Point weight and tuning thoughts...

[Ray Lyon]

Steve,

I'm on board with ya from that perspective.  You're correct, with the 150 versus 160 analogy.  Heck, if I need 160 grain field points and 130 grain broadheads and they group the same at 30 yards, I'd do it so that my hunting season practice is consistent (but I usually shoot a few broadheads during hunting season practice too at the end of a session).  

No matter how you come about selecting shafts/spine/point weight, there's always going to be some shoot in work required.

[snag]

Steve,
  If you bow is cut to +3/16" with the strike plate included AND you want to shoot an arrow that is 1" long bop than your 28" draw length, with 125gr tips I think the 60/65's will be too stiff. I'd go with 50/55's...unless you will trying some heavier heads/field pts.

[Mark Baker]

Jeff....like I said it has been awhile since I read Chet's book, which I loved, and I stand corrected...he probably WAS a tinkerer.  

As to Steve's point of all this....tuning is important, I agree, and it should be done to the extent of achieving as perfect arrow flight as one can get.   My point, and I think Steve's as well, is we can easily get carried away with it all.  A waste of time?  That is to be determined by the "tinkerer" himself, I guess.  But there are many ways to "skin a cat" and new folks should realize that.  I always loved trad bowhunting for it's simplicity....and I still do.  Still, it is important to understand the forces at work and their affects on whatever your trying to achieve, and how they will affect whatever outcome, big game, or targets, your end result will be as well.    

Now, I think I'll read Whips thread on saving for a hunt....that's a skill I can always learn something from!

[bornagainbowhunter]

Guys, I realize that I am not a good enough shot to tell the difference in flight, but 15-25gr can make a bit of difference in the sound of the shot.  I am going through that right now.

Thanks to Ray, I have the 25gr heavier broadhead inserts i need to make my bow quieter.

God Bless,
Nathan

[beendare]

I inputted +15 gr point weight to an arrow that bare shaft tunes in my bow [30.75", axis 400, 480gr total] into Stu's excellent calculator and it weakens the spine 4.2# also [73.4 to 69.2]

The next step would be to actually add that weight to the point and see if it still tunes. I'm a tinkerer but not that much- it ain't going to happen!

And the whole question, "can you tell the difference in 15 gr?" if that 15 gr throws off the tune of your arrow you probably can. I'm guessing many bows shooting a weak spined arrow can be thrown by this, not by the added weight giving the arrow more drop but due to SPINE change affecting tune.

So far as best as I can tell, my Morrison ILF with Inno's has about a 10# spine range that will bareshaft well so a 4.2# difference is not an issue. Great thread Steve!

[hvyhitter]

On light arrows out of light bows its a big percentage change so it does seem noticeable. On heavy  arrows and heavy bows not a all......On 725gr woodies out of a 65# recurve I can change 25gr +/- and not see any difference in arrow flight........

[Chimaster]

I know you told me not to start this up again but I just had to put in a couple of my own thoughts. Out of 8 pages of input I didn't see one comment on my bamboo arrows. Shooting those things is living proof that form and release is more important then anything in my opinion. Can anyone explain to me why I can shoot the same bamboo arrow off all my bows from 44lbs. to 57lbs. How many grains do you loose when you sharpen your heads? Seems to me they can have the same grain weight as the field points and as soon as you sharpen them you could loose 15 grains.