privet arrow shafts

[BowEd]

Here's some privet shoot shafts made some time ago.Compared to all my other shoot shafts [6 different kinds] they are the densest yet.With the same set up of length/spine and tip averaging close to 100 grains more weight per shaft than dogwood and 50 more grains more per shaft than my next densest plum.http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,67275.0.html

These average a + 700 grains per shaft.They shoot great.They should make excellent hunting arrows with a broadhead on them.
They were harvested at exactly the right diameter by Bob Barnes for me since privet does not grow in my area.
Just with bud nodes sanded flat and straightened while drying and cut to length for the right spine while leaving all the bark on them yet.They did'nt require a whole lot of heat straightening.
Very slim type shafts with full length taper on these from a 9/32" nock to 11/32" tip.
Self nocked and wrap reinforced nock with sinew.
Two turkey wing primaries and a turkey tail feather as the cock feather.

[bjrogg]

Look great Ed and I’m sure they shoot good to.

Bjrogg

[Pat B]

Nice privet arrows, Ed. Privet is more dense and heavier that typical shoot arrows but I've heard they make great arrows and in the southeast, privet is everywhere. It is an invasive exotic.

[BowEd]

Yes so I've heard and probably seen myself coon hunting in Arkansas at times.Like multi flora rose is here.Don't think privet has the thorns that multi flora rose has though.
They'll do fine for hunting arrows and it's nice to have them available.
Unique in that all the bark is on them yet.
I seem to grab dogwoods most times yet.Maybe because there are more of them around and are local.

[Pat B]

Yeah, we have multiflora rose here too and no, no thorns on privet.  Privet is a Ligustrum, a landscape plant from China. The problem is birds love the fruit and spread the seeds everywhere. I don't think the fruit has much nutritional value to native birds. It like sending a kid to the candy store to buy supper. At least it makes good arrows. 

[Black Moshannon]

Nice arrows, I love using invasives cause it gets rid of them in a useful way. I use multiflora rose and Amur honeysuckle and they both come in at a heavy weight like yours, around 700 grains

[Chumash]

I like it. Especially with the bark on.

[Piddler]

Those look good BowEd. Guess I shouldn't have burned all those I cut and dried. I've been trying to wipe them out around my place. Horribly invasive.
Piddler

[BowEd]

Nice arrows, I love using invasives cause it gets rid of them in a useful way. I use multiflora rose and Amur honeysuckle and they both come in at a heavy weight like yours, around 700 grains

My multi flora rose does not come in as heavy as these privets.Weight wise multi flora rose comes in about the same as dogwoods only slightly thicker overall.When I said privet comes in at + 700 grains I meant many come in at 725 to 750 grains.All being the same.
Shooting them off a 50# bow means the arrow is about a 14 to 15 grain arrow in mass weight.About the limit I care to shoot.

Those look good BowEd. Guess I shouldn't have burned all those I cut and dried. I've been trying to wipe them out around my place. Horribly invasive.
Piddler

Yes around here they treat dogwoods as invasive also.Only places I can find them is where they can't mow.
Shoot shafts are just plain tougher than most all split timber shafts.Except good straight grained split hickory.
They take twice as long for me to make most times too.

[Black Moshannon]

Oh forgot to mention my rose shafts are at 700-750 with a 190-200 grain broadhead and fletched. I think there around 550 grains just by themselves

[BowEd]

I usually shoot 145 grain broadheads.I like my shafts as narrow as possible.11/32" midway or less on most all of them with a full length taper.
Could be your rose shafts are of a different species.

[Pat B]

One nice thing about shoot shafts is they are naturally weight forward lending them to better flight because of the natural taper. The natural taper also makes them more draw weight tolerable.

[Trapper Rob]

Nice looking arrow's

[BowEd]

Thanks fellas.They came to me green.I let them hang bundled tightly straightening them off and on for a couple of weeks.Then let them cure a good 6 months.When the bark is all shriveled up good they usually are close to dry.

[BowEd]

After shooting these a bunch over time the bark began to crack and peel off.I removed all the bark except where the fletching is on with a pocket knife.The shaft does not bend and paradox there.
No spine reduction was noticed.It seems bark has no value there.It did reduce the mass weight though.
Still awfully thin shafts for the 48# spine that this privet has.They still mass weigh well into the 650 grain area even with 125 grained field tips.