Well whad'da think? I've been struggling in finding the correct shaft for my John Scfres selfbow. She is a slim little blond, 55 lbs at my 30" draw. Tried 65lb shafts, 70-75 with 160 gr points, just wasn't getting the flight I expected. This morning on a whim I pulled out some douglas fir shafts I pick up off Danny Rowan a couple years past. Now these are 31 1/2" and 75-80 spine so I put 200 grain field points on them and, to quote Gomer Pyle, GOOOL_LEE! They fly perfect. They seemed a bit heavy but after a few shots I was hitting what I wanted out to 30 yards. Still I was curious so I put them on my scale...793 grains! A bit heavy but what the hey, they fly great and one never knows when I may come upon an angry cape bufflo in the hardwoods of Illinois...
Sounds good have any pics of your selfbow.
Terry
14.5 grains per pound?? Really interesting. I be you'd blow through a BUNCH of game with a well-flying arrow of that weight!!
I've been shooting 12 g per pound out of a lighter bow, and like you said, at 20-30 yards my brain seems to compensate without thinking about it. The 50 yard test shots... well, I can tell I'll have to work on them as the greater drop becomes more evident.
Cape buffalo, marauding squirrels, and Illinois mountain lions that don't exist.... BEWARE... Mr. Mc is on the prowl, and he's a-PACKIN'!!!
I guess this just proves what I've heard; that spine charts are just a guideline and you have to see what shoots well on YOUR bow.
Well done.
Heavy arrows are great for hunting. That's the real deal! If they work for ya... Stick with 'em.
... mike ... :archer: ...
Just make sure that Cape buff isn't standing in front of another one or you'll bag two ! Could be a real predicament with only one tag !
I'm shootin 840 gr off a 42# bow so the answer for me is yes they should work good. Drew
I once made an 1100 grain arrow out of osage and a 300 grain trade point. It was awesome out of my 65# elk hunting bow. The trajectory wasn't much to brag on but when it hit my deer target, it about knocked it over :)
Glad you got the bow matched up. Please shoot a deer with it and report back the results.
I had a complete pass thru on my elk last season with a 700 grain arrow out of a 56# @ 27" selfbow at about 20 yards. You should be about right with a 30" draw and 800 grains.
QuoteOriginally posted by drewsbow:
I'm shootin 840 gr off a 42# bow so the answer for me is yes they should work good. Drew
I'm shooting a 42# recurve. Which arrows are you shooting? Wood, carbon or aluminum? Steel adapters?
Some of my hunting arrows weigh 780 grns and at 25 yds. hit the same area as much lighter arrows. This is out of a 55 lbs. osage bow, non-centershot. Out of a slightly heavier yew bow those heavy arrows hit the ground in front of the target. The lighter yew wood (heavier draw weight) simply cannot cast the heavier arrow.
If I were to chart the efficiency of these bows with various arrow weights I believe I would see that, as arrow weight increases, so would penetration, but at some point increasing arrow weight would cause a decrease in penetration as velocity begins to dimish more rapidly.
So the lighter osage bow can cast a heavier arrow more efficiently and accuracy can be had at reasonable hunting ranges.
I could shoot the yew bow with the heavier arrows and get good with it but I would have a harder time at the various ranges as the arrow arc would be greater.
Better for me is to find the arrow weight that the bow "likes" so that arcs are similar and adaptation to different bows less of an issue.
The heavy arrows out of the osage bow will have advantages over a lighter, faster arrow, but for what I hunt I should do well with 650 grn. arrows, on the same animals, out of the yew bow.
Sounds good. now go kill whatever you want to :-)
I'm like a ten grains per pound kind of guy. It's so much easier to multiply. :saywhat:
John, we once had a hippopotamus roaring around in a trout stream that shall remain nameless. So I guess I'm saying it's best to be prepared for all possible scenarios. One just never really knows, eh?
Now if you come across any Triceratops, by all means please let us know, and post pics of the knocked-over critter. Whatever you're doing to get a 793 grain arrow hitting well @ 30 yds sounds like GREAT ju-ju mojo to me.
Heavy = DEAD :thumbsup:
And even if you come across any Tricerabottoms.
John Scifres, killing an Illinois whitetail with your bow is precisly my plan. There is this big, knarly 12 point I've seen for 2 years that has been asking to be introduced to an ACE and wooden shaft...
Interesting side note, with those big fir logs "Blondie" is the quietest lady I've ever taken to the woods
J-Mac
night wing ; I am shooting beman mfx classics with 255 gr in brass inserts and 250 in point weight. They are 31 " long and I am shooting them from a 42# Whisperstik. Drew