Cartel Doosung’s Website Update

Recently, Cartel Doosung updated their primary website page to a new design and introduced their new INFINITY line. Here is their news announcement…

CARTEL WEBSITE RENEWAL

We are pleased to announce the renewal of Cartel website as of 28.March 2013 and welcome you to explore its new features. Our recent news articles to be updated in the section “CARTEL NEWS” and you will find our latest advertisement and latest marketing activities in the section.  “MARKETING & ADS”. “PRODUCT INFORMATION” and “ONLINE INQUIRY” sections remain unchanged to deliver more useful information and service for 24 hours online.

Please note that some parts are still under construction and still not fully capable at the moment. However, we hope you will enjoy your visit and do not hesitate to send us your feedback and ideas.

Our commitment to Excellence!

Especially check out their new INFINITY MX-10 STABILIZER system on their New Products page; looks sweet.

Bow Tuning – Advanced Tuning part 2

In this last part of advanced bow tuning series, I will direct you to the expert documents that cover the fine tuning for a recurve bow.

For advanced tuning for plunger and tiller/brace height, I recommend checking out Tuning for Tuning for Tens by Rich Stonebraker and Bow Tuning by Ten Zone. Although both cover the same material both documents together create a great understanding of the tuning methods.

Lastly, is stabilization I recommend reading Going Steady by Andrew Smith. Andrew explains the principles behind using stabilizers, the various types available and how to set one up.

Remember changing one thing can affect the other components and the plunger is no exception. As an example, I changed to a new stabilizer long rod and ended up having to adjust my plunger to compensate.

Apply the simple rule of incremental changes all the while watching for reactions to the change.  That’s the best way to tune a bow, in small steps… Be patience and test each change.

New Midas 302 v-bar

If you are going to use a full stabilizer system, you are going to need a v-bar. A v-bar provides a method to attach the short rods to the stabilizer system. There are several types of v-bars including stationary, partial articulating and full articulating.

Cartel offers a WIDE variety of v-bars including the new 2011 Midas 302. The new Midas 302 v-bar is offered in both 35° and 45° vertical articulating models. It can be adjusted up or down in either vertical direction simply using a single Allen key. What makes the Midas 302 v-bar special is the ability to adjust the levelness of the entire system using the adjustable bolt that is used to attach it to the bow directly or using an extension.

This new 2011 v-bar makes a welcome companion for the Midas MPS Stabilizer system reviewed earlier. If you are investing in a complete stabilizer system, I would strongly recommend the Cartel Midas 302 v-bar.

Choosing the Right Stabilizer System

Ultimately, using a stabilizer system should help reduce vibration and oscillation to control your bow’s reaction and increase your accuracy. Once you reach a level where you are ready to start using a stabilizer system, you need to pick one that is right for you. There are several factors to consider including mass weight, distribution and length to achieve the desired bow reaction.

Most archers believe they can look in a catalogue and pick out the correct stabilizer. I highly recommend consulting a qualified coach for your application of archery whether its bow hunting, target or field archery to help determine the correct stabilizer system for you.

First, consider the mass weight. If the mass weight of the stabilizer is too much for the archer this can cause early fatigue or strain and have long term effects if you are unable to maintain proper form.

Next, consider how the weight is distributed. Some archers want evenly distributed weight and others prefer end-loaded weights to achieve their desired bow’s reaction. Lighter rods allow more weight on the ends without compromising the overall mass weight.

Then consider the length of the stabilizer system long and short rods.  Typically, a bow hunter uses shorter rods that are less cumbersome for trekking through the bush. For target archers we typically use longer style stabilizer system with side rods because the longer lengths gives more stability while shooting. You need to choose the length that suits your height to avoid undue strain on your body.  There are no hard and fast rules however a basic guide is short archers uses shorter lengths and tall archers use longer lengths.

Starting in 2011, Cartel Doosung is introducing the new Midas MPS stabilizer system. MPS stands for the Multi Power System as is part of their complete line of new Midas products.  The extremely lightweight rod design is well suited for archers that want end-loaded set up or can be used by young archers without any weights.  The Midas MPS stabilizer system is fully customizable and the rods are offered in various lengths (26” 28” and 30” Long rods, 9” 10” and 12” Short rods & 4” 5” and 6” extenders) to match any desired configuration.  Cartel also offers a wide variety of other stabilizer systems as reviewed in an earlier blog.

Cartel Stabilizers and the Cartel Midas XD

Stabilization is fundamental to competition archery however most young archers do not understand the science behind them. It is more than eye-candy or ‘bling’ and most young archers want one just to look cool. A stabilizer system reduces vibration, provides a counter-balance to the tension caused by drawing heavier limbs and help stabilize the bow position. The long-rod stabilizer counter-acts the draw weight and provides damping of the string and the side-rods assist stabilizing the left and right motion of the bow.

One precaution is the extra mass weight, it is more important that you are able to first draw more weight. The additional weight can add additional tension and stress to a young archer’s shoulders and have long term effects if you are unable to maintain proper form while shooting. It took several years for me to start using a stabilizer and only recently have been able to add the sidebars. Already a couple of my promising archer friends are no longer shooting after not listening to their coach and started using too heavy stabilizers before they were ready. You need to learn to trust your coach’s opinion; they understand and know what is best, long term, for you.

Cartel offers many options in stabilizers and I have now shot with three; the CR Carbon Stabilizer, the FX 640 Stabilizer and the Midas XD Carbon.

CR Carbon is a great stabilizer for introduction stabilization because it is extremely light, provides great damping for light poundage limbs for minimal investment.

FX 640 is a great stabilizer system for a physically strong archer with heavier poundage limbs. The stabilizer is designed with four aluminum carbon rods and sliding weights. Although the stabilizer has a lot of mass weight for young archers, the weights are able slide back and forth so you can position them for the best damping for your bow.

For the young archer that wants the best of both worlds, I recommend the new Midas XD. The Midas XD provides great stabilization and damping without extra mass weight or huge expense. The non-polished surface does not reflect sunlight that can be distracting while shooting outdoors. Screw-on weights can be added or subtracted to end of the long-rod and side-bars to match even the most experienced archer’s needs. The stabilizer is designed with both red and black carbon fibers inlayed that produce a very cool and attractive pattern.

Once you and your coach decide it is time to begin stabilization, try several different styles until you find the right stabilizer for you. However check out the Midas XD Carbon you may be very pleasantly surprised.