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Bare Shaft/Spine guidance....

sdorton

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2019
Messages
346
Location
Kentucky
Ok Hopefully I can type this out with confusing myself so bare with me....

I've been working really hard on my form. Particularly my anchor points and Back Tension. In doing so my draw length has increased making my current arrow set up Way Too Weak and too short with broadheads. Currently those arrows are Carbon Express Heritage 250 with Ethics 100g insert/ballistic collar and 200 grain field point. I went as far as putting the original insert (13g) back in with 100g field point and still too weak.

I have a full length Carbon Express Heritage 350 that bare shafts almost perfect. But it too is a little weak and I can't cut them any because my broadhead hits the belly of the bow and comes un-nocked. Was using Ethics 100g insert/ballistic collar and 200 grain field point. Don't really want to go any lower than that. If I do I'll have to change broadhead weights etc. Which I will do if that's my only option.

I also have a full length Gold Tip Traditional Classic XT with 1/2" (80g) insert/outsert with ballistic collar. It too was just a little weak with a 200g field point but just a little too stiff with a 150g field point. So with the added 1/2" from the insert/outsert I cut off 1/2"in. Sometimes it shows weak....sometimes it shows stiff with the 200g field point. It's pretty darn close and I know this is all because my form sucks/inconsistent and I'm still working on it. But would you guys call it good? or try a different shaft in a 300 Spine? I mean at this point it can't hurt to try I guess.

I will add that I've also played with Brace height. Everything from 7" to 7 3/4". 7 3/8" seems to the sweet spot. Just looking for some guidance and suggestions.

Bow set up is.....
60" Zipper SXT 49# @ 28"
Draw length is now 30 1/2" measured to belly of bow and with proper back tension.
 
I never bare shaft tune...maybe broadhead tune, but a bare shaft only really gets it partly there with a trad bow ..imo. have to factor too much else... exact anchor, canting the bow, follow through,....bla bla bla. However curious as to what you are hunting that you need that much upfront or that light of a spine. When I was shooting my 50#, technically around 47.5 lbs at my 27 in draw, I was shooting a goldtip 400 hunter with regular insert and 100 grain broadhead and they flew like darts with. That set up had no difficulties with a Florida hog.
 
Ok, I may be able to help a little bit. I ran into this issue myself about a year ago. Carbon Express uses a different spine nomenclature than every other arrow manufacturer. I thought I was purchasing 250 spined shafts when I bought Carbon Express 250's but in reality, they are spined about 325. I was working on an Ultra High FOC setup and was having fits and finally was told what the problem was. It is like all but one car manufacturer using horsepower to describe their vehicles power and then one using goat power. It is apple and oranges.

The degree of your bows center shot will also have quite a bit to do with tuning. How close to center shot is your bow? I shoot a Hill style longbow and it has a very shallow arrow shelf. I had to go with a 500 spine Easton Axis at 28 inches for a 56# bow.
 
I go against the grain on this one. As mentioned by @josh9284 i do not bare shaft tune. I broad head tune. Clay Hayes has a good video on this. Bare shafting is fine but can lead new people with subpar form astray. Just an opinion.
 
Ok, I may be able to help a little bit. I ran into this issue myself about a year ago. Carbon Express uses a different spine nomenclature than every other arrow manufacturer. I thought I was purchasing 250 spined shafts when I bought Carbon Express 250's but in reality, they are spined about 325. I was working on an Ultra High FOC setup and was having fits and finally was told what the problem was. It is like all but one car manufacturer using horsepower to describe their vehicles power and then one using goat power. It is apple and oranges.

The degree of your bows center shot will also have quite a bit to do with tuning. How close to center shot is your bow? I shoot a Hill style longbow and it has a very shallow arrow shelf. I had to go with a 500 spine Easton Axis at 28 inches for a 56# bow.

3/16" past center
 
I
I go against the grain on this one. As mentioned by @josh9284 i do not bare shaft tune. I broad head tune. Clay Hayes has a good video on this. Bare shafting is fine but can lead new people with subpar form astray. Just an opinion.
I think this is what I'm going to do....just with new arrows that are uncut. They fly great fletched.
 
I

I think this is what I'm going to do....just with new arrows that are uncut. They fly great fletched.

I personally wouldn't head afield with arrows that haven't been bareshafted. Fletched arrows hide poor arrow flight that robs energy. We are already using low energy setups, so why rob yourself of more with an untuned arrow? If you know your bare shafts are flying true, regardless if your release isn't perfect, you can get them pretty close to flying true. Those little imperfections in your release are where the feathers (or fletch of choice) come into play. Get a test kit of whatever arrows you want to shoot and use your desired insert/tip weight to determine which spine is going to work best for YOU and YOUR bow. Put in the work and you will see the results in the end.
 
If your a little weak that's perfect. In fact you should also be a tad nock high also. The fletching will stiffen the arrow up and fly like darts
 
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