spine chart are they accurate?

[canuck4570]

put up a topic not to long ago and the answer that came back was ARROW TO STIFF
I had chosen the Easton FMJ 500 for my new and coming Hoyt buffalo 35#
all 3D competition here are max 30 yard, I wont be hunting with the bow, and will be using it for indoor competition 20 yard.
the total weight of the arrow will be around 425 gr. with 125gr point
now here is the reason of this topic,,,
after being told it was stiff went back to easton chart and this arrow shows one square down and one square up and the draw weight of my bow stand in the middle this would give me some play
was this stiff answer  because this chart is not accurate or is there some other reason that I don't know lack of my experience in TRAD

Love the easy pull out of aluminium and the ruggedness of carbon

[Rock 'N Bow]

I find arrow charts to show much stiffer then what most people end up with. Stu Miller's calculator gives more accurate results, although it is sometimes off. My best advice is to get a bare shaft test kit and experiment. Based on your set up a .600 shaft might be the best way to go.

[Fanto]

How long is your arrow? If its 27 it's too stiff if its 33 it's too soft

[Fanto]

Also I would aim for  a 300 gr arrow so you get flatter trajectory and also a long shaft so it's point on at 30 yards for gap shooting / split vision/ face and string walking but even if your instinctive I reckon it's better to have the arrow in your peripheral vision and as close as possible to your target

[Hermon]

Also, if using the Easton shaft selector program make sure you select recurve or longbow as it defaults to compound.  

I agree that a 500 spine should be too stiff for that poundage unless you have an extremely long draw.

I think spine charts give you a "ballpark" from which to start the shaft selection process. Spine is idiosyncratic with bows-- some need stiffer, some softer spines than the chart says. Time spent coming up with the best possible arrow--spine, fletch,point weight-- for your setup is a priceless investment in future success. Try not to be impatient with this process or to look for shortcuts. Sometimes the arrow suggested by the chart will be ideal, right away. Sometimes your bow will "like" several different shafts. More often there is a subtle process of refining shaft selection for the best possible flight. Try to enjoy the process!

[Jeff Strubberg]

In 25 years of doing this, I've never found the Easton charts to be anything other than ridiculously stiff.

They don't work for traditional bows, and I am convinced that the only reason they work for compounds is the adjustability of the side plate on those bows.

[canuck4570]

I tend to agree with the Easton being to stiff sided chart
why
well I shoot compound and my fat boy 500 where stiff
thanks.....
like a quiet bow will try choosing a 10 to 12 gr arrow
trial and error on that subject!

[LookMomNoSights]

Ive always thought that any such chart should be used as a GUIDELINE only...to get you close to the bulls-eye....figuratively and litteraly.  There is simply no substitute for real in the hands use and testing.  And the charts never factor in "human" characteristics   :rolleyes:

[SCATTERSHOT]

Most of those charts were designed for compound bows, and I assume the data was extrapolated for trad equipment. So yes, they are generally stiff.

Here's a pretty good one, for trad bows.http://web.archive.org/web/20071229024852/www.arrowsbykelly.com/Spine_Charts.html

[Bladepeek]

For what it's worth, I have a 33# Mohawk longbow (admittedly not cut to center) and was getting stiff indication with even my 1535 carbons and heavy points.

My local Trad bow shop (Blackdog Outfitters) suggested a 1716, full length and Bingo! At 20 yds they no longer have the rainbow trajectory of the heaver arrows and flight is perfect with 100gr points. Comes out to very close to 10 gpp.

If I were to use this bow for 3-D, this would be my arrow of choice and I think it spines around .800 or so.

[proprod]

I think spine charts have there place but are they the gospel? Certainly not! Spine is Dynamic spine charts are Static besides that you have two different materials in the FMJ (I am an FMJ fan) both Carbon and Aluminum so a totaly different spine dynamic is going to result. I will tell you that I was amazed at how much string count can make a difference and suggest you use Stu's Dynamic spine calculator to play with it and consider a SBD Ultra String with a 8.25+ brace height and see what your results are.