Luminoks

[blue devil]

Are luminoks worth getting for archery hunting or is the money better spent on other archery equipment? Any advice would help. I hunt Montana mulies, antelope and SD deer, so a broad range of landscape. I've heard in heavy wooded areas they can really help?

 

[BOHNTR]

Personally, I've never understood why people want them.........adding weight to the rear portion of the arrow is not what promotes good arrow flight.

 

[MNHunter]

Cool concept but the added weight at the end of the arrow/bolt coupled with the difficulty of installing them made it a complete waste of money for me

 

[Elkwhisper]

Illegal in MT....

 

[blue devil]

Thanks for the advice and was just wondering. I will spend money elsewhere

 

[thecrittergitter]

You guys should go weigh both nocks and find out the difference..............its not enough to have any effect on your arrow flight. I use them when i'm hunting in KS and love them. It is pretty dang awesome when you can see perfectly where your arrow hits. I think MT rule of not allowing them is stupid as hell. I understand the concept of the not having anything on your arrow that aids in the taking of game but a luminok doesn't do that. It aids in finding your arrow once its been shot, and helping you see where you hit the animal, but you still have to make the same shot as with a regular nock.

I do think they are overpriced for sure but anytime i can use them, i will. Both of my kansas bucks i've killed using them and it was dang reasurring especially since both were shot in the last minutes of shooting light, that i could see exactly where both shots hit the deer.

 

[TLC]

not crazy about the lumenoks, but do like, and use, the archers flame lighted nocks. got over a thousend shots on each one of them before they started losing power. as CG said, cool to watch where your arrow hits the critter you are hunting, or as in my case, miss the critter(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r9KFfuq9uM), and also makes it easier to find the arrow after the shot. same here. no significant weight added to the arrow. after installing them, did not have to change the sight.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Lumenocks.... I don't always shoot them, however, I like them.

1. you can see exactly where the arrow goes into the animal (i'm not perfect everytime).
2. If you should miss the arrows are easy to find in the dark or low light, even those pass through shots.
3. very easy to use and install. Just replace the old nock.
4. When in Wyoming last year I missed my first antelope buck (got nervous & it went over the back). I could not find the arrow so I came back that night and there it was bright as day in the sage brush. Saved the price of the arrow + broadhead.

I got some of those that work via "magnet", (they were really cheap on sale) and they are a pain to operate.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[bow hunter]

i was going to say the same thing randy. they have zero effect on arrow flight and i believe it helps in the ithics of hunting. with the speed of todays bows, it is often difficult to see the your arrow when it hits it target. the lighted nocks aid the hunter in this. if you hit the animal a bit too far back, or high, you know how much time you should give the animal to expire so that he isnt pushed. i believe it should be legal in all states!

 

[bow hunter]

um, that would be ethical, not ithical lol

 

[schmalts]

Depending on what and where, I usually like them. Makes it much easier to judge where your hit was, and if you should wait longer to start tracking. A definit yes for north woods WT deer.
The weight difference is very minimal

 

[BOHNTR]

they have zero effect on arrow flight

Uhhh, I have a hooter shooter machine that says otherwise. They definitely can change FOC. They are cool looking streaking through the air.......as for knowing where my hit was, I can usually tell that by the sign left or simply watch the arrow.

 

[Brandenbowhunter]

Watch footage with them on...looks cool, but often nock travel is all over the place...because they do affect arrow flight...you have to add weight back to the front..and they do affect the spine of your arrow. you can fix this by messing with weight on both ends of the arrow. I shoot really heavy arrows, they are fun to play with...I get MT law..too bad people weren't always honest for why they used gear...you can shoot in low light better with them, because you see where the arrow goes.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

One thing that bothers me about the debate to legalize lighted nocks is how the advocates always say "they do nothing but aid in finding your arrow or seeing where it hit". Then they go on to say "with these super fast arrows I need help to see my impact point". I have been involved in this debate here in Oregon this last week or so and in the midst of that debate I had a friend tell me during an unrelated conversation that he has gone back to 2315 arrows with 5" fletch so that he can (legally) see where his arrow hits. How ironic! So if we legalize them here he will switch back to flatter shooting carbon arrows and gain more than just the ability to see his arrows which he can do already if he shoots the larger slower aluminum arrows. Hmmmm, guess they could help a person be more effective with a bow.

The more I look at it, the slippery the slope looks when we go ahead and allow electronics on our arrows.

It's going to happen in a lot of places based on what I am seeing. While watching some whitetail hunt the other night (Nothing else was on the TV) one of crew went on and on about how he was going to "send a lighted nock thru a deer" which I have no doubt got a few of the kids all excited to do the same. Too bad he is making money to say it and they will just be pissing it away more than likely.

 

[StrutNut]

I dont like the luminocks, although bright they are heavier and the quality is not as good as Nocturnals. They are very good. I do like them especially when hunting low light or areas with tall grass. They really do aid in retrieving your arrow. I also like to know where I hit in low light. I dont have the ability to go back to the camera to replay and see if I should backout or wait 30 minutes and pick up the trail. My point of impact is exactly the same with or without the Nocturnals at all hunting distances.

 

[PFUNK]

One thing that bothers me about the debate to legalize lighted nocks is how the advocates always say "they do nothing but aid in finding your arrow or seeing where it hit". Then they go on to say "with these super fast arrows I need help to see my impact point". I have been involved in this debate here in Oregon this last week or so and in the midst of that debate I had a friend tell me during an unrelated conversation that he has gone back to 2315 arrows with 5" fletch so that he can (legally) see where his arrow hits. How ironic! So if we legalize them here he will switch back to flatter shooting carbon arrows and gain more than just the ability to see his arrows which he can do already if he shoots the larger slower aluminum arrows. Hmmmm, guess they could help a person be more effective with a bow.

The more I look at it, the slippery the slope looks when we go ahead and allow electronics on our arrows.

It's going to happen in a lot of places based on what I am seeing. While watching some whitetail hunt the other night (Nothing else was on the TV) one of crew went on and on about how he was going to "send a lighted nock thru a deer" which I have no doubt got a few of the kids all excited to do the same. Too bad he is making money to say it and they will just be pissing it away more than likely.

I don't think the use of the lighted nock here improves "effectiveness" in any way. Say you are a crappy shot with regular nocks.... put on a lighted nock and it isn't going to make you a better shot. You are therefore no more "effective" at killing an animal than you were with a regular nock. If your buddy is a good shot without the lighted nocks, I don't know why he would put down the carbon arrows. Trust your abilities and only take the shots you feel comfortable taking. Putting a lighted nock on isn't giving you the ability to make a shot you wouldn't have otherwise been able to make. A lighted nock should not extend your time window to be able to shoot. If it is light enough for you to see your pins and the animal (as it often is if you follow legal shooting hours), you should be able to comfortably take that shot (or not take it) regardless of whether or not your nock is lighted.... because it will not make your shot better. The danger arises when people feel that a lighted nock improves their low light shooting ability... which it does not. Does it make it easier to see exactly where that arrow hit and aid in retrieving it? Yep... I think so. I am all for them for this reason. There are countless products out there that may fool hunters into thinking their "ability" or "effectiveness" is increased, and plenty of those are legal. One example I think of are rangefinders that calculate distance while figuring slope into equation. Immediately some hunters may think "hey now I can range that deer more accurately and improve my chances at killing it"...BUT they may fail to remember that their shooting ability isn't good enough to shoot out to 50 yards. My point is.... it isn't the product that is dangerous, it's the ability of the product to make hunters think it makes them "better". There is no substitute for personal, ethical hunting judgement. It's too bad so many people think a product can make them a better hunter overnight, because it unfortunately prevents a lot of useful products from being used by ethical hunters who could benefit from their use. Just my two cents.

 

[Joe Hulburt]

I don't think the use of the lighted nock here improves "effectiveness" in any way. Say you are a crappy shot with regular nocks.... put on a lighted nock and it isn't going to make you a better shot. You are therefore no more "effective" at killing an animal than you were with a regular nock. If your buddy is a good shot without the lighted nocks, I don't know why he would put down the carbon arrows. Trust your abilities and only take the shots you feel comfortable taking. Putting a lighted nock on isn't giving you the ability to make a shot you wouldn't have otherwise been able to make. A lighted nock should not extend your time window to be able to shoot. If it is light enough for you to see your pins and the animal (as it often is if you follow legal shooting hours), you should be able to comfortably take that shot (or not take it) regardless of whether or not your nock is lighted.... because it will not make your shot better. The danger arises when people feel that a lighted nock improves their low light shooting ability... which it does not. Does it make it easier to see exactly where that arrow hit and aid in retrieving it? Yep... I think so. I am all for them for this reason. There are countless products out there that may fool hunters into thinking their "ability" or "effectiveness" is increased, and plenty of those are legal. One example I think of are rangefinders that calculate distance while figuring slope into equation. Immediately some hunters may think "hey now I can range that deer more accurately and improve my chances at killing it"...BUT they may fail to remember that their shooting ability isn't good enough to shoot out to 50 yards. My point is.... it isn't the product that is dangerous, it's the ability of the product to make hunters think it makes them "better". There is no substitute for personal, ethical hunting judgement. It's too bad so many people think a product can make them a better hunter overnight, because it unfortunately prevents a lot of useful products from being used by ethical hunters who could benefit from their use. Just my two cents.

I can't say I disagree with much of what you have to say other than I expect there to be at least some increase in low light shooting when they become legalized. Not by ethical hunters and I know it's not a popular idea to regulate everybody because of the few idiots among us but I still see a slippery slope.

Once we get electronics on our arrows then this will probably be close behind......

http://www.ezflipmags.com/Magazines/View/ArrowTrade_Magazine/23/12/

I sure hope not but it does make me concerned about how far our primitive activity will evolve. It's already gone to far according to many people here and we have some separate seasons that are "Traditional Only" already which I feel is an unfortunate division. They tell me I am elitist a lot when I discuss this subject and it may well be true but to me I am just a simple minded compound loving bowhunter.

 

[Southwind]

They do nothing to help aid you until they are fired so they give you no advantage in making the shot. They do help you see where your shot hit or find an arrow as more of a recovery aid. I use them in heavy timbered areas that are naturally dark. They also make for real cool pictures in low light.

 

[PFUNK]

I can't say I disagree with much of what you have to say other than I expect there to be at least some increase in low light shooting when they become legalized. Not by ethical hunters and I know it's not a popular idea to regulate everybody because of the few idiots among us but I still see a slippery slope.

Once we get electronics on our arrows then this will probably be close behind......

http://www.ezflipmags.com/Magazines/View/ArrowTrade_Magazine/23/12/

I sure hope not but it does make me concerned about how far our primitive activity will evolve. It's already gone to far according to many people here and we have some separate seasons that are "Traditional Only" already which I feel is an unfortunate division. They tell me I am elitist a lot when I discuss this subject and it may well be true but to me I am just a simple minded compound loving bowhunter.

Unfortunately those slippery slopes are everywhere in society today... certainly not limited to the outdoors and perhaps far more serious/dangerous in other areas. It is the price paid for an age of technological advances. We always want more, more, more and because of this mentality a lot of really awesome and really useful products have come out that make hunting/fishing more doable/enjoyable. We are certainly responsible for setting the limits on how far we allow this technology to advance. As far as I'm concerned though, lighted nocks should not be too high on the priority list of things to be worried about. Like has been stated, they don't make you a better shot. Rifle scope/rangefinder that moves the reticle for you based on distance.... I'd say that can make you more effective because you might lack the skills needed to calculate your hold point, but may be a great shot. Soon enough there will probably be a boatload of devices/weapons just like that one that make the hunter truly more effective... then we'll really be fighting a war to keep the line drawn somewhere that gives the animal a fair chance of survival. Don't blame you at all for anticipating that some guys will assume they can shoot in the dark because they have a lighted nock... I'm sure some will. But at the same time, they're probably doing plenty of other things most would consider unethical anyhow. In the end, the ethical hunter pays the price. Metallica says it best... sad but true.

 

[Khunter]

I do not want to read all the blather at the start of this thread. Is it about the "Lighted Knockers" topic we keep hearing about?

I like the sound of that but not electronics on archwry equipment.