Wood arrow questions?

[bear bowman]

I shoot a 47# at my draw length r/d hybrid longbow. I am currently shooting gold tip 35/55 cut to 27&5/8" with 175 grain heads. They fly great for me. I have been experimenting with making my own shafts. I am using poplar and my arrows are coming out great but I'm getting a consistent tail left out of the bow. (I'm right handed). I'm thinking this is an under spined situation. I don't have a spine tester per say. I have a setup that I use that lets me measure deflection. I was thinking that a 1/2" would ball park me at about 50# spine. For the guys that use wood, does it seem that you have to shoot higher spine woods compared to other arrow materials? I'm cutting the raw shafts to 29" and then putting the nock and point tapers on. I'm currently using 125 grain heads. Thanks for any help.

[Orion]

A half-inch deflection is 52# measured with a 2# weight on posts 26 inches apart, the traditional method for spining wood arrows. Of course, carbon shaft manufacturers don't use that method anymore. They use a 1.94# weight on a shaft suspended on 28 inch posts.  A .5 deflection using that measurement is 63#. Regardless, my guess is your wood shafts are weaker than the carbons shafts from the get go.  

Are you bare shafting?  Usually that doesn't work very well with wood.  I'd look more at where the arrows group rather than the angle of the arrow in the target. Because of the flexing of the shaft as it clears the bow, it's almost impossible for it to fly straight into the target at close range.  

If the arrows group left, they're too stiff.  If they group right, they're too soft.

Keep in mind that carbon dampens much quicker than wood. Given you're shooting a hybrid, I'm assuming it's a relatively high-performance bow, that it's cut at least to center, and that you have a fast flite type string on it.  All those things call for more spine. I'm thinking something in the 55-60#, maybe even 60-65# range, would work a little better.

Of course, if you're making your own shafts, you get that by making the shafts thicker (or using a different material), which in turn reduces the spine requirement. You'll just have to experiment a little.  Good luck.

Different types woods of the same spine also have different recovery rates. For making shafts from scratch, an accurate spine tester would be a must have item.  Do all of your arrows when fletched have the same reaction?

[bear bowman]

Right now, yes all of my arrows appear to have the same reaction. My "spine tester" is two hooks 26" apart and I have a two pound weight that I suspend from the center. I use a tape measure that I use to measure the deflection. They are grouping relatively well. I tried to bare shaft tune to no avail so I fletched them. They are much easier to read with the white fletching on. They all seem to kick left pretty good coming out of the bow.

[Sam McMichael]

I am shooting a setup somewhat similar to what you describe. The bow is 53# at 28" draw, but I pull quite a bit less than that. My cedar arrows are 29" long and spine 50-55#, and have 125 grain points. They shoot well. My other bow is 55# and shoots these arrows as well as 55-60# consistently. What is your draw length? Shortening the shaft, if practical, could increase the spine just a bit to improve your arrow flight. Oddly, setups that work for me almost never correspond to what works well for others. That may be due to me having a lousy release.

[bear bowman]

My draw length is around 26&1/2. I do wonder how much of what I'm seeing is caused by my crappy release. My carbons do fly great but I really want to use wood and to be honest, I'm enjoying making them. I haven't sealed them yet because they aren't perfect. What do you seal your shafts with?

[Yewbender]

bear bowman, i use minwax polycrylic gloss waterbased on all my wood shafts. What ever you use make sure the stain, cresting paint is compatable with what ever you use.

[Yewbender]

What is your draw length and how is the shelf cut on the bow? That will allow others to help you choose the right spine arrows.

[slowbowjoe]

47# at your draw, and a 28" BOP arrow, correct? I'll assume it's cut to center, with a FF string of some sort. 125 grain point. Having shot very, very close to the same specs, I'm gonna say a dynamic spine right around 59# will be really close. Easy to adjust from there with arrow length, point weight, or side plate thickness. And of course, there's that huge variable of personal form factor.

Knowing what bow you actually shoot, and the string, will help us know better.

[bear bowman]

I have a 58" stryker sport. It is a fast flight string. Flemish if that makes any difference. I should get some time tonight. What do you suggest, cutting a 1/4" off my arrow at a time? I am using poplar for arrow wood because it is readily available in my area. There is cedar but I doubt it is port orford. I'm buying it at the local hardware store. From what I am seeing, the poplar seems pretty durable and it straightens easily. All the boards with heart wood, I left. This is all sapwood.

[bear bowman]

I have a 58" stryker sport. It is a fast flight string. Flemish if that makes any difference. I should get some time tonight. What do you suggest, cutting a 1/4" off my arrow at a time? I am using poplar for arrow wood because it is readily available in my area. There is cedar but I doubt it is port orford. I'm buying it at the local hardware store. From what I am seeing, the poplar seems pretty durable and it straightens easily. All the boards with heart wood, I left. This is all sapwood.

[slowbowjoe]

Don't think you'd notice any difference with 1/4", that's like 1 lb, 1/2" is still pretty slight spine change, but you're more likely to start seeing any result.

[SELFBOW19953]

Suggestion, if you're going to make your own shafts from boards, a grain scale and a spine tester are very important.  You can find a pretty substantial variation in both weight and spine from the same board.  You might have to make a dozen-or more-shafts just to find 2 that are within 5 #s spine and 10 gr weight.

[bear bowman]

I do have a grain scale. I separated the shafts by weight before I started to sand them and spine them. My spine tester is very primitive at best. I think I'm getting them close to each other. I just have to convince myself to bite the bullet and spend the money for a real one. I'm rather cheap:)

[SELFBOW19953]

Sent you a PM about a homemade spine tester, Bob.

[Bjorn]

You may well be weak hard to say from here. With wood you will always encounter a visible paradox which you may not be seeing with the carbons. Are they landing 'weak' too ? In any event make a home made spine tester they can be every bit as accurate. Lots of design options on the 'net.

[bear bowman]

Thanks selfbow. That looks simple enough. Not quite as simple as mine but definitely more accurate.

[bear bowman]

You guys are awesome. I came home tonight and I cut the point taper off and retapered. What a difference. They are flying so much better and grouping better too. Here's a new question. When you group your arrows by mass weight, what is your max range? 50 grains between your lightest and heaviest?

[Orion]

Probably won't notice any difference in trajectory inside of 20 yards  with a 50 grain range in weight, but will begin to show at longer distances.  I usually keep my woodies within 5-10 grains, but I've accumulated piles of similarly spined and weighted shafts over the years.  A little more difficult when you're crafting your own shafts.