Woodies for a light-draw bow

[Bladepeek]

I have a beautiful 66" Mohawk that is 33# at 29". Even with this light weight, I'm only drawing about 28 1/4", so let's call it a 31# bow. Definitely NOT center cut. None of my arrows are weak enough to fly right from this bow. I hate to sell it as that light weight is really a super release training tool and I can shoot 100 arrows with no sweat from it.

I bought some 1716s (the softest spine they had at my local trad shop), but they are still WAY too stiff.

Got 1/2 doz 800 spine CE Predator IIs from Big Jim. They fly perfectly full length with 200 gr field tips, but I'm not really looking for an EFOC target arrow. I can't seem to find anything weaker that is still long enough for my draw length.

That brings me to woodies. Can anyone suggest a spine that should fly well with maybe a 100 or 125 gr field point? 30-35s or 35-40s? I don't mind a substantial amount of arrow hanging out the front, since I'm not a gap shooter. I would order them full length and cut back to tune.

[bowhuntingrn]

Hildebrand carries Sitka Spruce 5/16" and 11/32" down to 25-30 and 9/32" all the way down to 10-15. My wife is currently shooting the 11/32" 25-30's self nocked with 125 grain points cut to 28.5" BOP. She shoots a R/D osage bow which has a cut out (not centershot) shelf and is 30#@28" with her 26" DL and they fly great. I don't know much about the Mohawk and am definitely not a wood expert, but i"m thinking you're on the right track. Hopefully someone with more knowledge/experience than I will chime in shortly.

[jhk1]

Hard to say whether 30-35 or 35-40 spine would work best.  Maybe 30-35 would be better, since it's a longbow, and sounds like it's not cut to center or close to it.

Can you get a couple of each spine from someone to try?

[Zradix]

X2 on Hildebrand spruce.
Wife shoots a 35# recurve @ 28" with 35# spine tapered back spruce with 125grain tips.

I think her bow is center cut...or close to it.

You might want to try 30# spine I'd guess.

[Bladepeek]

From the responses so far, looks like a 30-35 might be a good starting point. Or, I'll get a set of test spines from what I think will be too weak up to 30-35s.

[Zradix]

Spine test kits are a wonderful tool.

...do you have any thoughts of anyone hunting with this bow?

If so, you may want to think about heavy tips (200 grain or so) which would require a higher spine arrow of course.

The heavy grain/# would be a rainbow shooter but should get you enough penetration at close range to be fine.

Then again..you could just use the pred 2's you've done up.

[Bladepeek]

"...do you have any thoughts of anyone hunting with this bow?"

No, I have heavier bows I hunt with, including another longbow. This will be strictly a target bow - a "D" type longbow I can shoot at longbow shoots and when I want to shoot 100 or so arrows up close just to work on my release.

[Zradix]

Sounds like fun!  

We have a bunch of short draw longbow shooters in my group. With longbows I find that sometimes an aluminum will act stiffer than the same spine cedar, according to the charts, with longbows. Static spines do not always match when the arrow recovery rate is different. Just as we found that at times a lighter spined cedar can act stiffer than a similar spined birch shaft, but there is a definite difference in how straight a cedar will stay than a birch in those lighter spines. I bought my grandson some birches, within a week they were really crooked while his cedars were mostly fairly straight.

[Sam McMichael]

I have a self bow that is 43# at 28" draw. I pull only 25". It has no shelf at all; the rest is affixed to the side of the bow. I shoot full length 30-35# full length self nock woodies with 100 grain points. I have no idea about aluminum or carbon for the light bows.

[Bladepeek]

Thanks to all of you who responded. There seems to be a lot of consistency in the replies.

I just got off the phone with Hildebrand Arrows and they are sending me some spruce test shafts - three 25-30# and three 30-35# shafts. I will start full length with each and see where the cutting back leads me. I can go all the way down to 29", and since they will be target arrows, I can play with lots of light point weights.

I'm here to tell you it's really tough to come up with carbon or aluminum arrows for an adult draw length, but kid's weight bow.

I've been putting off shooting woodies for way too long anyway, so I guess this may be a sign that the time is now. Who knows? I may wind up shooting woodies from all my bows    

[Flying Dutchman]

Ron, bro,

you did well buying Hildebrand SK's ... in my opinion best shafts ever... and Roxy is a nice lady! Now let us know how this ends!
OM, you bought Spruce... no experience with that...

[Fletcher]

A good set of test arrows is one of the most valuable "tools" a shooter can have.  I would recommend that you have Hildebrand spine and mark each shaft so you can know what each shaft's spine is.  Tho not likely, it is possible for you to get six 30 lb shafts.  I find spine to be more critical in lower draw weights and six pounds is a fairly wide spread.

You made a good choice, Hildebrands are very good shafts.