osage arrows

[wasanchez]

Anyone ever made arrows out of Osage?

Walt

[Pat B]

I have seen osage arrows before. They would be very heavy.

[soy]

I have heard that they are difficult to keep straight, but i have no experience to back that

[Gus]

I have some Osage Shoots drying with arrows in mind.
But I still have quite a bit of work to do on them before the first one flies.

-gus

[JW_Halverson]

I spoke at length with one of PA's advertisers Allegheny Mountain Arrow Shafts.  He said that he had tried again and again with osage and had made some very tough shafts.  BUT he was shocked to find out that even up to 3/8 inch shafts barely made 45# spine!!! 

There was a guy down Missouri way that made poor quality bows claiming this was hogwash and that he would prove me wrong.  So I call him every 6 months or so just to see if he has any shafts for me to try out.  3 years and no shafts.     Lat time I called he was a little peevish, hehehe. 

[mikekeswick]

I made some ipe arrows from offcuts and had a similar thing in 5/16th (which you would think would be enough diameter), heavy and no spine.

[bowtarist]

I'm pretty sure some guys use them for foreshafts and footed shafts. dpg

[TRACY]

Carved some scraps into field points for cane shafts and they were very durable.

Tracy

[PeteC]

I've made a few.They are sure enough pretty,but the low spine to high weight ratio is'nt so hot. If I ever made them again,it would be to build fishin' arrows.Here is one I made years ago.It's about 700gr.,which is great,but only has about a 40# spine.It's 11/32" in diameter. Check out one of my early attempts with trade points .I drilled the holes in it as an attempt to get decent arrow flight.It did'nt however.I kept it because I thought it was too pretty a shaft to throw out.       JMHO  God Bless

[BowEd]

Made  a half dozen of osage arrows myself getting pretty much the same thing you guys did...enough weight but not enough spine.Might be useable on some centershot bows.No problem keeping them straight though.They are pretty that's for sure.I used some of mine for foreshafts on cane and stiffeners on quivers.Had some overrun spruce siding laying in the rafters I tried arrow shafts from and they were the other way.Lighter in weight but more in spine.The weight on the spruce was still very useable.Actually just about right.390 to 410 grain cut to length bare shaft at 23/64ths to 11/32nds with the first 10 inches tapered from the nock to 5/16th.50 to 70 spine.Not as pretty as hedge but a little stain and gasket sealer does wonders.Hard hitting suckers that finished out from 550 to 570 grain arrow with a 160 grain field tip.

[Badger]

  I had a problem with the arrows being too heavy and too weak in spine. A 650 grain arrow might only have 40# of spine. Looking back on it I am wondering if the wood may not have been as dry as I thought. On numerous occasions I have used osage as a footing on flight arrows but even here I was not satisfied with the stiffness of the footings.

[Badger]

  Ipe and purple heart will both make good quality small diameter shafts. Purple heart seems to be about the stiffest.

[mikekeswick]

Thats interesting because the ipe arrows I made are all heavy but low on spine. I can't remember the numbers but they were 5/16 dia. and definately weren't stiff enough for my prefered draw weight of between 50 - 65 lb bows.

[IONIAN]

  I have made more composite arrows using different woods then I will ever admit to. Osage is not a good arrow wood period. Of all the different woods and bamboo I have tried, the one I always go back to and consider the best arrow wood is good old American Ash. Good weight, awesome strength. After 20+ years, I have yet to break an Ash arrow.

[wasanchez]

Thanks for all the info.  I'll have to find something else to do with my scraps then.

Walt