Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Flight Bows => Topic started by: avcase on May 24, 2016, 07:33:31 pm

Title: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: avcase on May 24, 2016, 07:33:31 pm
I don't know I you have seen this news yet, but Adam Karpowicz has been conducting a number of flight shooting experiments with his horn bows using a shooting machine.  Up until now, most of his test shots landed at a distance of 500-600m, but just recently he was able to send an arrow a distance of 790 yards!  This is truly amazing, regardless of how the arrow was shot. Adam is quickly approaching the holy grail of flight performance.

The bow he used is 120lb at 27 inches. Arrow is split cane bamboo, 208 grains, and 24.5" long. The string is Dacron, but I imagine a good linen string or even a silk string would improve performance even more.

Here's another interesting fact. The place where Adam runs his tests is several feet below sea level.

Alan
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: Badger on May 24, 2016, 08:05:44 pm
  This is exciting Allen!! Looking forward to more reports. The arrow probably came out of the bow at close to 350 fps.
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: mikekeswick on May 25, 2016, 02:27:38 am
790yds.....wow...now that is fuel for the fire!
 Fantastic achievement. I'd love to see the equipment used with all the details. It would be so cool to see a bow shooting that far.
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: Del the cat on May 25, 2016, 05:05:47 am
Presumably he waits until the tide is out ;)
Del
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: DC on May 25, 2016, 10:40:08 am
What would a machine do that he can't? I understand that a machine will be more consistent but but what is the reason that he can't occasionally hit distances like this?
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: DC on May 25, 2016, 10:52:39 am
I went on Google Earth and did a 790 yd circle around my house. Wow! That's a long way!
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: Badger on May 25, 2016, 11:53:53 am
  DC, the machine was just used because Adam cannot draw that kind of weight, an archer can outshoot the machine for distance once he tunes himself to the bow. I believe Allen case built the arrow for this shot. Many of the new records have been set using Allens arrows. Without a good arrow no bow will score well.
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: DC on May 25, 2016, 12:55:05 pm
That is very cool. My surname is also Case. No relation that I know of but it's cool to know that I'm even extremely remotely connected. ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: avcase on May 25, 2016, 07:11:49 pm
I would love to have credit for the arrows, but Adam built the arrows used for this most recent test.  I hope to learn a thing or two from Adam's testing since we haven't seen this long distances with all natural material arrows for at least a couple hundred years. 

FYI: Adam's arrows are fletched with thin rawhide.

Alan
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: Badger on May 25, 2016, 07:26:27 pm
   Adam and yourself are both pioneers in rediscovering this lost art from.
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: mikekeswick on May 26, 2016, 02:34:07 am
Now that I've tried parchment for fletching - there is no turning back to feathers :)
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: PatM on May 27, 2016, 07:26:09 am
Wouldn't the footbows  that shot over 800 yards less than a hundred years ago have used natural arrows?
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: loon on May 29, 2016, 09:54:03 am
He uploaded this pic of the bow and arrow. The bow is 42in ntn

(https://i.imgur.com/h1NcBkC.jpg)
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: crooketarrow on June 04, 2016, 10:36:32 am
  Gives you horn bowyers something to shoot for.
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: Aaron H on June 04, 2016, 11:24:17 am
Very cool, thanks for the picture loon
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: avcase on February 27, 2018, 01:13:53 pm
FYI, Adam recently reported chronograph test results with this bow. With a 223.3 grain arrow (same weight as used for his 790m shot), he recorded 404 fps with a Dacron string, and 436 fps with a fast-flite string. The bow stores about 160 ft-lb of energy in the draw, so efficiency is approaching 60% for the fast flight string.  A top notch linen string would fall somewhere between the performance of the Dacron string and fast flite string.  That is really moving for a natural materials bow! 

Even more impressive is that the bow has survived numerous test shots without blowing up.

Alan
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: Badger on February 27, 2018, 02:42:25 pm
  That is an amazing distance he got with that arrow. That style has always been my worst flyers. Maybe all that extra speed works well with it. I am pretty sure it greatly enhanced the arrows spine. His efficiency for less than 1.5 grains per pound is astounding!
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: Badger on February 27, 2018, 06:12:30 pm
  How far is he drawing the bow to store 160# energy??
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: avcase on February 27, 2018, 07:58:04 pm
It is 27.5” draw at 175# draw weight. That’s a lot of energy!

Alan
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: PatM on February 27, 2018, 08:32:12 pm
Has the weight climbed 50 pounds?
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: Selfbowman on February 27, 2018, 09:24:24 pm
Wow!! Arvin
Title: Re: Adam Karpowicz - Closing in on the Half Mile
Post by: pnwarcher on March 01, 2018, 01:42:02 pm
That is amazing!
Newbie question: Why are the bow's nocks so squared-off? Those edges look like they'd be really hard on the string. Is it because the tip is super narrow, or is it somehow more efficient this way? They just look kind of... crude