Stumped?

[6speed]

So I've heard people say stumping is good practice for bow season and I figure it is most likely true. Varying terrain, distances and shooting lanes in the same general area where you hunt can't be a bad thing. So I bought some blunt tips and headed out, all the while wondering. What will this carbon arrow do when it hits the stump? I found a trophy specimen, put a little stock on it (I hope no one was watching) judged the distance without a rangefinder drew fired and made a great 30 yard shot hitting within 1/2" of the knot I had my pin on. However, not to my surprise the arrow did exactly what I figured it would do. It shot strait into the air in 3 pieces held together with a little ribbon of carbon fiber. I figured I would try some aluminum arrows but I can't imagine the sudden stop will be much better for them. So what arrow do you use for this practice?

 

[fishing4sanity]

If you're going to keep 'stumping' for practice, I'd suggest using your hunting buddies arrows. Probably good practice, but it sounds too expensive, 3D shoots or buying a 3D target might be better.

 

[sweetnectar]

The only thing I've found that works is stumping only at distances greater than 65 yards. By then the arrows velocity slows enough to give it a fighting chance. Anything closer was getting very expensive. My best aluminum arrow lasted about 15 shots of stumping at around 45 yards before it was bent too much to make me feel safe to even shoot it again. The carbons I've tried it with were much stronger...the main problem was the knocks tended to disintegrate on impact.
Long story short I like to carry around an arrow with a judo point on it and shoot distances greater than65 yards. It doesn't help much with practicing for actually shots on animals...considering ethical shots and all... but it is entertaining.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Part of the great art of stumping is learning to discern which stumps are rotten enough to shoot. One should never stump shoot in a recent clear cut.

I used to do it a lot when I shot recurve. I wasn't shooting as much KE as my compound has and I could shoot each arrow dozens of times without bending or breaking it. Now I don't stump shoot very much for the same reasons you experienced.

I will shoot judos at grass clumps and dirt clods though. The arrow can shed energy on a couple bounces instead of coming to an abrupt stop.

 

[WapitiBob]

Stump shooting was born in the longbow/recurve days. Bid difference between then and now.

 

[dexnrex]

I try to shoot my judo arrow a few times a day while hunting just to make sure everything is on. I shoot the same carbon arrow all season. The key, as mentioned above, is discerning forgiving "stumps". That being said I rarely shoot stumps. I'll shoot clumps of grass, pine cones, sagebrush, wild flowers, ect.

I think a judo point would be a much better choice than a rubber blunt.

 

[6speed]

Thanks for the replies, looks like I need to go grab a judo point or two and start hunting something softer. The country I hunt is so dry rotten stumps are almost as hard to find as trophy elk.