how long for axis footing?

[ozy clint]

hey guys, i'm making up some axis shafts and i'm wondering how long my footing should be.
i plan on using mainly the 100gr inserts but a few arrows will have 50gr inserts. the two types of arrows will both have the same total weight up front though just different weight BH's.

ie-  
125gr BH + 125gr adapter + 100gr insert= 350gr and
225gr BH + 75gr adapter + 50gr insert= 350gr

i'm thinking of a 2 1/4" 2020 footing. this will extend a little past the back of the 100gr insert. i figure this will keep the portion of flexible shaft the same length between the two types for ease of tuning.

i figure that just having a small footing that doesn't cover the longest insert will create two arrows with different portions of flexible length because of the different lengths between 100gr and 50gr inserts.

[ishoot4thrills]

I use 2" of 2020 footing on my Beman MFX 500 Classics and I too have the 100 grain brass inserts installed.

Don't forget that those 2020s weigh around 13-14 grains per inch I believe.

[Bill Carlsen]

1" is all you need.

[Charlie Lamb]

I'm with Bill! I don't believe anything is gained with the longer footings. All that's needed is a minimal length to prevent splitting.

[Orion]

I have a question.  The axis shaft is smaller in diameter than the inside of an 11/32 ferule taper on a broadhead.  As a result,  the end of the shaft actually fits inside the ferule 1/8 to 1/4 inch.  As such, the steel broadhdead ferule surrounds the outside edge of the shaft. Seems this would go a long way toward preventing any type of splitting.  

That's the way I've been shooting mine, and so far, so good.  Of course I've yet to hit any big rocks or engine blocks with them.  Seems more than sufficient for deer size critters though.  Of course, Ozy Clint, I know you have bigger things in mind.

[Big Lefty]

Not to hijack this thread, but does anyone have a link to a tutorial on how to foot an Axis shaft?  The pictures in the "How To" thread have expired.  Thanks, and sorry for hijacking.

[Bill Carlsen]

I was just going to add what you said, Charlie. The footing's only job, as far as I am concerned, is simply to prevent splitting and extend the useable life of a carbon arrow.

[stalkin4elk]

I have broken or severely bent(ruined) 300 FMJs at the back end of 100 gr inserts with angled impacts,slight and severe, on frozen ground,small saplings, etc. very consistently and predictably. The other problem was mushrooming the shat when the HIT insert was pushed into the shaft on hard,strait impacts. The footing should prevent mushrooming but the shaft will likely still fail distal to the footing at some level of force. These were with 250gr to 350gr at  the point and 100gr brass inserts from 62 to 78#s at 29 inches. If I were to have your buffs in my yard(DARN!), I would look at Sapcuts double footing as seen on Tuffheads site for the Axis shafts.
I have had messed with the internal hardwood dowel footings described in the past(5/16 GTs) thread BUILDING THE PERFECT ARROW and think they may be tougher on angled impacts. Just from my exp. I disagree with the claimed "toughness" of FMJs but much prefer the all carbon AXIS shafts. Also you will need external footings because of the very small ID on the AXIS. My .02.

[ozy clint]

i made the footing 2.5" long the main reason being so that the portion of flexible shaft will be the same between the arrows that have the 100gr inserts and those that have 50gr inserts.