Who shoots Rat Tail taper

[Wudstix]

Who shoots Rat Tail taper and can you compare to 10” taper.
 

[A Lex]

Me Wud, full rat-tail shafts, from 23/64" to 5/16".

Unfortunately though, I cannot compare then to a 10" tail taper, I did try those years ago but couldn't see much benifit over a parallel shaft for what I was doing with the bow back then. Haven't tried them since, just guess I've never needed to.

Bought my 110# Red Balau full rat-tail shafts on a whim, and very pleased I did. I really like them out of my 75lb longbow at the moment.

Hope someone else chimes in with some comparison info, would be quite interested myself.

Best
Lex

[Wudstix]

My experience was that tapered arrows stabilized better than parallel and a bit more weight forward.  Presume RT will be more FOC.
 

[The Whittler]

I wondered what a rat tail taper was, now I know a full length taper.

[Pat B]

I have a set of "rat tail" ash shafts and a couple of rear tapered poplar shafts, both shoot very well. I can compare these to the hardwood shoot shaft and cane arrows that I mostly shoot. These shoots and cane arrows are more tolerant of bow draw weight by up to 10#, at least with my selfbows and wood lam bows.I think they recover quicker with more clearance and less tail weight but can't prove that.

[M60gunner]

I have wondered about this taper as well. I asked on another site but my interest was for shots out to 80 yards. Not hunting shots. Didn’t get much response, one I did recommend a barrel taper for my interest. I haven’t given up the idea of the full length taper, just have other projects going on. I also want to foot the shaft with a hardwood foot.
  I wonder how much more spine would be needed for a full length taper? Say a 45# bow would need what spine shaft before the tapering process?

[Wudstix]

I’m looking at RT taper for hardwood shafts.  Thinking it would cut a few grains off the total arrow weight.  With 29” arrow VON to BOP, hopefully get closer to 800 grain arrows.
 

[The Whittler]

How much more weight would the rat tail taper take off then a barrel taper. And would you need a stiffer spine.

[Wudstix]

I would think weight would be similar as one has taper both ways from center and one is continual taper from one end.
 

[Wudstix]

Plus potential increase in FOC could be a benefit.
 

[Huntschool]

Not a lot of real experience posted on this subject.  Full taper sounds like a nice idea but I have to wonder which shaft maker will supply them and in what wood configuration.  I would also think defining spine might be an interesting process.....

Just some thoughts.

[M60gunner]

In the Renfro’s DVD on making shafts, footing shafts, etc. he states that he makes a rattail taper for his arrows. Unfortunately he doesn’t elaborate on the subject. It peaked my interest because I knew there were carbons available in this taper. The carbons being to rich for my blood for what I would use them for made the wood shafts sound more my style.
  I am wondering if one of those home made jigs from angle iron and sandpaper would do the job? I was also thinking about wood shaft test kits to use to find the shaft spine necessary for my draw weight. I am thinking just from some experience that I would lose about 5# of spine.
  I refurbished some Cedar’s from the 70’s that were in the 70# spine area. By sanding off the old paint I lost about 3#-4-# of spine. Does any of my rambling sound close?

[Pat B]

I made a shaft tapering jig for the rear 10" that works well. I've used it on spruce and poplar with good success. The rat tail ash I have were done for me by a friend but with a similar set up as mine. He said it was a b*tch to run the ash shafts through but they came out well.
 The shaft is chucked in an electric drill and worked into the jig.

[M60gunner]

 I have seen a couple YouTube vids with jigs like you describe. Thinking that’s what I need to try and make. Haven’t tried Ash yet, did have some Maple I liked once I got them straight. I liked the small diameter.

[Huntschool]

I posted earlier Woodstix post there about making the same type of sanding taper jig that several others had mentioned.  I copied a taper from a carbon (AD) arrow to do this but increased the tail section to 12".  I must say it was a job to keep the shaft in the jig as it wanted to elevate out of the top as I worked the shaft into the jig.  I fixed that with a bit of home engineering and got it to work.  I did not go any further then the 12" taper.  I also was not interested in extreme FOC.....

It seems to me if one were to try and taper an entire shaft (rat tail) one would need to put in a taper at the top and the bottom of the jig apparatus in order to keep the shaft aligned.  This would require a bit more expertise even if the jig was only "sanding/grinding on two sides of the jig.

I would like to see some shaft outfit make some rat tails from Douglas fir in all the sizes and have solid spine #'s for them.  I would truly be interested as I am having trouble getting a light but stable wood arrow to fly off my LB's for IBO and other 3D shoots where wood arrows are required.

As to rat tail taper on carbon arrows;  I only know of one, "Grizzly Stick" that is tapered nose to toes.  I have not shot any of them as I would like a lighter arrow then their 400.

Just my thoughts.

[Kelly]

Howard Hill was known to full length taper the shafts he used.

To prevent the shaft climbing out of the jig one needs an infeed and outfeed blocks. I've never done more than 12" taper but have the accessories to do a longer one-just never set it up. It would use the couple angle irons with sandpaper attached. Always thought that 20" would be an ideal length based upon my experiences with Arrow Dynamics tapered carbons. I do know that 12" is a lot better than 9".

FYI, 1-3# spine loss on 12" so am guessing 5-7# on full length and 30-50 grains in weight.

Now that I've gone down so much in bow weight most of my shafting is too stiff so will be increasing the length of my tapers in order to use these shafts. Just need to get moved into the new house before I can even start to think about any archery related stuff.

[dnovo]

I made a jig to taper my shafts like that. I was doing a 10” taper.

I’m with you Kelly. I’ve got a bunch of shafts I need to do a longer taper on to be able to use them as I go down in bow weight. Ive been thinking on it.