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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Chain2 on January 07, 2012, 02:36:00 PM

Title: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Chain2 on January 07, 2012, 02:36:00 PM
I ahve a Howard Hill Wesley Special, 50 lbs @ 30 ", I draw almost 32". I have been having some issues with it. I am working thru those with the help of you guys here . Thank you. I have been having arrow issues, including buying soem that were too short. I have went back to the GT 55/75's I started shooting after determining my new MFX 400's were too short. They are flying better than they were before, I am now shooting a 250 gr tip rather than the 125gr tip I started with. Should I just say the heck with it and try wood arrows? I guess sooner or later I will be there anyway. My concerns are my drawlength and thwe durability. Thank you
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Bjorn on January 07, 2012, 02:43:00 PM
These days wood comes 32" which will make a 31" arrow. You could bend your elbow like Howard did to shorten your draw. You could buy footed arrows to get them longer and you could use reparrows which is a way less expensive footing and equally good. Do a search for reparrows.
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: lpcjon2 on January 07, 2012, 05:13:00 PM
Yes,
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: instinctivebowman on January 07, 2012, 05:43:00 PM
Geez.  Thats a long draw? i could prob send you an arrow to try at no cost.  and if its work for ya i can either build some for you, or help you get what you need from a dealer like 3 rivers etc. i prob wont ever shoot anything but wood myself, i fell in love with whole process a long ago

pm if your interseted

Jeremy
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: bolong on January 07, 2012, 08:27:00 PM
Yes, I love wood!
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: primitivealltheway on January 07, 2012, 09:07:00 PM
find someone who can make real good bamboo arrows ,they are tapered ,plus i have seen them 36" long as arrows.then go get you some cane and look around on the do it yourself threads and it will show you how to do it,
on the plus side you get arrows you can shoot and also something to go by,ive made some bamboo arrow 3 of them ,it takes some work to get them right ,but boy are they tough,you can get some 30" and put a hard wood dowel 3 inches in the front .tough ,tough tough..
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: primitivealltheway on January 07, 2012, 09:09:00 PM
also it may just be me ,but i think wood arrows hit harder ,thinking that it sokes up the energy from the bow ,more than carbons do.IMHO...
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: The Whittler on January 07, 2012, 09:31:00 PM
Bjorn said it quite well.
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: instinctivebowman on January 08, 2012, 10:15:00 AM
QuoteOriginally posted by Bjorn:
These days wood comes 32" which will make a 31" arrow. You could bend your elbow like Howard did to shorten your draw. You could buy footed arrows to get them longer and you could use reparrows which is a way less expensive footing and equally good. Do a search for reparrows.
x2 on this one, bjorn probably said it about perfect. i can get you to about 31 and 1/4" is all i can stretch it out if you want a sample arrow.
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: longbowray on January 08, 2012, 10:36:00 AM
And remember with a long draw you will a 70/75 shaft .
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: mikebiz on January 08, 2012, 12:27:00 PM
Are you sure you are measuring your draw length accurately?  That seems very long.  How tall are you?
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: MarkE2006 on January 08, 2012, 12:48:00 PM
Must be about 6'-6" (80").
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: lpcjon2 on January 08, 2012, 01:45:00 PM
He had it measured at a archery shop. I am 6'3" and my drawis 31-32" depending on the bend of my bow arm.
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: bentpole on January 08, 2012, 01:50:00 PM
Longbows and Wood   :thumbsup:  perfect together!  :archer2:
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Chain2 on January 08, 2012, 06:30:00 PM
I just had my wife mark an arrow at mthe front of the riser whenI am at full draw. Frow the string point of the nock to the mark was 31 1/2". I think I have enought bend in my arm, I haven't slapped my wrist with a string in a long time, if that is any indicator. Thank you
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: lpcjon2 on January 08, 2012, 06:36:00 PM
I remember a company from Texas I think that was making arrows longer than most arein length. I think they were from lodgepole or something. They had an add that was a fense post with arrows stuck in it.I know someone has to remember that company add.

And at 31 1/2 surewoods will work great for you. just taper them and you will be good.
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Fletcher on January 08, 2012, 09:27:00 PM
In a word, YES!
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Stiks-n-Strings on January 08, 2012, 11:10:00 PM
Nothin' better than woodies. My first came from Fletcher. Still shooting them after two years along with dozens of others    :D

Wood arrows are like bows, you just cant have enough
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: snag on January 09, 2012, 01:19:00 AM
"Wood is Good".........   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: OkKeith on January 09, 2012, 01:40:00 AM
Chain2,

I love wood arrows. I like to build them and I like to shoot them. I have a 31.5 to 32 inch draw as well (depending on which of my bows I'm shooting). I foot most of my wood arrows with three inches or so of alum. arrow both for strength and to add some length.

As much as I love wood arrows, I don't hunt with them any more. Regardless of how pricey and of high quality my shafts are, and even if I use the utmost care in constructing them; no wood arrow will ever match the durability and consistancy of a carbon shaft.

I still shoot wood shafts for the enjoyment of them. Some of the 3D tournaments I shoot require them for certian catagories. But... when it comes to hunting and making a clean, quick kill is on the line, I prefer the carbon shafts.

OkKeith
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Pinelander on January 09, 2012, 08:55:00 AM
Consistency?

All three of these bare shaft Surewood Douglas Firs are within a 1" spread.

All three are 48 lb. spine.

All three were shot from 20 yards.

  (https://sites.google.com/site/stickbowmadness/_/rsrc/1326116757974/saluki-turk/saluki01XX.JPG)

- Dave
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: mike g on January 09, 2012, 09:57:00 AM
Nothing better than a dz painted up woodies....
   But anymore I just use the legacy shafts.Get a dz now and dz later, there always the same....
   Around here ya have to shoot woods with longbows....I still use my legacys I just dont shoot for score....
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: snag on January 09, 2012, 09:58:00 AM
Looks good to me Dave!     :thumbsup:    Properly made and tuned wood arrows (key word is "properly") will fly just as good as other shaft types.
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Tajue17 on January 09, 2012, 12:03:00 PM
QuoteOriginally posted by Pinelander:
Consistency?

All three of these bare shaft Surewood Douglas Firs are within a 1" spread.

All three are 48 lb. spine.

All three were shot from 20 yards.

   (https://sites.google.com/site/stickbowmadness/_/rsrc/1326116757974/saluki-turk/saluki01XX.JPG)

- Dave
thats perfect shooting at 20yds bareshaft with woods..  curious what was your draw and the weight of the bow?
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Pinelander on January 09, 2012, 01:56:00 PM
44 lb, 27" draw, split-finger, 28" bop arrows, 509/511/515 gr. using 125 gr. point, sideplate approx. 1/8" out from center, 12-strand D97, wool silencers, 54" Saluki Turk.

- Dave
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: instinctivebowman on January 09, 2012, 03:41:00 PM
dave, thats a cool post. i love shooting bare shafts. i cant usually make them do that thuogh. if my mind and form are right, my wood arrows will almost always go where they are supposed too. i have 100% confidence in them, not always in myself but certainly in the arrow.

jeremy
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: instinctivebowman on January 09, 2012, 03:50:00 PM
i will add that i may not shoot accurate enuogh to notice the slight differences in the wood shafts?
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: moththerlode on January 09, 2012, 04:04:00 PM
I like shooting bare shaft at 20 yrds , in fact been doing it past couple of days , it is a great way to work on form and release . If you get a little sloppy you sure know it.  Oh yea , Sherwoods for me. I like the durability compared to pine.
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Al Kidner on January 09, 2012, 05:35:00 PM
Wood arrows can be hard to find at longer lengths... but, they are out there.

The last batch of timber arrows I made were all within 6 grains. Thats with BH's, nocks, creasting and fletching.

I've bought top of the line carbon shafts that are not that close...


If you build it, they will come...


ak.
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: portugeejn on January 09, 2012, 07:11:00 PM
Yes!  Try some of those Surewood shafts in Douglas fir.  Snag does some real real nice finished arrows.  

RonP
Title: Re: Should I shoot wood arrows?
Post by: Pinelander on January 09, 2012, 07:49:00 PM
I apologize if I steered this discussion off-topic a bit. It is very difficult to find wood arrows that will finish out at 32" bop. That is a super long draw length, have never personally known a recurve/longbow shooter with that long of draw.  

Also, just wanted to clear up a few things...

First, I'm not (and don't claim to be) a hot-shot highly accurate shooter, just an average archer who loves to bowhunt. Second, I don't shoot bare shafts that accurately all the time, just sometimes. Third, I only posted the photo to show that wood arrows can be very consistent if they are spined the same, their weight is comparable, and they are well-tuned to the bow.

I believe it doesn't hurt to use an elevated rest either. I can't recall any bow I've owned that could group bare shafts as accurately off-shelf as they group off a rest.

But hey, we don't group arrows when we hunt and we don't hunt with bare shafts either... so shooting off-shelf isn't a bad thing. But I'm pretty sure those little doo-dads called arrow rests add a bit more consistency for me, regardless of the arrow type I'm shooting.

- Dave