Switching to woodies?

[EASTERNARCHER]

Funny iI see someone on here wanted to switch to carbon shafts and I'm looking to switch to woods!  
 
So, I shoot mostly longbows in the 50-55lb range at my 27.5in. draw...I play arounf with heavier point weights on my carbons, anywhere from 150 - 200 grains up front...I like a heavier arrow.

Any suggestions as to what spine shafts would work for me? I'm guessing 11/32nds . I like the idea of Surewood fir shafts so I think that's what I'll go for. I do plan on getting a test pack, but I have a chance to have shafts delivered by a friend who is in the States right now, and this would save me alot on shipping etc. to Canada, so if I cqn narrow down my choices I may just order a dozen shafts and tune then to shoot for me.
Help please?

[Dave Lay]

with the price of wood shafts now days you can burn through some $$ with wrong spine selection pretty quick,ask me how i know,  i would deciede on a point weight and talk to your shaft dealer if your not in a hurry just get a test pack like ya said or one or 2 of a spine you are pretty sure of.. woodies dont tune quite like carbons

[58WINTERS]

Surewood shafting none better. I shoot HH Wesley Spec. 50@28 pull 27 1/2 5&5-1/2 fletch cock feather in 125-160 gr on 48-53# spine. What dave said above is sound advice.
58

[gringol]

Surewoods are great shafts.  Go with the test pack.  If you're shooting a close to center modern style bow, you might be surprised by the spine you need to get good flight, especially with a heavy head.  I shoot a modern R/D style bow that pulls 56# @28 (I draw to 29") and it takes a 100# spine to get 160grn heads to fly well.  (80-85# spine for 125grn heads)

[centaur]

A test pack is probably a good idea. I would start somewhere around 60-70 pound spine for bows in the 50-55 pound range. I'm currently shooting a Hill 55# longbow, and 65-70 woodies with 160 grains up front works well for me. Your mileage may vary.

[EASTERNARCHER]

Well shows what I know... I thought 50-55 spine maybe 60#!.
Sheesh...got some testing to do I guess.
Thanks Folks!

[Hatrick]

EASTERNARCHER, if you are new to wood I would highly recommend that you contact one of the sponsors hear like Elite Arrows, or Wilderness Custom Arrows to get their input.

They will want to know what type longbow and how close it's cut to center. I'm a bit surpirsed that centaur shoots 65-70# woodies out of a 55# Hill style bow. Not saying they don't work for him, it's just my experience that a Hill style usually needs a weaker spine.

I would say your guess of 50-55# spine is not far off. 11/32 shafts is what I would use in your spine range. Consistency of shaft spine and weight, as well as nock alignment is what I look for in a wood shaft. They can be awful finicky but there's nothing like a good, straight, matched set.

Good Luck.

[Sam McMichael]

I have found my Hill bows tend to like arrows spined at, or about, the stated draw weight of the bow. For example, my 55# Cheetah likes arrows at 55 - 60# spine. This makes sense, though, because my draw length is about 27.5 inches with 29" shaft. I shoot 125 grain Zwickies.

My 65# Wesleys are a little different. Both are 65# draw weight. One likes 65 - 70# spine, but the other likes 70-75# spine. I shoot 145 grain heads (135 grain when using Magnus). Both shoot okay with either arrow, but, each bow has a very slight difference in what it prefers.  

My 50# Big Five likes 50-55# spine with 125 grain points. Keep playing around, and you will find what your bow likes best. Then go shoot Bullwinkle!

[German Dog]

Wood arrows are way fun!

I went with Hilldebrand shafts in douglas fir and they are very nice. A friend has surewoods and happy with those also.

As far as weight, everyone might shoot something different so you do have to guess well or play around. I shoot a 53# Great northern bushbow with 55-59# spine range and 160 heads and they shoot good but do show a little stiff . My next batch will be a 50#-55# range.

[GRINCH]

Contact Magnus he'll help you out.

[grayfeather]

talk to brian at all wood arrows, sells great arrows !

[Canadabowyer]

Easternarcher, I feel your pain on the shipping.Your best bet is a test pack to be sure you can figure out what spine you need. Then when you order matched dozens you will get exactly what you need. I shoot #47-53 R/D longbows cut almost to centre  and draw 27" and I can make 50-55 and 55-60 spine Surewoods work. It helps the shipping if you can buy more than one dozen at a time because its not much more for two dozen than one dozen. Bravheart Archery(sponcer)seems to be the cheapest shipper and of course excellent service fron Tim. Bob

[Shedrock]

Be warned, once you go wood, you will not go back to carbons or aluminums. Wood arrows rock!  :cool:

[AWPForester]

if your bow is cut short of center, if you don't have a ff string, a 125-160 grain head at 28 inches or less your shaft is going to be in that 55 pound range.  add 5 pds of spine for all the above that apply.  Add 5 pounds for every inch of shaft over 28.  I am willing to bet that your shafts go no moore than 60 spine.  That riser cuut and strig material are biggies and dramtically up the somie required.  I have a 60 pound recurve that requires a 85-90 pound spine to shooot 160 grain heads.  I have a longbow short of center @ 60 pounds that shoots 55-60 at a 28 inch shaft.  God Bless

[EASTERNARCHER]

Originally posted by AWPForester:
if your bow is cut short of center, if you don't have a ff string, a 125-160 grain head at 28 inches or less your shaft is going to be in that 55 pound range.  add 5 pds of spine for all the above that apply.  Add 5 pounds for every inch of shaft over 28.  I am willing to bet that your shafts go no moore than 60 spine.  That riser cuut and strig material are biggies and dramtically up the somie required.  I have a 60 pound recurve that requires a 85-90 pound spine to shooot 160 grain heads.  I have a longbow short of center @ 60 pounds that shoots 55-60 at a 28 inch shaft.  God Bless

All the above do not apply...All my bows are self built all wood laminates, so not cut to centre...I use B50 flemish strings, and I like 135-160 gr. heads. arrow length is 29in. to nock valley shot from 50-55lb bows.
I guess I gotta get a test pack or two.   :rolleyes:

[Stumpkiller]

I draw about 58# (use 65-70# spine as I draw a fill 30-1/2") and I'd love to shoot 11/32", but instead I shoot 23/64" tapared down to 5/16" (either cedar or Douglas fir).  I had trouble finding stiff enough 11/32" shafts in the past and took to tapering my own.

[darin putman]

Lots of good advice here, I love surewood shafts!!! Took me a while to get set up and spined right but well worth the effort, I order shafts straight from surewood, excellent service, speedy shipping and a great product!!!

[Shakes.602]

I agree, once you shoot some Good Wood, the rest will just seem Overpriced and Not Quite As Good as Wood!!    
   POC, Douglas Fir, Even Ramin from Wally World, Its  ALL GOOD!!!      Some just take a little more Straightening than Others!