General Arrow Guidance & Help

[Razorbak66]

Another thing I would add is either a tooth pick under the the replacement covering on shelf to raise a slight radius if your BL doesn’t have it

 

[Arkie]

Alright. I’m as good to go as my current form will allow.

I was able to find the paperwork on this bow and the recommended brace height was 8 1/8 so I adjusted it down to that. The piece of leather was a little funky so I took it off and replaced it with Bear Hair Rest as well as bumped up my nocking point.

After that, I ended up having to move my nocking point down a little but was able to get some 400 spine arrows with 250 up front to tune.

Shooting 400 spine Black Eagle Instincts
I shot the Black Eagle Deep Impacts last year and really liked them so I was glad to find these.

Was windy today, but after I got done inside, I was able to get a few sets in from 15-18 yards.

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[HuumanCreed]

Alright. I’m as good to go as my current form will allow.

I was able to find the paperwork on this bow and the recommended brace height was 8 1/8 so I adjusted it down to that. The piece of leather was a little funky so I took it off and replaced it with Bear Hair Rest as well as bumped up my nocking point.

After that, I ended up having to move my nocking point down a little but was able to get some 400 spine arrows with 250 up front to tune.

Shooting 400 spine Black Eagle Instincts
I shot the Black Eagle Deep Impacts last year and really liked them so I was glad to find these.

Was windy today, but after I got done inside, I was able to get a few sets in from 15-18 yards.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Can I piggy back on thread to ask a newbie question? So at what point is 'good arrow' for you?

-complete arrow fly straight and group where you aim
OR
-complete arrow AND bareshaft fly straight while grouping where you aim

I find that the spine of bareshaft VS full arrow is very noticeable. I've been more frustrated tuning for trad bow compared to compound. The added weight from bareshaft to full arrow with wrap/vanes are not that bad in a compound bow. Just feel like trad bow are more sensitive to spine, well in regards to carbon arrow anyway. With arrow rest in compound bow, I can get most arrow to fly straight within a given built. I'm almost to the point of ignoring bareshaft turning and just cutting/adding weight to a fully wrapped/fletched arrow. This is from me wanting to shoot of the shelf.

 

[Arkie]

Can I piggy back on thread to ask a newbie question? So at what point is 'good arrow' for you?

-complete arrow fly straight and group where you aim
OR
-complete arrow AND bareshaft fly straight while grouping where you aim

I find that the spine of bareshaft VS full arrow is very noticeable. I've been more frustrated tuning for trad bow compared to compound. The added weight from bareshaft to full arrow with wrap/vanes are not that bad in a compound bow. Just feel like trad bow are more sensitive to spine, well in regards to carbon arrow anyway. With arrow rest in compound bow, I can get most arrow to fly straight within a given built. I'm almost to the point of ignoring bareshaft turning and just cutting/adding weight to a fully wrapped/fletched arrow. This is from me wanting to shoot of the shelf.

When my bare shafts are flying straight and I believe I’ve got the correct spine & weight, I feel good about it.

After that, I’ll shoot broadheads on my fletched arrows to make sure they group/hit where I’m “aiming” and are aligned with my field points.

With my current form, I’ll still have some nock left/nock right when shooting my bare shafts just do to some inconsistencies in my form, but not enough that it’s noticeable with fletched arrows and broadheads.

That’s me. There are others that are a lot more experienced and I would rely on their opinions more than my own.


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[Petrichor]

I will probably say this till I’m blue in the face. Sorry for the repeats all. If you are new I would not bare shaft tune. I would not paper tune. The point is to get your broadheads and field points flying good. Watch clay Hayes tuning video. It’s easy and not frustrating. There is nothing more frustrating for a new person than to try and get bareshaft a flying when they’re form is not consistent.

 

[Arkie]

I will probably say this till I’m blue in the face. Sorry for the repeats all. If you are new I would not bare shaft tune. I would not paper tune. The point is to get your broadheads and field points flying good. Watch clay Hayes tuning video. It’s easy and not frustrating.

As a newb, I agree with this.
If I waited until my bare shafts were perfect, I’d go insane. I use it more as a sanity check.


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[Razorbak66]

If it was me I would pick the spine Depending on draw weight I want to shoot and since I have a draw of 27” I cut my arrows 1 to 1.25” past my draw depending on broadhead used and my rule of thumb is up to 45# I would use 600 spine and up to 54# I would use 500 spine and up to 65# and use the 400 spines and this is for longbow/hybrids with HP strings and if it was a recurve I would bump it up 1 spine level since recurves are real good performers in general but if it’s a ol school recurve with Dacron then I would use the longbow rule of thumb rule and this is all for draws under 28” and if you got a longer draw then bump up 1 spine
And all I shoot is carbons now days and I keep bareshafts of all makes and models for testing purpose. I would get field points ranging from 125 all the way to 300 and 90% of the time I would use the standard inserts that comes with the shaft and start at 10 yards with 2 bareshafts and 2 fletched shafts of the same diameter you plan to use and shoot at a firm block target with cardboard facing with a 3” circle and a piece of tape right in the middle of it and see what the shaft is doing and figure my ups and downs first and correct that and go to my lefts and rights and adjust point weight until I get the bareshaft to fly slightly weak and group with my fletched shafts and once that’s correct I move back to 20/25 yards and repeat the process. Remember one important thing while doing this is to shoot at shoulder level at the target and no downward or upward shots and sit in chair if needed which I do a lot. And if I have to trim shaft slightly in order to shoot straight I do it and 1/8” goes a long way. I use good hotmelt for taking out my inserts I refuse to use other glues for this process. And after everything is said and done and I’m happy with arrow weight I go and make up a new batch of arrows for that bow and if not then I move up 1 spine and add either 50/75 or even 100 grain insert/ outsert combo and go thru process again and all my arrows are sporting between 175 to 250 grain broadheads depending on bow and and set up. My current set up is a 28.25 shaft with standard insert with 225 grain Simmons great white and arrow is 550 ish out of a 52.5# hybrid longbow ILF set up and it’s flying perfect. My FOC is good I range from 19 to 30+% depending on bow. Their are alot of variables but I have been doing this for decades for myself and my friends and found this to work 95% of the time

 

[Razorbak66]

Side note I agree with fellows above but once you get basics down and want to take your game to next level try my method. I plan to write up a direct and easy tuning procedure at some point. And also note if your gonna shoot canted then bare shaft canted or if you roll more vertically then do so the same way and pick your method of release wether it’s split 3 under or string walking or even mouth tab just do it the same way each and every time. You will find out pretty quickly what way you perfer. I just help a buddy recently set up and tune his new bow and started him off split he found out he likes 3 under and now he is loving it and shooting lights out with his properly spine arrows

 

[Gator]

If it was me I would pick the spine Depending on draw weight I want to shoot and since I have a draw of 27” I cut my arrows 1 to 1.25” past my draw depending on broadhead used and my rule of thumb is up to 45# I would use 600 spine and up to 54# I would use 500 spine and up to 65# and use the 400 spines and this is for longbow/hybrids with HP strings and if it was a recurve I would bump it up 1 spine level since recurves are real good performers in general but if it’s a ol school recurve with Dacron then I would use the longbow rule of thumb rule and this is all for draws under 28” and if you got a longer draw then bump up 1 spine

So if I'm reading right, one bump up for the recurve and another spine bump up for over 28" draw correct? The spine chart I looked at showed I needed 400 spine which would line up with your above advice as well. I have a 45# recurve with 29+ draw.

 

[Razorbak66]

If your bow is shooting a HP string and yes a 400 spine would work depending on point weight you use. Personally I would slap a 50/75 insert and start about 125 to 150 point with shaft cut 1” past your draw. Your shaft weight depending on what carbon you use and point weight will be about between 425 to 500+ grains

 

[Gator]

If your bow is shooting a HP string and yes a 400 spine would work depending on point weight you use. Personally I would slap a 50/75 insert and start about 125 to 150 point with shaft cut 1” past your draw. Your shaft weight depending on what carbon you use and point weight will be about between 425 to 500+ grains

I'm hoping to be able to use the same as my compound as far as upfront weight, 100 insert and 100 point. That will be my first attempt anyway

 

[Razorbak66]

Remember not all carbons are created equal in the same spine. I found that out when I spined several brands of shafts and for a 500 spine it ranged from .530 to .570 and same goes for 400 spines anywhere from .375 to .425. Most consistant in my opinion is Easton shafts. Pick one and stick with it and let’s say you use 1 brand of 400 and grab another brand 400 they might not always shoot the same. Close but if you bareshaft them it will tell you by flight and also remember if you shoot .204 diameter and switch to .166 diameter there might be a slight difference. I would stay with one brand and diameter until you get better and decide what you want to shoot

 

[Razorbak66]

I'm hoping to be able to use the same as my compound as far as upfront weight, 100 insert and 100 point. That will be my first attempt anyway

Give it a shot and see how it rolls. Your definitely gonna need a heavier point weight

 

[Mike Curtis]

I have bare shafted almost every bow I shoot including selfbows. Ideally a bareshaft should fly slightly weak and a tad knock high. Once you add feathers the shaft stiffens up. I will add if you are torqueing the bow or the string you are not going to get there. Also keep your head down. The tendency to watch that arrow is a no no.

 

[Allegheny Tom]

I'll add a couple thoughts.
Carbon arrows have a stiff side (at least Grizzly Sticks do) so make sure you determine the stiff side and be consistent with nock and fletch orientation.

The amount of center cut the bow window has will directly effect how stiff an arrow shoots. Building out the strike plate makes a shaft more stiff.

My personal approach to determining whether I am satisfied with my flight is this...
Bare shaft thru paper with field points of the same weight as my broadhead. Although bullet holes are nice, I dont worry about minor tears. Then I paper check with fletched shafts and fieldpoints and then with broadheads.
My goal is to have flight corrected within 10 feet or so. I want the arrow flying straight asap. That allows maximum penetration on ultra close shots and also leaves less of an arrow "footprint" when shooting thru brush. A straight arrow can be shot thru a much smaller shooting lane than an arrow that tail-kicks...which allows me to minimize pruning for shooting lanes.

 

[Longbowwally]

I never could get carbons to fly well from my trad bows until I left them full length - currently shooting 32 1/2" but have used 31.5" with same easy tuning results. I haven't seen any advantage in going longer than 32.5"....Using a 200 grain point, I have used 400, 500 and 600 spine arrows for bows 40 - 55 lbs.... Usually 500 spine with the 200 grain point works well for me up to around 50 lb or low 50 lb bows, but the 400 also works on some bows around 50 lbs and above. I also like the longer arrows for a point on distance that works well for 3D and hunting - 25 yards point on is what I get with these arrows....

 

[Deerman406]

.500 spine cut to 28.5"s and 175 to 225 grain head. I would think right around that 175 190 grain point weight will get ya about perfect!! Shawn