the right arrow?

[Shane C]

Hey guys,
I'm new here and just got my first recurve on Friday. I shot it a little bit on Saturday long enough to discover my old arrows are too stiff. What are your recommendations for the right arrow to use including weight and all the other fun specs? Right now I'm shooting a Martin Hatfield 55# @ 28" but my actual draw length is right around 30" and probably going to be switching to a Wes Wallace Mentor 54# @ 28". I'm guessing it'll be more like 60# at my draw length. Thanks for your help in advance! I'm really excited to start this new adventure!

[m midd]

Welcome,  It depends on what kind of arrows u want to shoot. Wood, carbon or aluminum.  Weight wise 10gr per pound is good, so 60# bow= 600gr Arrows.  There are several different spine charts to help with arrow selection. Easton and 3 rivers have pretty good ones.   Have fun!!    mike

[lpcjon2]

If you go with wood(Douglas Fir or Cedar,ect) I would say 70-75# spine and this will allow you to shoot 135-160 grn heads, maybe even 190. Good luck.

[Night Wing]

Is the 54# @ 28" Wes Wallace Mentor a used bow?

The reason I'm asking. Since you have a 30" draw length and if you're going to be buying/ordering a new Mentor, Wes can make you a 55# @ 30" recurve if that is what you really want.

[stickem1]

My Super Grizz is 55@28 and I draw 30" I am currently shooting 31" 75-80 woodies with 125 up front that snag built. Total arrow wt. is 635gr. He builds an awesome arrow. Hope this helps out some.

[Shane C]

Cool thanks guys! I think I'm going to shoot the carbon ones. So I should go with a 600grain arrows plus I was thinking a 125gr Zwickie(sp) 2 blade broadhead. Or should the broadhead be included in the total weight of the arrow?

Night Wing: the Wallace bow is a used one and is nice that it's 60lb at 30" because that's right where I think I want to start out at. Maybe I'll go heavier later on but for now this ones perfect.

[stickbowmaniac]

600 total weight should be good.beman mfx 400 with brass insert should get you were you want to be.

[JamesKerr]

I would go with a 340 spine carbon arrow with a 100 grain brass insert and at least 200 grains up front. If you want to use Zwickeys they are a fine broadhead but ot get the 200 grain tips or higher I would recommend using a steel broadhead adapter. I would not recommend using an alluminum adapter as they bend to easy on bone impacts.

[Shane C]

I threw out the name Zwickeys because that's the only 2 blade one my store in town carries. Are there better broadheads to shoot with?

[Night Wing]

The Ace Standard 125 grain 2 blade glue on broadhead is a very good broadhead. You'd have to glue a long broadhead adapter to this broahead so that will add more grain weight up front for the total broadhead tip weight.

[Shane C]

Is the VPA Penetrator a good broadhead? Would the 300gr one be overkill or too much on the front of the arrow. If I used this broadhead should I go with the Beman 400 or maybe even 500 after the adapter weight is added? Or should I go with the 200gr or 250gr broadhead and a 400 or 340 Beman MFX?

[JamesKerr]

300 grains is not overkill. I shoot VPA's 3 blade and the 2 blade is just as good. I think a 340 spine shaft with about 300 grains total up front would be a good set up for you.

[Shane C]

Sweet! Thanks!
Arrows should probably be cut to 31" right?

[BOHO]

prolly 31-31 1/2. my question is how did you determine you have a 30" draw. thats a pretty long draw unless your a big fella. just curious.

[Shane C]

I'm 6'4 and the first thing I did was google how to measure length and the suggestions I found basing just off wingspan and such said it should be like 31-32" Then I had my wife measure from the front of the riser to the deepest part of my draw and just now I took an old arrow that is 28.5" from the end to where it nocks on the string and drew that back and on half a dozen different draws it was either sitting midway on the shelf of almost falling off of it. I hope this is the right way to measure draw length, if it's not please let me know. I want to get everything right before I blow a couple hundred bucks on arrows and broadheads and all those goodies.

[joekeith]

Personally I wouldn't cut your arrows at all.  At least not till you try them out and see. The more you cut off, the stiffer you make the shaft.  Just cut a little at a time.  Good luck.

[Shane C]

So, I looked at the beman arrow chart and it sai what you said with the 340 arrows (it also suggested the 300 for a 32" arrow length but they don't have that spine in the classics). So adding up the weight of the arrow and insert weight (50gr) gives me a weight of around 407 only leaving me 200gr for a broadhead to stay around 600gr total arrow weight. I know it's not the 300gr weight up front, but should it work alright?

[JohnnyWayne]

I'm no expert but I just recently switched to Arrow Dynamics Traditionals, cut to 30" 150gr up front with 5" feathers. Fletched one up yesterday and shot it at the range, gotta say I am really impressed. Shooting it out of a Bob Lee recurve, about 56# at my draw length of 29" and that sucker was flying pretty straight, due to the taper they appear a lot more forgiving of a less than perfect release and able to fly out of a greater range of bows  

[cedar]

Measure from the nock groove on the string to the back of the bow(target side).  That will be your true drawlength.  You can take an overlength arrow, draw it and have your wife mark the shaft with a marker where it meets the back of the bow.  Or I have taken a clothes pin, place it on the shaft and let the riser push the pin forward as you come to draw.  Measure the distance from nock groove to pin.

[JimB]

Shane,if you don't want to waste a lot of money,don't buy broadheads yet.For that matter,forget any preconceived ideas of what broadhead weight you want.Until you bareshaft tune your setup,you will have no idea what point weight you will need.

1.I think you better leave the shafts 32".Your draw may be over 30" now,if not,it might expand later.
2.I think .400 spine arrows will end up too light with a point weight of 125,GT 55/75's would weigh app. 450 grs.
3..340 spine or GT 75/95's would work with a 100 gr adapter and app. 225 gr point.Black shafts would give you app. a 625 gr arrow and trads would give you app.655 gr.Either one would work great.
4.A good route to go would be get a dozen 75/95 GT blems from Big Jim,if they are available.Then figure out the tuning and once tuned,you will know your ideal point weight and can shop for broadheads.There will be plenty to choose from.
5.Forget spine charts.You have to bare shaft tune to get where you want to go.Go to bowmaker.net ans study the tuning info.
6.Since you will be using full length shafts and not cutting,tuning will be a simple matter of changing point weights till you get good flight.It doesn't get any easier.I would 75/95 shafts,100 gr inserts AND field points 200,225,250 and 300 grs.If you get arrows fletched,you need at least one bare shaft.I normally use 3.