I have been shooting 55-60lb recurves and longbows for at least 8 years now. Everything from a Bear montanna 60# to a Black Widow SA 55# and have always had to use a weak spined for the poundage arrow. Full length 35/55 GT with a 190-200gr point. Seems like most people could use the same arrow with only a 100-125gr point, what gives?  

Your draw length is probably shorter than you think it is.  I see a lot of guys with a "30" inch draw length, that have 4 inches of arrow sticking out past the bow.  I struggled for years, thinking I should have a 28 inch or longer draw length.  I bought all my bows at my poundage at 28 inches.  Truth is I only draw about 27 inches, so I have to shoot a lighter spined arrow also.  If you can make a mark on your arrow at your draw length, and then shoot about 10 arrows while video tapping it.  Watch the video and see if your draw length is really what you think it is.

Clip a clothespin to a bare shaft and draw it. The clothespin will slide along the shaft and stop at your actual, no b.s. drawlength.

I agree with x2 that your drawlength is shorter than you think.

FWIW ...

I can bareshaft 29" Beman Venture 500's with 225 grains upfront outta 55# hybrid longbows and get perfect dart-like flight.  The 500's are s'posed to be spined for a 40# without all that front end weight.  

And my 29" Arrow Dynamic tapered carbon shafts are stiff enuf for 70# bows and yet they also bareshaft just fine outta 50-55# hybrid longbows.

Go figure.         :cool:

Now think about it.  If those carbons were so easy to spine, they wouldn't be selling all that front of center weight stuff with em' 8^).

It's Satan I tell ya....it's Satan.    :eek:    

I've seen some folks post deflection on some older GT's and have a WIDE range between shafts.

Hey, maybe you've just got a super smooth release.  

Blackhawk7204,I shoot a 29".500(35/55 GT) spine out of my longbows and recurves @28" draw in the 49#to55# range with 175gr. to 225gr. dependent on poundage and center shot.I can shoot a 29" .400(55/75 GT) out of the same bow with same tip weight with feathers pretty good.But put some broadheads on them and i will really see that the .400s will not group with my practice arows they are too stiff.Chad

After spending lotsa time and way too much money, IMHO there ain't no way I can predict the dynamic spine of a carbon shaft based on its static spine.  Carbon spine charts just don't work for me.  Only exception has been the Arrow Dynamics tapered carbon shafts.  YMMV.

I shoot 56#@29" draw, beman 500 at 30" with 100gr insert and 175gr head, and they fly great.

I also shoot GT 29.5" with 50gr or 100gr and same heads, and they fly great.

I like the carbons but they are diff to figure out.

Alan

My newest bow (Black Widow PAX) is 56# and it takes either a 30" 35/55 with a 125gr point or a 30" 55/75 with a 160gr point. That is what I would expect. Most bows i've shot in that poundage take a much heavier head. One other exception was a ACS CX I used to have that was only 51# but needed a 75/95 cut to my minimum usable length( 29") and only a 125gr point!

I pluck so bad that if I don't underspine I hit way left.    

Killdeer  

I use 29" 500s with 125 to 175gn points out of 40-45lbs bows depending on the centershot.I can't shoot a full length shaft with a 100gn point without it being weak out of most of my bows.It is just the way we tune and shoot that makes things seem different.

I've spined 35/55's at 60#, 55/75's at 70# and 75/95's at 81#.

I shoot 55/75's with aluminum insert and 250 gr points for a 51#@29" hybrid (drawn to 29") on 30" arrows.  I also shoot 75/95's 32" long with 100 gr brass inserts and 250 gr points.  They both bareshaft well.

Jason

Blackhawk,
I hear ya man!I find most of the charts,and suggestions to be way stiff for me too.I shoot 52# at my 27" draw length,and find that a 45-50 cut to 28" to bareshaft Perfect for me.Thats outa a pronghorn,with a fastflight string.Even Herb says 10 lbs over weight for spine.

1.draw length may be one factor,but just take a look at that: deflection of the GT35/55 is 0.500" with the modern system(1.94lbs and 28"), now we convert that to deflection in the old spine table(2 lbs and 26"): conversion factor = (2 x 26³)/(1.94 x 28³)=0.8254185
Ok:0.500 x 0.8254185= 0.4127" deflection for the 26" system. According bow pondage is: 26/0.4127= 62.99= 63 lbs wood arrow spine. Unfortunately, carbons don`t spine as accurately as aluminum does. The old spine table was developed for the dynamic properties of wood and not for the modern materials. Another thing is your release form which can change your spine range considerably. There is nothing wrong with that, that is normal variations in human forms.
Now one thing from last weekend`s shoot: out of a korean hwarang bow(no arrow shelf)I was shooting one  ST epic 500 with 200 grain field tip to see how it performs on longer distances. It seems to be slightly stiff. Now i was using one of my fellow shooters GT35/55 with a 100 grain tip. Although the diameter is a little bigger than  the ST it was hitting quite left,wich indicates too weak for me (LH shooter). Static deflection of the shafts are the same 0.500". I think a lot has to do with the actual material the manufacturer uses and the way they are using it.