Axis Question

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A 29 inch, Axis 400 with a 145 grain point tunes very well for my  bow (An AS Thunderhawk, 56 lbs at my draw of 28 inches).  This gives a total weight of 450 grns, which is to light for my tastes.  I have tried adding weedeater line to gain weight, 3 strands adds about 100 grains, but I prefer higher FOC.

So, I would try an Axis 340 to gain weight.  About how heavy of a head can I expect to need with this, if all other things are the same?  I am looking for a finished arrow between 550 and 600 grains.

Given the chice of a 400 with weedeater line or a 340 with a heavy head so the shafts are equal weight, which is going to be more forgiving?

Thanks for your help.

[JRY309]

It's hard to say which one will be more forgiving,but the 340 will give you a higher FOC because it will require a heavier point.I have switched from Axis to it's  brother Beman Black Max MFX and the Classic MFX.The Beman's are heavier for overall weight.Axis 400 are 9.0 gpi and the 340 are 9.5 gpi.Beman Black Max MFX 400 are 9.6 gpi and 340 are 10.4 gpi.The Classic MFX 400 are 10.4 gpi and 340 are 11.2 gpi.My Classic MFX 400,29.5" BOP,100 gr. insert,125 gr. point,wraps and 3-5" feathers weigh 560 grs. my FOC I think was at 18% with no weed eater line.I haven't worked up my 340 Black Max just yet but they should work out to be 550 to 600 range for me.Also 3 Rivers has weight tubes up to 8 gpi for axis listed also,which would add around 230 grs. for a 29" arrow.Sounds like your arrows are flying good for you,I only like add front end weight to tune my arrows.Just a thought

[katman]

Yep, like JRY said. either add the heavy weight tubes in the 400 or go to the 340 and increase point weight to increase FOC (that would be my choice), you will probably need a little longer arrow with the 340 even with more point weight, so that will be more forgiving to shoot. You could foot the 400's with aluminum shaft and use for stumpers.

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I only have 2 of the axis 400 shafts so don't really need to worry about how to use them up.  Katman, How much longer do you think I would need to go with the 340 to get a point weight of about 225 or 250 grains.

[JRY309]

How do you plan on the heavy point or front end weight.Are you going to use a 100 gr. brass insert and 125 gr. point.I do my tuning without glueing in the inserts.I shoot through a 2" thick foam target into a bag target and it doesn't pull the points out.If they don't fit snug enough to shoot you can tighten the inserts and point up with alittle saran wrap to snug it up enough for tuning.I would slide the insert&point and shoot them bare and trim alittle at a time until I achieve the grouping and flight I want.After I determine the length that works best I then glue the inserts in.I just cut and glue up 4 arrows,2 bare and fletch 2 and recheck flight and grouping then I do the rest.It takes alittle time but with the cost of axis and beman mfx,I feel better and more satisfied when I'm done.

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JRY309,

Here is my general tuning method, I learned from an old timer about 1980. It works for me for carbon, wood and aluminum as described.  With wood and aluminum I try to keep total point weight weight below 160 to 175 grains as I can't make high FOC work.  I have never went over 250 grains point weight with carbon.  the method below is what I do after setting nock point, which will be fine tuned after head weight and shaft are selected.

I prefer to cut my arrows down to about 29.5 BOP and then tune with verious weight heads (I don't like using overly long arrows).  I also prefer to use the standard insert (available locally)and various weight adapters with glue on heads so that I can come up with whatever point weight I want, using the heads I have laying around.  With adapters that are available locally (30, 42, 75, 100 and 125 grns) I can put together points at 25 grain intervals from  125 to 250 grns  with what I have on hand. If the shaft is too weak, I still have 1/2 inch I can cut off or fine tune with.  

I can buy individual carbon or alluminum shafts (Axis for 7 bucks each) at the bait shop about 2 miles from my house. I think he only carries easton and carbon express but will order anything I need at a competitive price.  So I will buy one shaft bareshaft until it flys strait to the spot at 25 yards, by varing the head weight I can ussually do that in about 12 shots.  If I need to trim the arrow I will do that and start over.  If the arrow still doesnt work I buy one of the next size up or down as needed.  

Once the the bareshaft is flying strait to the mark, I will fletch the shaft and shoot it a few times with field points and a few times with broadheads.  If they both work well, I'll buy the rest of the dozen, cut them to the same length, fletch them up and fine tune by shooting mixed groups of broadheads and field points following methods similar to OLs.  Fine adjustments are by varing point weight, brace height or plate thickness. Ussually takes maybe 50 shots and can be done in an afternoon. Once I am set, I plan on using that bow, string (material, strands, and silencing method), head weight and arrow combination as long as I can get those shafts.  I am changing over from the Beaman ICS Hunters I was shooting becuase they are getting hard to find locally and I only have seven left.  I think the axis will bea common easton for a few years at least so whenever I need some I can stop at the bait shop and pick up a half dozen. If he is out of stock, he can get them in a week or I can mail order.

With carbon arrows I am shooting for a point weight of at least 200 grains becuase I can then use any broadhead I have with the proper adapter (mostly 160 grain grizzlies and snuffers or 125 grain zwickeys).

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By the way, I was playing with my 2 axis 400s with a 42 grain aluminum adapter and 100 grain glue on point.  I had loaded it with about 100 grains of additional weed eater line.  Anyway, I was shooting them into my  sand bank (my favorite arrow stop) yesterday. With temperatures in the teens the bank is pretty hard and I bent both of the alluminum adapters.  I put on some 145 grain steel screw in field points and didn't have that propblem so I am thinking I need to use steel adapters all the time with the axis shafts.  The shafts were fine, has anyone else had proplems with bending the adapters?

[katman]

Depending on your bows riser cut at or past center, probably 30-30.5 with 100 grain insert and 150-200 point. Axis at 30" with 300 total point weight should be right near your wanted total weight. I would start with the 150 and cut 1/4" at a time until good flight and calcuate total weight, you can always increase this by upping to 200 point and a slightly shorter arrow, 1/8-1/4".
You can also foot the axis arrow with an aluminum arrow about an inch long to strengthen the weakest part- the stretch from the tip of the carbon shaft to the glued insert, about 1/2". Sizes needed were in a previous thread so just do a search and it will give the proper Al arrow size to slip snuggly over the Axis.