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BLADERUNNER...CHANGING CONVENTIONAL THOUGHT

At the heart of any new concept in archery product design should be one primary goal. That goal should be to provide a product that makes it easier for the archer to become more proficient, more accurate, and more successful. For many designers of archery equipment, one approach toward achieving this goal has been to consider problems that archers have had to deal with in obtaining acceptable arrow flight and then to design products that attempt to address those problems. This approach has, of course, given rise to a host of new products, many of which have indeed been very beneficial.

Our approach at BLADERUNNER ARCHERY has been somewhat different and much more challenging. Our research into the problems associated with obtaining the best arrow flight revealed that almost all of the problems occurred as a result of the basic geometry of conventional compound bow design. So, as opposed to attempting to come up with innovative ways to deal with problems originating from the bow by means of accessories, gadgets, and the like, we took on the task of eliminating the problems from the bow itself by providing a completely revolutionary bow design concept. The BLADERUNNER ISO-FORCE is the result of this endeavor and it accomplishes our objective in spades.

Most archers and bowhunters today are quick to embrace new products that might help in dealing with difficulties in tuning and obtaining good arrow flight and there are a number of very innovative products on the market designed to do just that. However, it is important to point out that most of these products are designed to address problems that are present as a result of the dynamics of conventional compound bow design. While they may provide some benefit when used on conventional bows, they are in most cases unnecessary on the BLADERUNNER. In some cases, products of this nature may even introduce unnecessary problems with respect to tuning and arrow flight.

One example of such a product is that of the very popular “drop-away” type arrow rest. Most everyone is familiar with the concept behind the “drop-away” design. At brace, the arrow support is in the down position. Then, as the bowstring is drawn to the full draw position, the arrow support is raised, usually by means of a cord connected to one of the cables, to the position that places the arrow where it should be when launched. When the bowstring is released, the arrow support is quickly returned to the down position by means of a spring or some other device so that it is completely clear of the arrow shaft and fletching during launch. The concept of having the arrow rest completely clear of the arrow during launch makes a lot of sense for conventional compound bows. This is because, from the instant that the bowstring is released, the arrow is bending and continues to bend for the duration of time that the arrow passes the rest. This means that the shaft, not being in perfect alignment with the rest, is inducing bias forces to the rest resulting in an irregular steering effect. Additionally, the tail end of the arrow shaft will most likely pass the rest at an angle making fletching contact difficult to avoid. If the spine, weight, balance, and straightness of each arrow of a group are not precisely matched, the effect of the influence of contact with rest will differ from arrow to arrow. The “drop-away” type rest addresses these issues. But, what if these issues did not exist? What if the bow did not create bending in the arrow and the arrow was traveling straight, not lunging toward the rest, and free from any bending or oscillation as it passed over the rest? The BLADERUNNER, with its unique geometry and ISOMETRIC design, does not create bending in the arrow shaft during launch. So, assuming that the arrow shaft is properly adjusted to the nock to clear the rest, the only contact will be the arrow shaft as it travels a straight path along the rest while maintaining proper alignment and minimal contact. Thus the elements of irregular steering caused by bias forces between the rest and the shaft and fletching contact are virtually eliminated. Would it hurt to use a “drop-away” type arrow rest on a BLADERUNNER bow? Not at all, provided that you can adapt the means of operating the drop-away feature. But, realistically, why bother? A less complex and most likely less expensive rest will provide fantastic arrow flight. The drop-away rest is a great invention that helps with problems encountered on conventional compound bows. But for the BLADERUNNER, you do not need to address a problem that does not exist.

Another recent innovation is that of arrow vanes with unique features that create a much higher rate of spin than that of conventional vanes. In theory, this is a great concept. An arrow that is launched from a conventional compound bow is dramatically unstable during the greatest portion of its flight due to archer’s paradox. The fletching that is either helical or offset will create drag and induce spin to the shaft and will help to stabilize the shaft in flight. The steeper the rate of spin, up to a point, theoretically, the quicker the projectile will stabilize. However, the rate of spin must be carefully chosen. Most of us are familiar with the rifling in a gun barrel that has a particular rate of twist for a given bullet. A certain amount of spin must be created in order to stabilize the bullet because the bullet is not inherently stable in flight. One might think that, if a certain amount of spin is good, then a lot more spin must be better. This is not necessarily so. The rate of spin is carefully designed because too little spin will not sufficiently stabilize the bullet within a reasonable range and too much spin can cause the bullet to over-stabilize and overstress the bullet in flight. To a great extent the same principals apply to the arrow. Because an arrow launched from a conventional compound bow is dramatically unstable in flight due to archer’s paradox, the spin created by the fletching is necessary to help stabilize the arrow. As with the example of the bullet, just the right amount of spin will have the most beneficial effect.Too little spin will not act on the oscillation of the arrow about its trajectory sufficiently to help stabilize the arrow within an effective range while too much spin could actually over-stabilize the arrow. How could over-stabilizing the arrow be a bad thing? After all, at such a low velocity relative to the velocity of a bullet, stresses imposed on the components of an arrow has other ramifications. First, an extremely high rate of spin may create a higher degree of sensitivity to variations in spine, weight, straightness, and balance point between arrows with respect to the effect on point of impact. Secondly, and more important, is the fact that an extremely high rate of spin means that the arrow starts to spin more aggressively at the instant that the arrow leaves the bowstring. This means that, most likely, the fletching are rotating at a more pronounced rate as they pass the arrow rest causing substantially more of an issue with arrow rest contact, particularly with “full capture” type rests. Of course, if a “drop-away” type rest is used in conjunction with vanes that induce an extremely high rate of spin, and arrows are precisely matched, some improvements may well be realized when used on a conventional compound bow. However, this is yet another area where a very innovative concept that is designed to deal with problems that are inherent in conventional compound bows should be of no concern with respect to the BLADERUNNER. Because the BLADERUNNER virtually eliminates archer’s paradox and provides unparalleled arrow flight, an unusually steep rate of spin in unnecessary. In fact, our tests have shown that extremely small diameter arrow shafts that will accommodate only the slightest degree of offset for the vanes produce unbelievably stable and accurate arrow flight. Even extremely small profile vanes that are very close to a straight fletch condition work extremely well and, of course, cause no problems whatsoever with arrow rest clearance. So, when you are considering fletching for your arrows for a BLADERUNNER, remember again that there are problems that you have encountered with conventional bows that just don’t exist with the BLADERUNNER. With that said, you will still be best served by obtaining the highest quality arrow components possible and paying close attention to proper arrow construction, F.O.C. balance, and matching completed arrows as closely as possible. But because the BLADERUNNER is unique in its balanced dynamic geometry, we feel that you will find that arrow selection is not only a lot easier to deal with, but most likely less expensive as well.

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