Are Grizzlystiks/AD Trads worth the money?

[mmgrode]

Hey Gang,
   thought I'd start a seperate thread for this one. So to those who have tried them; are the grizzlystik shafts and the AD Trads really worth the money? Any experiences or advice on these two would be very helpful. Cheers, Matt

[BigRonHuntAlot]

I have not tried the Grizzly Stiks but the Arrow Dynamics are my favorites so far. They have proven very durable in my experience. The only downfall is if you lose one you tend to spend a bit more time looking for it and cussing because of what you paid for em.

[Golden Hawk]

I've shot both  and buy far prefer the ADs. I found the Grizzlystiks to be very inconsistent in spine. The ADs are by far my favorite arrow shaft. Tough as nails and very easy to tune.

[TRADITIONAL ONLY]

the Sitkas arent as tough as i would have liked them to be, and i probably wont buy any more for a while, at least untill i shoot heavy enough poundage to use the Alaskans....

and your right, spend more time looking for them when you lose one than you regularly would, plus a LOT more cussing.....

[WoodSpringer]

To answer your question mmgrode I will share with you my opinion.

Yes! If you are a hunter that shoots high poundage bows (70lb plus) and wants a heavy arrow that is very tough for big game. I shoot the Safaris and the Alaskans. It seems to me that they require a little more work to tune but once you do you will end up with flying spears.

These arrows are overkill for Whitetail deer and other smaller game but I still use them because they are low maintanence and durable. Oh and I like the carnage.

Not overpriced if you are looking for the badest big game arrow but overpriced if you are looking for anything less that can still do the job on smaller game.


WoodSpringer

[Doc Nock]

I'd agree with Woodspringer on cost. I've shot both... prefer the Griz Sticks...but then I've been in on the development through a variety of trials with the developer of Griz Sticks.

I would only disagree on the comment about spine. I nearly lost all my black hair pullin it out and owe OL Adcock a debt for keeping me sane(well, as much as I ever was) .

After much research, guys/gals, I've come to be 100% convinced that the "amount of center shot (center cut for some) of the riser dictates more about arrow spine needed than does the draw weight of the bow!

Griz AK's shoot weak for me w/ the standard 75 gr. brass insert and 125 tips out of a (ready for this?) Morrison recurve cut 3/16 PAST center. They're 29" arrows for my 28" draw.  Yup. Weak! Out of a 54# set of limbs on the Morrison!

Verified by several shooters better'n me at ranges beyond my abilities using the bare shaft planing method on OL's website. They shoot beautifully if I shim out the sideplate some. Conclusion: centershot has a big, big impact on required spine of arrows to "tune" well.

I give same arrows to other guys drawing 28" like me and they're stiff out of their much heavier (up to 68#)draw weight LONGbows which are cut 1/8" SHY of center...big difference in center shot or lack thereof.

I've torture tested them for years in various "generations"/variations and they're as tough as anything I've shot.  Sure, a glancing angle and yup..they're not indestructable, but I found mine to be quite consistent.

There was a period there where Ed's old mfg had some QC issues which resulted in Ed finding another mfg.

They're made to be "niche" arrows... aptly named for more dangerous game, but I do use them for just deer knowing that they "never fail" where I sometimes do.  

[the Ferret]

Not to hijack the thread Doc, but why would you want a bow cut "past" centershot? Wouldn't that be as bad as having a bow NOT cut to centershot only in the other direction?

[southpawshooter]

Mickey,

I believe the reason some bows are cut past center is to allow more flexibility in shimming the side plate to acommodate arrow spine.

[mmgrode]

Thanks fellas! This info helps a bunch.  I always thought the grizz stiks would be easier to tune, but this seems to not be the case. Interesting.

-Anyone else have any opinions on the Arrow dynamics arrows?

Thanks for the help gang!
Cheers, Matt

Oh Mickey- cutting it past center 3/16" would be making it centershot, not past. This way the string would be in the center of the arrow proportedly making for easier tuning.

[Arrowslinger]

Where can I get the AD shafts?

[Grant Young]

Raptor on the sponsers list.       GY

[Blackhawk]

I have used both and believe both are overpriced considering the tuning problems I have had with them...especially the Grizzlys.  Their strength and excellent weights are a definite bonus, but if they don't fly straight for you, well....

[Talondale]

I've used the AD and it flew well but the cost prevented me from buying any.

[Ifish]

I shoot Grizzly Sitkas and AD Nitro-Lites [not the trad lites]. The GSs shoot best from my 3 45# longbows and the ADs shoot best from my 45# and 50# recurves. Not sure why. Never spent any time trying to tune, just cut them off to 28" put 125 grs. in the front and feathers in the back and let-er-rip. Love them both. Worth the money? I think so.

[doctorbrady]

Everybody has different experiences, I guess.  I have never used the AD's, but I have been shooting the Grizzlysticks for the past several months.  Unlike some of the other folks who have posted, I have had excellent results tuning them.  There are a few details that you need to pay attention to such as finding the "stiff" side of the arrow, but this is extremely simple. It also helps to baretune your shaft (not just these, but any shaft) because your nock set will be different do to the fact that they are tapered.
Like Doc Nock I have found that I needed to go up in spine in my bows which are also cut just past center.  Adjusting the pad on the bow slightly has allowed me to bareshaft these arrows better than any I have ever shot.  This said, I couldn't get the Alaskans to fly well from my 66# recurve, and had to go up to the Safaris.  The cool thing is that I have gotten to almost 900 grains, which is perfect for my trip to Africa.  Out of my 58# recurve and 62# longbow, I can shoot the Alaskans.  My wife uses the Sitkas in both her 45# recurve and 45# compound.  My suspicion is that most of the guys that are having tuning problems are shooting too light a shaft from what I have experienced.  
I am going to ask Ed if he has considered selling a "tuning set" of arrows with one or two Sitkas/Alaskans or Alaskan/Safari combos.
As far as durability, they are very.  They are not indestructable, but I have yet to find a shaft that is.  
Lastly, are they worth the money?  I think so, but everybody is different.  If you like heavy arrows without the hassle of weight tubes they might be the shaft for you.  If you like tapered shaft, they are definitely one to consider.

[Terry Green]

Yeppers!!!!

[Littlefeather]

I haven't found anything yet that I like better than the AD Trads and Trad-lites. I've shot a lot of shafts to figure this out. AD's are my go-to arrow. CK

[Doc Nock]

Ferret,

Beat the bejabbers outa me as to "why"? Just bugged me to figure out why some bows took heavy spine for their draw weight and others didn't.

BW recurves & Morrison are two that I learned are cut "past" center. I can't shoot a lot of draw weight due to some arthritis and shoulder impingements, etc, so I like heavy arrows... I didn't ask for it, but getting a good Morrison with it cut past center meant that I could shoot the heavier shafts w/o the heavy draw weight. Whaoo! I was happy!    Still am on that point.

It was one of those things you get into and go..."gee, I wonder..." and between OL's input, testing and then trying my "test kit" (3 bare and 3 fletched Griz AK's) with guys with a variety of "center cut variations" it always came out the same: Bows (often recurves) with greater amounts of center cut in riser shelf required stiffer arrows than bows cut shy of center (usually longbows and some older recurve makers).

Being closer to center shot, the arrow takes greater wallop in the kiester and it doesn't have to be flexible to wrap around the riser and come back on line, so it has to be stiffer. When the arrow has to "wrap" around 1/8" of riser, it has to be lighter spine (more flexible)... to come back through paradox and straighten out.  Now I may not be using all the technically correct words to describe that, but I hope it touches on the basic truths in it all.

I'd guess it's like you selfbow guys shooting off your hand... prolly have lighter spined arrows then a bow with any shelf cut in it at the same pound and draw length...but I don't know that..just surmising...and my "surmising" is often left me quite "surprised!"    

I just kinda like that heavy arrow w/o having to fret about being too stiff or having to cut them so long I can pole vault with em to lighten spine! Instead, just have riser cut deeper past center.  So I now seek out bows with a greater center cut... even rasped down one riser I ordered that way and came shy of the request. Now all my arrows shoot from both the morrison and this other'n.  

Some guys pay $10/head for them SS broadheads. Some pay $8/each for arrows. Some pay $1200 for a bow! I just kinda like them heavy suckers w/o having them be so stiff. Griz Sticks and my Morrison sniffed each other and then got along fine.  

[Irish]

I have shot the Griz Sticks, and have taken game with them.   But for me, the AD Heavies fly better out of my bows.  And to top that off, they are made right here in Kansas.  You put a Magnus (Great Bend, Ks) on the end of a AD Heavy, you have a "Kansas Special"!!

[Bjorn]

Measuring arrows useing triple decimals and money is just way too complicated; so I use fun and satisfaction instead. My three month journey into the land of carbon-primarly Grizzly Stix ended happily with me going back to my self made woodies; grinning ear to ear and literally kissing the shafts! First two weeks back my 3D scores went up to where I like them, and I double lunged a dandy ram. What more is there to this equation anyway? To each his own.