I'm not the guy that legitimizes purchases by saying everything I've spent money on is good. I tell it like it is.
That said, I purchased a test kit of AD shafts...the combo with a Trad, Trad lite, Plus the same 2 in the heavier shafts. I tried all of them with all point weights up to 300 grains out of my #58 r/c, #56 r/c, and #59 50's style r/c.
I can see how guys like them...in that none of them fly bad..but...none seem to fine tune like other shafts I've used. Jon Simoneau had a thread a while back about how they liked a real low brace height,,,, and they seem to fly best out of my Saxon Selkirk with a very low brace height.
I'm not done my testing, but not nearly as impressed as I am with FMJ's. I'll keep trying!
I tried them as well and my results were the same. Much less than impressed.
Love my Full Metal Jackets. Truly High quality shafts.
Trap
Whatever floats your boat. They fly great for me. Hammer Head Trads
I'm with the OP. now with that said I feel they are good shafts, just not a magic, cure all shaft like they have been for others. I got some from a member and got them to work, and the fly well just not a mystical ,no-need to tune arrow. And for me tey seem less forgiving, but that is also because I did not fine tune them like my heritage or ICS bowhunters.
I'm with the OP. now with that said I feel they are good shafts, just not a magic, cure all shaft like they have been for others. I got some from a member and got them to work, and the fly well just not a mystical ,no-need to tune arrow. And for me tey seem less forgiving, but that is also because I did not fine tune them like my heritage or ICS bowhunters.
Ryan, I appreciate your candor.
Thnx Ryan! Honest reviews are a good thing.
I never change a winning team and keep using my Gold Tip Traditionals.
years ago they where good maybe 12yrs ago I forget but when they first came out they where the best carbon arrow. then for whatever reason they changed the formula and then wrapped the front of the shafts some more and they never shot the same. spine testers showed the spines where all different (same as gold tips at that time) I think I have 3 dozen left from years ago because they where being bought up so fast everyone hoarded them but that all changed and everyone I shot with at the time moved on to other brands.
I do remember the nocks would break and get stuck in the shaft when stump shooting so we started cutting the shafts back from the nock end first just enough till a CX nock would fit then after that we'd finish cutting them at the front to correct BOP size.
I did the same thing Ryan. Still shooting my FMJs
Hey Ryan I've generally had really good luck with them and have killed a bunch of critters with them but my buddy has a bow that we simply cannot get them to fly out of no matter what we try. Interesting. Having said that though guys, I've never tried the FMJ's, but I've heard lots of good things about them. Good luck out there guys!
QuoteOriginally posted by FerretWYO:
I did the same thing Ryan. Still shooting my FMJs
Ditto, but many, many years ago. Same with those similar Grizzly Sticks...
Easton shafts of every kind are those which all others are compared to.
When you are all done, if you don't like them you can send them my way. :saywhat:
Wow, I can't find a better flying shaft from my bows, especially when using broadheads.
My experience with them has been sort of "indifferent" myself. They fly ok, but not as good as my cedars, or some aluminum that I have. When I bought them (used off the classifieds) they had 100 grain inserts in them. With every weight point I tried they hit 6-8" right of my normal shafts. Bought some standard aluminum inserts and helped that problem. They don't fly bad, but still don't group as tight for me.
I was very dissapointed in the weight difference in 1/2 dozen, 30 grains between the lightest and heaviest. Dont know if thats normal or not.
I truly like shooting AD Trad Lites out of certain bows.
Bows that are cut short of center, I believe they are an exceptional choice. The live up to their billing as giving good arrow flight with very little tuning.
I also, however, have bows that just won't shoot them well. The common factor is that none of my bows that are cut past center shoot these arrows really well.
AD's are an awesome arrow, IMO. They shoot well out of several of my bows. I hunted Sike deer on Virginia's Eastern Shore with them and one of my MOAB's this year, so I have a ton of confidence in them. But if I'm shooting my Eagle Wing Steppe Eagle or one of my Kwyk Styks.....I'm shooting CX Heritage or Victory VForce HV's
Like my ADs, but wish I would have hung onto my FMJs that I sold on the classifieds for a huge discount. I'm keeping my eyes open for a new batch.
Ken...very true in my testing so far! My short of center cut bow seems to like them the best of the bows I've tried. My bows cut beyond center shoot them alright but not as well as other arrows...HMMM!
QuoteOriginally posted by Broofinez:
I was very dissapointed in the weight difference in 1/2 dozen, 30 grains between the lightest and heaviest. Dont know if thats normal or not.
The AD website says plus or minus 7 grains for at least some of their arrows...not confidence inspiring for me especially with your experience
DDave
I'm sure you know what you are doing but maybe give it another try on another day? Coulda just been a bad day. Maye file the nock for looser nock fit? (make sure its a day with zero wind) I Use them full length, they are pretty stiff.
I find the wood grains ones less "magic" for some reason. I don't like them. The black ones work awesome for me.
You should be able to go up and down 25 gr from your optimum point and still have a hunt able setup.
I can't find a recipe I like with the wood grain ones. The 50 grain heavier shaft does something that makes me need 25-50 more grains up front. So the arrow gets too heavy for my liking. I'm not a fan of heavy arrows. 580-600 gr seems to be plenty for anything in North America.
My recipe for AD shafts is as follows AD black shaft full length, standard insert, 175-200 grain point. The finished arrow is 580-605 gr. My bow is a Black Widow 51@29 drawn to 31 1/2".
That set up gives me really good speed and the bow is quiet. That AD shaft just lays out there at 25-30 yards compared to other shafts. It feels like I get 5 extra yards of hunting range with them. Penetration is beyond anything I have used.
I have hmixed results so far. I shoot bows about 50-55@29 mostly D&R long bows and hybrid type bows. I have not shot AD's in a cut well past center bow for quite a while, and that was a light draw weight bow for me. I know I got it to shoot the AD's okay, but don't recall what I had for point weight. I hope to find my next recurve soon and try them to see how that works out.
I have not found them to be the magic arrow shaft that will shoot ideally in everything i have tried, but I have found some of them to shoot very well if not better than anything else in more than a few bows. At times they may not be as good as other options in some bows when finely tuned, but they do shoot reasonable well in a range of bows for me when I am just playing with different bows. I have gone to shoots and the expo and shot one set of arrows in everything and saw no issues with flight over short range. I can't say that for any other arrow I have ever tried that with.
I am curious as to how everyone has determined they will not tune or shoot well for them. Paper tuning, visual flight, bare shafting, broad heads? I have been able to bare shaft them reasonable well sometimes, but find paper tuning to be the best way to go. I see good flight in arrows that don't bare shaft or paper tune the best, but they look good going down range.
AD trad lite wood grain shoot great for me in my cut to center or just a little out bows. They shoot bullet holes in paper from about 8' on out and show very little tear increase with a step up or down in point weights. This will allow me to reasonably shoot three point weights most of the time. I shoot them with 100 gr. inserts and 125-200 points dependent on the bow. I don't do any cutting to tune. I just play with the point weight. This is a great shaft for me in my bow weight range if the bow is at about center or just a hair out. I get better constancy, accuracy and groups than any other shaft, and I have CE150's,CE250's, GT trad 5575, GT trad 3555, and Beaman hunters in multiple spines on hand for comparison.
I got some AD hammer head lites and couldn't shoot them in my LB's. They were too stiff unless I got something like 300-350 gr. up front and that was a real heavy arrow with the added weight of the hammer head shaft. I think when you go to hammer heads you get a lot closer to the AD trad vs the trad lite in the way it acts for stiffness, but that is just a guess based on my experience for a short time. I just don't need that heavy of an arrow so passed then on.
I got some black AD trad lites and they shoot weaker than my wood trad lites. These work great in the lighter bows I have tried them in. I recently had a heavier MOAB cut out a little farther from center and a little heavier draw weight than my old trusty MOAB. The wood grain trad light was too stiff unless I really loaded up the front, but the bow loved the black shafts with about 275 up front. I don't know why they are different when both are trad lites. The black is less weight than the wood grain. That weight has to be someplace in the shaft so looks like the spine is not the same for me.
It kind of appears to me so far that one shaft will like a certain center cut and when it does, It will shot well out of quite a range in draw weights with just point weight changes, and it will shot a range of point weights also. Only time will tell as I try them in a few more bows.
Just went out for a few shots. That black AD actually is magic. I have 2 dozen ordered from the mfg that are 1/2" longer than normal.
Tedd
The comments regarding leaving them full length may be some of my issues as mine are shortened.
But that may be a reason that I will give up on them. If I had a 31 1/2" draw like some of the folks that have responded, no problems. But I have a 28" draw on a good day and don't like to have 4" of extra arrow sticking out front.
Probably will stay with woodies and for times I need something else, aluminum.
I have also found they work best on bows not cut past center, once I built out the strike plate on my Sasquatch and turned in the plunger on my Morrison ILF broadheads fly really good with several point weights.
I tried, tried & tried again to get good flight with AD's it ended up a no go for me as well. My favorite shaft has ended up being Gold Tip black XT hunters, front loaded.
My experience with the Arrow Dynamics is limited, yet my impression was quite positive.
Easily bare shaft tuned the Trad-Lites to three different bows. One bow's shelf was 1/8" past center, one was 3/16" past center and one had an adjustable side plate. BH flight is my main objective and all set-ups were golden to 25 yards as I tested no furthere. May have a different outcome today, since currently I tune BH's out to 40 yards.
These shafts proved to be quite durable. Did notice ~15 gn difference in a dozen shafts, however experienced no impact with regard to arrow flight or mark.
Mine were sold to a Trad Gang member of whom I had had set-up. My reason for moving them was that I tinker often with heavy front load and a stiff light shaft is much more conducive for my own personal preference.
Note: My positive experience is but one data point within a vast number of customers. One data point is far from accurate in attempting to assess the satisfaction level of the true population. Due hope that Arrow Dynamics views and thoroughly evaluates the concerns mentioned. Customer feedback and perception may likely be their most reliable asset or of ignored, their most grievous liability.
All my bows are cuts past center. Thanks for the info Ryan. I've always wanted to try them but will stick to my Carbon Express'.
QuoteOriginally posted by Broofinez:
I was very dissapointed in the weight difference in 1/2 dozen, 30 grains between the lightest and heaviest. Dont know if thats normal or not.
that along with +/- difference in spine is normal with AD's