I have decided to change to wood arrows after deer season. Can someone point me in the right direction spine wise. I shoot a 52@28 longbow and my draw is 27 1/2". I am currently shooting gold tip 55/75s with weight added up front. Any help would be appreciated.
55-60# should do it if you shoot about 130-160 up front. Add 5# more if your head is in the 200 grain range.
There are several factors to consider, one is the type of string you're using, length you cut your arrows and weight of the head. When considering wood you can't do better than cedar IMO.
55-75's is a pretty stiff shaft for a 50# bow, even with weight up front, unless you've got them cut long. I'd think 35-55's would be a better choice.
I shoot a Kota longbow Praire Fire(brace height at 7 3/8")50lb@27 and shoot 5575 GT with 225 up front, not that long 29.25 or something. I shoot douglas fir 55-60 and they come out pretty short 28 BOP add 7/8" for taper I don't mind have a little out front and would spine up 60-65 if I order more - 125 on the woodies. D97 14 strand
My 55-75s are cut 29 1/2".
Ron,
I am going to be using 125 grain points. Shafts cut to 29". And I am using a fast flight string. With this additional information, what spine would you suggest?
What Ron said. I shoot 50# A&H RDs with skinny strings, it takes 75/80 for me to get good bareshaft flight. I pull 28 and cut to 29 1/2 or so. A lot depends on the degree of center cut of the riser.
All the best with your new endeavour. Wooden arrows are a lot of fun to make, and they fly well and kill well. In some instances (like shooting termite mounds) they are much stronger than carbons (and most aluminiums). I use a formula given me by Danny Rowan, and it hasn't let me down. I've used it with a wide variety of bows, and my friends here in Katherine use it as well. Here's a link to a thread where Danny outlines the formula for selecting the correct spine:
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=032694
Cheers,
Ben
I am shooting a HH Wesley special,50@28,fast flight,I pull 29".60# spine tapered cedar 29 3/4 bop,125 g tips. Like said above, amount of center cut makes a difference.
I think you will find wood arrows arent near as fussy to match to youre bow.
longbows love wood arrows.
Maybe a guy like Fletcher can answer that since that what he does, wood arrows!
Ron Laclair, Youve been at this game longer than I've been alive. You deffinitely know more about this stuff than i probably ever will. I say these things 1st so as not to sound like a wise guy before i ask you why you like cedar arrows so much? I like the fact that i can straighten cedars w/O heat by hand and there real uniform and consistent, its just they seem so fragile to me. Maybe its just the cedars Ive shot but for stumping I hate them! If i could get wood shafts with the weight, workability, and consictency of cedar with the toughness of the ash i shoot now they'd probably be my ideal shaft. I just place durability real hi on my list of desirables.
Thank you Ben, this is realy helpful link!
I'll stick with my recommendation of 55-60# if you're indeed shooting a longbow cut 1/8-inch from center, not a center shot or cut past center hybrid, and dacron rather than a low-stretch string.
If you're shooting a cut to center or past center hybrid with a fast flite string, add another 15#. That gets you to what Bjorn is shooting.
Orien is right. With a bow cut 1/8-inch from center, arrows 5 lbs. heavier will be just about right.
If my bow is 52@28, what would it be at27 1/2"?
1/2 inch of pull weight is 1.5 lbs-maybe. It won't make any difference. How far you pull at any given time will depend more on the shot set up-up hill, down hill, etc and how tired you are.