Author Topic: What shafts for my bow?  (Read 3838 times)

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Offline colejack3

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What shafts for my bow?
« on: July 29, 2010, 07:21:40 pm »
Hi I made a hickory bow it shoots 123 fps. What arrows would be best for it. I would like to get either port otford cedar or sitka spruce shafts from 3 rivers. I dont know what the weight of the bow is because every archery shop I have been to registers a different wait for my bow. Also for the shafts that I need to get how heavy point should I put on there? I cant afford a test kit. So I hope you guys can help? Thanks

Offline Thwackaddict

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2010, 10:20:56 pm »
how much of a difference in weight are they showing.It will get you in the ball park,if your goin to buy arrows from them get a draw weight from that shops scale and test shoot some with something close to that spine weight.The arrows will tell you!
Hello everyone.My name is Randy and I am addicted to THWACK!!

Southwest,VA

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2010, 10:44:09 pm »
If ya gotta flip a coin between Port Orford Cedar or Sitka Spruce, remember that Sitka spruce exceeds POC in every category on engineering tables, including shear strength (shear forces are what cause arrows to shatter when they strike solid objects).  The main advantage of POC is that it smells sooooo good when it breaks.  The Spruce Goose was built from an airframe of Sitka Spruce, remember?

I get Sitka shafts from Hildebrand Arrow Shafts, they are the only manufacturer of the sitka shafts in the world at this time.  3Rivers doesn't sell their shafts grain matched, but Hildenbrand will do that for you. 

Figure on using 125 grain points, sitka and cedar shafts are generally pretty light and 125 grain is plenty enough to make them front heavy.  Thwackaddict asked what difference in weight the different shops had shown, average them out and pick the spine weight that matches the average.  When you get the shafts, paint on any special colors you want, seal them with shellac, lacquer, tung oil, poly-you're-insane, or whatever you choose.  Then fit on your points and the nocks and shoot them several times.  If you are right handed, the arrows should "kick" the nock end out to the left.  That's just fine.  Means you can cut off an inch of arrow shaft and refit your points.  Repeat as necessary until they fly straight off the bow, no wagging right or left.  You may ignore the up and down action of the arrow for now, because that has to do with where you are nocking the arrow on the string.  Once they come off the string straight, go ahead and fletch them out and they will fly dart straight with little wiggle waggle to slow them down.  TA-DAH!
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Thwackaddict

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2010, 08:33:29 am »
Very well said J.W. Very helpful!
Hello everyone.My name is Randy and I am addicted to THWACK!!

Southwest,VA

Offline colejack3

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2010, 11:42:46 am »
I got a succesful arrow that shoots good from a dowel. It has no point on it. Once I put a point on is the spine going to be off?

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2010, 03:20:07 pm »
Yup, it sure will.  Imagine taking that dowel and putting the point out in front of you and pushing as hard as you can into thin air.  Kinda like using a fencing foil to make a thrust.  Ok?  Stays straight.

Now put the point against the wall and begin to push.  Resistance will "push" back against the force you are applying at the other end.  Because the wall has a heck of a lot more resistance than the spine of the arrow can stand, something has to give. 

The point on the arrow adds resistance in the form of inertia.  Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest, bodies in motion tend to stay in motion.  When the string pushes the back of the arrow, the inertia of the point resists and the arrow will bend as much as the "spine" allows.  When the spine of the arrow matches the bow nicely, the arrow coils up like a snake, snaps off the string and recovers really quickly and flies straight. 

Thank you for attending Physics 101, I am your substitute teacher, John.
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline sailordad

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2010, 04:54:53 pm »
excuse me proffessor John  ;D

i do gotta say tht is got to be one of the nicest and easisit explanations of how spine works
nicely said  ;)
i always wanted a harley,untill it became the "thing to ride"
i ride because i love to,not to be part of the crowd

Offline colejack3

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2010, 07:14:10 pm »
Sweet thanks. I have new info. My bow is 42 at 26. So what spine weight shafts and feild point weight will I need. And how long should the arrow be? Thanks

Offline colejack3

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2010, 01:32:17 pm »
anyone? please help

Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2010, 06:21:41 pm »
Cole, a good place to start is 28" arrow spined at 40# with a 125 gr point.

What John said is a good way to adjust the arrows to the right spine. Another way is to start with the spine a little stiff. You put the points and nock on and start shooting the arrows. To reduce the spine you use a piece of sandpaper to sand wood off the middle or back half of the shaft. Keep sanding and shooting until the arrow flies straight off the bow.
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah

Offline colejack3

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2010, 06:41:26 pm »
So do you think I should buy the 40-45 or the 35-40?

Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2010, 09:55:04 pm »
So do you think I should buy the 40-45 or the 35-40?
Yes    ;D
Personally I would buy the 40-45#. If they come and are 40# I would cut them at 28" to start.  If they come at 45# I would start at 29".  You can tell from the responses that we cannot tell you anything exact. There is a difference in longbows vs recurves, and center shot vs not. We can guess close, but we cannot get exact.
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2010, 12:51:55 am »
Here's where I differ from Justin.  I say go for the lighter weight spine choice.  After all, your draw length was 26".  If you cut 'em at 28 and they are heavy, then you gotta diddle away with the sandpaper to get the spine right with each one and it's harder to measure how much sanding to do on each.  If you cut 'em at 28 and they are still too light, cut a little more off until they fly straight.  After all, you can go down to your 26" draw length if you have to.  With each nip off the arrow you are also taking off grain weight and making the arrow faster. 

I know I have argued against faster arrows before, but for a beginning shooter, I think faster - flatter shooting arrows mean less compensation for various ranges and help build confidence. 

Saw the article on primitive fletching techniques today, but have not had a chance to read it.  Great technique for beginning primitive archers because you don't need any expensive fletching jig.  PLUS it looks really traditional and cool.
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline colejack3

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #13 on: August 03, 2010, 01:18:22 am »
I bought a test kit from 3 rivers. I was planning on cutting all the shafts to 29 inches so I have 28 inches behind the point. 125 grain points

Offline Justin Snyder

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Re: What shafts for my bow?
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2010, 02:10:58 am »
John, I guess I just dislike putting points on and pulling them off. It takes me to long to get them straight the first time.  ;D
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you made a bad decision.


SW Utah