Has the ultimate arrow shaft been in plain sight?

[Naphtali]

In Traditional Bowhunter, Apr/May 1993, Monty Browning wrote an article, "Heavy Arrows for Dangerous Game." I will not reproduce the article -- space plus copyright difficulties -- but go to the interesting part. Emphasis added.

I cannot believe standard of accuracy has changed since the article was written. Shafts identified appear to be the solution to everyone's problems concerning penetration and shaft breakage/durability. But, as far as I know, no stampede to using the shafts identified has occurred.
***
Once I discovered that I couldn't shoot a 2419 size shaft through a 2117 size hole in solid bone, I tried several experimental shaft materials before I settled on what I still consider the ultimate arrow for dangerous African game. I even went so far as to try solid steel shafts. . . .

Finally I settled on solid glass fish arrows and have shot them exclusively since 1985 for everything from tournaments, North American game, and African dangerous game. . . .

Admittedly, after changing exclusively to fish arrows, my tournament scores dropped considerably. I shot under most of the long shots. Even now, 40 yards is about the best I can hope for with any degree of accuracy. But any bowhunter worth his salt can crawl closer than 40 yards before taking a shot. . . .

Recently, I have shortened my arrow shafts to slightly reduce the weight and to improve their flight, and I settled on a broadhead-tipped arrow that tips the scales at a cool 1,200 grains. That weigh shoots flat (relatively speaking) under 30 yards and efficiently utilizes all of the bow's stored energy. My bow is completely silent and has zero hand shock. . . .

Those interested in trying fish arrows can start by removing the slip on plastic fletch. Nock and point tapers can be cut using standard taper tools, but the job is much easier if the shaft is chucked in a hand drill and the tapers cut fast. Keep replacement blades handy, because the glass shaft material eats blades. Tapers can be ground also using a 12 inch section of 2117 aluminum shaft as a guide. C-clamped at the proper angle to the grindstone wheel, and the fish arrow inserted through the tube.

For fletching, I would strongly suggest TrueFlight's "MAXI-FLETCH" or an equivalent sized feather shaft. If standard 5 1/2 inch feathers are used, I would suggest a four-fletch. Field points or blunts may fly quite well with standard fletch, but broadheads may tend to windplane with small feathers.

I used to pick through dozens of fish arrow shafts to get the straight ones, but recently I have found that even the worst shafts shoot better than I do out to 40 yards.

[kennym]

I tinkered with those,they do weigh 1200+,seem to remember them being sorta weak spined,but that was several years ago.............
 Check with Sullys bowfishing for quantity pricing.(goin by memory again)  

[macbow]

Monty  was guest speaker at our UBM banquet about 3 years ago.
He has since came up with a new heavy arrow. it is a carbon shaft filled with I think it was #12 copper wire with plastic coating. He had some of these there to show off.

I've tested the spine on the 5/16 fiberglass fish arrows and it is a lot weaker than expected, like Kenny said, in the 50 # spine area.
There are aluminum and fiberglass combo's that have heavier spines available. Sully's carries them.
Ron

[laddy]

I shot a deer once with a ninety pound bow shooting a fiberglass stuffed Microflite 12 and a  Deadhead at 18 yards uphill to the edge of a corn field.  the arrow flew through the deer like it wasn't there and my arrow was way out in the corn field.  A couple of years later due to an injury I was using a 36 pound bow with a 5/16'' cedar I shot a deer at the same spot.  that arrow made it through the deer as well, but not out in the middle of the field of course.  Both deer went down within feet of each other 80 yards away.  Maybe for moose, eland and water buffalo the heavy shaft is the answer, but for 160 pound white tails it is over kill and too limiting for trajectory in my opinion. I used birch stuffed Microflites in those heavy bow years as well with about the same results and perhaps a bit better arrow flight.

[Guru]

"ultimate" for what?  Rhino's?

 Nothing wrong with good ol' woodies, AL.,and carbons in my eyes......

[bayoulongbowman]

Monty shoots that out of 89 pound longbow!!!

[d. ward]

Around 1953 Ply Flex made several different broadheads..hardened beryllium copper and heat treated aluminum(just a couple).Some of the heat treated aluminum broadheads were sold mounted to solid fiberglass arrows...They also sold arrows and broadheads that had small holes drilled at a certin distance along the length of the shaft...Some were the full length of the shaft in order to make them 600gr or only 20 small holes made a 750gr .. pending on the weight you wanted you drilled more holes in the shaft.The spine on most of them with no holes were in the high 80# plus range.So the holes got them down near 60-70# range on most.I never did shoot one because of the collecter value...but I sure wanted to....bowdoc

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Wow! I'm amazed that from his perspective, 5.5" feathers are small! I guess it's all relative. I don't think I'll use them (Grizzlystik Safaris instead) buy my hat's certainly off to Monty for his efforts.

[NY Yankee]

We have always had good heavy arrow material around in the form of Ash, Birch, Hickory, Maple, etc. These are quite heavy for most and although not totally indestructible, they are very tough yet fairly easy to work with. Not hard to get 10 grains per pound or more with these shafts.

[whossbows]

if you are man enough to shoot a long bow at 90 lb,you should just tackel any game you want and stab it,,,,,,,,,

[WESTBROOK]

I finally got to meet Mr. Browning a couple weeks ago at a banquet in Cadillac MI. He is a HOOT!!

He has scaled down his rig a little from the old days. He said his elbow gave out on him so he  is only shooting about 60 lbs now, Macbow was right on the arrows, real skinny carbon with #12 solid THHN  copper wire, about 900gr.

Granted 900gr is not that hard to get with wood but the skinny carbon with give the max penetration.

That setup is not for every one but when you look at what Monty was hunting, Ak brown bear @ 5yd, Cape Buff @9yd, Rino, I'd want the biggest can of whoop A.. I can get.

Eric