Bare shafting woodies.. ran into problem

[DanielB89]

I got a new batch of woodies in, all spined from to 64-67.  I shot 2 of two bareshafts that had 125 grain tips on them and both of them cracked on the second shot.  One looks like banana now.

Anyone have any idea why this would have happened?

[Zradix]

maybe way under or over spined.

if they hit at quite an angle in the target they can break.

possible they could be crappy shafts too.
what type are they?

Did ya orient the grain correctly to the nock?

[Biathlonman]

Put feathers on them and shoot field points and broadheads to tune.  I've mostly had similar results with bare shafting wood.

[darin putman]

Bareshafting woodies can be tough, broke a lot of them trying to tune. They can handle a little cant going into target but not a lot. They tend to snap if entry angle is too sharp, seems as though spine must be kind of close to start with. Problem didn't seem to be as bad once I found surewood shafts, they too will snap but not as easily as what I started off with. On a side note I also warped a lot of aluminum arrows doing the same thing.

[Prairie Drifter]

It happens. That's why you don't bareshaft wood.

[Bud B.]

Originally posted by Prairie Drifter:
It happens. That's why you don't bareshaft wood.

My conclusions too. Fletch and tune with feathers on.

[gringol]

What are you shooting?

Sounds like under spined to me.  Don't bareshaft wood if you aren't prepared to lose a few.  Personally, I don't like bareshaftingwood at all.  I prefer just comparing field points to bhs.  It isn't the only way, but it works for me.

[Bjorn]

I only shoot wood. Wood generally breaks when bareshafting because you are underspined by 15# or more. I'm sure it could happen severely overspined too; but I have never had that.
There is a formula that I use and it works every time-then I bareshaft just because I love to see what is going on.
The formula can be found on the 'net-Morrison and A&H may still have it on their sites and it has been posted and discussed here many times-do a search if you are interested. At the cost of good wood there is no need to waste shafts for no return.

[JRY309]

When I shot wood only when I first started I bareshafted them all the time.I only broke a couple when I was way underspined.I started bareshafting wood after I shot a 3D course in the rain when the feathers got matted down.You could see then how good your spine was.So I started to bareshaft them to get closer in spine.

[jackdaw]

Not trying to hijack this thread, but what would spibe do you guys like? I try to go 10 to 15 grains over the weight of my bow...i.e. ....60#-65# spine arrow in my 47#-50# bows.I generally shoot 125-150 bh's and field points. Works good every time..

[Slickhead]

when bareshaft wood start close
Work back a little at a time

Learned this the hard way!

[rraming]

Start close to the target and then more back, don't start over 13 yards.

[DanielB89]

I am shoot a longbow I made that is 66" and 51@28. These are POC shafts that are all slimed from 64-67. They were showing very weak. And I'm ticked they cracked. Had no idea that would have happened or I wouldn't have done it

[gringol]

Daniel, I have a 56# longbow that like 85# woodies.  I'm guessing you are probably in the same range.  If i forgo the bareshafting, I can get away with 70-75 and I'm not good enough to shoot the difference...

[BAK]

I used to shoot a lot more woods than I do now.  I did bare shaft them but you must start close up if you are not in the ballpark.  As you zero in you can move back.  I had shafts that flew true out to 50 yards doing this.

[SCATTERSHOT]

A longbow by nature is not center cut like a recurve. My guess is that those shafts a re way overspined for your bow. If you do indeed draw 28" (measure it to be sure) try a couple of shafts spined 40-45#.

[DanielB89]

These arrows were way under spined according to the bare shaft tuning.  My longbow is cut back to center but now past.    

The first time I had ever shot wood arrows was a couple months ago at an archery shoot that I actually managed to win(341/400).  All the arrows I shot were around #65 spined(the guy had written each arrows spine on the arrow).

[Todd Cook]

I don't bare shaft wood. I run the calculations to try and start close to the correct spine. Then, shoot fletched arrows to tune, then broadheads to fine tune. A broadhead usually won't fly if it's far off.

[Fletcher]

That's why I paper tune fletched arrows with my woods.  It is easy to see just what the arrow is doing and doesn't seem to be quite as sensitive to form /release issues as bareshafting.

[SELFBOW19953]

If I'm not mistaken, wood shafts are spined for a 125 gr point, heavier points need higher spines.  You're shooting a 125 gr point out of a 51# bow, so maybe 50-55 would be closer to the proper spine for you, or maybe 55-60 depending on their length.