I have $100 gift card to spend at 3rivers. I have been using their hunters arrows in my setup the past year and are very used to them. However, I want to bareshaft tune to prepare for archery season in August. I have glued my own points and nocks before but I have no experience glueing/removing fletchings. I do own a fletching jig and duco. Am I better off buying the fully built hunters arrows and removing fletchings from a few of them to bare shaft tune. Or, should I buy the pre-finished 3rivers shafts (same as used in their hunters arrows) and all the other components and put arrows together except the ones I keep bareshaft to tune with? Does it make a difference? Should I just go with whichever is cheaper? Can you screw up a lot when glueing feathers on?
If you already have a fletching jig buy the bare shafts and some right or left wing feathers (whichever you prefer). Just be sure your fletching jig matches whatever feathers you choose(Right wing/left wing). You can easily remove feathers with a knife or tool designed to do the same job. 3 Rivers sells that tool. Use the fletching tape which is much easier and far less messy than glue. Not rocket science at all. Best of luck!
I assume your talking wood arrows. Fletching that has been glued on isn't easy to remove from wood. Fletching removal after using fletch tape is much easier. Bare shafting wood can lead to broken arrows, lots of them if you aren't close to proper spine.
QuoteOriginally posted by SELFBOW19953:
Bare shafting wood can lead to broken arrows, lots of them if you aren't close to proper spine.
X2. Paper tuning would be a better method.
I wouldn't recommend 3rivers hunter arrows...much better wood arrows out there
The way I bare shaft tune is to fletch all the arrows, then cut the feathers off 3 of them leaving the quills attached to the arrow. This gives the bare shaft roughly the same weight on the rear of the arrow as the fletched shafts. I know that probably seems like overkill but it works well for me.
I'd suggest, from my experience, getting some premium Doug Fir, or Sitka Spruce if you need to keep the arrow weight lower.
Surewood shafts are my first preference, for service in addition to quality.
And I'm a huge fan of Boning fletching tape, and another vote for NOT bare shafting the woodies.
X2 with Michael Arnette.
I think if you are going to shoot wood shafts you need to dive right in and buy what you need to make them
I don't like bare shaft testing wood arrows.
Paper tune instead.
Thanks for all the input. Any other wood arrow/shaft recommendations?
Ok, I will not bareshaft test the woodies. I also have another $100 birthday money now from the in-laws. So, $200, with $100 of it having to be spent at 3rivers. Are there other wood arrows from three rivers that are good? Or should I use the cash to get arrows/fletching elsewhere and get other accessories at 3rivers? Sorry, I'm relatively new to this (been shooting 1.5 years) and want to hunt deer in august. I have 125gr eskimos and 125gr field tips. I am shooting within a paper plate at 20 yds over 70% of the time with the few 3rivers hunters I have left, tipped with eskimos. Trying to up my arrow number without changing the setup I'm used to too much. That setup is a 40# at 28" (my draw is 29") recurve, 60" AMO. Also trying to make sure I have the best arrows I can afford with my modest budget to be ready to practice all summer for the fast approaching season.
Here's my 2¢ (only worth 1 though)
Your set up sounds just fine for deer BTW.
There are better weight and spine matched arrows out there than what 3R's sells...but they really aren't bad or anything.
You're trying to up your ammo count..I get that.
I think you'd be better off just buying more of the same arrows you have.
It's nice to have somewhat matching arrows when learning the sport...and 3R's Hunters are just that...somewhat matching.
You throw in a dozen better quality arrows from somewhere else and you'll have a dozen better quality arrows and some 3R's hunters....not a bunch of the same.
Maybe someday get some higher quality shafts or pre-made arrows later when you feel like it.
I would look up paper testing and test/tune each and every arrow individually.
I do this with the highest quality shafts too..not just a 3R thing.
That way all your arrows will be a closely tuned as possible.
There will be some longer ones and some shorter ones after tuning, but they will most likely all be within 1/2" of each other.
At that point, there may well be a bit of weight difference between shafts..but I doubt you'll notice it.
The big thing is having them all shooting straight..which you do with the paper tuning.
Also make sure the shafts are pretty dog gone straight.
to be honest....I have a hard time not recommending carbons for beginners.
They are so consistent it lets you concentrate on shooting form w/o having to worry about if you have a wonky arrow in the mix.
Woodies are great!...just gotta spend a little more time getting to know em.
and hey! 3r's has a sale on a Doz right now!
QuoteOriginally posted by Zradix:
Here's my 2¢ (only worth 1 though)
Your set up sounds just fine for deer BTW.
There are better weight and spine matched arrows out there than what 3R's sells...but they really aren't bad or anything.
You're trying to up your ammo count..I get that.
I think you'd be better off just buying more of the same arrows you have.
It's nice to have somewhat matching arrows when learning the sport...and 3R's Hunters are just that...somewhat matching.
You throw in a dozen better quality arrows from somewhere else and you'll have a dozen better quality arrows and some 3R's hunters....not a bunch of the same.
Maybe someday get some higher quality shafts or pre-made arrows later when you feel like it.
I would look up paper testing and test/tune each and every arrow individually.
I do this with the highest quality shafts too..not just a 3R thing.
That way all your arrows will be a closely tuned as possible.
There will be some longer ones and some shorter ones after tuning, but they will most likely all be within 1/2" of each other.
At that point, there may well be a bit of weight difference between shafts..but I doubt you'll notice it.
Also make sure the shafts are pretty dog gone straight.
Thanks for the thorough response! I was just looking at surewood's website and their list of arrow makers who use their shafts. If I were to get different shafts I would set the 3R's aside regarding hunting and just practice with the new ones all summer, paper tuning included. I just want to give a deer my best shot (pun intended). I've experienced and heard that 3R's hunter shafted are really hard to straighten and often don't come straight. I have a hand roll'r'straight and can't get em straight. I've heard fir and cedar shafts are much easier to straighten. So, part of your advice actually makes me want to get better arrows now, but I also hear your warning about changing my setup at this point and screwing with my consistency. So, I'm till kinda torn... any further advice to add now, or you still say stick with 3R's for consistency at least through this season?
QuoteOriginally posted by Zradix:
and hey! 3r's has a sale on a Doz right now!
A dozen carbons? I'd need to buy screw-in heads too then...
Call Steve or Bob @ Surewood Shafts.They can set you up with Doug Fir of the best quality. Surewood is a sponsor here.
58
The 3r's are supposed to be PO Cedar.
Try using a smooth round screw driver shaft instead of a roller to straighten.
If you can't ever get em straight use em stumping and never buy em again I'd say.
I've given about all the advice I can.
It's decision time for ya Bud....lol
QuoteOriginally posted by Simba:
QuoteOriginally posted by Zradix:
and hey! 3r's has a sale on a Doz right now!
A dozen carbons? I'd need to buy screw-in heads too then... [/b]
nah..not the carbons..not trying to get you to do that.
They have a doz wood hunters for $72 right now.
I just emailed surewood shafts. I want to get their input and advice. Otherwise, I think I'm leaning toward the $72 hunter arrows deal unless I hear something that gives me confidence in being ready to hunt by late august with a different set of arrows.
I didn't realize how tricky it'd be to take up hunting (traditional archery hunting no less) all self taught without a mentor here to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I really appreciate tradgang for that reason!
If you haven't already..visit and spend some time in the shooters forum.
It's WAY easier to learn it the right way 1st than to have to unlearn bad habits.
A different higher quality set of arrows will shoot as good or better than what you have.....you may just have less of em.
A new set of arrows that are similar to what you have won't take you any longer to "learn" or get used to.
If you really changed things up with 300 grain heads etc you'll need a bit of time to learn the new trajectory is all.
A dozen arrows should get you thru the season just fine anyway.
Ask all the questions you can come up with.
QuoteOriginally posted by Zradix:
If you haven't already..visit and spend some time in the shooters forum.
It's WAY easier to learn it the right way 1st than to have to unlearn bad habits.
A different higher quality set of arrows will shoot as good or better than what you have.....you may just have less of em.
A new set of arrows that are similar to what you have won't take you any longer to "learn" or get used to.
If you really changed things up with 300 grain heads etc you'll need a bit of time to learn the new trajectory is all.
A dozen arrows should get you thru the season just fine anyway.
Ask all the questions you can come up with.
So, the take home message I'm getting from what you've said is that better wood arrows of the same spine and with the same weight point that I'm used to, that are straight and weight matched and paper tuned will fly more consistently with each other for tighter groups, but the 3R's hunter setup, with paper tuning should still serve me well this season. Depending on my budget I could go either way. Am I right?
yes...as long as you can get them straight...and they stay straight.
The 3r's are not weight matched..but I bet they're pretty close. Close enough not to worry much about it.
Learning how to straighten an arrow is a skill..but can be learned pretty quickly.
I just roll em on a table and look for gaps.
Put the high spot on top and run the screw driver back and forth across that spot + a couple inches each way from the bend.
Sometimes it's best to run the screwdriver the whole length of the shaft...depends on the bend you're trying to correct.
The amount of force depends on the wood species and amount of correction needed...and the individual arrow.
...lol..It's easy once you do it a few times.
They don't need to be dead perfect straight..but straighter is better.
Some individual arrows can be stubborn...mark those..lol
Get some arrows shootem and have fun!
This stuff is as complicated as you desire to make it.
QuoteOriginally posted by Zradix:
yes...as long as you can get them straight...and they stay straight.
The 3r's are not weight matched..but I bet they're pretty close. Close enough not to worry much about it.
Learning how to straighten an arrow is a skill..but can be learned pretty quickly.
I just roll em on a table and look for gaps.
Put the high spot on top and run the screw driver back and forth across that spot + a couple inches each way from the bend.
Sometimes it's best to run the screwdriver the whole length of the shaft...depends on the bend you're trying to correct.
The amount of force depends on the wood species and amount of correction needed...and the individual arrow.
...lol..It's easy once you do it a few times.
They don't need to be dead perfect straight..but straighter is better.
Some individual arrows can be stubborn...mark those..lol
Get some arrows shootem and have fun!
This stuff is as complicated as you desire to make it.
Haha, thanks! So you mean use the shaft of the screwdriver like a rolling pin basically?
Nope..don't roll it.
It can cause flat spots that don't matter one bit on the shaft.
But a little flat spot is a heck of a lot better than a bent arrow.
just put the arrow flat on the table with the high side up. Hang on to the handle of the screwdriver and slide the screwdriver shaft up and down the arrow on the high side of the bend.
Pressing the arrow down into the table with the screwdriver with as much or as little force as needed.
sometimes you'll need to lift an end of the arrow up a bit to let you bend the arrow more than the table underneath will let ya.
But not very often.
Thing is when you bend the wood the wood has a tendency to bend back.
When you deform the wood a touch it's often more permanent.
Just try it and you'll see pretty darn quick.
My experience is that rollers and such are for fancy arrows that you don't want to mar at all and are darn near straight already and don't need much adjustment.
The screwdriver gets it done when other methods won't.
Simba,
You should also check out Kustom King - another sponsor here. They also sell pre-finished cedar shafts, a couple bucks less than 3R. Spine matched, but not weight. And, they sell BearPaw feathers, which are less expensive than other brands, yet are good quality - I have used them, and found that they are as nice as the Trueflights I had been using. Just note that KK shafts are finished with lacquer, so you will need Duco cement to fletch them. I doubt there is much difference between their shafts and 3R. Plus, KK shipping rates are generally less, I have found. May stretch your bucks a little further.
I recently went through this same process - wanting to shoot woodies. Luckily, I started with aluminum, so I have the equipment to buy myself some time. And I decided to build my own rather than go with the pre-finished. I definitely understand the decision quandry - but the Trad Gang community was extremely helpful to me - generously gave advice that would have taken me months to learn the hard way, and $$$ spent that are hard to come by. This group is fantastic.
Good Luck!
QuoteOriginally posted by Rough Run:
Simba,
You should also check out Kustom King - another sponsor here. They also sell pre-finished cedar shafts, a couple bucks less than 3R. Spine matched, but not weight. And, they sell BearPaw feathers, which are less expensive than other brands, yet are good quality - I have used them, and found that they are as nice as the Trueflights I had been using. Just note that KK shafts are finished with lacquer, so you will need Duco cement to fletch them. I doubt there is much difference between their shafts and 3R. Plus, KK shipping rates are generally less, I have found. May stretch your bucks a little further.
I recently went through this same process - wanting to shoot woodies. Luckily, I started with aluminum, so I have the equipment to buy myself some time. And I decided to build my own rather than go with the pre-finished. I definitely understand the decision quandry - but the Trad Gang community was extremely helpful to me - generously gave advice that would have taken me months to learn the hard way, and $$$ spent that are hard to come by. This group is fantastic.
Good Luck!
Thank you so much!!! I will definitely check out Kustom King. Yeah, if I had the $$$ to spare screwing it up a few times, I'd learn the hard way, but alas...
Surewood shafts--- great shafts at a great price. You'll be amazed how close they are matched in grain and spine. You'll get more for your money with them.