more helical you put on the louder it gets. The more vane you put on the louder it gets.”
Even though most of us aren’t shooting beyond 50 yards in a hunting scenario, smaller vanes can still be an advantage in terms of noise.
“I try to build the quietest arrow I can, so I’m trying to get away with as little vane as possible,” Morgan said. “My goal is to shoot the smallest profile I can shoot and as little helical as I can shoot and still not sacrifice any accuracy with my setup.”
His preferred setup is a small vane in a four fletch because it’s quieter and provides similar stabilization as a large vane in a three fletch.
Levi’s Fletching Recommendations
Pay Attention to Nock Fit and Nock Pinch
If you’ve ever found yourself with unexplained flyers or a bow that just won’t shoot a bullet hole, nock pinch or nock fit might be the culprit.
“Nock fit is very very important,” Mordan said.
Nock fit is how well your nock fits onto the string’s center serving. If it’s too tight or too loose it can cause issues. Morgan has some general guidelines on how to determine if your nocks fit the string properly.
He says you want your nock to be able to slide up and down the serving without too much effort. But, if you twist it side to side, there shouldn’t be any wiggle.
“A good test is if you put it on there and pull your string pack, no more than an inch, and let it go that arrow should pluck off the string,” Morgan said.
If your nocks don’t fit your string you can try a different nock or reserve your string. If you’re due for new strings, most custom bow string makers will adjust your center serving size to fit your preferred nock.
As you pull a bow string it comes to a steeper and steeper angle right at your d-loop. As the angle gets steeper it can cause the string to pinch your nock, which in mild cases causes strange paper tears that won’t go away and in extreme cases can cause the arrow to lift up off the rest, resulting in erratic arrow flight. To prevent nock pinch Morgan only ties one nocking point below his nock and uses the smallest nock possible.
Master Your Setup
New gear is enticing but it might be hurting your ability to be deadly in the woods if you don’t take the time to practice with it.
“No matter what bow you’re shooting, whether it’s 20 years old or the newest model, just learn it and your setup,” Morgan said.
He says learning your sight is absolutely critical for being a successful bowhunter.
“In hunting I think a lot of people get lost in the pins,” Morgan said. “I’ve used a five pin on a mover for so long — and it goes green, green, red, green, green — that I never get lost. I know red is 40 and my top pin is 20 and my bottom is 60. I know it so well I don’t even think.”
Your goal should be to learn your own sight that well and how to aim for distances between sight pins.
“Learning your equipment is 100 percent the most important thing you can do preparing for the season,” Morgan said.
Nothing can fully prepare you for shooting at a live animal, but shooting around other people either in the backyard or at a tournament is valuable practice. Morgan says you should seek out those pressure shooting scenarios.
“Really understand where you make mistakes when you get a little nervous,” he said.
If you can learn your equipment and understand what you need to do to make good shots under pressure, you’re stacking the odds in your favor this bow season.
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