woodie size??? 11/23 or 23/64 which best?

[david_lewis93]

which size wood arrow for a 53# @31" recurve,shooting 23's now and wondering about 11's for hunting heads and ease to find B-heads for 23's.Any help or thoughts from old hands would be appreciated by this pilgrim to trad shooting,(know somthing about those other kind but new to this.)      :confused:

[SlowBowinMO]

Hi David,

I generally shoot the smallest diameter I can get my required spine in.  I use 11/32" broadheads on all of them down to 5/16", but you'll find an 11/32" broadhead fits both 11/32" and 23/64" really well.

No reason to change unless you just want to.

[Bjorn]

I'm with SlowBowin-the thinner the better.

[Don Stokes]

I don't think it matters- once the head opens up the hole, there's plenty of blood to lubricate the shaft to let it slide on through.

[Bear Heart]

1/64 of an inch difference doesn't make all that much difference and the 11/32" can often be heavier do to denser wood to create that heavy spine.

[Orion]

The center of the thinner shaft also rides closer to the bow's strike plate/center.  I.e., on less than center cut bows, the arrow will not be pointing as far to the left (for a right handed shooter).  That means it doesn't need to bend as much to get around the riser at the shot.  The practical result is that a larger range of spines in 11/32 will shoot well through your bow making it a little easier to tune.

[david_lewis93]

Thanks fellers!! that answered my questions  about the shaft sizing and the point problems that I was forseeing,,I am used to carbons and aluminums but not wood,,, again thank you all for the great help!      

[RAU]

That guy that writes the column "Tips from the oldtimer" in TBH said in one issue that the 23/64 shafts were the 1st run and often times higher quality. The 23/64's that didnt make the grade got re-run into 11/32. Just a thought. I personally shoot 11/32 ash and laminated birch from alleghenny Mt arrow wood and love em. You have to hit a boulder straight on inside 20 yards to break one of their 11/32,60-65 ash shafts. Tough stuff!!!!

[Stringdancer]

I shoot 23/64" for no real reason, but a 11/32" shaft that spines the same as a 23/64" shaft is a better piece of wood to have gotten the same spine from a smaller diameter of wood.

Mike