Arrow experimenting...

[oobray]

Ok, so with advice from hangers here I learned I needed heavier arrows. I'm shooting GT 3555 cut to 29" (26.5 draw) out of a 55# samick sage. I've measure the bow at my draw and it's pulling 53#. I put 100gr inserts in and with an old 125gr Muzzy 4 blade trocar tip total weight was 496gr. I wanted to get to atleast 10gpp so I wanted to add 100gr. I called the only shop local that I know carries some trad stuff. They didn't have the screw in weights. So what I ended up doing was cutting a length of 14ga electrical wire with some shrink wrap that came out to 100gr. I then cut in half, twisted it and shrieked wrapped the ends. I stuffed these in behind the insert. They fit really tightly and I'm not worried about it moving. So now total weight for all 4 arrows is +-4 grains from 595 grains. They are amazingly accurate. I was easily getting 3" groups at 20yds. But they do look like there is some tail movement during flight. Not much, but a little. Is it possible the 3555 is now too weak? I could cut some off if that would help, but I'd like to keep this weight. Also I'd like to make these work rather than have to go buy new arrows.  I know the sage is cut slightly past center and I only have a small piece of felt as a side plate.

[forestdweller]

I do not hunt at this moment (no hunting license right now BUT I will be hunting very shortly) so disregard my advice when it comes specifically to hunting.

In regards to them being too weak, this is most likely the case if you added weight up front. I would look into heavier nocks (which Goldtip makes) and lowering your brace height in addition to the heavier nocks if necessary.

With that being said if you wanted a heavier arrow you do not have to go through the process of stuffing your arrows to make them heavier or using weight tubes.

The best way to add weight to an arrow without buying new shaft's is to foot them front and back with some heavy aluminum shaft's like Easton 2020's's or whatever shaft will fit over your current shaft's.

If you foot them up front with about 2" of a 2020 shaft you are looking at about a 25 grain increase of weight up front.

If you also foot the arrow from the back about 1" you are adding about 13 grains to your total arrow weight. That's about a 40 grain increase in weight right there and now your arrow is indestructable and will hit harder.  

The second best option or what you could do additionally is get a set of heavier nocks which will make your arrows react much stiffer than standard nocks allowing you to put more weight up front to get back to your original tune. .

Doing both of these things will not only make your arrow heavier, but also nearly indestructible and give better penetration without the risk of the arrow breaking when it impacts whatever game animal you are hunting.

I know Goldtip makes a pretty wide range of nocks that differ in weight which will stiffen the back end of your weight up.

If you go buy some new nocks and up the weight up front with heavier broadhead's and you foot the arrow front and back it should bring the weight up quite a bit.

I do this for stump shooting but will also be doing this for hunting as well which is why I wanted to offer some advice.

Good luck and I hope I could be helpful.

[Butch Speer]

If you suspect the spine is weak, you can make your strike plate thicker. That will lessen your centershot.

[AZ_Longbow]

go to  www.3riversarchery.com  get a point weight test kit. that makes life a lot easier.
 
Now you are getting tail movement from bare shaft or fletched shafts?
adding aluminum footers on the front makes my arrows spine stiffer as long as my footers extend past the length of my inserts. so if I use standard inserts that are roughly an inch, and I foot 2" it stiffens my arrows up. you can add weight on the back, but that eliminates the FOC.
I tried weight tubes..... several times several ways. I never once has them work right and on a hard impact like a Rinehart 3D buck they would slap back and pop out the nock and often times spit the tube back out, even if I crimped them.
you can also move your string silencers a little closer to the arrow slows it down a bit and farther towards the end speeds it up.

in my opinion nothing you can do is as important as properly tuning your arrows so take your time and do it right.