Help With Gold Tip Arrow Selection?

[Old Gobbler 1]

I am planning on purchasing some "Gold Tip" Traditionals (3555) and need some help in getting me close to the correct length for my 50# longbow. I will be putting 100 gr. broadheads on he arrows and need some opinions on what has worked best for anyone with a similar bow set- up? My draw length is 28-1/2in. and the brace height of the bow works best at 7-5/8. Any help would be very much appreciated, thank you....

[DanielB89]

The best advice i can give you is to leave them full length, paper tune them.  If they come out too weak, cut a 1/4" off.  Follow this pattern until you have a well tuned or ever so slightly weak spined arrow.  once you get here, fletch those babies up, and you should be good!  

Daniel

[Old Gobbler 1]

Thanks Daniel! I would do exactly that but unfortunately do not have an arrow saw. I`m trying to get a close figure on where to have the arrows cut before ordering.

[Bladepeek]

If you are going to be using light broadheads like that, I certainly wouldn't cut anything off the full length shaft until I tested them. I'm shooting pretty close to 50# at my 29" draw length and I find I need at least 145 - 150 gr on a 30.5" shaft. Any shorter length and I'd really need to load that point up.

[inthere10x]

Is your longbow center cut?
I'm shooting a Stewart Slammer longbow 50@28, my draw slightly over 28". One of my set up is Gold Tip Trad 3555 29 3/8" long, gold tip insert, 200grn point/ broad head. I have also shot w/ 175grn field points and don't see a difference.
Definitely start full length, I think you'll need more weight up front, maybe 150grn.

[BAK]

My advice is to stay with the 15/35's.  It is very easy to build out the side plate if they prove too weak, but a b$%^& to get stiff one's to fly well without bulking up the front end.

I tried to switch to the 35/55 but it just didn't work for me.

[LittleBen]

Likewise, I'm shoting around 40-45# and I find that I need in excess of 200grains on a full lengtth 35-55, even with cut to center bows.

[LostNation_Larry]

If you can get some 1535's and some 3555's, full length bare shafts and shoot them side by side you should have your answer.  I have a few in stock which I often hand to a customer when he brings in his bow and it puts us in the ballpark.

[JamesV]

I think a 3555 with only 100 gr point will be too stiff for your setup even full length. I would go with the 1535. Being without an arrow saw is going to be a problem but there are lots of ways to cut carbon shafts, do a search.

[BigJim]

I would suggest using a 100g brass insert in the front and likely going to need them in the neighbor hood of 30"s. It is always best to bareshaft before cutting but with a smaller broadhead (100g head would have to be less obtrusive) the tuning is less critical than what it would be with a large/long broadhead.

If it is worth $35 bucks to you, I can tell you how to get a new chop saw that will fill all your carbon arrow needs.
BigJim

[Fleatrap1]

Am I missing something. I am still very much a beginner to the art of trad archery.  I shoot 3555 30" length shafts with 125 field tips and 135 zwicky broadheads.  I also have 5 gpi weight tubes inside loading the arrow up to around 530+ grains.  I shoot a 45# super grizzly with a 27" draw.  I am getting great results from these arrows! They fly like darts, group well and punch a single bullet hole through paper fletched or unfletched.  I keep reading that most people would load up their 3555 with a lot of front weight, but when I try that the arrow gets squirrelly real fast and performance goes away!  Are the weight tubes changing the dynamic spine of my arrows?  I haven't tried pulling them out to test, but then again if things are going good should I even bother???

[ranger 3]

Gobbler, if you have a Harbor Fright close you can get a cut off saw for under 20 bucks.

[Fanto]

Originally posted by Fleatrap1:
Am I missing something. I am still very much a beginner to the art of trad archery.  I shoot 3555 30" length shafts with 125 field tips and 135 zwicky broadheads.  I also have 5 gpi weight tubes inside loading the arrow up to around 530+ grains.  I shoot a 45# super grizzly with a 27" draw.  I am getting great results from these arrows! They fly like darts, group well and punch a single bullet hole through paper fletched or unfletched.  I keep reading that most people would load up their 3555 with a lot of front weight, but when I try that the arrow gets squirrelly real fast and performance goes away!  Are the weight tubes changing the dynamic spine of my arrows?  I haven't tried pulling them out to test, but then again if things are going good should I even bother???

your bow is cut past centre . every 1/8 of centre shot is worth about 5lbs of spine requirement. so your bow is in need of an arrow which is anything from 10-20 lbs stiffer than some longbows cut before centre.

as big jim wisely advises, the length of carbons affects spine much more dramatically than point weight. your arrows are also longer than most folks

if they tuned up well for gods sake don't change a thing!!

[Fleatrap1]

Thanks Fanto.  So much more to spine and arrows selection than I ever knew before I bought my recurve.

[Old Gobbler 1]

Thank you for the information! My longbow is NOT center-cut and is very "touchy" in relation to left-hitting arrows. Have worked with several side-plate materials and build-ups which has helped some. Not sure if going to the much "stiffer" carbons would be a good choice. Would go to heavier broadheads but have them already purchased...