AD Trad/Trad Lites are NOT hollow....what the heck?

[ROB TAYLOR]

All,
I noticed for the first time last night, that the Arrow Dynamics Trad heavies and Trad lites are not hollow all the way through.  I have some Nitro Stingers that are, but both dozen of the Trad line I got from Lancaster a couple months ago are not.

It started when I couldn't see light through the end...I took my .17 cal cleaning rod and slid it down from the nock end.  THUMP!  It stopped about 8 inches in!!  So I checked all the remaining shafts (23 of them) and found that, from the front end, the rod stopped 20"-22" in and from the rear it was 8"-10"...that generally left a 1"-2" plug of something in there.  I tried once to really slam the rod a couple times to break up or through whatever was in there and all I managed was to knock loose a small white chunk of something....glue, I am imagining.  

So....anyone?  What the heck?  I can't imagine this can be good for the dynamic spine of the arrow, having a non-standardized weight riding in a not-very-exact spot in the last third of the shaft.  Hmmmmm....I'll still try em, but AD's credibility is slipping off in my mind again....I just got back to the point i would give em another try.

-Rob

[Lewis Brookshire III]

Do they still shoot good?? I know mine do.

[Terry Green]

I've loaded plenty from end to end....I've never seen that.  Somebody might have sold you some seconds or something.

I'm going to call Gary right now and see if he's ever heard of this.

[Lewis Brookshire III]

I just went and checked the six that I have that have push in nocks and dont have nock bushings/G nocks glued in like my others and sure enough mine have something about 8" from the nock end also. I cant check the others but they all weigh the same and fly the same as far as I can tell.

[TaterHill Archer]

I need to check mine, because I can't get them to fly very well.

[Smilingg]

I got mine from Ted Fry. They fly perfect.

[legends1]

I came across this a few mounths back.I called Gary at Gary's archery sales.In Kansas where i got the safts.Gary is a very good guy and always seems to take time out to help.    He said they are designed that way.I believe he said it had something to do with they total ballance of the arrow.I know this,they shoot awsome.

[joe skipp]

As a dealer for AD shafts...I have never seen that.

[JRY309]

I bought some Trad Lite shafts from another member and they were not hollow all the way through,but I weighed them and they were within 2-4 grs.That was the first time I tried AD's and I wasn't sure if that was normal but they tuned alright to some of my lighter bows and shoot fine.

[Lewis Brookshire III]

Mine still fly perfect and are the best arrow out there as far as I am concerned but I never noticed the not hollow thing before.

[Guss]

Checked my Lites, their hollow all the way thru.

[Lewis Brookshire III]

Thats weird, I wonder why some are and some arent??

[ROB TAYLOR]

I tuned some of the heavies to a bow today...seemed OK.  I wonder if they have trouble getting the proper GPI from batch to batch as well as difficulties getting consistent weight within a dozen, so they inject something in there where you can't see it from either end to make the weight "right".  

Very weird....certainly not a good move, quality-wise.  The jury will still be out for me.  I am having a hard time getting over the wide span of inside diameter in both ends.  Very sloppy QC IMO.  I know, they still fly and all that....but imagine...if they had decent quality control and low runout in specs, they'd (by physical law) fly even better...more consistently, that is.

Oh...and seconds?  Why would a factory let them out of the door?  We all know the GT horror stories.  

You wouldn't load your 6mm BR for 1000yd comp with bullets that had grossly different diamters and weights, would you??

But then again, due to the nature of unsighted archery, I may never see an appreciable difference...I'll give em a good go for a while and see if I can live with the thought of sloppy construction if they perform well enough.
-Rob

[Terry Green]

Seconds was the only thing I could think of being that I've never seen that before....but I didn't get  ahold of Gary yet to know if they are now making them that way.

Other than the early stock nock frustrations, I've never experience any problems with them, and Lord knows I've bought enough    :rolleyes:   They all shoot where I'm looking, and I've killed a bunch of critters with them over the years.

[ROB TAYLOR]

Yeah Terry, it's testimonials like yours that caused me to give them another try...and I am/will.  I just get really frustrated with manufacturers like this that go 95% of the way to great and don't bother going after that last 5%....bummer.

I'll be curious to see what your guy says about it.  I got mine from Lancaster's if that helps any when you talk to him.

Thanks.

-Rob

[Holm-Made]

Mine are plugged about 9 inches in from the nock end just like you described.  I bought mine from Gary about a year ago.  I don't see any problems since I don't plan to put tubes in them.  

If you decide that you can't live with them let me know.  I'd be interrested in buying them.  Chad

[ROB TAYLOR]

Yeah, that's not really it, Chad...still testing.  Just found it weird, especially since their "standard" inserts now have a threaded rear for weight screws.  Might be kinda tough to stick that long allen down the nock end now...LOL.
-Rob

[Scott J. Williams]

I would not sweat the differences so much. Most people are shocked when they learn that there can be as much as five or more grain differences from one dozen to dozen with carbon arrows of all types.

If turly a matched set are what you are looking for, you might have to got through the same process of spine testing, and weighing that wood  shooters go through.  

I have used AD and loved them, they got hard to find and I was pretty upset, until I found the Grizzly Stiks, which IMO are tougher and gives heaiver arrow weight.  

For me, full tapered shafts, wood, or carbon provide the most efficient use of a bows energy, allows the shooter to get good flight from a wide range of draw weights.

I just wish someone would produce a full tapered aluminum shaft, that would be my arrow of choice.  I guess I had better get started on it....

[Holm-Made]

I'm running 200 grain points up front for a total of 540 grains.  That's enough for my 47-50# bows.  I don't think I would need to ever put in tubes.  

I heard that AD is a family run business where they wrap the carbon by hand instead of machine.  I wonder if that is right.  Chad