My First Arrow - RIP

[PAHunter]

I completed my first arrow out of bamboo. I put a stump shootin tip cover on it and headed to the woods with my pup. After hittin a few stumps the tip broke and I decided to air it out to see how well it flew. I pulled back, aimed up, and the arrow sailed away. Higher, higher, higher, and then thunk! It embeded itself in the side of a huge tree over 100 feet up! haha It was not my intent to hit the tree or lose the arrow but in some weird way it's pretty fitting to return it to the woods. I just hope it stays up there and as my pup and I go shooting in the future we can glance up to see a bird perched upon it.

Ok here are some practical questions about arrows from a newbie:
1) What is a good way to judge spine short of buying a $200 machine?
2) Are some woods much better than others for arrows? What is considered the best?
3) What kind of penetration can I expect from a self arrow compared to a carbon? This is important to me as I want to use self arrows but I don't want to needlessly injure an animal in the process.

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Bevan R.]

you can build your own spine tester for a few bucks. There is a bamboo arrow build here where the person spines on a fence with 2 nails and 2 pounds of bananas.
I believe arrow efficiency depends on it being matched to the bow. very light will fly far and fast but does not penetrate as well as a heavy(ier) arrow. Sharp broadheads help the best.
As far as material, whatever you can get is best. Some use shoots, cane, boo, ceder, poplar, ash. They are all very good and I have shot them all.

[birdpointlightstring32]

Im fairly new to primitive archery myself. I have good luck with 3/8 inch red oak dowels that I straighten with steam. I get them at lowes. I use brown cotton thread to tie on the feathers with and glue with knox gelatin. I have a 55 # grizzly recurve . I usually get great wear out of them and only had one that split while shooting because of grain run off. Just try and pick the ones with straight grain down the shaft. These last me forever.Broke a bunch missing and hitting rocks. 

[bowtarist]

"I decided to air it out to see how well it flew. I pulled back, aimed up, and the arrow sailed away. " huh...??

1) two nails spaced 26" a part horizontally and a two pound weight is the norm for measuring deflection.  use an arrow that you know already flies good out of your bow, mark the deflection.  use this as a guide for your other arrows. (this is one way, there are more)

2) that's a big question.  I started w/ POC from 3R, went to multifloral rose and now am trying out shoots and cane.  Anything that grows straight and is @least 2 seasons old.  rule of thumb when cutting shoots, nock end 3/8" dia.  this is usually a personal preference or availability issue for me.

3) hope someone will explain this better than me, but 10-15% weight forward of center, and a good sharp bladed head put in the vitals will do what you want.  IMO, self arrows can be and are equal to any arrow shafting.  Same principals apply to either one.  Lighter arrows for a flat tragectory for target and heavier arrows for penetration when hunting. 

Take a search on here for specific questions and you'll find what you're lookiong for.

why did you shoot that arrow into the air again?  dpgratz

[JW_Halverson]

Immediately after the invention of the aluminum arrow and the compound bow deer refused to die when shot with primitive archery equipment.  In fact some anthropologists with more letters behind their names than a can of Campbells Alphabet Soup have theorized that the reason our ancestors are extinct is because they starved to death waiting for compound bows and aluminum/carbon arrows to be invented.  Too bad for Og, Grok, and Earl-Roy, Jr. when you think about it.

The brand new Primitive Archer Magazine (best magazine in the world) has an article on an elk hunt by the former editor of Buckmasters Whitetail Journal with his 46 lb osage bow and simple wood arrows.  Granted, he shot at 10 yds and "clipped a rib on it's way in, passed thru both lungs and the top of his heart."  The bull elk collapsed within 30 yds of the archer.  The broadhead was a single bevel two blade cut on contact...certainly no mechanical Rube Goldberg contraption relying on digital technology, batteries, GPS, and a Macbook combined with a Swiss Army Knife. 

What counts is matching the arrow to the bow so you get good arrow flight, minimum 40 lbs draw weight (depending on your state's regulations), and a broadhead that is so sharp anyone with good sense is afraid of it.  That and practice, practice, practice at any and all yardage, from every position you can sit, lay, stand, or hover off the ground.  You poke one thru the boiler room and that animal is on it's last countdown!

[Sparrow]

Just what JW and the rest said. You get close with matched gear and accurate shooting into the vitals and you got meat.  '  Frank

[stickbender]

     Ditto!   Where is the arrow in the picture?  You said the head broke off, so....uh....how did it stick in the tree?  Did you put another point on?
Could you circle the arrow in the picture?  I was trying to see it, but, I found Waldo instead.
     Well said J.W. !  Too bad our ancestors were just plain stupid, and nowhere as intelligent as we are today!  Stone arrowheads, and arrow shafts from bushes!  Get real!   

                                                           Wayne

[PAHunter]

Here is the arrow.  The pic was from my phone and the arrow is over 100 feet up so this is the best i can do.  It was just broken off bamboo and it stuck.  Maybe it hit a hole. 

[half eye]

I took a 176# 8 point this year with 47" 50# @ 26" osage short bow and a stone headed cherry arrow....went in behind the last rib on the left side and came out between the neck and the right front leg....I also used his skin (real thick from the rut) put that over a big foam block and shot it with 40 and 50 pound bows one each steel head and stone head.....the stone cut a gapping hole and the steel made a surgical incision......I know both are leathal from experience so ya wont be unecessarily wounding animals with the "primitive" stuff  my buck was down within sight and just about as dead as he could possibly be

I'm postin a pick of the deer but dont want to hijack yer thread.....if you want to see the hide experiment pics say it's ok and I'll post those as well, also some my flyin telephone poles.
rich

[PAHunter]

Excellent deer Rich!  Post away man!

[half eye]

Here are the skin shots...and some of the arrows.
rich

[PAHunter]

Wow awesome arrows and great design on the bow!  thanks for sharing!