Okay guys. I need to find a good starting point for some arrows. I am a 23 year compound guy making the change to a recurve. You may have seen my new bow in a previous post. The bow is a Belcher/Sky Recurve, 55# @ 28". My draw length is 26.5". My local shop guys have no trad bow experience so I am hoping you guys can direct me to a good starting arrow. Yesterday and today I was shooting an old Beman ICS 400 cut to 27.5" with a 125gr field tip and it shoots pretty well at short distances....10 yards and under. Jim Belcher mentioned a Carbon Express Heritage 150. I am not set on any weight broadhead at this point so I can certainly teak that as needed. What do all of you guys think? Thank you.
Rick you might want to tinker with Stu Millers Dynamic Spine Calculator. It is a Microsoft Excel program that has helped a lot of people get in the ball park tuning arrows. Look at my signature for the link. I would agree with Jim on trying the 150's. I shoot 250's out of my 54@28 recurve but I draw 30" and load the front.
Might want to check around for some blemished shafts. Big Jim http://www.bigjimsbowcompany.com/
has them from time to time.
Good luck and just take it slow and short cuts while cutting shafts.
I think your ICS 400s would be way too stiff. You are actually drawing about 50#. ICS Bowhunter 500s should work fine. Start with them longer than 27.5" though and trim until you get perfect flight. You may also want to load the front heavier. I like to do that anyway.
With my 50# Orion recurve I use the standard insert, but a 100 grain steel broadhead adapter and a Zwickey Delta two blade up front on a 28.75" Beman ICS Bowhunter 500 shaft. It gives me a total weight of about 520 grains and high FOC. I get great arrow flight and penetration. I would think something close to this would work for you.
The CE 150s are pretty close to 500 spine too I think, so they would probably do the trick as well. I like the Bemans because they are cheaper and the work great for me.
Where in Iowa are you located? If you are close I'd be glad to help you with your setup. I've probably got some you could try that would work from your bow.
You can use 500 or stiffer carbons, you just have to play with the up front weight to get them to fly good. I shoot a 44#@30" recurve and shoot 31"400's with 190 up front and just ordered some 31" 340's to go with the 260gr ABowyers...PR
Is it an ILF riser? I shoot a Belcher riser and you can shoot a 500 spine cut to 28.5"s with 175 grains of point weight and I bet you will be balls on. If you go with a 400 spine at 29"s you will need a lot of point weight probably in the 325 grain range. I think Paul WA is well over spined as well! Shawn
Thanks for all of the feedback guys. Sounds like either the CE150's or a Beman in 500 spine will be a good starting point. I did see that Big Jim has some Gold Tip Blem's available. What Gold Tip would be closest to these two....the 3555?
Shawn, my Blecher/Sky is a one piece Thunder Recurve, formerly called the Thunderbird. I started another post yesterday with some pictures.
3555 will do the trick.
bigjim