I am fairly new to traditional shooting, I shoot an english longbow and plan to hunt this fall. I ordered a dozen bamboo arrows from rudderbows archery and on the site they say they have some dips but its no big deal. I ordered them at 35-40# like with cedars I shot thinking they were 5/16". when I put them in the taper tool they are a bit smaller than 5/16 which I believe in conjunction with the dips in the arrow and the 11/32 broadhead, will be impossible to get a straight blade. after I tapered them, I noticed that one side of the arrow has the taper, while the other side is more straight. I just received my zwickey eskimos and put one on an arrow as straight looking as i can get it. shot a few field points to warm up and they were all where I wanted them. I shot the broad head and its in the hind quarters. how on earth can I correct this besides buying all new arrows?
any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thank you
Hi Ethan, try to contact Rudderbows and ask them what they think. That's a fairly light spined arrow for hunting with. What is your actual draw weight? The arrow diameter might be too small for a broadhead ferrule to fit correctly with out some type of adjustments.I'm sure you'll have some great advice coming your way. Good luck.
I'm pulling about 47#. since the english longbow has no arrow rest cut in it, I need a weak arrow to bend around the riser. I have 35-40# arrows cut to 29" with 125gr tips. they hit the target pretty darn straight bare shaft shooting but I wish is had thicker arrows. the 3rivers chart says I should have a 45-50# arrow
A slightly heavier spine bamboo or cedar would likely have the diameter that you need. I have a hickory selfbow so I face some of the same issues you do. Maybe ask Rudderbows if they have arrows that meet the spine and diameter that you need.
Have you thought about making a fore shaft to insert into the point end of the bamboo arrows. I would go to Lowe's or Home Depot and pick up some 11/32nd wood dowels and make some foreshafts.
Wrap tape on the shafts behind the points to fit the guide on the taper tool better and clean up the taper.........small plastic taper tools have no guide so its hit and miss........
To put glue on broadheads on my bamboo arrows I drill out the end of the bamboo to insert a tapered , usually steel, tapered adapter this is a,screw in adapter glue it in and spin it to get it straight.
Before this if the shafts are,not straight they can be heated with a heat gun and bent straight by hand. Use gloves.
I'm disappointed with these arrows. They shoot field points like a dream and rudderbows does a good job but these arrows are much smaller than advertised and they weren't cut to the length I ordered. I had to cut and re taper all 12. I think I'm just going to buy a half dozen cedar shafts to use with my broad heads.
Ethan- I tried bamboo this year for the first time as well. They came very straight and well made like yours, but mounting the points and broadheads are a pain for sure. I will stick with wood or carbon, no more grass!!
I got mine fletched up like medieval arrows to shoot from my english longbow and they look amazing, I guess now I have pretty target arrows for the renascences fest archery contest. lesson learned haha
(http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii618/ethanr1130/6055b83e.jpg)
shame the broadheads dont work, this is what I can do with field points. :(