Arrow tinkering

[Ladys man]

So this off season I plan on tinkering with my arrows. I've never fletched arrows so my plan is to go with Arizona EZ fletch. I like the helical it puts on and is pretty simple to use. Also I really like the tac vanes so that's what I'll start with.
Also plan on cutting .5 off my arrows and dropping the insert weight. Currently 28.5 draw, my arrows are 28 carbon to carbon with 100 gr insert. At 545 total weight. I'd like to get to 470.

Anyone have advice on arrow building they would like to share.

 

[yesmarwh]

What kind of arrows are you using? Seems really heavy.. I used gold tip pros 340's and my draw length was 27.5, my arrows were 404.4gr. That included a 100gr broad head. You don't need to go down in size, just go with a lighter made arrows. Gold tip arrows are very strong and they come in different weights depending on which one you get. Shouldn't have any problems getting 470 or below without cutting down your arrow length.

 

[Ski]

Seems heavy to me too. I understand the recent fad for heavy arrows but IMO it's completely unnecessary and I'd argue isn't worth the sacrifice of trajectory. But that's a different topic and not what you're asking.

The EZ fletch is pretty darn good. The helical it puts makes adhesion difficult so be sure to prime the vanes before using. Bohning brand vanes come pre primed but others do not.

Nocks matter. You don't want one that pinches your string too tight and you don't want one so wide that your serving closes down on it at full draw. Either of those will cause weird erratic inaccuracies. The nock should fit just well enough on the string that it can't fall off, and the arrow shouldn't lift off the rest as you draw. Not really critical with field points but can drive you crazy with broad heads.

Also try nock tuning. Turn the nock to try it on each vane and you'll often find the arrow is more accurate in one position than the others. Again not as noticeable with field points but can be very obvious with broad heads.

That's about all I got. Nothing secret or earth shattering but helpful if you weren't previously aware. Arrows are fun to assemble and gives you freedom of experimentation. Oh and if you plan to experiment, use hot glue for your inserts. You can't remove them to try something else if they're epoxied.

 

[Black Titan]

I'm right at 475 with Victory RIP XVs cut 29" ctc, 50 grain insert, 250 spine, 125g head, bohning heat vanes 3 fletch, 6" arrow wrap, and deepower lighted x nocks. I have it written down somewhere but I can't remember, I think I'm right at 18% FOC on these? Maybe a little less than that. I had two builds going at the same time and these flew better so I went with them. The 18% may be for the other build, these might be closer to 14%.

BT

 

[Black Titan]

Seems heavy to me too. I understand the recent fad for heavy arrows but IMO it's completely unnecessary and I'd argue isn't worth the sacrifice of trajectory. But that's a different topic and not what you're asking.

The EZ fletch is pretty darn good. The helical it puts makes adhesion difficult so be sure to prime the vanes before using. Bohning brand vanes come pre primed but others do not.

Nocks matter. You don't want one that pinches your string too tight and you don't want one so wide that your serving closes down on it at full draw. Either of those will cause weird erratic inaccuracies. The nock should fit just well enough on the string that it can't fall off, and the arrow shouldn't lift off the rest as you draw. Not really critical with field points but can drive you crazy with broad heads.

Also try nock tuning. Turn the nock to try it on each vane and you'll often find the arrow is more accurate in one position than the others. Again not as noticeable with field points but can be very obvious with broad heads.

That's about all I got. Nothing secret or earth shattering but helpful if you weren't previously aware. Arrows are fun to assemble and gives you freedom of experimentation. Oh and if you plan to experiment, use hot glue for your inserts. You can't remove them to try something else if they're epoxied.

+1 for nock tuning. Can make a huge difference. I seldom find the "spine mark" on arrows actually lines up even between a pack of arrows. I normally bareshaft nock tune, mark my shaft, and fletch my shafts with the chocolate chip cookie vane at my mark. I've got a post over on another forum where I went into all this in detail and had pictures of the difference bareshaft nock tuning through paper would make.

You'll find a plethora of answers between all the different tuning methods. It's a deep deep rabbit hole, and you can go as deep as you want. Some people bareshaft tune through paper, nock tune, walk back tune, broadhead tune, or a combination of all. I personally bareshaft nock tune, then fletch, verify through paper with fletched arrows, then broadhead tune at 30 yards for my hunting bow.

ETA - I found my pics I took when I bareshaft nock tuned. Only difference between each shot is a 1/4 turn clockwise of the nock, on a bareshaft. Sometimes you need to go back a 1/8 turn, or turn less than 1/4 to hit the spine sweet spot.

BT

 

[Ski]

+1 for nock tuning. Can make a huge difference. I seldom find the "spine mark" on arrows actually lines up even between a pack of arrows. I normally bareshaft nock tune, mark my shaft, and fletch my shafts with the **** vane at my mark. I've got a post over on another forum where I went into all this in detail and had pictures of the difference bareshaft nock tuning through paper would make.

You'll find a plethora of answers between all the different tuning methods. It's a deep deep rabbit hole, and you can go as deep as you want. Some people bareshaft tune through paper, nock tune, walk back tune, broadhead tune, or a combination of all. I personally bareshaft nock tune, then fletch, verify through paper with fletched arrows, then broadhead tune at 30 yards for my hunting bow.

BT

I've done the bare shaft at varying distance but usually only to install and adjust a rest. Might try the nock tuning on them this winter to see what I get. Interesting.

As of now I don't use cockvanes. All vanes are same color, white. I shoot each arrow a few times with nock over each vane, and leave it over the best one. Then I take a sharpie and number the arrows in order of best flight. Some arrows are just better than others even when they come out of same box. Never really matters for me though as I don't compete. I only hunt and all of them so far have been plenty good enough for that. I still want to use my best arrows for hunting but in the end it's splitting frog hairs. Mostly I tinker because I enjoy shooting.

 

[Black Titan]

I've done the bare shaft at varying distance but usually only to install and adjust a rest. Might try the nock tuning on them this winter to see what I get. Interesting.

As of now I don't use cockvanes. All vanes are same color, white. I shoot each arrow a few times with nock over each vane, and leave it over the best one. Then I take a sharpie and number the arrows in order of best flight. Some arrows are just better than others even when they come out of same box. Never really matters for me though as I don't compete. I only hunt and all of them so far have been plenty good enough for that. I still want to use my best arrows for hunting but in the end it's splitting frog hairs. Mostly I tinker because I enjoy shooting.

Yeah had I not seen the results first hand I probably wouldn't be doing it, but hard to dispute what's on the paper.

I tend to let my OCD take the driver seat and reason gets moved into the trunk when it comes to stuff like this. I do the same thing with hand loads for my .308. Weight sorting brass and bullets into groups within 5/10ths of a grain, weighing each powder load down to the 100th of a grain. I've considered weighing primers but I haven't quite lost my mind that far yet lol.

BT

 

[JN]

It seems like you are shooting a heavy gpi arrow. If wanting to cut down on a weight I would start looking for a low gpi arrow in the same spine you are shooting or even look to see if you can change spine to get an arrow that weighs less. I am a 29.5" to 30" draw depending on the bow and I was able to get my latest arrow weight down to 450 grains with a 60 grain insert and 100 grain points by changing from an Easton axis 250 to a victory rip tko 300. I also have an Easton sonic 340 I was able to get down to around 415 in weight but the spine is to weak on that arrow for me to use on my bow if the poundage is above 60lbs.

 

[Ski]

Yeah had I not seen the results first hand I probably wouldn't be doing it, but hard to dispute what's on the paper.

I tend to let my OCD take the driver seat and reason gets moved into the trunk when it comes to stuff like this. I do the same thing with hand loads for my .308. Weight sorting brass and bullets into groups within 5/10ths of a grain, weighing each powder load down to the 100th of a grain. I've considered weighing primers but I haven't quite lost my mind that far yet lol.

BT

I totally understand that. I'm constantly reminding myself that I'm spending 99% of my time squeezing the last 1% of accuracy.

 

[Ladys man]

I am shooting Sirius Vulcan 300 at 10gpi, I would like to step down in arrow but to just start out it's cheaper to buy 3 more of these to tinker with. Once I feel confident in my ability's I will step down to 9.2-9.4 range.

 

[Ladys man]

I

I've done the bare shaft at varying distance but usually only to install and adjust a rest. Might try the nock tuning on them this winter to see what I get. Interesting.

As of now I don't use cockvanes. All vanes are same color, white. I shoot each arrow a few times with nock over each vane, and leave it over the best one. Then I take a sharpie and number the arrows in order of best flight. Some arrows are just better than others even when they come out of same box. Never really matters for me though as I don't compete. I only hunt and all of them so far have been plenty good enough for that. I still want to use my best arrows for hunting but in the end it's splitting frog hairs. Mostly I tinker because I enjoy shooting.

plan on going all white as well. I think it will be fun experiment.
I'm worried either TAC vanes being stiff it will be hard to get them to Asher's with the helical but we shall see…

 

[CrossVolle]

I am shooting Sirius Vulcan 300 at 10gpi, I would like to step down in arrow but to just start out it's cheaper to buy 3 more of these to tinker with. Once I feel confident in my ability's I will step down to 9.2-9.4 range.

go to the Gemini. i wanted a little more FOC while getting a little lighter. unreal how well they fly out my V3X33. Just for comparison i am a 30.5 inch draw at 72#. Cut at 30.5 inches 250 spine. 265 grains of carbon, 100 grain insert, 125 grain broadhead, all the dressing. Come in about 515 grains and hit like a dump truck. Sirius makes a great product.

https://siriusarchery.com/product/gemini-204-sirius-archery-arrows/

 

[Ladys man]

go to the Gemini. i wanted a little more FOC while getting a little lighter. unreal how well they fly out my V3X33. Just for comparison i am a 30.5 inch draw at 72#. Cut at 30.5 inches 250 spine. 265 grains of carbon, 100 grain insert, 125 grain broadhead, all the dressing. Come in about 515 grains and hit like a dump truck. Sirius makes a great product.

https://siriusarchery.com/product/gemini-204-sirius-archery-arrows/

I agree I'd really like to go to the supernova SD with 204 ID. Lower cost and still a decent hunting arrow. But gaining speed and FOC.

 

[CrossVolle]

I agree I'd really like to go to the supernova SD with 204 ID. Lower cost and still a decent hunting arrow. But gaining speed and FOC.

You are on the right track. I am awful with my set ups. I demand perfection. Which is about impossible really. But i think i am going to settle into this one. I was just off on the bucks this year, but did have a chance to test it on a doe. She was slightly quartering to. 25 yards. Held the pin tight right inside her shoulder and pulled the shot off. She mule kicked and tried to run but just face planted and expired right there she was shot. I could not figure out what in the world that was all about. Once i got her home to clean up, i got her skinned out and it was insane what that set up did to her. Both front quarters were just hanging on by a little bit of muscle. I slid the knife and both sides just literally fell off. It had completely destroyed her shoulders and heart punched her. The joints were just basically gone. Of course this was a doe but it was not a small one she was mature. I am curious of the result in the same scenario if it was a thick rutted up Ohio buck. 125 grain Sevr 2.0 up front.