Pennsylvania Game News - January 2019 - 57

first hour, I'd have to leave it all day and
return after work. No more!
But lighted nocks have made game
recovery much easier.

COST & WEIGHT
The importance of recovering game
is what led the Game Commission
in 2007 to officially legalize lighted
nocks, and the Pope and Young Club
in 2014 to amend its bylaws to permit
lighted-nock harvests to be eligible for
their official records.
But for all the promise lighted nocks
offer, some bowhunters balk at their
cost or the additional weight some
lighted nocks add to the back of the
arrow.
Concerns over a lighted nock's
weight stem from the belief it will
change the arrow's FOC, or front-ofcenter.
FOC defines the percentage of an
arrow's total weight in the arrow's
front half.
The greater the weight, the more
forward the arrow's center of balance.
It's one of many variables to be
considered when tuning arrow flight.
Admittedly, additional weight on an
arrow's tail will diminish the FOC percentage, and potentially decrease both
penetration and downrange accuracy.
This certainly is a concern if longer
shots are anticipated.
But most Pennsylvania whitetails are
killed within 25 yards.
And, personally, I've found the addition of a lighted nock to my hunting
arrow to have had a negligible effect
on both penetration and accuracy at the
ranges I shoot.
To offset the FOC change some
lighted nocks cause, some shooters go
to a heavier brass insert to compensate
JANUARY 2019

for the shift in arrow weight.

CHOOSING A NOCK
Lighted nocks are designed to provide a bright light that lasts a minimum
of 24 hours, but some go more than 40
hours.
All lighted nocks currently on the
market turn on when the arrow is
launched, but there are differences in
the way they activate.
Lumenoks activate as the bowstring
pushes the nock forward, completing a
circuit with the arrow shaft. They have
no switches or moving parts, and stay lit
up to 40 hours. They turn off by pulling
back the nock.
Firenocks use an advanced circuit
board that activates the nock's light
when the arrow exceeds a certain
speed. They are durable and remain lit
after hitting hard objects, such as bone.
Other don't. They turn off by dropping
the arrow nock-first on a hard surface.
Launchpad nocks offer shooters
bright light, long battery life and a
lightweight design that has little effect
on the arrow's FOC. They can be turned
off after the shot by pulling back the
nock.
Nockturnal nocks go straight from
the package to the shaft in fully operational condition. There's no prep work.
The nock features a piston-driven
switch that ensures illumination every
time. Turning them off in the field can
be a challenge because the switch is
accessed through a small port, which is
difficult to see when the nock is glowing. They also offer long battery life.
Do your homework before you make
a purchase and be sure to follow their
instructions. Then take comfort in knowing you'll have more than blood to follow
the next time you have a deer down.
57
Pennsylvania Game News - January 2019

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