First carbons

[northener]

I just ordered my first carbons for taditional tackle after reading all the hoop-la on here lately,touting the merits of carbons.

 I ordered Beman ICS bowhunters 500's shafts with 100 grn brass inserts along with 5 grn weight tubes. With my 30" draw, I cut my shafts to 31"to 31 1/2" so with my 170 grn screw in No Mercy's, I should end up with a 651grn arrow.

I am hoping they fly equally well from my Mentor and Royal but time will tell? It will be fun none the less!!!

Question for you guy's. What should I use to glue in the brass inserts? Can I use hot melt and possibly removeand go to alum or say 50 grn brass inserts if things don't work out with the 100's

[xtrema312]

I like that shaft a lot.  I use hot melt with no prep and have no problems.  Odds are you will do a lot of testing and cutting to fine tune so you want to get the insert out easy.

What are your bow spec's?  That is on the long side with a lot of weight up front if you have a very heavy bow.  With the 100 brass and 170 points you would have like a 30# spine arrow.  I would probably be using a minimum of a 400 or stiffer.

[northener]

Oh, OH, I debated that very thing. My bows are 50 lbs. One is a cut to center recurve and the other and mild R/D longbow. I suppose I could try 50 grn inserts if they spine weak as well as leaving the weight tubes out.

I will try the Hot melt, thanks.

[bigbuckmalik]

The tubes should'nt mess with you spine at all. I'm shooting a 500 with 100gr brass insert and a 125gr tip or 50gr insert and a 175gr tip. I'm shooting a gamemaster2 45#, which is probably closer to 50# cut past center and fast flight. You might be ok but i'm guessin you will have to lose some point weight.

[LKH]

Start with the shafts full length and bareshaft.  Spine is an issue with carbons and you don't want reduce length until you find out how stiff they are.  After goofing up several times I eventually started by reducing length 1/4" at a time till I found out what was working.

For insert removal I take a torch and heat a field tip red hot, screw in while pulling.  This allows the heat to work on the glue quickly without having time to affect the carbon shaft.  I do it by the sink and put the shaft under running cold water the moment the insert pops.

[Mo. Huntin]

I and many others have noticed a difference in arrowspine when using weight tubes.
A lot of people are using suran wrap to hold in their insert while they do their tuning with good luck, I have not needed to try it yet.
I have removed many inserts from shafts with a lighter and a pair of pliars, very easy.  Many people say you have to be very carefull heating inserts in carbons-I have not had a problem yet but I would not get a field tip red hot just in case they are on to something.
I am not trying to pick a fight or sound like a know it all but these are my opinions.  Arrows cost a lot.

[LKH]

No fight taken.
I just got done removing about 15 aluminum inserts that had been put in with Goat Tuff without any damage.  I have tried it by heating the field tip while it's in the insert and it allows too much time for the heat to get thru to the carbon.  With the very hot tip and screw in, I have the insert out in less than 5 seconds.  Just not enough time for the carbon to get too hot.  

Try it on a broken shaft and see how you do.

[Mo. Huntin]

My bad, I misunderstood you.  I thought you where heating them up cherry red while they where screwed into the arrow.  I should have read it closer.

[Bowmania]

START with a full length shaft and don't glue in the insert.  Wrap it with cellophane and shoot it into a bag target.

Put a golf ball in front of the target so that when you put the tip of the arrow on the golf ball and shoot you hit the center of the target.  Now, shoot one fletched shaft and one bare.  If you had good form on both shots look at the results and correct.  This takes the mental aiming mistakes out of the equation

Bowmania

[pseman]

I wouldn't glue them in permanently. Also, don't glue in more than one. I will almost bet that with anything more than standard inserts and 125gr tips those will be too weak. I shoot a BW PSAII which is ~51#@30 and shoot 31" Axis/mfx 500's with standard inserts and 125gr tips and they are slightly weak but fly very good. If you want higher foc you will most likely have to go to at least a 400 spine.