question for carbon experts-

[Mike Bolin]

The new VPA 2 blade heads have caught my interest. I am currently shooting 29" to b.o.p. Easton 400s with 300 grains total up front-100 gr. brass adapter and 200 gr. VPA Terminator. I am shooting these from both my 55#@28" MOAB and my 54#@28" Timberhawk recurve. I do draw 28" and I get fantastic flight with 4-4" parabolic r.w. feathers. I like the looks of the 300 gr. profile but I am thinking I will need to go with a stiffer carbon. It will be trial and error I know, but if any of you shoot bows in this weight range with 350 to 400 grains up front I'd be interested in what spine weight you are shooting. Thanks-Mike

[Rob DiStefano]

i am not an expert with anything connected to trad archery, but i do know some important ground rules.  honestly, all this business of arrow spine - carbons and woodies - absolutely requires personal intervention.  all the expert charts and voodoo calculators will never replace your testing.  my main bow is 54#@29" and my carbon arrows are 29.5" beman ics 500 with 350gr up front, 585gr total.  these arrows fly just fine - for me.  go figure.   :D    git yerself a carbon test kit, it'll be real useful for more than one bow.  

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

You presently have 300 grains total up front. If you go with a 300-grain head and a standard adapter, you'll be around 320 grains. You may have to trim the shafts just a hair, but bareshaft tuning will tell you for sure. If you want to shoot 400 grains up front, you'll likely need a stiffer shaft. If you're well tuned now, and add another 100 grains up front, you'll be weak in spine.

[Shawn Leonard]

Have to agree with Jason, 20 grains will hardly change spine on a carbon and I doubt most people have a clean enough release to know the difference. If we were talking 40-50 than yes ya may have to trim a tad off. I know you are saying the profile meaning longer may weaken it a bit as well, but doubt it. I have been playing around a lot lately with shooting thru paper at 12-15 ft. and carbons react very quick and stop flexing pretty darn quick. I have been shooting a 52# recurve(at 28.5") with 600 spine carbons cut to 30"s with 190 grains of point weight and getting a perfect hole. I think you will be fine! Shawn

[Shawn Leonard]

Yeah for Rob!! I have been saying this for 7 years now. Carbon is tested with compounds(mostly) and when shot off "our" bows it becomes a different animal!! Shawn