Im new to carbons, but have a set up worked out real nice right now....with GT 5575s. I love em! I was out shooting stumps today and a glancing miss presented a question: When one of these guys breaks or is badly damaged, what should I expect? (ex. a clean break? long bristle like fragments?) This arrow that missed got the nock nocked out of it, as well as my insert creeping out a tad....but I flexed it in all directions several times and it seems all good! So is it? If there is no visual or audible concerns to note when I inspect and flex the shaft? Hopefully this doesnt come across as a silly question....but like I said...new to carbons, thus have never broke one or damaged one bad enough to render it not shootable....
you'll know it. It's either broken or not. That's one nice thing about carbons. Ive had completely clean breaks and breaks with a couple of threads hanging on. In either case it was obvious. You are doing the right thing. If in doubt flex it in all directions. If nothing shows you are good to go. They can be pretty tough but nothing lasts forever or is completely bombproof.
Before you shoot another arrow... Do a search for the footing chart & figure out what size aluminum fits your shafts. Cut 1-2" pieces and foot your carbons. I started out with a dozen CX Terminator Hunter Selects & lost 4 of them due to the insert being pushed back into the shaft & mushrooming/ fraying the ends. Not cool.
the flex thing works great for detecting breaks in the length of the shaft.But you need to pay close attention to the nock end.sometimes thay will split and you may not see it but will notice your nock will not fit tight.i shoot same shafts.
What n.c.swamp buck said about the nock end. I always stick something down the nock end and kind of push/wiggle it back and forth and see if there are any splits.
I foot the front of the shaft with a 1" piece of aluminum shaft and the nock end with a 1/4" piece.
What size aluminum shaft are you guys cutting and using for footing GT5575's ?
Also any idea how much wt you pick up when footing with say a 1" foot?
Gene :coffee:
You won't break them! I used them for years and that never happend. It is lamost impossible ot break a GT traditional. In the past I was unlucky and hitted several times a brick wall and what will happen is that he point and insert will fragmentate the first one to half inch! (due to the impact they are forced into the shaft) In that case I just cut the shaft after the insert and re-use it (with a heigher weight that is, to adjust spine)
The same when you shoot a robin-hood: you will ruin the backside of your shaft.
Otherwise: indestructable!
QuoteOriginally posted by L. E. Carroll:
What size aluminum shaft are you guys cutting and using for footing GT5575's ?
Also any idea how much wt you pick up when footing with say a 1" foot?
Gene :coffee:
2216's work for 5575's, and 2117's for 3555's. It's close to the GPI easton lists on their arrow charts. I think I weighed a 1 1/2" 2216 footing at 18grns which makes it 12grns at 1".
L.E.,I used 2216 to foot 5575 traditionals and I believe 2117 works for 5575 black.You can go to Easton's site and get the weight per inch on any of the shaft sizes.Different ones I have used go from 9 to 13 grs..I have yet to break a GT shaft after 2 1/2 years of shooting them and hitting some bad stuff-even side impacts.I shot an antelope through the shoulders with one and he broke the shaft in two places,one behind the broadhead and one about 8" back,at the other shoulder.These were fairly clean 90 degree breaks with no noticeable splintering.
QuoteOriginally posted by RM81:
QuoteOriginally posted by L. E. Carroll:
What size aluminum shaft are you guys cutting and using for footing GT5575's ?
Also any idea how much wt you pick up when footing with say a 1" foot?
Gene :coffee:
2216's work for 5575's, and 2117's for 3555's. It's close to the GPI easton lists on their arrow charts. I think I weighed a 1 1/2" 2216 footing at 18grns which makes it 12grns at 1". [/b]
1" section of 2117 is also 12gr. I use this on all of my Gold Tip 35/55's for footing, so far I've hit a concrete wall & no damage to my arrows cept for a missing nock although they will not help on a hit to the side of the shaft.
I'm with the others about double checking the nock end.A nock got knocked out of my arrow and when I checked it there was a crack about half an inch long.couldn't see it just by looking.Stick the nock in about 1/4" and flex it.Check the whole circuference of the arrow.When in doubt,throw it out
Went to pin nocks on my Gold Tips had too many robin hoods....they seam to shoot a tad better
What the others said. if you put footings on them it makes them real tough. They will last a long time.Mine break mostly from target shooting,arrows hitting other arrows(not robin hoods).
Another "trick" I've been taught it to tap the shaft on a hard part of your hand or wrist...you can almost HEAR a feint "rattle" if there is any crack.
Saw a shop owner once break one over his leg to show a doubting Thomas they don't "splinter" like polturded shafts.
That GT broke as clean as if cut on a saw!
Using their old nocks with allen sets, I did split out a nock end once...hair line crack. Thankfully, I had them crown dipped adn thought there was a "literal" hair on the area between feathers. Nope. Glasses on and my nail caught in the "crack".
T'mater stake right there. Seen some shafts blow and go thru guys arms... wood mostly, but a few old carbons. Nah. I'll test em good! :)