weight forward for wood arrows

[CB]

I am looking for weight forward options on wood arrows. I have some woody weights coming to experiment with, but also heard about another option.

Has anyone tried the tool that guides a 1/8" drill bit down the end of the shaft to bore out the end of the wood arrow so you can fill it with tungston or brass or some other metal to add weight?

[centaur]

I bet you will like woodyweights. I have been shooting them now for over a year; arrows fly great, less noise, and they hit like a hammer.

[eric-thor]

woody weights sound great than just use heavier tips to boot . as far as drilling shafts : sounds a little like something i might try but than they wont let me have pointy things in my padded cell      

[Arrow4Christ]

The 1/8" internal footings are the bee's knees for adding strength to the front of an arrow     You can get away with drilling about 3", and I have drilled up to 5", but by then you're in serious danger of drilling out the side of the shaft...which is extremely frustrating   :D  

Yesterday I shot a Douglas Fir arrow internally footed with 2.5" of tungsten without a point into a hard, solid block of wood and it survived one shot out of a bow that I was probably drawing 61#@28" (didn't want to hit full draw in case something bad happened)...it was going toward the target pretty crooked too     On the second shot the wood actually splintered around the back of the footing instead of snapping off. I was impressed.

Craig

[eric-thor]

very interesting how do you weight the molten metal and what happens when you spill?  

[Arrow4Christ]

Eric,
It was just a section of 1/8" rod we had in the shop, no melting required    It's possible is was just a steel rod, not tungsten.
Craig

[joebuck]

option 3 ... use alumunium adapter for wood arrows for screw in points/heads and then go up in Broadhead weight. This would affect spine more than the internal drilling weight such as Braveheart system and Woody weights.

[Fletcher]

The Woody Weights work quite well.  The light ones are 75 grains, so they add a lot of weight, plus length and another joint to align.  They are well made and true tho, so alignment is easy.

I've been playing with the internal weights too, altho I drill my hole differently and use 1/8" lead wire, 35 gr/in, for my weight.  It works very well.

Here's a link to my pig hunt story with the arrow details:   http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=085507#000000

My total arrow weight was 620 gr.  Mark used a similar arrow, but with 70 grains up the nose and a Zwickey Delta.

[longstiks]

I've also used the Braveheast system and use 2.5 inches of welding rod that gives me 60 gr.of extra weight up front.I haven't broken an arrow behind the tip on a hard hit yet and have made direct hits on trees.
Denny

[Jack Skinner]

Do a search on this site the internal footing has had a couple of postings. It works great I have been using it to get FOC with great results, best arrow flight I have ever had with my selfbows. I now use the old style double footing with hardwood and the internal footing if needed to get the 650gr arrow weight I like. Arrows look beautiful fly great and hit hard.

[Kelly]

This is the purpose of a tapered shaft-to provide more FOC. To get more FOC do a longer taper.

Fletcher;

I'd like to hear more of how you are doing the internal taper? Were the shafts rear end tapered, too?

Also, need to talk to you about my last stash of Chundoo. Send me an email.

Thanks, Kelly

[Zradix]

Just keep in mind the possibility of running out of spine with EFOC using wood.

[tecum-tha]

@ ArrowforChrist:
These internally glued in rods will not make your arrow any stronger. I was experimenting with this for years and there was no proofable advantage over normal field point on very hard targets (steel shovel,light-weight air-concrete block, heavy concrete block)
Every good wood arrow survives a hit with a field point into wood. But if those internally footed arrows break, the shaft usually breaks and splinters quite far instead of an easily repairable break behind the point  with the arrow-fix tool or any other repair method.
I have the scrap arrow bucket to proove it....

[Arrow4Christ]

tecum-tha,
I was shooting the arrow WITHOUT a point     Edited my first post to reflect that. I couldn't help myself and was curious to see what would happen.
I respectfully disagree with you about the internal footing adding strength. Whenever I had a wood arrow break, it was almost always right behind the point. Since beginning to use the internal footings, I have had zero arrows snap behind the point. After repeated dead-on frontal impact (purposeful testing) on very hard substances WITH field points, I have had a few finally split along the grain of the wood for an inch or two behind the point. Every arrow I make for myself has an internal footing of some kind, whether it be a composite rod so as not to add any weight, or a steel or brass rod to add a bit of weight. If all you're wanting is FOC, the internal footings on their own won't give you as much as a heavy WoodyWeight, but I mainly look at them as tip-reinforcers. I can get around 75-80 grains of weight from my internal footings.

Craig

[SlowBowinMO]

The Internal Point Jig works great, especially if you're looking to add less than 100 grains of weight.  The Woody Weights also work very well and are very handy for tuning or adding a LOT of weight.

I've been shooting point loaded wood arrows for about 2 years now, they fly and penetrate wonderfully and you don't need as much extra spine as you might think to make a serious jump in point weight.

I'm shooting 730 gr finished weight Surewoods out of one of my Fireflies with the assistance of 250 grains up front.  

[CB]

Where do you get the steel and brass rods for the internal footing?  I have some roles of lead weight for steelhead fishing which might work, I'll have to see what they weigh per inch.

Thanks

[Jack Skinner]

I got my brass rod from Lowes and cut to length/weight needed using either hacksaw or dremel. The lead will give you more weight than the brass of same diameter but adds little to no strength. I had it all figured out weight per 1/2inch for brass and lead but it is at home.

[Arrow4Christ]

The brass I have is 25.67 grains per inch.

Craig

[Fletcher]

I'm using 1/8" solid lead wire that weighs 35 gr/in.  One of the best things about lead besides the weight is the cost; $1 per foot.

I add the internal footing for weight, not strength.  I can't say that I'm gaining any strength with the lead, but after epoxying it in, I'm not losing any strength either.