Arrow length:

[njloco]

I shoot instinctive, my ? is, although I don't look at the tip of the arrow it is in my forward vision while I am concentrating  on the spot. Is it better to leave the arrows full length or cut them down to draw length, as far as sight window is concerned ?

Thanks

[Stumpkiller]

While it shouldn't matter for instinctive shooting you will probably find there are three schools:

1.) Leave them full length for the added weight and longer "sighting along radius"

b.) Cut them as short as possible for added speed and to clear up your sight window.

III.) Leave them long and reduce them 1/4" at a time until you find the ideal spine for your bow and release.  (Shortening a shaft increases it "dynamic spine").

I am of the "b" school and cut mine back so the broadhead just clears my riser and finger.  I scratch my head at guys leaving four inches of a 28" arrow out in space at their full draw and then boasting about their draw weight.

You might also want to play around to see if you come up with a useful "point on" distance.  Not something to use hunting but can be handy at field shoots or 3-D.  (i.e. - if I put my point on the McKenzie deer's knee I'm bang on the super-kill spot at XX yards).  But that's cheating.

[Ravenhood]

I shoot the same way. As far as my shooting goes it dosent matter. I cut them as short as possible as long as they fly good.

[McDave]

Your sight picture is important in instinctive shooting.  The arrow tip is a part of your sight picture.  If the arrow tip is one place one time, and further out the next time, your instinctive shooting accuracy will suffer.  Having the arrow tip in a different place could even cause you to inadvertently focus your attention on the arrow tip, and then your instinctive shooting accuracy will REALLY suffer.

I think the most important thing is to tune the arrows so they fly well out of your bow.  Through proper selection of arrow spine and point weight, I'm able to have well-tuned arrows that also happen to be 1" longer than my draw length.

[njloco]

All good info, and thank you for it. Although I did cut them down, it was not all that much. I had a GT3555 that was 28" long with straight full length feathers, field tip or BH it flies very well. I cut them down to match it @ 28", and even though I have 5" and 4" RW shield and parabolics on them they both fly exactly the same, they weigh 450gr and 440gr depending on which BH I use. I was surprised that the 4" para's handled both broad heads.

Now as soon as my ring finger gets better, I'll be able to shoot with more confidence and less strain.

Thanks again

Oh and P.S. this is all for a hog/deer hunt in Texas next week.

[dragonheart]

There is a more technical reason to leave the arrows longer.  It is arrow bounce.  Leaving the arrow 2.5-3" long from the contact point on the rest or bow shelf will give you a more forgiving arrow to shoot.  An arrow cut right at the back of the bow is more prone to "bounce" when the bow is released.

This also gives you a longer sight radius.  Many people do not consiously look at the arrow to aim.  You secondary or periphial vison picks up the shaft.  A full length shaft is not needed, but some may use that, especially those that are gap shooting getting their point on closer.

From the Hill/Schulz school of thought blunts and target points are cut to net length, the end of the blunt is the total draw and is drawn to the back of the bow.  This has two benefits, it is a handy draw check and allows a lighter shaft to be used.  For me I have noticed that with wood the net length arrows are easier to get exact tuning and oddly enough they seem to be more forgiving of release differences.  I can see that with other materials there may well be different reactions, but for wood as short as possible works best for me.