Help,these cedars are killing me!

[Izzy]

Hi all.Ive finally finished my first home grown cedars and they shoot all over the place.They hit a consistent mark but way off where I want them to hit.I dont know if this is standard for wood but after putting so much time into them its a shame they dont work better.They have 5 1/2 shields,left wing helicals,spined 55-60, no taper,125 grain glue on fp's and 32" at about 29 inch draw.Ready to go back to carbons and aluminums.Please save me!Shooting 55 lbs.

[LAR43]

If they're all spined within #5 & all else is equal. I'd suspect the grain alignment in the shaft as related to the cock feather position.
All shafts are spined on the edge grain. That's where the cock feather has to be positioned. If you have the cock feathers on the flat grain, or off the edge, the spine could be significantly different.
Also 32" is way long if you're using them on a 55-60 bow. They're spined 0n 13" centers, so you need to go up in spine to account for the extra draw weight. I'd guess somewhere around 75-80 for a 32" shaft.
Shawn's great at this . . Maybe he'll clarify this problem more for you.

Build your next set like they're disposable (no multiple sealing, crown dip, or cresting etc) to get your own specs down. Then go on to the artistry. I gotta tell you though, when you break or lose one of those artsy arrows, you really get upset.
Larry

[Orion]

Given your draw length and bow weight, the cedars are underspined, as Lar43 points out.  I agree that you need closer to 75# spine.

[paradocs]

Do you gotta have a 32" arrow?  Try cutting one down 2" or so, re-taper, and try it.  If still too weak, go another 1/2".  Might stiffen them up enough.  I cut my arrows only a 1/2" longer than my draw; just enough for a horizontally mounted broadhead to clear the bow.

[Lost Arra]

Kelly's chart is a good place to start
Kind of depends on the bow (selfbow? recurve? ff string?)

 http://www.arrowsbykelly.com/Spine_Charts.html

[breathed]

Definitely cut off 2" and check your nock alignment to the grain. Remove and glue on new nocks if needed. Those two things should help a lot.

[Archer 1]

What Lar43 said, and no, that's not standerd for wood arrows. When you get them spined right, and your nock in the right place, they will shoot just as good as any other arrow. At least the ones I have do, and I've got a ton of them.

[Ron LaClair]

You're arrows are probably underspined. What kind of bow are you shooting, self bow, recurve, or longbow? What kind of string, dacron, or hi performence string? All of these things have a bearing on what spine your shafts should be.

I have to shoot 80# shafts out of my 60# bow and they are 28" When you shoot longer arrows you weaken the spine.

[Dave Lay]

I agree with everyone else on being underspined, I shoot a 60@27 longbow and have to shoot 80-85 28inch arrows with a 135 gr head. it may drive ya nuts finding the perfect shaft but once ya do you will have a arrow that shoots as well as any arrow material with a lot of satisfaction of making it your self, plus there is something special about shooting wood. to find the proper shaft on a new set up I will bareshaft one shaft out of the dozen or whatever I have ordered, if I cant get it right I sell the balance and start over. once I get one to bareshaft I go ahead and make up my arrows and dont worry about bareshafting any others. There will be a little diffrence in the others and it will make you nuts trying to bareshaft and get each one perfect. plus ya wind up with a bunch of diffrent length arrows.after fletching they will all shoot very well. as some one else said, be sure of your nock alignment, that is important.  But get that one right, and make them up and enjoy them. I think Kustom King and maybe 3 rivers sell test kits with diffrent spine mixes..

[George D. Stout]

They are much too soft at 32"...cut down to 30 and try again.

[Dalebow]

I shoot 65# woodies to fly out of 50# and they are weakend every inch past 29" by at least 5 #

[Izzy]

Thanks for the help,you guys are priceless.I checked and some nocks were misaligned with the grain.Heres a pic of em,hope its sized right.Sure did hurt when I broke 2 of em in the initial range test.Thanks again all.  Also I had already suspected some were too long,Ill cut em down too.

[Dave Lay]

WOW!! those are great looking arows, hope you get them working. great job on the feathers

[Danny Rowan]

If the bow is center shot and you use a modern string,and it is 55#@29", you will need at least a 30" arrow for field points and around 30 1/2 to 31" for broadheads. At that weight and length you will probably need 80# spine arrows for a 30" arrow and 85# for a 31" arrow, this is of course with 125 gr points, heavier points will require heavier spine. Just my 2 cents.

Danny