What is the purpose of a tapered shaft?

[Goose smasher]

I'm just new to traditional bows and I have seem several companies offering tapered shafts. What is the reason for tapering a wood arrow shaft???

  Goose smasher

[Orion]

It puts more of the arrow's total weight toward the front of the arrow.  We were doing this with wood shafts before high FOC became the rage. Tapering contributes to the arrow stabilizing more quickly upon leaving the bow.  That's the primary reason it was initially done on wood arrows. Of course, in wood, it also reduces the weight of the arrow a bit -- 20-40 grains depending on initial weight and length and amount of taper. Tapering wood arrows doesn't affect the spine much so it was/is a way to get lighter,faster arrows.  Most folks feel wood tapered shafts give tad bit better arrow flight.  It may be, but I've found well matched and tuned parallel woodies to fly well enough that I can't tell the difference.

[Goose smasher]

Oh,ok. I see what they mean now. Thank you very much Orion!

  Goose smasher

[Kingstaken]

More feather clearance at the nock end where the profile is highest.

[slowbowjoe]

I shoot both parallel or tapered woods; the reduced weight helps when I'm trying to get around the total arrow weight I prefer, choosing Doug Fir most often, which run a bit heavy for my set up.
Suppliers I've spoken with figure the taper might shave a pound or so of spine off the parallel shaft, and tend to mention the slight additional clearance, both of which have been nmentioned here.

As far as actually being able to notice any difference in comparing to parallel shafts, what Orion said goes x2 with me.

[Goose smasher]

Thanks guys! There's so much to learn on this site!

  Goose smasher

[Bjorn]

I like the look and taper my own, whether or not is makes a difference-no idea.  

[hvyhitter]

Most noticeable improvement in flight/tunablity/forgivness is with non center shot bows...... like Hill style.......... when the arrow needs to curve around the riser..... With center shot recurves I find no real difference.....

[Red Beastmaster]

I've tried enough of them to know they make no difference for me, regardless what type of bow I used.

[Jack Denbow]

I'm with Bjorn I think they look cool.
Jack

[Kopper1013]

I'm surprised no one has said less resistance while penetrating and passing through bone and flesh.

[Orion]

Kopper.  I assume you mean less arrow flexing at impact, leading to greater penetration.  True, but with only a 20-40 grain weight reduction  on the tail end, it doesn't make enough difference to matter on average size game.  

I gotta agree with Bjorn and Jack.  They look cool.  Don't know how I overlooked that in my initial post.

[Kingstaken]

Possibly Kopper might be thinking since the taper brings the back of the fletching closer there's less drag with penetration???? though I feel it's not nearly enough to make any difference.
I used to shoot tapers with 4-4" parabolic fletching. Talk about quick stabilization... Why'd I stop?  

[Surewood Steve]

The only draw back to tapering is the added cost if you can't do it your self.  I like the comments on why to taper, I don't disagree with any of them.  I know I have talked to some of you on the phone on this subject and I always use the example of the body of a jet air plane.  It has a rounded nose with a long parallel body and a tapered tail.  These are the planes we fly on, so someone in the air lines business may know something.  Orion you can come and be our pitch man for the taper option on our shafts!!!!

[Fletcher]

I've preferred and shot tapered shafts for many years.  I'm a longbow shooter and tapered has always shot best for me.  In trying to understand why the shoot better, I had to dismiss the clearance thing, as the radius difference is only about .016 inch.  Tapering does help to move the balance forward a bit, but I believe the big difference is that it changes how the arrow flexes; tapering seems to "tiller" the arrow so that it flexes more evenly along its length and the lighter tail end seems to recover a bit quicker.  

How much tapering changes a shaft depends greatly on taper length, spine and diameter.  A 9.5" taper on a 11/32 60 lb shaft loses about 20 grains and 2 lb spine.

[two4hooking]

http://traditionalknowhow.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-benefits-of-nock-tapered-arrows.html

Some interesting information in this:

Greg

[slowbowjoe]

Greg, that is a definitely worthwhile post!

My wife is using tapered cedars that were made in the 50s.  They have 16" tapers, are perfectly straight and fly perfect as well. The arrow caught the scapula off the far shoulder of her last deer and the arrow broke off at the feathers when the deer fell on it.  She still feels bad about it.  Tapered is the only wood shafts at that I buy. I keep hearing how wood arrows are not accurate and are difficult to get to fly right, I don't believe it and my  set of Surewoods are even more proof that wood is as accurate as anything can be for my bows.

[fujimo]

i think that by better penetration he means as the shaft penetrates deeper and deeper into the animal, the shaft gets smaller in diam. compared to the initial hole punched.  

[michaelschwister]

Tapers shoot much better than parallels from my selfbows.