Buy bare shafts?

[Simba]

I just emailed surewood shafts. I want to get their input and advice. Otherwise, I think I'm leaning toward the $72 hunter arrows deal unless I hear something that gives me confidence in being ready to hunt by late august with a different set of arrows.

[Simba]

I didn't realize how tricky it'd be to take up hunting (traditional archery hunting no less) all self taught without a mentor here to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I really appreciate tradgang for that reason!

[Zradix]

If you haven't already..visit and spend some time in the shooters forum.

It's WAY easier to learn it the right way 1st than to have to unlearn bad habits.

A different higher quality set of arrows will shoot as good or better than what you have.....you may just have less of em.

A new set of arrows that are similar to what you have won't take you any longer to "learn" or get used to.
If you really changed things up with 300 grain heads etc you'll need a bit of time to learn the new trajectory is all.

A dozen arrows should get you thru the season just fine anyway.

Ask all the questions you can come up with.

[Simba]

Originally posted by Zradix:
If you haven't already..visit and spend some time in the shooters forum.

It's WAY easier to learn it the right way 1st than to have to unlearn bad habits.

A different higher quality set of arrows will shoot as good or better than what you have.....you may just have less of em.

A new set of arrows that are similar to what you have won't take you any longer to "learn" or get used to.
If you really changed things up with 300 grain heads etc you'll need a bit of time to learn the new trajectory is all.

A dozen arrows should get you thru the season just fine anyway.

Ask all the questions you can come up with.

So, the take home message I'm getting from what you've said is that better wood arrows of the same spine and with the same weight point that I'm used to, that are straight and weight matched and paper tuned will fly more consistently with each other for tighter groups, but the 3R's hunter setup, with paper tuning should still serve me well this season. Depending on my budget I could go either way. Am I right?

[Zradix]

yes...as long as you can get them straight...and they stay straight.
The 3r's are not weight matched..but I bet they're pretty close. Close enough not to worry much about it.

Learning how to straighten an arrow is a skill..but can be learned pretty quickly.
I just roll em on a table and look for gaps.
Put the high spot on top and run the screw driver back and forth across that spot + a couple inches each way from the bend.
Sometimes it's best to run the screwdriver the whole length of the shaft...depends on the bend you're trying to correct.

The amount of force depends on the wood species and amount of correction needed...and the individual arrow.
...lol..It's easy once you do it a few times.

They don't need to be dead perfect straight..but straighter is better.
Some individual arrows can be stubborn...mark those..lol

Get some arrows shootem and have fun!
This stuff is as complicated as you desire to make it.

[Simba]

Originally posted by Zradix:
yes...as long as you can get them straight...and they stay straight.
The 3r's are not weight matched..but I bet they're pretty close. Close enough not to worry much about it.

Learning how to straighten an arrow is a skill..but can be learned pretty quickly.
I just roll em on a table and look for gaps.
Put the high spot on top and run the screw driver back and forth across that spot + a couple inches each way from the bend.
Sometimes it's best to run the screwdriver the whole length of the shaft...depends on the bend you're trying to correct.

The amount of force depends on the wood species and amount of correction needed...and the individual arrow.
...lol..It's easy once you do it a few times.

They don't need to be dead perfect straight..but straighter is better.
Some individual arrows can be stubborn...mark those..lol

Get some arrows shootem and have fun!
This stuff is as complicated as you desire to make it.

Haha, thanks! So you mean use the shaft of the screwdriver like a rolling pin basically?

[Zradix]

Nope..don't roll it.
It can cause flat spots that don't matter one bit on the shaft.
But a little flat spot is a heck of a lot better than a bent arrow.

[Zradix]

just put the arrow flat on the table with the high side up. Hang on to the handle of the screwdriver and slide the screwdriver shaft up and down the arrow on the high side of the bend.

Pressing the arrow down into the table with the screwdriver with as much or as little force as needed.

[Zradix]

sometimes you'll need to lift an end of the arrow up a bit to let you bend the arrow more than the table underneath will let ya.

But not very often.

Thing is when you bend the wood the wood has a tendency to bend back.

When you deform the wood a touch it's often more permanent.

Just try it and you'll see pretty darn quick.

[Zradix]

My experience is that rollers and such are for fancy arrows that you don't want to mar at all and are darn near straight already and don't need much adjustment.

The screwdriver gets it done when other methods won't.

[Rough Run]

Simba,
You should also check out Kustom King - another sponsor here.  They also sell pre-finished cedar shafts, a couple bucks less than 3R.  Spine matched, but not weight.  And, they sell BearPaw feathers, which are less expensive than other brands, yet are good quality - I have used them, and found that they are as nice as the Trueflights I had been using.  Just note that KK shafts are finished with lacquer, so you will need Duco cement to fletch them.  I doubt there is much difference between their shafts and 3R.  Plus, KK shipping rates are generally less, I have found.  May stretch your bucks a little further.

I recently went through this same process - wanting to shoot woodies.  Luckily, I started with aluminum, so I have the equipment to buy myself some time.  And I decided to build my own rather than go with the pre-finished.  I definitely understand the decision quandry - but the Trad Gang community was extremely helpful to me - generously gave advice that would have taken me months to learn the hard way, and $$$ spent that are hard to come by.  This group is fantastic.

Good Luck!

[Simba]

Originally posted by Rough Run:
Simba,
You should also check out Kustom King - another sponsor here.  They also sell pre-finished cedar shafts, a couple bucks less than 3R.  Spine matched, but not weight.  And, they sell BearPaw feathers, which are less expensive than other brands, yet are good quality - I have used them, and found that they are as nice as the Trueflights I had been using.  Just note that KK shafts are finished with lacquer, so you will need Duco cement to fletch them.  I doubt there is much difference between their shafts and 3R.  Plus, KK shipping rates are generally less, I have found.  May stretch your bucks a little further.

I recently went through this same process - wanting to shoot woodies.  Luckily, I started with aluminum, so I have the equipment to buy myself some time.  And I decided to build my own rather than go with the pre-finished.  I definitely understand the decision quandry - but the Trad Gang community was extremely helpful to me - generously gave advice that would have taken me months to learn the hard way, and $$$ spent that are hard to come by.  This group is fantastic.

Good Luck!

Thank you so much!!! I will definitely check out Kustom King. Yeah, if I had the $$$ to spare screwing it up a few times, I'd learn the hard way, but alas...

[the rifleman]

Surewood shafts--- great shafts at a great price.  You'll be amazed how close they are matched in grain and spine.  You'll get more for your money with them.