Need some DYI ways to add weight to carbon arrows

[Bldtrailer]

I want to bump up the weight of my goldtip Trad. 3555 29in. I all ready use 100 grn inserts and 175 grn tips with a 25 grn outsert(2in 2117)with wraps 13 grns + 12grn nock= about 574. without buying weight tubes (25+ arrows) whats other ways to bump up the weight with out affecting the spine. I was considering air hose (fish tank)from pet store if it fits. Any other    suggestions?

[MikeW]

Never done it myself but I've read of guys using poly rope, weed whacker line and vinyl/latex tubing.

[Bill Carlsen]

I'm not sure you need more weight than you describe. I've used all sorts of things when I first started to shoot carbons but everything I put in the shaft popped nocks or made noise or affected arrow flight. I think that, if you are getting good arrow flight with the setup you describe I would leave it  alone. It should shoot thru anything you would hunt in North America. I have found that sufficient arrow point weight, which you do have, has been sufficient to achieve all of my arrow flight requirements and the extra weight up front has surpassed my expectations for penetration up to and including moose with multiblade heads (Razorcaps and Phantoms). I shoot Beman MFX or Axis 340's with about 200-250 grains up front depending on the bow I'm shooting. I let the arrow flight determine where I stop playing with the arrow weight. Straight flight, for me, trumps total arrow weight and EFOC trumps putting weight in the shaft.

[Canadabowyer]

Weed wacker line works great for me. .095 diameter weighs almost exactly 50 grains per 28" length. I haven't had nocks pop unless I hit something real hard like a brick ot rock. Thats in Gold tip 15-35 or 35-55.Wrap with a little yarn if the noise bothers you.  Bob

[BaldingEagle]

I use ACE Hardware store's clothes line.  I use 7/32 diameter line.  It works great.  The reason I tried it was because I too wanted to add weight and watched friends' nocks pop off from their other inserted materials.  27" of the line adds almost exactly 100 grains.  I have had no problem at all with spine changing.  The added weight also helped to quiet all the bows through which I have shot these arrows.
A friend got a pass-through on a dicey shot.  He attributed it to the sharp broadhead and the extra mass from the clothes line I put in his shafts.

[Jeff Strubberg]

It's all abotu what you want to shoot, but a 574 grain arrow is pretty nice already.  

Afraid I can't be much help here, I'm a weight tube guy.

[Bldtrailer]

I added 271/2 inches of para cord (93.5 grns), weight of arrows up and flew   :(  poorly, I'm back to 576 and great arrow flight  29in 3555 300up front 576 (used reloading scale)and as the man     said if not broke    don't fix it.  

[joekeith]

576 isa fine weight for things here in N.America.  I didn't see what weight bow you're shootin', but if it's shootin' fine with 576 grns.  I don't see a problem.  Enjoy ...  

[Jerry Jeffer]

I'm with Bill C. On this one. I'm not sure what you are trying to accomplish, or whyv

[tecum-tha]

@Bldtrailer:
1.) The Polyrope needs to fit tight. If it does not this method will deliver bad results.
I would recommend 1/4" braided polypropylen rope from Menards/Lowes . It fits my Goldtips tight, but still comparably easy to install.
2. By completely filling the arrow you add more mass to the rear of the arrow, which stiffens it and may have changed your spine. The added mass all over the shaft "weakens" the dynamic spine very slightly. If your setup was on the weak side of the spectrum, it may be now too weak. Try only filling it 2/3 in the front and refer to 3!!
3.)If you only partly fill the shaft, then you need to glue the rope to the back of your insert, so it can not move inside your shaft.
Remove your insert, pull piece of rope from nock end through with serving thread up to about as far as the insert will get in. Thread serving thread through hole in back of insert. Put epoxy on back end of insert and on sides and press insert in.Pulll on serving thread to make sure rope has contact with back of insert. Let set with nock end pointing down, to prevent liquid epoxy flowing throught he hole into the threaded part. After epoxy has set, cut thread with razorblade as deep in the insert as possible and thread fieldpoint in. The threads will destroy the rest of the serving material with no problem. Like that, you can balance your arrows like you want and to almost every weight desired, depending on rope weight and length.

If done correct, rope filling has almost zero effect on spine. I shoot a korean bow, that I shoot over the knuckle and which is cut like a selfbow. Weight tubes do not work there,but the rope does. My arrow must be very heavy but comparably weak in spine, because it has to flex more around the grip. I use the rope method also with my demonstration arrows for the bows I sell. I have for the same bow arrows in different length and the same gpp ratio from 28-32". This will give the customer the right impression about his hunting arrow speed.

[jeanpaul3006]

That's basically what i'm shooting right now and have had no issues with penetration. I've killed bear, moose and whitetail with 35/55 with 100 grain insert and 150 grain broadhead. They fly great.

[psychmonky]

Also have to consider where u put the weight. If you want it dispersed down the whole shaft, twine or weedeater string works great. If you want it up front, you can cut a strip of tin foil the width you want and roll it tightly so that it makes a virtually solid aluminum rod. Glue it behind your insert and you are golden.

The best part is you can customize its length and weight for your application.

Scott

[Possum Head]

Get a caulking gun and give them silicone injections.

[Patrick55]

Shoot wood.

[xtrema312]

What weight bow are you shooting?  I shoot a 579 gr. arrow out of about 54-55@29 bows.  That is plenty heavy at over 10.5 GPP and lots of FOC.  Are you trying to kill African game or have a heavy bow you  are trying to tame down?  
 
I have tried the rope, weed eater line, and the tube.  Didn't care for any of it.  A lot of fooling around for nothing I think.  I don’t see the point and it just seems like too much work with not the ideal result between the rope settling, line making noises unless you mess around kinking it, and the tubes popping out your nocks.  I know of some using coffee to fill them.  

In the end I just upped my shaft spine and point weight to get a heaver arrow. I would shoot what you have and get some heavier spine arrows down the line if you really want to up the weight a bunch.

[Bill Carlsen]

Bob Morrison did testing on this issue. He used arrows weighted to the same weight. Some had the weight in the head, others had the weight in the shaft  (weight tubes, weed whacker line). The best penetration he got was with the weight in the head. No need for all the stuff in the shaft. If you can get a head 200+ grains  to shoot perfectly that is all you need to do. The advantage is that you don't have nocks pop out or something in the arrow that could make noise. Arrows with heavier heads will out penetrate a same weight arrow with the weight in the shaft.

[Andy Cooper]

I took one of the inserts to the hardware store and found some bolts that would screw into the back of the insert (the AD brass ones are threaded all the way through).  Had to round the heads to get them into the shaft. IIRC I could add about 95 grains right up front that way.

[Rob DiStefano]

the ONLY viable way for me is to add the weight up front - heavier insert, adapter, point weight ... and/or adding a machine screw into the insert before screwing in the point or point adapter.  i always use adapters and glue-on broadheads for the greater tweakability.  all of this puts the weight where it belongs, and in a solid, durable fashion.  will it change the shaft spine?  imo, NO.  carbons have vastly stiffer dynamic spines than any other popular arrow shaft material.  my carbon hog arrow is a 29" ics 500 with 350 up front for nearly 600 grains out of a 55# stick bow.  yup, those arrows track very straight, as that's the first and foremost goal - arrow flight.

[karrow]

weed eater string wooden dowel

[Shawn Leonard]

Rob has got it, as does Bill. I am shooting a 470 grain arrow out of my 52#@28.5" recurve I would huntpretty much anything with this set-up. I blew thru the shoulders of a 2.5yr. old whitetail buck this year and it broke his off leg clean in too and the shot was 43 yards. As long as your arrow is flying perfect that 576 grain arrow is plenty heavy!! Shawn