Significant weight variances on new wood shafts

[longbow fanatic 1]

I bought a dozen wood arrow shafts from a respected source and after straitening the shafts, I weighed them. There were three shafts which were 50 grains, or more, lighter when compared to the weight of the other shafts. These shafts were supposed to be within 5 grains of each other. I wouldn't normally gripe about a single shaft way out of weight tolerances, but 25% of these shafts were out of tolerance. Is it normal to find this much variance in wood shafts? Am I being unreasonable or should be able to expect all shafts to be within their advertised weight tolerances?

[Shadowhnter]

Nope, not unreasonable of you at all. The thing about being human, is we are most often less then perfect. Things slip by now and again. Id just call and let them know about what you got, and what you had expected. Chances are good, they will make it right with you.

In unweighed dozens, ive found there to be  100+ gr of variance, maybe they accidentally sent non weight matched doz?

[luv2bowhunt]

I would definitely expect them to be within that advertised range. That's what you expected and paid for. If it is a respected source and they are a respectable company, they will make it right if you voice your concerns.

I just checked all of my bare wood shafts, 5 dozen, after reading this. Everyone is well with in tolerances, you could make a call on this.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Great news, Pavan! I called and left a message. I'm sure they'll call back. I really don't expect them to mail me three shafts. I would rather let them know what happened to help prevent someone else having the same problem. Maybe I can add enough stain and polycrylic to make up the weight difference. Thanks everyone for your insights.

If they are indeed a respectable company, they should insist on sending you 3 shafts that are the correct shaft you paid for.

Bisch

[longbow fanatic 1]

Thanks, Bisch. Good to know. This is only my second doz. wood shafts that I have made myself, so I don't have a great deal of experience in this area.

[forestdweller]

I'm still learning about wooden shafts and have yet to make my own batch but in a situation like this, couldn't you sand the whole arrow or sand it in a way in which it would not effect the spine much and have them all weight matched?

[slowbowjoe]

I've never had a weight spread like that in any batch of premiums from a shaft manufacturer. Something seems a little screwy. Curious how they handle it. (Also curious about who the source is, but wouldn't ask for you to post it).

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by forestdweller:
I'm still learning about wooden shafts and have yet to make my own batch but in a situation like this, couldn't you sand the whole arrow or sand it in a way in which it would not effect the spine much and have them all weight matched?

I wouldn't  recommend it. Just straighten the arrows and maybe someone else can explain how to make up for the added weight needed.

[kat]

I have had a similar experience. I let them know, and they were good about making it right. &%*^ happens. We are all human.

[Orion]

Actually, I think it is fairly normal to find shafts off by that much weight.  Did you spine them as well?  You might find that isn't as represented either.

It takes a fair amount of time to weigh and scale every shaft, and a lot of vendors simply don't do it. Unless you have both a grain scale and spine tester, you would be none the wiser for it.

Substantial variances in spine and/or weight are a major reason newbies or folks without these two implements report inconsistent arrow flight when they try wood for the first time.  So, they trash wood arrows, when the condemnation should be on the vendor who sells unmatched shafts.

That being said, some vendors really do a good job meeting spine and weight ranges advertised.  I'll give a shout out to Surewood, for example.  I've purchased a couple of dozen shafts from them over the years, and not a one was outside the parameters I ordered. On top of that, the grain was excellent as well.

Other than Surewoods (and I'm sure there are some other really good vendors as well) I've taken to buying shafts at large shoots where I can hand select and weigh them on site.  Still need to confirm the spine on my tester whenI get home.

It's not unreasonable to expect the vendor to replace the three shafts that are way out of line.

All this being said, I've seen very few people who can actually detect a 50 gratin difference in their arrows when they shoot. Within reason, spine is more important than weight.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Interesting insights,Jerry. Thanks! I agree that if I had one arrow with 150 grain tip and an arrow with a 200 grain tip, shot at 20 yards, I couldn't tell the difference. If I took the same arrows and shot them at 35-40 yards, I could guarantee you I could tell the difference.  

[Gordon Jabben]

Something I have found over the years is that the shaft weight will change with how humid it is.  Don't hold me to this but it seems I get up to 20 grains difference here in Oklahoma between winter when the air is dry and the summer when it is very humid so I try to weigh all my unweighed shafts on the same day. Talking cedar. Just wonder if that may be part of the weight problem from the supplier.

[kenneth butler]

If three shafts are approx. the same amount out of spec. I suspect they just made an error in sorting them, or grabbed three out of the wrong bin. It happens. They will make it good.>>>------> Ken

I recently made a dozen to go with a bow.  I had two that were at the top of the span that were also at the top of the span for weight. A quick spin with the sand paper got the weight and spine right in the middle. If I would have made one more pass with the courser sand paper, I would have taken off too much. It is real convenient when they are both slightly stiff and slightly heavy. I can add a few grains by soaking a little with the stained Watco oil, you can always tell when that happens they are a bit darker, but adding spine other than radical shortening, it is not possible. Like when I bought a bunch of cheapies off Edump.  The most expensive shafts that I ever bought if I only count the good ones, the rest were shoot aways. Of course every small game hunter needs a bunch of those to blame the misses on.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Thank, Pavan. I received a call back from the manufacturer. He was apologetic and offered to send me three more shafts. It was just honest human error. He explained how he believed the error occurred and when I offered to mail back the three out of spec arrows, he said the shipping costs wouldn't be worth it. IMO excellent company and excellent customer service.

[Orion]

Yep.  Humidity can change arrow weight, but not that much.  And, it would affect all the shafts about equally so the disparity would still be there.

It's possible the supplier could have mistakenly pulled a few shafts out of a different bin.  It's also possible, he ran out of the shafts in the range you ordered and filled in with others he had.

I hate to sound so jaundiced. I've just had it happen to me so many times over the years.  Maybe the bad eggs have been weeded out over time.  

It is more difficult to get away with it now since electronic grain scales have become so widely available and inexpensive. Spine testers are still rather expensive though, and a lot of wood shooters don't have them to check the shafts they receive.

Shafts are machine spined at the factory, which isn't as accurate as hand spining, but, hand spining takes time, and time is money in a business.  That's why it's often not done.

The only way to ensure well matched arrows is to have both a grain scale and a spine tester and cull those that don't fit, perhaps sorting them into other spine/weight groups that will work for other bows, etc.

[snag]

Just a thought. If you are buying them from the maker of these shafts that is definitely not the norm. But if you bought them from a business that buys in bulk and resales the shafts that can happen. It is up to the business to weigh and spine these bulk shafts to put in appropriate weight range and spine ranges. That may not have happened.