Flight characteristics of Bamboo Arrows

[Pappy]

I use the large end torward the tip.
   Pappy

[flungonin]

Natures way way of the first "arrow dynamic".

[markinengland]

Weight forward always helps arrow flight.

Thick end forward seems to be standard all round the world for bamboo arrows and shoot arrows in general.

Spine does seem somewhat less important in bamboo arrows than parallel POC due to the taper but go too far and spine still counts.

Mark in England

[mullet]

 Always small end at the nock. And if you wrap it with sinew and thread, there is no problem with the nock.

   Again, the voice of experience. I spent 4 nights in the hospital, 3 hours in surgery, and on anti-biotics for a month. A POC came apart on me on release and about 4"of the pieces went into my left index finger knuckle, where it blew up like a grenade when it hit bone. Thank goodness I had insurance, it was close to$500 grand before it was over with.  The arrow cracked in front of the fletching and I didn't know it. In comparison to Tonkin. I shot a range and missed and buried my arrow in a Live Oak. I cut it out and shot 3 more targets before somebody pulled my arrow and told me it was split in front of the fletching for 4". It was still shooting with know change.

 Bamboo will not come apart like that, even with nocks teensey- small, if you wrap them in front of the nocks.

 

[NTD]

OUCH!!!!

Add another reason that I'll be sticking with tonkin.

Nate Danforth

[Dano]

If you make the nock so that the node supports the string, there's no need to wrap the nock to reinforce it.

[mullet]

   That's what I do, Dano. But after that, I wrap it, too.

[Dano]

Belt and suspenders

[Pat B]

I consider nock wrapping as part of my arrow making ritual no matter what shafting I use. 

[Cromm]

Big to small when it comes to arrows.

[zeNBowyer]

I  wasn't  sure about the  orientation  of the tapered end  of  bamboo  when  I  started,  neither  could  I  find that  information,  the  end  seemed  too  small  for  nocks,  but  again  I  am  constantly  suprised  at  the  strength and  qualities  of  bamboo,
    I  made  up  a  half  dozen with large  dia toward the  broadhead, used  hot  glue  for  broadheads (artificial  pitch  I  guess),
these  arrows  shot wonderfully,  and  as  accurate as  any  of  my  arrows,  certainly  much  more  beautiful  to  look  at:)



     

[recurve shooter]

fat end is for point. works for weight FOC and the natural taper serves for less drag uppon entering an animal. think about it, the fat end punches the hole, and the rest of the arrow is pulled through a hole that is bigger than the shaft itself is. 

man that sounded smart for someone who has yet to make a successfull arrow. 

[scattershot]

Large end at the point. Try to make your nock at a node, for strength, and wrap them with thread or sinew.

[zeNBowyer]

Decided  to  try  some  adapters for my  bamboo  target arrows, seeing  how  they  fascillitate  arrow  tuning, wasn't  sure  if  I  could  taper  a  bamboo  arrow and  use  a  conventional socket  type  adapter,  seeing  how  the  strength of  the  bamboo  is  on  the  outside  with a weak  core (if  any  core  at  all),  but  after reinforcing the  center  of the  shaft they  seem  quite  adequate,  we'll  see  how  they  fare on  the  target here  shortly


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[zeNBowyer]

Shot  some  of these  into a  log, had  to  use  a  lot  of  force  to  pull  them  out-points  performed   well, nothing seperated or  broke, pretty hardy  stuff:)