Tuning my recurve

[oldandslow]

Hi folks, new here. I recently purchased a Bodnik Mohawk and need a little tuning advice.
The arrows are black eagle outlaw 31 inches with a 175 tip. They are spine 400.
Is this a good place to start with a 40 lb bow?
They seem a little dirty off the bow with some not too bad.
I used to shoot compounds back in the day so I have that experience.  Recurve is new to me.

[moebow]

I think you are too stiff for spine.  Try some .600 spine arrows.
This question will be answered better in the Pow Wow section as this is a FORM section, not equipment.
Arne

[oldandslow]

Maybe a moderator can move it?

[McDave]

Agree, .400 is too stiff.  What is your draw length and actual draw weight at that draw length?  For example, your arrows are cut to 31”; if your marked bow weight is 40# @ 28” and you’re drawing to 30”, your actual draw weight would be about 45#.  This might indicate a spine of .500 rather than .600, but I can’t imagine anything that would call for a spine of .400.

[oldandslow]

im not sure what my actual draw length is.
but the arrows are tipped with 175 grain tips...that would weaken the spine yes?

[McDave]

That's correct, 175 grains would weaken the spine.  However, imagine that your draw length were only 26”. That would stiffen the spine, more than the 175 grain point would weaken it.  The point is, measure your draw length. It isn't that hard to do.  Just draw the bow and have someone mark the arrow where it crosses the back of the bow (the side away from you).  Measure the distance from the mark to the valley of the nock (the lowest part of the nock).

[oldandslow]

Draw length measures a tad over 29 inches

[McDave]

My experience would put you somewhere between a .600 and a .500 spine. If the bow is marked 40# @ 28”, at a 29” draw your actual draw weight would be 42-43#.  With a 175 grain point, I would be more inclined towards .500 than .600.

[oldandslow]

Thank you for time.
This will not be a hunting bow.
What kind of weight should I be aiming for overall
For the arrow? For instance a 500 spine and 100 gr tip?

[McDave]

For a target bow, I would go for .600 spine and 100 grain tips. This will give you substantially more speed and a flatter trajectory than .500 spine with 175 grain tips. I would go for the ultralight version of whatever shaft you choose. For example, the plain black .600 spine Gold Tip ultralight weighs 75 grains less than the same shaft with a wood grain finish.

My arrows set up like that weigh about 315 grains.

Edit: your arrows would be more like 327 grains because they are 31” while mine are 29”.  Of course, you might decide to cut an inch off of yours to make them a little stiffer, which would put you in at about 321 grains.  But this is fine tuning and can wait until you shoot them for a while.

[oldandslow]

Tried the 600 with 100 gr tips...seems weak
Ended up with 500 with 125 tips. 
Sometimes they fly well and other times not so
Well but it seems to be my form more than anything
Gonna play with this setup for a while.
Thanks for your help.

[Toxophilite]

If your overall bow length is 62", I just bought an identical Bear Paw  "Mohawk" setup.  One tip I'll mention: measure the true draw weight of your bow.  I was surprised to find out my bow was actually right at 45 lbs at 28".  I checked with the dealer who sold me the bow. He told me Bodnik Mohawk limbs usually run heavier than marked.
Turned out, the setup working best for me is 500 spine carbon arrows trimmed to 30" with 145 gr up front.

[heavyd]

I feel your pain. When I first started the chart told me 400 spine too. Now I figured out that 31 inch black eagle vintage with a 125 grain tip shoots good out of my 40 pound sage at 27 inch draw.