I definitely cheat with my shoot shafts. My router jig has 1/2" inlet holes and swappable outlet holes (23/64, 11/32, 21/64). I harvest my shoots slightly over 1/2 diameter, then rasp away anything that's over 1/2 and take off irregularities that would prevent it from running through. Then I do a basic straightening, chuck the small end in a drill, turn on the shaft maker 9,000,000 and whalah - a finished shaft.
They actually keep most of their character after going through the jig which is the strangest thing. I can make a dozen shafts that are pretty close in spine and weight in no time this way. Definitely not primitive, but it's fast and effective. I like shoots over dimensional lumber shafts cuz they're tough as hell and each one has character.