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Arrow help

dalton916

dalton916

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2018
Messages
3,923
Using a trad bow spine calculator might be the most daunting thing I’ve done and I used to be a nuclear engineer.....

I have a 68” Bill Stewart recurve with 45# limbs (the limbs have that funky curve in/curve out to them.....reflex/deflec maybe?? Hell I don’t know)

My compound draw length is 30”

I will be shooting full length arrows

175gr 2 blade, single bevel broadheads (Grizzly if that matters)

Shooting off the shelf

Three fingers under with a glove

What else??? Oh! I like heavy-ish arrows and shoot right at 600 gr with a compound

Anyway, what spine arrow should I be looking at? Arrow suggestions?
 
Bro, it's all going to depend on how the arrow reacts. I've seen it when people wanted to shoot a full length arrow but couldn't. A 1/4" cut on a arrow could make a world of difference. I personally shoot a victory vap 350 shaft full length. With my 50# limbs. But to keep from going to a weaker spinned arrow I added 25 grains to my insert until it shot true. But it dont work like that always. I ended up with 300 grain + - up front.
 
Dammitalltohell....... why can’t anything be easy???

Fine. I have a really good trad guy that owns a shop up the road about 15 minutes. Once the season’s over I’ll just pay him a visit.
 
What do you want to be shooting? Carbon, woodies, aluminum?
 
Wood, aluminum, carbon?

Do you know how far the shelf is cut into the riser?

At 30" you'll be pulling 48-50# depending on how the bow stacks past 28".

I shoot a 53#@28", 62" recurve. Cut past center (how much past center I really don't know)

400 spine, 30", 4" 3 fletch, 135gr of insert and 250gr broadhead. They probably come out around 650gr.

@Mr Price is right. Compound you can tune the bow.. Traditional, you tune the arrow. I probably spent a month building a dozen arrows. Bare shaft shooting until I found a point weight that flew consistent.

Troy Fowler (ranchfairy) told me as a trad archer, you need a 400 spine arrow. Lower weight bow may need a 500 spine. With your long draw length you might find a 400 full length with lots of weight out front may work.

It was strange to add insert weight only to find it stiffens the spine as the insert gets longer... and a larger fletching also stiffens the spine... theres a lot to unpack there for sure.
 
When all else fails, I always look for the kiss method.

Keep it simple stupid.

Look for an arrow test kit. Check out ethics archery/Sirius ranchfairy kits.

www.siriusarchery.com

ALL THINGS RANCH FAIRY

Find test kits, field points, and EZ Button shafts!
www.siriusarchery.com
 
I have a tuned setup that is 43# at my 29 1/2 inch draw. 400 spine GT trad at 30.5 inches bop to nock throat. 200-grain insert and 150-grain head, finished weight is 655 I think. The bare shaft flight is PERFECT, the bow is a Black hunter, I believe cut 1/8 past center. I just got another BH that pulls 48 at the same draw length. And a full length 350 with 312 in the nose is showing very weak. I haven't been able to dial it in yet. So in my limited experience, I think you're going to need a 340 or dare I say maybe a 300. I shoot split-finger, in case that's a variable that matters. Where the bow is cut in regards to the center will have a big role as well.
 
Last edited:
will4554 said:
I have a tuned setup that is 43# at my 29 1/2 inch draw. 400 spine GT trad at 31.5 inches bop to nock throat. 200-grain insert and 150-grain head, finished weight is 655 I think. The bare shaft flight is PERFECT, the bow is a Black hunter, I believe cut 1/8 past center. I just got another BH that pulls 48 at the same draw length. And a full length 350 with 312 in the nose is showing very weak. I haven't been able to dial it in yet. So in my limited experience, I think you're going to need a 340 or dare I say maybe a 300. I shoot split-finger, in case that's a variable that matters. Where the bow is cut in regards to the center will have a big role as well.
Click to expand...
Did you get the BH recurve or longbow? I'm really wanting the longbow and for that price it's hard to pass up.
 
Sounds finicky until it’s dialed in soooo.....are the shafts and component reliable enough in construction that you get one arrow setup right and duplicate it with the same components, lengths and weights or is this something to go through with each arrow?
 
dalton916 said:
Sounds finicky until it’s dialed in soooo.....are the shafts and component reliable enough in construction that you get one arrow setup right and duplicate it with the same components, lengths and weights or is this something to go through with each arrow?
Click to expand...
I've had good results building one that is acting how I want it to and then replicating.
 
will4554 said:
I have a tuned setup that is 43# at my 29 1/2 inch draw. 400 spine GT trad at 30.5 inches bop to nock throat. 200-grain insert and 150-grain head, finished weight is 655 I think. The bare shaft flight is PERFECT, the bow is a Black hunter, I believe cut 1/8 past center. I just got another BH that pulls 48 at the same draw length. And a full length 350 with 312 in the nose is showing very weak. I haven't been able to dial it in yet. So in my limited experience, I think you're going to need a 340 or dare I say maybe a 300. I shoot split-finger, in case that's a variable that matters. Where the bow is cut in regards to the center will have a big role as well.
Click to expand...

I had the same results from my 55# BH with 340s with 300 up front. They were showing extremely weak. Turns out it was a false weak. Test kit confirmed that the 500s with 300gr up front is where I need to be.
 
Bought a set of arrows and field point to find what shoots best. Started out using my current arrows, full length 350 spine pile drivers and that’s still where I’m at right now. They seem to like 225gr field points up front the best, but I’m still working my way though that.

I’m finding that, in my mind at least, this is a more complicated process than shooting a compound. With my compound it was simply a matter of getting to my anchor point, putting the pin on the target and it was done. With the recurve I’m still working on my anchor. Mainly, finding one that works for me and then repeating it. I say repeating it because while that seems so obvious, it isn’t so easy......again, got a lot going on and it’s hard to keep it all together.

Also, I seem to have migrated to a tab instead of the glove. Shooting 3 under, btw.

Right now I’m in a holding pattern because I’ve found an arrow that will shoot good enough that I can stay with it while I work out the shot process itself.
 
The 3 d shoots are a great place to gain some intel . Most shoots have a fair amount of single string shooters . There is a shoot somewhere most weekends in the SC upstate , Keowee bowman, Tab , Saluda to name a few . Good luck
 
Watch videos with Clay Hayes. He breaks down the arrow tuning process in a very easy-to-understand language. Good luck and have fun. This is what traditional archery is about.....the process that gets you to the end. Regardless of logic.
As a nuclear engineer, you will be fighting the proverbial.....” it doesn’t add up”.....issue. I’m a Land Surveyor, and I still struggle with the fact that 2 + 2 doesn’t always equal 4........some things just work without explanation! LOL. Trad bows are just like people, each have their own personality and taste. Just let them be, and they will be your best friend! Listen to them and they will tell you what they want. Damn, that was too deep! My apologies. LOL
 
So I’m the worst case scenario.....I kicked nuclear power to the curb so I could be outside. I’ve been a licensed surveyor for 15 years
 
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