Spine Question

[Roverrich]

I was wondering if spine weight makes a big difference in bows which are "center" or "beyond center" cut? It seems that some rumor that in such bows, the archer's paradox doesn't apply and therefore you can shoot a wide variety of arrows. Fact or fiction? Thanks in advance guys.

[JRY309]

From my experience there is always a paradox when shooting with fingers.It's just that bows cut past center are not as critical as on bows not cut past center.But then you also have arrow material like carbon arrows,they recover much quicker from the paradox then wood or aluminum they are even more critical on spine on some bows.Bows cut off center carbon arrows can give you a false ready of being to stiff if you have a stiff spine and try to correct it with point weight depending on length of arrow.

[Shawn Leonard]

JRY why is right I figure but bows cut to or past center will usually allow you a broader range of spines to fly well out of those bows. Shawn

[Fletcher]

The rumor is kinda half true.  A deep cut bow will generally shoot an overspined arrow fairly well, but it won't shoot an underspined arrow.  It will require more spine than a center or out from center cut bow.

The finger release starts the oscillation of the arrow. so there is always paradox to deal with.

[Bjorn]

My main bows are cut 3/16 past center and I have others that are cut 1/8 before center; my experience is tuning is tuning; and if you have the wrong spine you will have poor flight.
I have seen no evidence to support the theory. You can shoot a wide variety of spines out of any bow once the feathers are on.  

I have a center shot recurve that shoots the same arrows as longbow over ten pounds stiffer. That recurve will not shoot arrows that are anywhere close to the spine charts. I built out the rest to get arrows ten pounds over spine to fly, I tried building out to 1/8" outside of center and it still wants stiffer arrows. The one thing that I do notice is how the arrow seems to fly to bow side as far as my line of site goes with bows that are inside of center. If the only bow you shoot is either inside or out of center that will not matter once you have grooved in the bow, but you will still need to select and tune arrows specific to the bow.