# IBO Hunter Class arrow restrictions



## jgd2305 (Oct 2, 2005)

I understand that the IBO has recently decided to allow 2 inch vanes in hunter class, I think that's a good idea due to their popularity among hunters, so when can we expect them to make a diameter restriction on arrows for hunter class?

Seriously, no one will argue that fat target shafts are not hunting equipment, so why not make a restriction on arrow diameter? I would love to compete in IBO with my set up, but I know there is no way I can be competitive shooting my skinny carbon hunting arrows. Which wouldn't seem like a big deal, except that this is supposed to be "hunter class"

It's not called "Hunter Class, kind of"


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## Grnmtn (Feb 1, 2003)

I hunt with my Easton Fat boys. They are the same size diameter as 2312's a popular AL arrow. It is the indian shooting the arrow from his or her bow that makes it go in the correct spot. You play a balancing game of best arrow flight and accurcy and shaft diameter in some set ups. Shaft diameter may..."may" gain you a couple of points here and there, and take them away in other shooting circumstances like high winds where your thinner shaft will catch less wind.


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## jgd2305 (Oct 2, 2005)

Grnmtn said:


> I hunt with my Easton Fat boys. They are the same size diameter as 2312's a popular AL arrow. It is the indian shooting the arrow from his or her bow that makes it go in the correct spot. You play a balancing game of best arrow flight and accurcy and shaft diameter in some set ups. Shaft diameter may..."may" gain you a couple of points here and there, and take them away in other shooting circumstances like high winds where your thinner shaft will catch less wind.


I appreciate the response from your perspective, I didn't know anyone actually hunted with fatboys, so I wasn't expecting that. 

I don't think it's a question that fat arrows "may...may" gain you a couple points here and there, they do, and that's why people shoot them. Heck, I used to shoot fatboys but stopped when I got sick of resighting for my hunting arrows.

You bring up a good point though, maybe more people shoot fat arrows for hunting than I thought.

Or do people shoot fat arrows for hunting because they are advantageous for target shooting and they don't want to switch? I'm not saying that it's wrong, I'm just trying to get a feel for what guys who shoot hunter class think.


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## tequillaeagle (Jul 1, 2007)

well i have a view on this too, i have been shooting Maximas for a long time and i hav been doing 3d and 5 spot and i notice that i would be getting better #s if i were to use fat shafts, but i want hunting arrows. but i have come to the conclusion that i only shoot about 3 arrows if im lucky at deer all year and the rest is all target . so on that conclusion im going to get some fat shafts and hunt with them.


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## mattawamkeag (Jan 16, 2007)

Grnmtn said:


> I hunt with my Easton Fat boys. They are the same size diameter as 2312's a popular AL arrow. It is the indian shooting the arrow from his or her bow that makes it go in the correct spot. You play a balancing game of best arrow flight and accurcy and shaft diameter in some set ups. Shaft diameter may..."may" gain you a couple of points here and there, and take them away in other shooting circumstances like high winds where your thinner shaft will catch less wind.





...GSB Grnmtn? That Brian?


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## boojo35 (Jul 16, 2005)

If you pay attention to the pro's, semi pro's etc, and even guys shooting field you will see that there are a gazillion top shooters that don't use fat shafts outdoors. The fact is that the wind drift can actually cause you to lose more points than the fat shafts will pick up... In hunter class they might be more useful due to the shorter yardages....


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## mag41vance (Mar 13, 2008)

I use Fatboys for all my archery needs. (for now)
I only have one target bow set up so it simplifies things for me. I get superior broadhead flight with the Fatboys in my hunting bow.
I shot Fatboys in a State tournament last year, and the competetors in my groups don't care for them being in the target either before or after they shoot. I finished sixth. It was my first Field State event, and I learned alot.


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## flintcreek6412 (Jun 27, 2006)

Lets use an extreme example here if we may.

A target guy is trying to get the most of his line cutting advantage so he shoots a 25/64 arrow. Freaking huge by hunting standards but not uncommon in the spots world. A bit big in the 3d world though.

Now the poor hunter, me, steps up with my Axis or Beman Team Realtrees at 17/64. This is considered small by a great many hunters but it is what I use.

That is a huge 8/64 difference that converts to 1/8" difference that the target guy has over me. But you must consider that the 1/8" is spread across the entire diameter of the arrow. Thus, from the true center of impact of your arrow you will only gain a 1/16" advantage all the way around the arrow. That is the smallest little line on most tape measures(refer to exhibit 1) that no one except us trim carpenters know how to use. 

And remember that this is the most extreme example. The largest arrow I usually see at 3d is a 22/64 arrow and most hunters are in the 9/32 to 19/64 area so you can realistically call it a 1/32" difference or less.

I've scored a few targets in my days and I can honestly say that I've only seen 1 or 2 arrows ever that would benefit from the larger size. You are way better off shooting an arrow that you are confident with IMO.


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## 3arrows (Mar 4, 2008)

You can either hit the center OR you cannot!


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## Mrwintr (Jan 15, 2006)

I remember back in the day when there weren't any skinny carbon arrows, back then everyone hunted with fat arrows because that is all there was.
I have Fatboys, GT XT's, Victory's and ACC's and my ACC's are by far the most consistant and accurate and they are the skinniest.


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## Kstigall (Feb 24, 2004)

I thought it was Advanced Hunter where you can use 2" fletch. I thought Hunter class had been left at 4"....................... I was mistaken!!! 2" it is!



jgd2305 said:


> I understand that the IBO has recently decided to allow 2 inch vanes in hunter class, I think that's a good idea due to their popularity among hunters, so when can we expect them to make a diameter restriction on arrows for hunter class?
> 
> Seriously, no one will argue that fat target shafts are not hunting equipment, so why not make a restriction on arrow diameter? I would love to compete in IBO with my set up, but I know there is no way I can be competitive shooting my skinny carbon hunting arrows. Which wouldn't seem like a big deal, except that this is supposed to be "hunter class"
> 
> It's not called "Hunter Class, kind of"


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## pass-thru prod. (Mar 6, 2008)

I'm using victory x-ringer HV's with blazers.


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## jcs-bowhunter (Jul 7, 2007)

I would not worry too much about arrow selection being the make-or-break decision in IBO Hunter and Advanced Hunter classes. You will be up against guys with Back Tension releases, excellent yardage estimation skills, rock solid shooting form and a whole lot of 3D experience. This is an entry level class based on equipment, but it is ruled by experienced shooters.


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## jgd2305 (Oct 2, 2005)

Thanks for all of the responses guys, a lot of very good information on this thread.

:thumbs_up


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## mathewdbl_lung (Mar 17, 2008)

flintcreek6412 said:


> Lets use an extreme example here if we may.
> 
> A target guy is trying to get the most of his line cutting advantage so he shoots a 25/64 arrow. Freaking huge by hunting standards but not uncommon in the spots world. A bit big in the 3d world though.
> 
> ...


I shot fat shafts last year and would say they can gain the shooter as much as 12 pts on 40 targets.:wink: There are ALOT of shots called ten that are literaly just a hair away from the 12. I started 3ding last year and had little to no experience before. I shot an IBO qualifier in the hunter class and shot like 15 up. I got 3rd, there are alot of experienced shooters in the class, but can only make you strive to become better.


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## Grnmtn (Feb 1, 2003)

Mattawamkeag... Yup that is me.


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## HoodIN (Mar 27, 2006)

jcs-bowhunter said:


> I would not worry too much about arrow selection being the make-or-break decision in IBO Hunter and Advanced Hunter classes. You will be up against guys with Back Tension releases, excellent yardage estimation skills, rock solid shooting form and a whole lot of 3D experience. This is an entry level class based on equipment, but it is ruled by experienced shooters.


:thumbs_up


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## AndyMo (Oct 25, 2005)

I own one bow currently. There is no doubt that shooting a fat shaft is a huge advantage for indoor spots. I shoot those same 2512s for 3D simply because I don't have time or money to completely retune my set up between Tuesday night spots and Sat/Sun 3D shoots. I'm not exactly a threat to win anyway... I've only been in the target game for about a year. The one thing that I really do like about the bigger aluminums though is they pull out of 3D targets SOOOOOOO much easier, and no doubt do less damage while they are at it.

When I get a dedicated target bow, you'll see me shooting ACCs or carbons again for 3D..... my true hunting rig. In the meanwhile... I have fun with what I got.... and thats why I'm there.


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## aheuck (Feb 12, 2009)

i am looking at competing in an IBO qualifier. i hunt with carbon express terminator 6075 arrows and a bowtech tomkat. i can shoot a 2.5 to 4 inch grouping consistently. what do you think? will this set up be good for the hunter class?


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## mattawamkeag (Jan 16, 2007)

Grnmtn said:


> Mattawamkeag... Yup that is me.




Hi Brian, I don't think we've shot together but I've seen you around the GSB clubs from time to time.

Perry


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## SCAmmo (Feb 11, 2009)

4" consistant is decent...better to be 3 or lower. ideally you want to be around the 2" grouping....to leave a little more wiggle room in the vitals.


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## jcs-bowhunter (Jul 7, 2007)

aheuck said:


> i am looking at competing in an IBO qualifier. i hunt with carbon express terminator 6075 arrows and a bowtech tomkat. i can shoot a 2.5 to 4 inch grouping consistently. what do you think? will this set up be good for the hunter class?


Just go and have fun!


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## aheuck (Feb 12, 2009)

thanks. would these arrows be fine for competition?


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## jcs-bowhunter (Jul 7, 2007)

aheuck said:


> thanks. would these arrows be fine for competition?



I'm not familiar with those arrows. but if they shoot well for you then give them a try. You'll get lots of different replys about equipment on these forums. As a general rule, you should shoot a light arrow for 3d, most shoot between 5 & 6 grains per pound for the flattest trajectory. Do you know how much they weigh in grains?


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## archerm3 (Jan 4, 2007)

jgd2305 said:


> I understand that the IBO has recently decided to allow 2 inch vanes in hunter class, I think that's a good idea due to their popularity among hunters, so when can we expect them to make a diameter restriction on arrows for hunter class?
> 
> Seriously, no one will argue that fat target shafts are not hunting equipment, so why not make a restriction on arrow diameter? I would love to compete in IBO with my set up, but I know there is no way I can be competitive shooting my skinny carbon hunting arrows. Which wouldn't seem like a big deal, except that this is supposed to be "hunter class"
> 
> It's not called "Hunter Class, kind of"


I would hardly say that "there is no way you can be competitive" with skinny carbon arrows, in hunter class. Shooting ability trumps the maybe, just maybe 1 point per tourney that 1/16" might get you or your competitor. Notice I didn't say 3 points, because if you're shooting that many 5's and 8's, you aint competitive anyways. Now, if you consistently, like I'm talking 6-8 consecutive tourneys, find yourself in the number 2 or 3 position by a couple of points, then you might consider a larger shaft "MIGHT" have helped you.


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## archerm3 (Jan 4, 2007)

jgd2305 said:


> I appreciate the response from your perspective, I didn't know anyone actually hunted with fatboys, so I wasn't expecting that.
> 
> I don't think it's a question that fat arrows "may...may" gain you a couple points here and there, they do, and that's why people shoot them. Heck, I used to shoot fatboys but stopped when I got sick of resighting for my hunting arrows.
> 
> ...


yes. Personally I got tired of having three or four different rigs to setup and maintain (3d, Field, Indoor, hunt), not to mention the rest of my collection I like to shoot from time to time (trad, older bows) so having one system lets me spend more time on the range practicing form instead of retuning equipment.


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## archerm3 (Jan 4, 2007)

flintcreek6412 said:


> Lets use an extreme example here if we may.
> 
> A target guy is trying to get the most of his line cutting advantage so he shoots a 25/64 arrow. Freaking huge by hunting standards but not uncommon in the spots world. A bit big in the 3d world though.
> 
> ...


I think I'd fire a trim carpenter that limited their cutting accuracy to 1/16" instead of 1/32" Gaps and bowed edges suck. :whip2: j/k, or am I? lol

Excellent point on the radius vs diameter, I was going to make it but you beat me to it..


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## archerm3 (Jan 4, 2007)

mathewdbl_lung said:


> I shot fat shafts last year and would say they can gain the shooter as much as 12 pts on 40 targets.:wink: There are ALOT of shots called ten that are literaly just a hair away from the 12. I started 3ding last year and had little to no experience before. I shot an IBO qualifier in the hunter class and shot like 15 up. I got 3rd, there are alot of experienced shooters in the class, but can only make you strive to become better.


I thought IBO's scored 11's and not 12's.


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## aheuck (Feb 12, 2009)

jcs-bowhunter said:


> I'm not familiar with those arrows. but if they shoot well for you then give them a try. You'll get lots of different replys about equipment on these forums. As a general rule, you should shoot a light arrow for 3d, most shoot between 5 & 6 grains per pound for the flattest trajectory. Do you know how much they weigh in grains?


9.1 Grains per inch on the 6075.... i am shooting around 68 pounds draw weight


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## jcs-bowhunter (Jul 7, 2007)

aheuck said:


> 9.1 Grains per inch on the 6075.... i am shooting around 68 pounds draw weight


Assuming a 28" shaft at 255gr + 100gr point + 20 gr insert + 30gr for nock and feathers = @405gr divided by 68 = 5.95 gr/lb. I made a lot of guesses here but you should be good to go. PM me if you want to discuss any specifics. Good luck!


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## jwolfe78 (Mar 10, 2006)

jgd2305 said:


> I understand that the IBO has recently decided to allow 2 inch vanes in hunter class, I think that's a good idea due to their popularity among hunters, so when can we expect them to make a diameter restriction on arrows for hunter class?
> 
> Seriously, no one will argue that fat target shafts are not hunting equipment, so why not make a restriction on arrow diameter? I would love to compete in IBO with my set up, but I know there is no way I can be competitive shooting my skinny carbon hunting arrows. Which wouldn't seem like a big deal, except that this is supposed to be "hunter class"
> 
> It's not called "Hunter Class, kind of"


I don't shoot the HC anymore.... but I dont think they can really limit the shaft size.. I know a lot of guys that shoot 2512's hunting.. I've also taken' game w/ X-cutters. I may fletch up some XXX's or 2712's and see how they'll do.


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## spookit (Sep 10, 2006)

i shoot the cxl 250s for 3d and hunting


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## PAFD ARCHER (Jan 31, 2008)

*Arrow size*

I personnaly shoot the hunter class with easton lightspeed shafts. Small arrows i average 290 to 299 out of 330 points. This is my 2nd year shooting and i have learned that im either in or im out the line cutters just give u the extra asurance if your close you may get the higher score or you dont. My 2cents


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## steelhead.8 (Feb 23, 2009)

*arrow size*

i shoot hunter class and do well with small shaft arrows i was 2nd ny.state champ. last year and in the top 30s at worlds ,choked the first day.there were guys shooting the fat shaft arrows and it didnt matter.what realy matters is how well you can shoot what your comfortable with.thats just my thoughts.


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## mws65 (Jul 23, 2003)

I shoot ACC 3-39s and a friend shoots ACEs and there even smaller then my 3-39s. He is one of the top in the state TX West TX nthe wind has alot to due with shooting small arrow.
Mike


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