Author Topic: Help with handle torque/arrow flight  (Read 1260 times)

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Offline hoppy

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Help with handle torque/arrow flight
« on: August 20, 2018, 12:59:19 pm »
Hi, you guys were all so helpful on my first post about my bow, thank you.

I am building a bow for my son. It’s an Osage bow from a tree in our backyard. This was a branch I cut. It was about 4” in diameter. I’ll post some pictures of it when it’s done completely.

Anyway, I’ve been shooting it a bit and starting to finish it. There was twist in the limbs. I heat treated the belly and got it pretty straight. It seems to shoot nice. It’s about 18 lbs at 22” in my tree which is about 20” from the string side of the grip.

I’m shooting one of the 25” wooden youth arrows from three rivers. It fishtails to the left. I notice if I torque the grip (just a little) clockwise if looked at from the top down the arrow flies straight.

What am I up against here? How do I correct?
Thanks!

Here’s the only picture I have at the moment


Offline PEARL DRUMS

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Re: Help with handle torque/arrow flight
« Reply #1 on: August 20, 2018, 01:07:26 pm »
That is telling you the arrow is stiff. When you torque the grip you are bringing the arrow neared the center line which lightens the spine enough to get good flight, less riser to get around in other words. Try bumping up the tip weight by 25 grains and see what happens.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.

Offline hoosierf

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Re: Help with handle torque/arrow flight
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2018, 02:47:13 pm »
If you shoot right handed and the arrow kicks left the spine is too soft.  Kicking right is too stiff for a right handed shooter.  Try shortening your arrow 1/4” to 1/2” at a time till it flies true.

You can also try a lighter point but it takes a bigger change in point weight to effect arrow flight. That’s more of a fine tuning change in my book. I’ve epoxied lead sinkers behind inserts to correct tiny wobbles on hunting arrows.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2018, 02:52:15 pm by hoosierf »

Offline Badger

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Re: Help with handle torque/arrow flight
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2018, 02:47:48 pm »
 I agree with Pearl,

Offline hoppy

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Re: Help with handle torque/arrow flight
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2018, 07:11:30 pm »
Thanks for the responses.   

So, it doesn't have a real string on it yet, just tarred marline.  Not sure if that affects anything, but I don't remember it bothering anything before. 

So it could be weak or stiff spine. 

I brought it home and shot one of my 55-60 spine 32" arrows from it and it flew nice and straight.  So, my original thought is that the youth arrow is too weak.  Now, the youth arrow is 24 1/2" and actually feels pretty stiff relative to my arrows, which are a lot longer.  I don't have a spine tester, they might be too short to fit on one, right?   So, maybe it's relative spine is too stiff? 

Confusing.  Luckily, I saw an arrow fly straight, so it's just a matter of getting or building the right arrows for this bow.   The youth arrows will have to be passed down to a smaller cousin and I guess I'll have to make another bow to go with them!

Offline Badger

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Re: Help with handle torque/arrow flight
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2018, 07:46:09 pm »
  Your 32" arrow most likely has a 125 grain point, your youth arrow most likely about 40 grains or even less. 7" difference in length makes 35# spine, 75 grains point weight makes for another 15# spine. So you can easily see how the shorter one could be too stiff.

Offline bjrogg

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Re: Help with handle torque/arrow flight
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2018, 08:15:06 pm »
I agree with Badger and Pearl if I'm understanding your fishtail left correctly. I'd also put a proper string on. String can make a difference. Difference even between fast flight and B50
Bjrogg
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Offline hoppy

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Re: Help with handle torque/arrow flight
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2018, 08:27:16 pm »
  Your 32" arrow most likely has a 125 grain point, your youth arrow most likely about 40 grains or even less. 7" difference in length makes 35# spine, 75 grains point weight makes for another 15# spine. So you can easily see how the shorter one could be too stiff.

I think I'm following you, but not easily.  His old bow I made was 10# @ 18" and shot those little arrows nicely.  It was more center shot though and perhaps that's the difference. 

I will be making a b50 string for it soon.  I've never used fast flight

Thanks for the help.