What diameter wood shaft?

[cedar]

23/64 or 11/32.  I like 23/64 alittle better. I use both, but I seem to break more 11/32 when stumping or glance-offs while shooting 3D animals.  I don't see a whole lot of difference in parallel or taper, but the 23/64 shaft just seems to last longer for me.  Whats your experience?

[Larry m]

Depends on the bow I'm shooting. My favorite shaft is a 23/64 barrell tapered to 11/32 tip and 5/16 nock. Seems very forgiving with the right weight point and fletch! Some of the self wood bows I shoot, my shaft is 5/16 or some barreled at 11/32 to 5/16 point and nock! Like I say it depends on what bow I'm shooting at the time. Sometimes it's just straight 11/32 parrellel (think that is how you spell that) shaft but a lot has to do with the weight of the point and the length of the fletch with proper spine of all shafts. It's ALL Fun!!!!!!

[Rick Richard]

I shoot 5/16 and 11/32.  I tend to lean toward the 11/32 since they just seem to fly better out of my bows.

[JRY309]

Depends on the bows poundage,hard to find 11/32" in the heavier spine like 60# and higher.I shoot 11/32" in my lower pound bows.

[Troy Breeding]

Larry m uses the same setup I used when I shot woodies. It's called a breasted shaft and allows two main things. The use od heavier spine shafting without the extra dia directly behind the BH. Recovery seemed to be better as well.

Troy

[Orion]

I generally shoot 11/32. Just prefer the thinner shaft. Sometimes a bit hard to find good quality in the 70-75# spine I normally use. Also like 5/16 ramin.   My favorites, of course, are my Sweetland forgewoods.  Some of those are 5/16; others are 9/32, some of which taper to 1/4.  Those are too precious to use for practice though.  I use them for hunting only.

[meathead]

11/32 surewoods for me most of the time.  You can get surewoods in some pretty high spines in 11/32.

[snag]

I make a breasted shaft for my own arrows that is 11/32-23/64-5/16. The breasted shaft provides more weight forward and gives you an aerodynamic shaft like a barrel taper. The barrel tapers, evenly tapered from both ends, were used by flight tournament archers for their long range accuracy.
But realistically a regular old 11/32" will shoot great for most bows. A 23/64" shaft sometimes is a great choice for a bow that is cut past center.

[Gordon Jabben]

I shoot both sizes and don't notice any difference in breakage.  I noticed quite a difference when I drop down in spine though.  I also notice that steel blunts don't glance as readily as most other points and that also helps in not breaking so many arrows.

[Sam McMichael]

I shoot 23/64 out of my heavier bow (78# draw)and 11/32 out of all lower poundages (65# or less).

[Bjorn]

I shoot a breasted 11/32 in POC or Surewood Doug Fir