New "Sitka Supreme" Arrows....

[Louutah]

I decided to give Sitkas a try and ordered a dozen from Ron LaClairs website.  They arrived today and I took them out to the cut-off saw and got the shakes.....they were too pretty to cut.
     Maybe tommorow, I'll get them chopped off and tips installed.

   

 

[slayer1]

Man they sure are pretty. If they shoot as good as they look you should be real happy with them!

[jacobsladder]

I believe Paul Jalon makes Rons arrows..... if hes not the best ..he is right up there!

[Tim Fishell]

You cant beat the arrows that Ron offers from Paul Jalon at Elite Arrows.  The craftsmanship is second to none in my book.  I have 3 sets from Paul and I always have him cut and taper them for me.  I would be to worried about messing up and then probably never cut them!!

[30coupe]

Originally posted by slayer1:
If they shoot as good as they look you should be real happy with them!

Whoah! You mean he's going to shoot them!    

Just kidding, but those are right purty arras!

[killinstuff]

Yeah Paul makes great arrows. How many grains does your new arrows weigh? The ones I have are fairly lite but tough as nails.

[Legolas]

Lou,
 Absolutely do not cut these. I am the only accredited Sitka arrow cutter on Tradgang. Send them to my address and I will take care of them...

Paul

[Louutah]

Killinstuff - I have not weighed them, however they do feel alittle lighter than my cedars...I will have them weighed when I get the points mounted and let you know.

Legolas - Somehow tommorow, I think I will find the time and guts to cut and taper the first one....baby steps you know.

[steadman]

Nice arrows Lou!

[Ron LaClair]

Sitka Spruce arrow shafting may be partly responsible for Michigan getting their separate archery deer season in 1937.

This is from the Book "Michigan Bow Hunters 60th Anniversary"

   

Sitka Spruce History

In 1935 when bowhunters in Michigan requested a seperate hunting season, they were told by state lawmakers that an archery deer season would not be considered until archery equiptment  was proven adequate for killing deer, that a hunting arrow must be able to penetrate 3/16 inch boiler plate.

Michigan pioneer bowhunter John B. "Jack" Skanes who was a toolmaker and carpenter had a good working knowledge of materials and enjoyed a challange. Jack believed he could shoot an arrow through the steel plate if he could find shaft material that could withstand the impact forces. After testing many different kinds of wood, Jack realized that wood weight was less important than it's compression strength, i.e., the ability of wood fiber to withstand a severe end-grain impact without facturing, as when shot into a steel plate at close range with a 65# bow. Jack found a small cache of Sitka Spruce at a lumber yard. He knew the slow growing Alaskan spruce though slightly lighter than Port Orford Cedar had a very high compression strength. Jack made up several shafts and fitted them with armor piercing heads he machined from hardened steel, simular to the bodkin used so effectively against armor by the famed English Longbow. His first Sitka Spruce arrow passed completely through the boiler plate.

After satisfying lawmakers, Jack and several friends developed a shooting demonstration, which they took to various sportsman's clubs around the state to gain support of firearms hunters for bowhunting. Jacks effort and dedication, as well as that of other bowhunting activists of that era, was rewarded in 1937 when Michigan became the third state in the Nation following Wisconsin and Oregon to establish a seperate archery deer season.  

http://www.shrewbows.com/sitkasupreme/index.html

[tim roberts]

Thank you for the history lesson Ron, that was one of them things that makes this so interesting!