Spine for wood shafts

[JonCagle]

I’m planning on buying some maple shafts to make this winter, I have a little experience with wood but not near as much as some here. My question is what spine should I get for a longbow with these specs: 56 lbs at 30 inches, cut to center. I would like to shoot 150 to 200 grains up front. I have looked at some spine charts recommend 70-75 spine. Is that correct? Any help would be appreciated.

[Lefty38-55]

Check the 3Rivers spine chart for woodies, as it says you'd be using a 31" arrow (for 2" clearance outside the riser) and lists 80-8 for the low end and 85-90 for the high end you're targeting for tip weight, for a center-shot longbow. Add 5# to spine if fastflight string used.

I've had good success with their chart, but I don't shoot that weight and I'd need a 2nd person to get to that draw length...

[Eric Krewson]

I think you ae in the ball park but there are a lot of variables. You will have to try some and see, I have seen test kits with different spines for sale. Any of the big shaft suppliers should be able to fix you up with a test kit.

https://surewoodshafts.com/collections/test-packs

[durp]

What Eric said is sound advice 

[JonCagle]

The thing is I want to shoot maple shafts specifically. I can’t find a test kit for those. I have shot cedar and Douglas fir before and liked the way they shot but wanted something more durable so I decided to try a hardwood

[Eric Krewson]

I tried maple shafts back when Allegany was in business, probably 20 years ago, I found them to be very heavy and very hard to keep straight. Out of a dozen I had a couple that would stay straight, the last surviving on is still in my arrow box. With your desired up front weight on maple you are going to have arrows in the 1000 grain weight range that you will have to lob at a target.

My maples were in the 700 gr range with a 125 point, cut to 28".

I went through the same love affair with ash about the same time, rock solid but impossible to keep straight.

I would take consistency over durability any day, I shoot mostly chundo and break an arrow every now and then but not often. Sherwood doug fir has held up well for me.

[JonCagle]

The shafts I have seen say 500-550 grain. With a 150 grain point that’s 700 at the highest. Which is heavy but not near 1000 grains. I am rough on arrows, even carbons, while shooting stumps and other things. If you don’t mind could you describe a chundu arrow to me? Relative toughness, weight ect.

[M60gunner]

Give the man at Forrester shafts a ring. He sells Maple shafts and other hardwood shafts. I bet he can get you there. He helped me by selling me a half dozen in 3 different spines, tapers and diameters.

[V I Archer]

why are you trying to hit 1000 grains? that is near 18 grains per pound, I like a heavy arrow too, but usually ball park it around 9-11 grains per pound.

I have shot maple, cedar, fir, hickory, chundoo and sitka spruce. all have wonderful characteristics. I love cedar mostly for the associated history. hickory made great squirrel arrows. Chundoo took a good beating while stumping. Fir and sitka are the best all around for me. good variety of spines and weight available, easy to straighten and stay straight.

70-75 spine sounds like a good starting point. I prefer bareshafting into a soft target from 15 yards or so and watch the arrow in flight rather that reading the tail after impact.

I like to shoot a rear tapered shaft and soak them in watco oil for a week or so before fletching

[JonCagle]

I’m not trying to hit 1000 grains. Mr krewson said I would hit 1000 grains with that arrow but that is not my goal. As I stated in another reply, the arrow I intend to make is around 700 grains, which is heavy but not too bad. I’m just piddling here to be honest, I came across some maple shafts, thought they were interesting and wanted to give them a try

[M60gunner]

I bought some Maple 5/16 diameter shafts years ago for my 60# Saxon LB I had. Yes, they were tough, finally shot one at a big boulder to get it to break. It broke just behind the field tip. IF I recall he sold me 55#-60# spine for my LB. I cut them to 29” and used 145 grain points. The Saxon was no where near center, cut before.

[Eric Krewson]

Yep, my math was off, senior moment, (or at least that is what I always blame it on).

I have shot hickory, ash and maple, even straight hardwood shafts didn't shoot as consistently as good quality softer wood shafts, yours may shoot perfectly. Give them a try and let us know. 

[Orion]

500 grains sounds on the light side for maple, particularly in the 70-75# range, but certainly possible. (There's a rough correlation between spine and physical weight.  Generally as the spine goes up, so does the physical weight.  There are outliers, of course.)

I don't have a lot of experience with maple, but have used ash and birch.  IMO they run 50 or more grains lighter than maple in the same spine range.  I've never found them that difficult to keep straight.  First step is to make sure they're properly dried/cured before you make them into arrows.  Once sealed, they stay fairly straight. They do need straightening from time to time though (particularly if you carry them in a bow quiver and under your arm. Ask me how I know.  ). 

Of the three, birch is my favorite.  I used to get them from Allegheny Mountgain when they were in business. It's my understanding that Forrester Archery has the largest selection of domestic and exotic hardwood arrow shafts now.   

[JonCagle]

I appreciate all the input. Always am amazed at the knowledge here. I actually cant find any in the spine I need for that bow so I believe I will buy some for a little Ben Pearson recurve I have that I draw to about 48 lbs and see how those do. If they end up coming out like dog legs I can always shoot bullfrogs with them or something.

[JonCagle]

500 grains sounds on the light side for maple, particularly in the 70-75# range, but certainly possible. (There's a rough correlation between spine and physical weight.  Generally as the spine goes up, so does the physical weight.  There are outliers, of course.)

I don't have a lot of experience with maple, but have used ash and birch.  IMO they run 50 or more grains lighter than maple in the same spine range.  I've never found them that difficult to keep straight.  First step is to make sure they're properly dried/cured before you make them into arrows.  Once sealed, they stay fairly straight. They do need straightening from time to time though (particularly if you carry them in a bow quiver and under your arm. Ask me how I know.  ). 

Of the three, birch is my favorite.  I used to get them from Allegheny Mountgain when they were in business. It's my understanding that Forrester Archery has the largest selection of domestic and exotic hardwood arrow shafts now.

If I could find some birch shafts I would love to get them. I have looked into getting some dowels off the internet but I’m a bit leery of the pulp wood they probably use and also I’m sure finding a straight grain would be hard. If anyone knows where to buy actual birch shafting please tell me. Also I have looked on the forrester website and he doesn’t have any birch listed. He does have maple but not in the right spine for my heavier bow

[Wudstix]

Maple at 30"+ would probably be in the 700 grain area, raw shafts, from my experience.  Spine around 75# for a 56#@30" bow and @160+ grain heads sounds about correct, with FF and modern bow design.  Again from experience with my bows. 
 

[Wudstix]

Try Red Balau it is a good heavy durable shaft material, as is Hickory.