arrow make-up question

[knobby]

Right now, I am shooting 29" GT carbons that bare shaft beautifully with a 145 gr head. I draw 28". The problem is, these completed arrows only weigh 400 grains. I'm shooting 47#, so would like to get the arrow weight up for hunting. If I cut the arrows down by a quarter or half an inch, roughly how much tip weight would I be able to add? I know I can use weight tubes, but prefer not to because I don't like the way they pop the nocks out frequently when practicing. Any suggestions or ideas? Thanks,
                                       knobby

[knobby]

Forgot to mention that I'm using 3555 shafts.
                                    knobby

[ishiwannabe]

What about the 1/4 inch rope? Weed eater line?
I have some vapors with weight tubes, and stopped the nock popping with a tiny dab of hot melt/fletch tite on the insert end of the tube.

Good luck.

[Recurve50 LBS]

I have also been using GT 35/55 cut to your length and use 175 grains up front. My total arrow weight is 460 grains. According to my math your arrows are 13.79 grains per inch. According to others much more knowledgeable than I, an arrow should be no less than 10 grains per inch for hunting deer. IMHO your current set up is just fine for deer.

Now my bows are 45# at 27", almost the same as yours. I've been told and have read here many times that it is best to use a very sharp 2 blade broadhead for bows drawing under 50#. I choose to hunt deer with the single bevel Grizzly broadhead and have my arrows fletched with RW feathers.

I have read Dr Ed Ashby's reports here on Trad Gang and I am convinced that the single bevel broadheads are the right way to go for me.

I hope that I helped you out.

[nightowl1]

I have to disagree with the previous post it is not 10 grains per inch but per pound... a 40# bow should have a 400 grain arrow and so on.

Have you actually weighed your arrow or just added it up? My chart says it should weigh 425g with fletching, nock, insert and tip.

If you cut it to 28.25 and shot a 175g point you would have the same spine. Might be better to add weedeater line or rope or tubes to get the weight up.

[knobby]

I've actually put the finished arrows on a scale to come up with the weight. I be happy to get to the 450 gr range. I don't know if 470 gr is possible without the tubes. How much weedeater line wuld it take to add 50 grains? Seems like it would take quite a few strands, wouldn't it? I'm assuming the rope would be a nylon rope. Any guesses on the weight gain there? Thanks.

[Rob DiStefano]

i'll add a preface to my post that my opinions may sound a bit controversial to some popular notions about arrows and bows.  these are all my results as they apply to me, after spending far too much time and money on arras, and not enuf time HUNTING.

i've found that carbons are far more forgiving when it comes to weak *static* spine than ya might imagine.  the *dynamic* spine is what matters most, and a spine meter ain't gonna show ya that data.  

you shooting outta yer bow is where the rubber meets the road for carbon arras. the arrow flight equation includes not only yer bow and arrow setup, but also to a very large degree how you shoot - an extremely important factor for any accurate shooting. if yer form is off, if you short draw, if yer not aiming the arra, if you pluck the string, if you drastically drop the bow arm, etc etc - you are probably not getting the correct arra flight results you should be getting.  think about that.

my main carbons are beman ics 500's, which equate to 35/55's.  i use that same shaft for 40# thru 55# bows ... all at the same 29" arrow length.  for the 55# bow my beman 500 arrows are 585 grains - that's 350 grains up front - and they fly like darts with or without feather guidance.

i build my hunting arras at 10gpp minimum, so that'd mean a 470gr arra for a 47# holding weight bow.  

so, i'd suggest to simply up the front end weight from 145gr to at least 200gr (or more).  one neat benefit is greatly increased foc, which will add that dart-like performance for flight ... and penetration.

shoot heavy, 10gpp minimum arras for hunting - yer bow will thank you and yer quarry will not.     :D

[Paul Mattson]

Give some Brass inserts a try, either 100 grn or 50 grn.  Don't cut your arrows until you give the heavier point wts a try.

[Recurve50 LBS]

Last night when I gave my advice I had made a mistake about the 10 grains per inch of arrow. I meant to say was 10 grains per pound. Sorry for the mistake.

A 3 grains/inch weight tube from 3 rivers would put you right at 475gr.

Bisch

[knobby]

Thanks guys, the issue I have is with the weight tubes. The nocks getting blown off when shooting at 3-D targets gets aggravating. The tubes would get me were I want to be weight-wise. I was just looking for alternatives, I guess. Because these bare-shaft so cleanly with 145gr tips, I'd really shouldn't add mor eweight to the front without cutting them back a little, though I don't have a lot that I could cut off. I'm guessing that I would only be able to up the tip weight a small amount if I cut 1/4 inch off and still achieve the clean bare shaft flight that I'm getting now. Maybe shorten the shaft, shoot a 30 gr heavier head, and suppliment it with weed eater string. I really hate to give up the clean flight, because I wouldn't be gaining anything in penetration with less than clean flight with a heavier arrow.

I hve not tried the weight tubes in GT's but have used them extensively in Vapors. Both arrows are made by the same company. The only time I ever lost a nock was when I hit something real hard (ie - not the intended target). I do shoot GT's now and the factory nocks are pretty loose. You might try the tubes with a different nock.

Bisch

[John3]

I shoot GT's and love them. I do use the brass inserts, both in 50 & 100 grains. What ever works with each bow. I also place 3/16" Poly rope in each arrow to get the weight up. This adds close to 80 grains to each arrow. The nocks NEVER pop off.

John III

[Rob DiStefano]

i don't like using weight tubes, prefer to up the front end weight with heavier insert, adapter or point weights.  

for nocks that pop out, either use loctite or saran wrap - they'll not pop out but can be removed,

[Dutchman]

I tried weed eater string and still had the nocks pop on me. Didn't use glue however...

[knobby]

Thanks for the advice, guys.I would rather have the weight up front too, but unless I cut the shafts down some, the spine then becomes too weak. Thanks to everyone for the help.
                                    knobby