Greeting from Alaska + Arrow Question

[wildwillalaska]

Figured I better jump in here and say howdy from Alaska.  New to the board, and newer back to archery after a bit of a layoff.  Grew up bow hunting, and worked at an archery shop through college.  After bowhunting for many years, began hunting solely traditional.  Put the stick down for a while when I went to graduate school, and rifle hunted for several years after relocating to Alaska.  This year, I picked bowhunting back up.  I took my qualification shoot and a nice meat bull moose this year (on opening morning no less)with a compound, but since have been shooting one of my recurves quite a bit and find how much I missed shooting and hunting traditional.  So, IM BACK!!!  (Granted, I am still going bowhunting with a compound later this week for caribou)

So, with the howdy out of the way, my arrow question is this--what the heck to shoot.  I do not want to shoot woods, so am leaning towards xx75's and am looking for options.  Also have spine questions.  My Robertson Falcon is 58# at 28, and I draw right at 28.5.  My current arrows are 29.75" which I used on a Bacote/Cocobolo Wapiti that is sitting around until I part with it.  They are 2315's and seem way too stiff.  Looking at Easton's chart, seems I can shoot 2413's, but also curious in folks experience, how accurate is eastons chart for recurves?

On a side note, I did order a new Silvertip (60" all bacote, 64# @ 28) this morning to replace one of Paul's bows I made the mistake of parting with back in the 90's.  Now, I just gotta wait 8+ months.  An arrow size suggestion here would also be great.

Thanks folks, and again, howdy.

Will

[todd smith]

Hey Will, welcome.

I used to live up in the Fbks area.  Do miss it, but have grown soft, fat, and old down here.      

I haven't messed with matching aluminum to bows for years.  There are some excellent online resources though.  I believe Easton has some good charts that would help you out.  http://www.eastonarchery.com/products/selection

I work a lot with the folks at Alaska Bowhunting Supply and I've been shooting their GrizzlyStiks.  You might want to give them a try.  They're really hard hitting.  They have some serious single bevel broadheads too.  They have a good website too.  http://www.alaskabowhunting.com/Default.aspx

The Ashby reports are listed here on TradGang and they'll be some good reading for you, especially since you'll be hunting bigger things than most of us!    

Anyway, like I said, welcome.  You've come to the right place.  TradGang is full of good folks!

 todd

[saltwatertom]

Hi Will,
     I went to using carbons and love them. Goldtip 55/75's work great out of my Daala 55# +. I just took a small black bear with one this morning with a wensel woodsman on the front end. Got a pass thru. I have them tuned (easy to do) for perfect flight.

Give a shout if you are down this way some time.  

[AkDan]

Hey Will..welcome back from the north pole  :D .  

I'm a woodguy, have been since day 1 sorry I cant help ya there!

Are ya coming up to the slope?  heared the rumor they are starting to move into the toolik happy valley area!!!  I'm headed to anchortown this weekend.   Actually on the short weekend gotta hit up moose pass for a soar inflatable for a moose float this sept   .

[Rick P]

Hey Will you'll find a fair number of Alaskans here and we all seem to know each other.

I used to shoot 5575's but have switched to the "Arrow Dynamics" "Hammerhead". In my own testing I found the Hammerhead out penetrated the 5575 by around 40% in foam, pork shoulder and a freezer burned set of Buffalo ribs I had. I did all my testing with the same 50 pound bow and broadheads. They also fly like a dart out of all my bows down to 37 pounds. I've tried the grizzly sticks, for me the Hammerheads were a better choice.

[frank bullitt]

Hello Will, Welcome! Try 2117 or 2216, easy to find and tune and very durable shafts. Kind of like a 350 Chevy engine! Good shootin, Steve

[saumensch]

Hi Will,

IMO the Easton Chart puts out way too stiff arrows for recurves. For example i shoot an 54# @ 30,5 " bow, the chart told me to use 2216s, after advice and experiment i ended up with 2016s as perfect.

I would try 2018s or 2114s in your situation(if you use 125gr. heads), but that said, im a beginner too so just my 2 cents.

[the force]

I agree with 2018 or 2114 im shooting 2018 out of a 60# grizzly with 125 heads and they shoot great


Good luck  

[boznarras]

I am in the middle of figuring out what shaft to use with my Kodiak Magnum 55@28, and like saumensch said, the easton chart led me to 2216's. I got them and am having problems, they seem to be wrong. So as I look at other charts, like the one on the Adcock/ACS site, or even on older easton charts, I see recommendation for 2016, or 2018 shafts. Plus I have gotten that same advice from other shooters here on Tradgang in response to my open post on the Shooter's Forum. So I would be cautious about trusting the current Easton chart...
and hello from southeast (Wrangell)
Walter

[Snowdog]

Will,

If you can bare shaft a few different ones and it will tell pretty fast which way to go.

[Steve H.]

Howdy Wild from the OTHER side of the Kenai!