Building My Own Arrows vs Buying Them

[BayfieldHunter]

I need advice from some of the more experienced traditional archers out there. For 20 years I shot recurves as a young man and then went to compounds for 12 years.  I am now coming full circle back to recurves - less contraptions, less complexity, more like hunting the way I remember it, etc.  As a boy with recurves I never had arrows that were tuned - I just shot what I had and I didn't have much.  As an adult I always had shops build arrows for me.  As I get back into traditional archery I am finding there are no shops near me who know anything about traditional archery, etc.  I have decided that I am going to shoot Carbon Express Heritage Shafts.  Initailly I was just going to have 3 Rivers Build them.  I am now considering building them myself.  That way I can tweek them at home, fix the ones that need fletching, etc.  It also allows me to tune them myself and learn in the process.  I already have 3 Bitzenburger Fletching jigs all mounted an ready to go from past times.  I will purchase a Weston Cutoff Saw, etc. as well as arrow bare shafting, etc.  Before I do this as there is some decent cost involved, but I will be set up for life, I thought I should run this past the experienced people here who have followed a similar path to see if this is the right way to go based on your experience or should I just have a shop build my arrows?  Not sure.  I keep going back and forth with this.  I am a dedicated shooter who shoots 28 arrows a day (no more and no less!    ) everyday 365 days per year.  I also shoot in 2 3D leagues.  I live in Wisconsin and am a dedicated whitetail hunter and will hunt whitetails in Missouri in 3 weeks as well.  I am also booked to hunt mountain goats in BC in 2017.  I guess you could say archery is my thing.  Sorry for the long post but do you guys build your own and do you recommend it or is it just another hassle?

[Mark Baker]

I began a few decades ago, building my own arrows and have never looked back.   Aside from the beauty of some of the other guys work (my arrows tend to be pretty plain-Jane), they are never up to my standards....so I like building my own.  I like burning my feathers to my preferences, and playing around with "choices" in materials, etc.   And it's led me to the point that I pretty much make everything for hunting myself - or I can anyway.  So much more enjoyment in the journey we are on, if you can contribute more of yourself in it through your hard work and art.

[Jakeemt]

You'll make that cost up pretty quick. Learning to build your own is where it's at. It makes things like tuning much easier and it saves you a fair chunk of change. Example the shop by me has almost nothing for trad shooters. They charge 7 bucks a shaft for the carbons I use + a dollar a fletch. I can buy mine for 5 bucks or less a shaft, fletch for 25 cents, trim to length at home (saves you gas money) and use any inserts or glue I want. For really self sufficieny you can start building your own strings and serving them. Also it gets really cheap if you swap over to aluminum or wood.

Jake

[McDave]

I don't know of any reason not to build your own carbon or aluminum arrows.  I don't know of anyone who started building them and later changed his mind. Many people build their own wood arrows too, particularly ones used for everyday practice that tend to get lost or broken. Unless you plan to make a whole new hobby out of it, you won't be able to build as beautiful wood arrows as some of our sponsors make.  Sometimes I make them, sometimes I buy them. But I make all my own carbon and aluminum arrows.

Just decide if you want right or left wing, and be sure to buy everything to match: feathers, jigs, single bevel broadheads, etc.

[kbetts]

You would get a lot of enjoyment from building your own.  I build arrows for my buddies too.....it nice watch your arrows take critters even when they aren't your own.   Nothing like a cold or nasty night turning out a new set of sticks for the quiver.

[BayfieldHunter]

Fellas -  I just ordered my equipment and materials.  I may have a few questions about the actual build process as I get into it but I really appreciate the great feedback and guidance.  I started stump shooting a few months ago and it has been hard on arrows.  Thanks again!  Dave

[katman]

[Matty]

Originally posted by BayfieldHunter:
Fellas -  I just ordered my equipment and materials.  I may have a few questions about the actual build process as I get into it but I really appreciate the great feedback and guidance.  I started stump shooting a few months ago and it has been hard on arrows.  Thanks again!  Dave

Build em'!
Everyone here is super helpful you will get all the advice you need and then some!

[reddogge]

Definitely build you own so you can repair and refletch them as needed. You can build them as plain jane as you want or make them works of art. The game doesn't care.

The saw is a luxury I've done without but you'll need a decent crester and brushes to do some fancier work.

[M60gunner]

DYI is way I have been doing it for 40+ years. Started when I needed arrows for four people, two kids, that shot more trees than targets. It is only way Iwould do carbons with trad bows. Like others have said, need to bareshaft them for best preformance.

[old_goat2]

You are doing exactly what I did, Weston saw and all! Make sure you buy a Bitzenberger for your jig!

[Skipmaster1]

An arrow saw is the best investment I've made after a fletching jig. I can tune very easily using arrow length, running back and forth to the shop or trying to tune on a line with 10 other shooters.

[Michael Arnette]

I had shops do it for years, I got a arrow vice and don't know why I did all those years! It's so easy and has already payed for itself

[bunyan]

Like everyone says, do it yourself! It's easy and saves so much hassle. And opens the door to so much experimentation with tuning. Now you'll just have to decide whether you want right or left wing fletching!!

[old_goat2]

Originally posted by bunyan:
Like everyone says, do it yourself! It's easy and saves so much hassle. And opens the door to so much experimentation with tuning. Now you'll just have to decide whether you want right or left wing fletching!!

I have both! When you get wild turkey feathers, you want to use both sides!

[Cavscout9753]

Theres also some good arrow building tutorials on here as well as some master crafters that can help along the way. Looks like you're all set!

[AkDan]

if you have a dremel you can EASILY build a cut off saw that works like a champ!  ANd parts are easy to find as well!!!

Or I believe harbor freight has a small chop saw you can build into a arrow cut off saw as well.   I happened to be a dremel junkie.

[bunyan]

Old goat, two jigs is a great idea! Everyone I shoot with shoots left wing so I chose right wing fletch. That way I can use the right wing barred feathers and swap the lefts or give them away as gifts to deserving friends!

[Sam McMichael]

With a little experience, you will be making very serviceable arrows, and you may find arrow making will become a very intense hobby. I still don't make a lot of arrows but have just made up a set of river cane arrows with stone points. I don't know yet how they will perform, but at least they look like arrows I have seen from some skilled primitive archers. It is fun.

[OregonTom]

I really love building wood arrows,  it's not a hassle at all for me. I like trying out feathers from different birds on my arrows too.