New to archery, question about arrows

[Worldwood]

First if this is in the wrong area I apologize I wasnt sure where to post.

Hello, im very new to archery. So new that I have not even received my bow yet. I dont have any local family or friends to learn from and im doing it all on my own. I ordered a samick sage recurve in 40# weight. But now that im waiting on the delivery of the bow I started looking at arrows and was literally overwhelmed with the different sizes, grains, spines and just so much information that I did not understand. I just wanted to get a few arrows so that when my bow gets here I have something to practice with. But honestly I have no idea where to begin.

I have searched the internet for info and it led me here, I read through some of the posts and you guys seem to really know what you are doing, so if i could please bother you for a moment of your time, id be very grateful.

The first thing I have learned, is that there is SO much for me to learn. I really thought I could just grab a pack of arrows cheap and easy. I have never been more wrong.

Id like to find some arrows that are fairly cheap. I cant afford to spend a lot and only need a few. I also have no clue how to put them together, so id like to buy a few already made until I learn more about arrows and my preferences. Im just going to use them for target shooting.

If any of you guys could help me find some arrows that i could order for a reasonable price and are ready to shoot please let me know. If I need to give more information please just ask.

Thank you, Im very excited to be getting started in archery!!

[centaur]

First, welcome to the site. This is the University of Trad Archery, so you have come to the right place.

To your question: do you know what arrow material you want to shoot? Carbon, aluminum, or wood all work well, but you are right in that the choices can be confusing. You need to determine your draw length before you can make a good choice as to spine (the stiffness quotient of the shaft), so once you get your bow you can get a good estimate of what you draw in inches. Since you don't have any help from friends, my suggestion would be to contact one of our sponsors who sell arrows, let them know your situation, and have them suggest a starting point for some arrows for you.
Or, you can take your chances with your local archery shop and see what they recommend, but all too often, archery 'pro' shops these days don't know squat about recurves or longbows, so if you get lucky, great, but it can be a real crap shoot. Our sponsors will be able to give you good advice; they know traditional archery inside and out.

Back in the old days, when I was a pup, we went down to the local hardware store, where they would have a barrel full of wood arrows, and we could grab a few and shoot away. We weren't as concerned then with spine, arrow weight,foc, or other minutiae. We just shot and had fun. But, if you don't want to form bad habits, it is much better to get arrows that work well out of your bow to start off. Arrows that fly right make for more fun, and fun is what this game is all about.

Welcome to traditional archery. It is a fulfilling and rewarding sport that will give you pleasure for many years.

[Worldwood]

Thank you for the information I live pretty close to lancasters so i might take a trip soon! thanks agian

[Worldwood]

Ok first Mr. centaur i apologize for my short reply earlier, I was headed out the door for a doctors appointment and rushing but wanted to leave a reply.

But now i just noticed Lancaster is not a sponsor, i apologize for that truly. Who would you guys suggest that I contact to ask?

After I get the bow and figure out the draw length is that All i will need to know to get the arrows? And I see a lot of them sold in dozens, do they sell just a few, like 3? At any of the sponsored sites? I cant afford a lot, I sold a watch to get the bow  :D  It seemed so much more enjoyable than a watch, and who cares about time right?

As for material of arrows, Im not sure honestly. The cheaper ones for now, but I dont really know the differences it makes when shooting them.

After the holidays Ill have some more money to get better arrows and some more gear but right now with Xmas around the corner I cant spend much, I live on military disability and have a couple kids that were good this year and need them some nice gifts  :D

But id like to be able to practice with my bow some before it gets too cold to do so, so im looking to buy just a couple cheap arrows for the moment.

Thank you for taking the time to answer, i do appreciate it and apologize for my short response.

[McDave]

First, I think you made a good choice in a bow.  The Samick Sage is a good now to learn on, and 40# will allow you to learn good form without being overbowed.

In order to intelligently advise you on arrows, we need to know your draw length.  Any archery shop will measure it for you, or just give us your height and if you think you have long, medium, or short arms for your height, and we can guess.  You can try to measure it yourself by drawing any arrow to full draw, and having somebody make a mark on the shaft where the arrow passes the side of the bow facing the target (which we call the back of the bow).  Measure from the mark to the bottom of the cut-out in the nock.  Average is about 28", but that can vary widely with individuals.  The problem with measuring it yourself is that you don't really know what full draw is yet, but you have to start somewhere.

I recommend starting with 6 aluminum arrows. They are reasonably cheap, and you are going to lose or break your first bunch of arrows pretty soon anyway.  If you have an average draw length, I would recommend 1916's cut to 29" with 100 grain points.  But if you have longer or shorter than average draw length, both the type and length of the arrow recommendation will change.

[Worldwood]

Thank you for the reply.

My height is 68" or 5 foot 8" and my arms are medium sized, Once i get the chance to get to an archery shop I will ask for help to get my actual draw length.

When you say 1916's cut to 29" with 100 grain points, is this something I have to cut and make myself? Or can I just buy them in 6 aluminums already made like you suggested?

And can you recommend a good place to order these online?

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me out.

[VictoryHunter]

Welcome to the gang!

[joe ashton]

[Worldwood]

Thanks guys!!

[Frank V]

Welcome!

[ChuckC]

Hi Richard, welcome

I am gonna advise that you purchase a book.  It is "The Traditional Bowhunters Handbook" by author T.J. Conrads (who by the way is the owner of Traditional Bowhunter Magazine). It is a very good starter book and describes and explains a LOT.  After you get thru that, a lot of your initial questions will have been addressed.

In the mean time. . . ask away
ChuckC

[McDave]

At 5'8", your draw length may be a little less than 28".  I'm pretty sure it won't be more than 28", so my recommendation still holds, since at least you won't be running out of arrow at full draw.  If you measure your draw length later on and it turns out to be 26" or 27", you may want to drop down a notch in spine to 1816's cut an inch more than your draw length (cut to 27" if your draw length is 26", for example).  For now, though, 1916's cut to 29" should work fine.

Most of us get into making our own arrows at some point, if for no other reason than they get damaged with use and need to be repaired.  But to get started, I would buy a half dozen arrows already made up.  Of our sponsors, Three Rivers and Black Widow offer aluminum arrows already made.  There are no doubt other sponsors who offer them as well, and I certainly don't mean anything negative by not mentioning them.

[McDave]

BTW, this pretty much goes without saying if you order from a traditional source, but if you get your arrows from a shop that mainly sells compounds, be sure to specify that you want your arrows fletched with feathers, not plastic vanes.

[Rustic]

Originally posted by ChuckC:
Hi Richard, welcome

I am gonna advise that you purchase a book.  It is "The Traditional Bowhunters Handbook" by author T.J. Conrads (who by the way is the owner of Traditional Bowhunter Magazine). It is a very good starter book and describes and explains a LOT.  After you get thru that, a lot of your initial questions will have been addressed.

In the mean time. . . ask away
ChuckC

X2
Richard... This is my goto book for info... and welcome to TRADGANG...
All my best to you

[Worldwood]

Thanks guys, I found the book online and will be purchasing it soon.

I also found my draw length to be 27.5". Not quite 28 but passed 27.

So 1916s with 100 grain points and cut to 29".

Now, why do I want to cut them shorter? What would be the benefit of not having a little longer arrow? I can see the negative if the arrow is too short for my draw, but if its a little too long, what problems would this cause?

This stuff is addicting, The more i read the more into it I get, I cant wait to get everything set up and start shooting.

I have found some decent priced arrows 1916s with target points at 100grain for 38 dollars for 6 arrows ready to shoot out the box, so thats pretty cheap enough I guess.  I could sell a knife and stock up on some at that price. I have lots of nice knives, but no arrows LOL.

Thanks for all the help guys and the friendly introduction.

[McDave]

I'm sure you'll be happy with the 1916's cut to 29" with your 27 1/2" draw.  Your draw may even stretch out to 28" over time and as you get more confident in shooting the bow.  That doesn't mean you'll always be happy with 1916's.  There may be something better than that out there for your bow, but it's certainly in the ballpark.

As to how long your arrows should be, an inch longer than your draw length is a good place to start, which leaves enough room so broadheads won't hit your hand at full draw.  Howard Hill once said that any arrow length sticking out in front of the bow at full draw was a waste, but I've never understood what he meant by that.  Down the road, when you get into arrow tuning, there may be reasons to cut some off the front of the arrow to get better arrow flight.  Whatever length you decide on, it is good to have all your arrows the same length, as different length arrows will change your sight picture and might affect your accuracy.  Everyone has their preferences, I suppose.  I don't like a lot of arrow sticking out in front of the bow at full draw, but other people don't seem to mind.

[ChuckC]

Remember. . .  feathers, not vanes (if you are gonna shoot off the shelf).

ChuckC