# Outdoor VS Indoor (BOW)



## ILOVE3D (Feb 4, 2009)

I know what you mean about changing setups, different arrows etc from one venue to another. I have two different bows for indoors as well as outdoors and another for hunting. Currently my indoor is one model and outdoor is another but I am thinking of getting another model like my indoor bow for outdoors just in higher poundage because the different ATA changes peep height as well as the over all feel of the setup. I think it's a good idea to have two different bows, one set up for each venue/situation and your tuning and changing things will be far less complicated. just my .02


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## field14 (May 21, 2002)

For my entire archery career, my "indoor bow" and my outdoor bow have been the SAME BOW at the SAME POUNDAGE, and for many years with the SAME ARROWS, too. I shot all of my personal best scores, indoors and outdoors with correctly spined arrows, and those are NOT fat shafts. The best I've ever done with fatties is 58X...the best I've done with skinny, correctly spined arrows are scads of 60x-300's on the blue face, perfect 300's Vegas (29X being the best), scads of perfect 450's on the 450 round (43X being the best), and too many scores from 555-557 to count on field and hunter rounds.
Of course all of those were shot with a bow at 47# peak weight, too!
Most of the time, I had a separate hunting bow, but never hunted with a bow over 53# peak weight, and it was almost always more like 50# peak weight for hunting.
I don't have much to change if I want to go from skinny shafts to fat shafts. I have everything measured, marked, and written down. I can change from my skinny shafts to fat shafts or vice-versa in a matter of a couple of minutes and be done with it. I know exactly what to move or re-set and how far to move or re-set what it takes to get 'r dun.
In all my years of shooting, although I've had "spare backup bows", I've never once had to resort to actually being forced to use my "spare" in any tournament situation.
Lucky me, huh?

field14 (Tom D.)


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## cbrunson (Oct 25, 2010)

I tried a 37" bow for outdoor and did't like it. The feel is too different to go back and forth for me. 40" indoors and out.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

If the bow you already have is a good one and worth keeping as one of the two indoor or outdoor then I would get something really close if not the same and just set it up with different arrows and draw weight to do the other job. This way the peep and kisser and draw length and feel will be exactly the same and going back and forth isn't a big issue. 

I just got a cpxl bowtech as my 3d bow and my specialist is my indoor bow, they are different in the grip feel and the cpxl is a little shorter ata but the cams are so freaking big it feels the same at full draw so other than the slightly different grip they feel the same when shooting.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

similar to Field14's post, same bow and draw weight for indoors and out doors and a different hunting bow. and similarly, my hunting bow was never more than 54 or 55 lbs. you just don't need any more than that. also similarly, when I used different arrows for indoor and outdoor, the conversion was just a few minutes of rest adjustment. 
the last time I shot the Badger State Games 900 round, the fellow that won was using his fat spot arrows, because, "he didn't feel like changing everything,just to shoot this one tournament". so even there, fat indoor arrows can and do win in outdoor events.


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## ILOVE3D (Feb 4, 2009)

field14 said:


> For my entire archery career, my "indoor bow" and my outdoor bow have been the SAME BOW at the SAME POUNDAGE, and for many years with the SAME ARROWS, too. I shot all of my personal best scores, indoors and outdoors with correctly spined arrows, and those are NOT fat shafts. The best I've ever done with fatties is 58X...the best I've done with skinny, correctly spined arrows are scads of 60x-300's on the blue face, perfect 300's Vegas (29X being the best), scads of perfect 450's on the 450 round (43X being the best), and too many scores from 555-557 to count on field and hunter rounds.
> Of course all of those were shot with a bow at 47# peak weight, too!
> Most of the time, I had a separate hunting bow, but never hunted with a bow over 53# peak weight, and it was almost always more like 50# peak weight for hunting.
> I don't have much to change if I want to go from skinny shafts to fat shafts. I have everything measured, marked, and written down. I can change from my skinny shafts to fat shafts or vice-versa in a matter of a couple of minutes and be done with it. I know exactly what to move or re-set and how far to move or re-set what it takes to get 'r dun.
> ...


I have to agree with you Tom on one thing, my scores seem to be the same or better with smaller shafts verses the 27's during practice as far as indoors goes. It just seems to make more sense to me that if I have an arrow almost half again as wide I will pick up some of those ones close to the liner but just outside I seem to get with the smaller shafts. I just haven't shot enough indoors with the smaller shafts to convince myself I will score just as high as with the fat ones. That's the difference between a pro like yourself and me. I guess it's like the old saying goes, When your in Rome do as the Roman's do. Being in Vegas it seems like all if not most of the guys that shoot 300's shoot the fat ones. Maybe I need to rethink and make some adjustments to my equipment.


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## wwflake (Oct 15, 2012)

I prefer to shoot a higher poundage outdoors, close to 60#, and closer to 50# for indoor. I know many disagree with this but my best results outdoor and in field shoots is when my bow is at a higher poundage. Right now I am forced to shoot 58 or 59 lbs for both so I dont have to make that many changes. For me it is far preferable to have a bow for each venue. I can't tell you how many times I have skipped shooting a casual outdoor field shoot on Saturday because my bow is set up for and indoor shoot on Sunday. For me I want (emphasis on the word want) to have two bows so that I can shoot more and mess with the bow less.


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## BowFan33 (Mar 27, 2014)

I shoot two identical bows. One set up for indoor/3D and one for field/hunting. I use 27 shafts set up for 3D at a little higher poundage 64lbs to get up to ASA speeds. This bow works just as well for indoor and I have no problem shooting a couple 5 spot rounds back to back. My field/hunting bow is set at 59# and I use the same VAPs for field and hunting. I used 140gn glue ins for the field arrows and 100gn broadheads with 44gn outserts. While I'm a shade higher on arrow weight for hunting the difference is negligible at the short distances for hunting. The great thing is I have both bows set and don't have to change a thing (other than sights) from one type of archery to the next. I actually use just one sight for both bows and change out the scope depending on the activity. 6X lens and circle for Field/Indoor and 3X with pin for 3D/Hunting. A quick change on the Specialty peep from aperture with the 3X and #2 clarifier with the 6X is all that's needed otherwise. This set up dramatically lowered the amount of gear I needed to play in this sport!


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

One bow and one arrow. 2004 Hoyt UltraTec, 37 1/2" ata, won Indoor Aggregate, 3rd in State Indoor, 3rd in Outdoor, Champion in Field. 2010 Martin, 41 1/2" ata, won ASA Indoor DAIR, 2nd in 5 week Indoor 5 spot shop event, several times high overall in club 3Ds, 3rd in ASA State 3D Champion. Have two target bows set up right now using exact same arrow (6.04% FOC), a 37 1/2" ata and 40 1/4" ata and both shoot great indoors and outdoors. Setting same diameter arrows for 15% FOC so I can say I have a Indoor arrow  Other than more FOC I won't change a thing.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

I went through the whole normal sized arrows are more accurate than a fat one thing a couple years ago and I even did some arrow testing and convinced myself that it was true. Thank god I finally woke up and realized that it was just in my head and a confidence thing. Same goes with spines having to be perfect to get a forgiving indoor setup, the 150 spine xxx gold tips are totally screwing up this whole way of thinking as they continue to smoke the x over and over out of so many shooters bows.


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## Padgett (Feb 5, 2010)

My big thing is that if you have one bow that has to serve as a dual purpose bow weather it be hunting and 3d or if it is your indoor and 3d bow then you are better off to just use one arrow that gets the job done instead of trying to switch the bow over all the time.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

Padgett said:


> I went through the whole normal sized arrows are more accurate than a fat one thing a couple years ago and I even did some arrow testing and convinced myself that it was true. Thank god I finally woke up and realized that it was just in my head and a confidence thing. Same goes with spines having to be perfect to get a forgiving indoor setup, the 150 spine xxx gold tips are totally screwing up this whole way of thinking as they continue to smoke the x over and over out of so many shooters bows.


I hear ya. Bow set to 55 pounds. Same .400 spine arrow, vanes, pin bushings, nocks, just kept adding weight to the front. Adjusted only vertical sight setting. Started with my arrow normal 3D arrow with 80 gr glue-in and used 47 grs insert with 85, 100, 125 and 145 gr field points which gave 132, 147, 172 and 192 grs up front. 112 grs over my regular 80 point and no loss of accuracy. If anything I thought perhaps the 47 gr insert and 85 gr point gave something of forgiveness. I worked at a archery shop at the time so long day, hold ups due to customers first, and some screw ups, but shot several shots with each point weight to say, yeah X ring accurate... You can see the X ring got opened up left to right. I don't know, 150+ shots maybe and not one out of the bull's eye.

PMed with Padgett over point weight and spine and got some confidence. I've got some .350 spine arrows that going to pack some weight, all the way to near 300 grs if I want. Bow will set to minimum draw weight of 47 pounds up to max of 58 pounds.


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## Lazarus (Sep 19, 2005)

wwflake said:


> Is there something else that I should be considering besides the slightly larger wind drag of the 40" vs the 37"? Interested in your thoughts.


Back to the OP. Stay with the 40" if you like the 40" 

Think about this, is 3" less ata going to really impact how the bow responds in the wind? Does the amount of wind your bow arm, back, limbs, stabilizers and sight change? No, all of those things stay the same with a 40" bow or a 37" bow, therefore the extra 3" of bow will be inconsequential. .02

Also, it's an outstanding idea to buy exactly the same bow and setup. Just using different arrows and tune. It's an easy switch then. Furthermore you'll have a duplicate backup at your fingertips in the unlikely event that things go south.


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## On_Target (Aug 21, 2009)

I personally love a 40" bow, but recently bought something a bit shorter for 3D....only to pickup my 40" and wonder why. Only reason I honestly picked up a bit of a shorter bow is, A) easier for carrying around the course, b) I'm a bow junky and I can't help it. 

As far as arrows, I shoot Fatboys for indoor and outdoor and think they're a great all around for both. Again as mentioned above, depends on correct spine and point weight.


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## wwflake (Oct 15, 2012)

On_Target said:


> I personally love a 40" bow, but recently bought something a bit shorter for 3D....only to pickup my 40" and wonder why. Only reason I honestly picked up a bit of a shorter bow is, A) easier for carrying around the course, b) I'm a bow junky and I can't help it.
> 
> As far as arrows, I shoot Fatboys for indoor and outdoor and think they're a great all around for both. Again as mentioned above, depends on correct spine and point weight.


I am constantly having to resist getting something different just to try it. Usually I end up coming back to what I am used to.


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## shiftydog (Apr 18, 2013)

I like to use my Contender (GTX - 38-inch ATA, I think) for indoors set at about 52 pounds and my Maitland Zeus (VTR, 36-inch ATA) outdoors set just a pound or two higher. I don't shoot the Zeus nearly as well for 20-yard spots, but for some reason I feel a bit more confident with it at 50-meter or full FITA 1440 events and have shot all my outdoor personal bests with it. Surely that is all in my head. Also, the Zeus is a much faster bow and I think (perhaps foolishly) that is better for dealing with the wind.

I think I could easily get by with one bow for both, but I like the variety of having two as it keeps me on my toes.


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## ron w (Jan 5, 2013)

Padgett said:


> My big thing is that if you have one bow that has to serve as a dual purpose bow weather it be hunting and 3d or if it is your indoor and 3d bow then you are better off to just use one arrow that gets the job done instead of trying to switch the bow over all the time.


 exactly right !. the advantage of larger shafts isn't nearly as responsible for increased scores as good shots and "normal equipment".


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