Bamboo Arrow Hit Steel Post

[Bushbow]

I was out shooting my bamboo arrows with nail points last week. For a reason unknown to me, our club has steel sign posts behind some of the 3D targets (like a stop sign post). I missed the 3D target (imagine that) and squarely hit the steel post. The arrow survived (sort of). I repaired the arrow, picture below. If you are really bored here is a link to a video of the repair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9IKG23MKWc

Before it Hit the post

After it hit the post

Repaired

[Pat B]

It is always a good idea to wrap behind the point on cane and hardwood shoot arrows. I prefer sinew but have used silk thread or B-50 string material, all set in glue. Looks like the hit was to one side and that pivoted the shank of the nail. A wrap may have prevented this. I have hit some pretty hard objects with cane arrows and so far, never broke one.

[scattershot]

what do those nails weigh, and where did you get them? Looks like a great point!

[Bushbow]

Scattershot that is a duplex (double headed) 16D nail with the upper head gound off. I bought abox of about fifty at Menards (or Home Depot) for about $3.
After grinding they weigh 145 grains. If you want lighter you could shorten the tail. Here is a link to a video I did making the point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNYQhCoOUl4

[recurve shooter]

good stuff bushbow im gunna get some of them nails. 

[Bushbow]

Recurve shooter check them out and let me know how you like them. It seems like such an easy solution, and afcter shooting them for a couple months I can say they are WAY less likely to snap off than a typical steel point.

[aero86]

i like using them.  and if you sand down where the shaft meets the bottom head, it has less chance of throwing off splinters.

[Postman]

Great cheap  point idea -thanks!

[Bushbow]

Aero86, I agree with your thought of a sanded taper to the head, and I have done that too.

Pat's point about wrapping the end will greatly increase the strength. I have not done for two reasons, (1) Being Lazy, (2) They are easier to pull out of targets if that aren't wrapped. I came up with reason (2) as an excuse for reason (1), which is the real reason I don't wrap them.

[aero86]

ive stopped wrapping the ends of my arrows.  course, i make a bunch too, but thats right next to the point.  i dont wrap them for the same reason the bushbow said, makes it harder to pull out of a target.  ive got a few arrows left over from the last batch i made months ago.  i shoot a cardboard target box.  ive shot them over 50 times a piece.  3 of them.  none are wrapped, and none have started to split.  my bows are only 40 and 45lbs, but theyve hit the ground, hard wood.  i purposely try not to shoot near more dense objects, because they will cause damage no matter what.

another thing ive concluded is to make sure that the bottom nail head will sit flush with the arrow, and that the end is as close to perpendicular as you can get it.