I'm all over the place!

[Prarie Bowyer]

Took two bows shooting with a batch of unspined arrows.  Man...    New bow, new arrows..

it wasn't pretty.  One flies, flew with a wide tail corkscrew spin like a plane propeller.  What causes that?    One I missed my target altogeather and hit another target further left and down range.   

[JEB]

I think your first sentence answered your question. Not spind  properly will cause arrows to fly erratic.  If you post your draw length and bow weight I can recommend an aluminum arrow size.

[crooketarrow]

  I THINK JEG NAILED IT

[gstoneberg]

Took two bows shooting with a batch of unspined arrows.  Man...    New bow, new arrows..
it wasn't pretty.  One flies, flew with a wide tail corkscrew spin like a plane propeller.  What causes that?    One I missed my target altogeather and hit another target further left and down range.   

Bad corkscrew arrow flight like that in my experience is caused by fletching issues or a bent shaft at the fletching end.  I have a test set of arrows to test arrow spine and it honestly takes a pretty good amount of spine mismatch before it's really noticeable.  And, normally spine problems just show up as left or right misses after some initial fishtailing.  I'm betting your new bow had as much to do with your trouble as the arrows.  2 bows can shoot wildly different.  Then, once your confidence is rattled, it only gets worse.  Best to change only 1 thing at a time so you can troubleshoot the problem.

George

[Justin Snyder]

Took two bows shooting with a batch of unspined arrows.  Man...    New bow, new arrows..
it wasn't pretty.  One flies, flew with a wide tail corkscrew spin like a plane propeller.  What causes that?    One I missed my target altogeather and hit another target further left and down range.   

Bad corkscrew arrow flight like that in my experience is caused by fletching issues or a bent shaft at the fletching end.  I have a test set of arrows to test arrow spine and it honestly takes a pretty good amount of spine mismatch before it's really noticeable.  And, normally spine problems just show up as left or right misses after some initial fishtailing.  I'm betting your new bow had as much to do with your trouble as the arrows.  2 bows can shoot wildly different.  Then, once your confidence is rattled, it only gets worse.  Best to change only 1 thing at a time so you can troubleshoot the problem.

George

Sounds right to me.

[Prarie Bowyer]

Well I picked up a new bag O sticks today.  I'll have some new arrows for the next shoot and hopefully some practice time and .... OK I'll get out the spine tester. 

Do you guys bother to reduce a bamboo arrow spine or just work with spine weights you have, collecting what you need and setting aside the ones that are too heavy?

I'm making a bow with an arrow shelf this time.  I think more center shot will give me a wider range on the acceptable spine weights.

[H Rhodes]

I just take the spine that Mother Nature deals out.  I think that bamboo/cane is pretty consistent stuff, if it is all dried the same. 

[Justin Snyder]

Cane may be more forgiving, but it still should be tested to make sure it is close to the right spine. If it is too far off it can still have issues.

[H Rhodes]

I am sure you are right as rain Justin.  Buying materials from a store, you probably have them spined in a wide range of stiffness....   I am lucky to get to cut mine myself,  and with fat end being close to the size of my 3/8 open end wrench,  and all from the same spot,  they are fairly uniform for a natural shaft.  I probably would shoot better if I took more time and spined them like I ought to.   I got away from it about the time that I had enough bows stock piled around that needed heavier or lighter arrows!