Hey guys, just got the bows done for the little ones and now I need to do some arrows.

What do you prefer to do for really little arrows? (my kids are 4 and 7)

I was thinking 1/4" oak dowels. I see them at Home Depot and they are always pretty straight. I should be able to get them good and straight with heat. I have a burner, so feathers are handled. For tips i was thinking about the little slip on kiddie ones, but only for lack of options. Those things barely stick into a bag target at kid bow poundages.

Is there a better 1/4" tip out there?

You guys got any tips for me?

Why oak? Isn't that more expensive than those Ramin dowels?  Oak is probably more durable but heavy too. It's a pain to sort through all those dowels, but getting the straightest grain is best.

I have a couple grandsons at 8 and 10 and I find they are not too picky about their arrows and will  shoot about anything.  

I also check out the vendors at the shoots. Last summer I picked up 4 doz. Doug Fir shafts, 24" long, tapered both ends, for a buck a piece. They were 5/16", and I installed 75 gr. pts and made up arrows for plinking and 3-D.  I only wished they were 29" for that price!

I also pick up used aluminum in the lighter spines and they work ok as well.

I do a lot of arrows for kids that size. Can't beat the 1/4 inch shafts. I have mine in birch.

If your interested I could let you have some shafts and points for what they cost me. I bought a 1000 to get cost down.

PM me if interested.

I bought mine from 3 rivers. They sell kids finished wood arrows by the half dozen at a reasonable price.

I use 1/4" poplar dowels from Lowes. 4' long like 80 cents each, cut in half 40 cents per arrow. The feathers cost more than the rest of the arrow. You can buy steel field points for the 1/4" shafts.

Thanks guys. I found the real 1/4" points at three rivers finally. For some reason they didn't come up at first. There was nothing more disappointing to me when I was a kid to have my dull tipped arrow bounce out of the target.

No reason for oak really. They were under a dollar, reasonably straight, seemed like they would be tough, and didn't see the normal ones.

Hey Macbow thanks for the offer. How long do the kids stay at 1/4" shafts you think? My kids bows are about 8# @ 18" for reference.

I had some 1/4" hardwood arrows for my kids.  I think I got them from Black Rhino, and they worked great.

If I was buying shafts at Lowes or Home Depot, I would watch out for grain runout.  You don't want your kids to shoot a damaged arrow and have it break, or have them pick up a nasty, needle-pointed splinter.

You guys have me starting to feel guilty, I just hand off all my cracked or broken stumping arrow, all of the found on ground arrows at the end of season( I carry them in the truck for a months and watch everyone's quivers looking for a match).

I guess as he gets a little crisper with his form and shooting closer groups with the actual arrows that match him.

I gotta start making my own worries first, or do you just start on kids... Since they really won't care flight Or looks

QuoteOriginally posted by JamesV:
I use 1/4" poplar dowels from Lowes. 4' long like 80 cents each, cut in half 40 cents per arrow. The feathers cost more than the rest of the arrow. You can buy steel field points for the 1/4" shafts.

Same here. They'll shoot well out of a bow up to 25# @ 24.

I try to get the straightest ones with good grain. So far no problems.

I have been building some kiddie arrows in preparation for when my little one is old enough out of my damaged carbons that have been broken stumping etc.  I cut the shafts into shorter useable sections being careful to remove the damaged ends and check for any further splits.  Then fletch as needed and either throw in some cheap aluminum inserts or throw a pencil eraser over one end LOL.

We stock light weight 5/16 cedars and put 70 grain glue on points on them .Sell lots of them.They are staind then crown dipped and crested.$3.95 per arrow.
Terry

I made my grandkids 1/4" x24" cedar arrows to start and then I found some 1516 shafts with nib points online and bought those. As they got older and into heavier bows I bought 1716 Easton Blues shafts and made up arrows for them.

Thanks for all the ideas guys!