What’s your set-up?

[Stykbow]

Let's here what everyone's shooting. I like to see the differences or similarities in what folks like. I'm still rocking a Martin X-200, 50# at my draw length. Easton 2016 aluminum arrows, three fletch parabolic cut feathers with a 125 grain Magnus two blade.


If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!

 

[Lost Lake]

Usually one of my Osage self bows and wooden arrows and chert points that I knapped myself. But this year it'll be my new Robertson Stykbow Fatal Styk with Douglas Fir shafts and Zwickey Eskimo two blade broadheads.

 

[Stykbow]

Lost lake, is it tough to figure out wood shafts? I'm toying with the idea of giving them a shot, but I'm not entirely sure where to start without wasting a bunch of money.


If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!

 

[eddie c]

Right now I'm shooting my Osage selfbow, PO 45-50# shafts, 125gr or 145 grs up front. 55#@28". Normally I'm shooting 500 spine carbons ( I know,I know) with 175 gr up front.
I know this sounds strange but the woods and carbons are grouping together.
I also have a modern longbow and a Bear TD. Shooting the same shafts out of all 3.

I'm just now really starting to shoot wood. I was having a hard time finding good shafts early on in my transition to tear. Off and on I would trade for some. I got some Wapiti arrows on a trade that were flying good so I played with those for awhile. I got some tapered shafts at a benefit shoot last year that fly better. I decided this year I'm going to carry the tapers to the 3D shoots and the parallel shafts stump shooting. I broke one and lost one yesterday stumping.

 

[Stykbow]

I'm thinking I may try to find some straight grain hardwood dowels at the hardware store and play around with them a bit. Would you guys think 5/16 diameter is a safe starting point?


If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!

 

[eddie c]

I'm thinking I may try to find some straight grain hardwood dowels at the hardware store and play around with them a bit. Would you guys think 5/16 diameter is a safe starting point?


If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!

When I tried that I bought 11/32. I had problems keeping the shafts straight, one would be stiffer than the others, etc.
Watch for run-out on the train, avoid those.

 

[Lost Lake]

Lost lake, is it tough to figure out wood shafts? I'm toying with the idea of giving them a shot, but I'm not entirely sure where to start without wasting a bunch of money.


If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!

No it's really pretty easy once you get started. A good rule of thumb is that with a center shot recurve, a wooden shaft that is 10-15 pounds more than your draw weight at your draw length is a good starting point.

The less center shot the bow, the less spine weight ( stiffness ) you need. So for my Robertson Stykbow longbow, an arrow that's about 5-10 pounds over the draw weight seems right.

For a selfbow, even less stiffness is required. I usually go with a shaft that is about 5 pounds under the draw weight, to account for a bow that's not centershot, so that the shaft can flex around the handle better.

Wooden shafts are sold in 5 pound spine weight groups usually, so it's easy to by a dozen or so at a time.

None of this is set in stone, so a little experimentation is usually required to find what works best for you. I'd recommend starting with the shaft a little longer than you need and removing an inch at a time (one inch being approx. five pounds of spine weight) till arrow flight is suitable.

There are other little tricks, like lining up the wood grain in relation to your nocks, but it's really simple. I'd be glad to answer any questions that you might have.

 

[Lost Lake]

I'm thinking I may try to find some straight grain hardwood dowels at the hardware store and play around with them a bit. Would you guys think 5/16 diameter is a safe starting point?


If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!

I think you'd be better off sticking with 11/32 unless you are shooting a very light weight bow.

You might also find hardwood dowels in 23/64 size.

Be very, very careful with hardware store dowel shafting. Most will have "wood grain run off", which means that the grain will run off the shaft rather than run straight within the shafts length. It can be dangerous because run off creates a weak spot in the shaft, and it also creates spine weight issues as well.

Lots of youth and children's arrows are made from those dowels, because they don't flex much at low draw weights.

I'd probably stick to shafting meant for arrows, for quality control issues.

 

[Lost Lake]

Sorry for the ramble, but I'll throw this out there about wood shafting.

First, I love it. To me, nothing flies as well or has a better feel upon release than wood shafts from a traditional bow.

Port Orford Cedar has been the standard for years, because of inherent qualities like straight grain, straightness, cleanness, and spine weight consistency. But...finding quality POC these days is hard, and you'll pay a premium for good shafts.

Hardwood shafts like Ash, Maple, Hickory, and Ramin make great shafts with good heavy mass weight. They aren't quite as perfect in spine flex qualities as POC, but they work well. I've killed a ton of deer with them. They are also much tougher than POC, and a great for stump shooting and hunting. I've had deer fall on arrows made from them and bend at an angle, and I've pulled the arrow out of the deer, hand straightened it back up, and killed more deer with it.

Right now I shoot Douglas Fir from Surewood Shafts. They are high quality and resemble the high grade POC that I used to be able to get back in the early '90's. They aren't cheap, but well worth it.

 

[jmlost]

For 3D super shrew 38# 700 shafts with 125 tips
Hunt set up - st. joe river 43# 600 shafts 2 blade magnus

 

[Phil Floyd]

Currently shooting a 64", 50#@28" ACS CX longbow with GT 3555 Traditional carbons. 200 grains up front.

 

[Stykbow]

Lots of different gear listed! I'm enjoying this thread. Anybody else?


If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I've got a couple of bows. Ones a 55 @28 longbow that a buddy picked up at Play it Again Sports. The one I've been deer hunting with is a 45# Samick Sage. Both of them shoot 2016's with 125 grain Stingers.

I just got a Samick Discovery with some 35# medium limbs. I haven't had a chance to shoot it. The bow actally made it here from the UK before 60x made and shipped my string. The string has since shipped and hopefully gets here Monday.

 

[Harold Money jr]

Hoyt Gamemaster, 2216 arrows, 125gr stingers. These arrows fly like darts. NAP flipper.