Where to?

[wannabemountainman]

Do any of you guys get dowwels from the hardware store for making hunting arrows or target arrows?  I'm only 11 years old and are new to primitive archery.  I'm probably going to be asking a lot of silly questions that you guys know by heart. But what spine works for a 25# bow? What store do you get your dowwels from? I read what spine to use in a primitive archery magazine that I borrowed, but I can't quite remember.

Wannabemountainman

[Justin Snyder]

Its real hard to get arrows spined for a light bow, for me at least.  I always cut light weight bows to center shot to simplify this.  I also usually order the arrow shafts from 3 Rivers archery. You can pick up a ton of the shafts for under 30# for fairly cheap.  Justin

[JackCrafty]

I use dowels for arrows all the time.

Here's what I'd do:

Birch dowels...5/16" should work.
Buy more than you think you'll need.
Check to make sure the grain is as straight as possible.
Cut them about 4" longer than your draw length.  For many people, the longer the arrow, the easier it will be to hit the target.
Cut simple knocks into the dowels, sharpen the tips with a knife, shoot at your target from about 10 feet away, and pick the ones that fly pretty good without feathers.
Add feathers and points to the ones that fly the best.  You'll probably have 3 good dowels for every 10 that you buy.

Stores that carry "hobby" stuff usually have birch dowels....near the balsa wood section.

[recurve shooter]

can you give us all the details you know on your bow? that will help some of the old fellers help you out. im kinda clueless to. 

[wannabemountainman]

  I can't quite really give  the details on my bow right now because i'm either going to get a new lighter # bow or make one.

Sorry I guess i shouldn't have eally asked this question.

WBMM

[recurve shooter]

lol, naw. we dont care. when you get the new bow post the question again along with details of your bow.

[wannabemountainman]

OK thanks a ton guy's.

[recurve shooter]

no prollem lil budie.

and welcome to our adiction! 

[1/2primitive]

Personally, I would use 1/4" dowels with a light weight point. They fly pretty well from the low weight (-30lb) bows.
    Sean

[david w.]

Also remember for every inch that your arrow is longer than your draw it will be 5# lighter in spine.
Thats isnt the best explanation maybe someone else can explain it better

[Pat B]

Static arrow spine is measured on an arrow of 28", on a spine tester with its uprights spaced at 26" and with a 125 gr point. For every inch over 28" you can subtract 5# and the opposite for arrows cut less that 28". More or less weight at the tip(point) will decrease or increase the spine accordingly but I don't know those actual values. Pat

[markinengland]

Natural shoot arrows grow with a taper that makes them very forgiving to shoot. I don't know what grows near you but hazel can be picked and made into arrows that are cheap and very durable. The naturual taper means that a little experimentation will give you an arrow that works for you depending on where you cut it.
if you are dead set on dowelling you will have a somewhat limited choice of diameters and woods but too stiff spine can be made up for by extra long arrows. An arrow that spines to around the draw weight of your bow or ten pounds lighter should be about right. At around 25lbs 1/4 dowel may be the one to try first. Garden cane is another good potential arrow shaft.
Mark in England

[Pat B]

Mark, I agree with you about natural shoots for arrows. I have been using sourwood, a local native under story tree, for arrows for the last 3 years and love them. Cane is definitely another option that are less spine sensitive. With the natural taper of hardwood shoot shafts and cane you can use an arrow that is 10# heavier spine weight from my experience.        Pat

[huntertrapper]

thats great to see a real yungin on here, ive used red ak dowels shot from a 25 pound bow seem to be fine for spine, i guess it could change for the bow your usin but mine work well.... um... anyway if your feathers are ok they should fly good, they are cheap, good luck they are a lot easier then cutting and scraping and more cutting!