Still green and needing advice. Arrow shooting too far to the left?

[birdpointlightstring32]

I have a 42 lb 69 inch slippery elm long bow. non center shot rigid handle non bendy handle bow. I have two arrows. One red oak 3/8 thirty two inch long 3 fletched six inch two inch high duck feather and no head or point. this one shoots amazing in my bear recurve  55lb bow but in my elm long bow it shoots farther to left the further I stand away. I mean two feet off at 15 yards. the second arrow is 5/16 I think that's right well its smaller in thickness. 36 inches long two fletched 5 inches long 1.5 inches high and with a 150 zwicky eskimo head. bends really easy almost too easy. well this arrow from my elm bow shoots dead center almost every shot. Is this because of the spine or what else could it be. ?

[aaron]

Are you right handed? If so it sounds like a spine issue. The first arrow is way stiffer than the second. The first arrow shoots well out of your 55lb bow- that bow needs a stiff arrow because it has a strong pull and is almost centershot. That same arrow is too stiff for your other bow because of the easier pull and non centershot. The second arrow is much weaker in spine because of the head and it's longer length. This arrow is just right for the elm bow. congratulations, you have figured out what arrow goes with each bow and you can make more of the same.
 Consider this, though... the arrow with no head is not very "weight forward". It probably balances near the middle- an arrow flies a little better and goes in deeper if it has a weighted tip. So, if you want to put a tip on the first arrow, you'll need to shorten it up to compensate (put on a head, and cut off a little at a time until it flies right).
Does the second arrow shoot to the right out of the bear bow?
good luck

[birdpointlightstring32]

would explode if shot out of bear recurve. lol... would like to know why books are saying a spine that is over strong will shot right when this over stiff 3/8 oak dowel shoots left.. I guess closer to sweet spot of spine that if near perfect it would shoot to the right but way over stiff and it just glides off side of bow without flexing at all and careens to the left instead???

[aaron]

are you right handed? if so a stiff arrow will hit to the left of a correct arrow. The arrow will also sit crooked in the target- the nock end will be to the right of the point end- this is called "nock right". is that what your book is talking about?

If the book in question is the traditional bowyers bible- there is an error in that book - it says a stiff arrow will hit to the right

[Don Case]

If the book in question is the traditional bowyers bible- there is an error in that book - it says a stiff arrow will hit to the right

Yeah. you'd think that they would re-issue that volume for free, mines getting kind of dog-eared

[bowtarist]

aaron is right. But if you want to lower the spine of the oak shaft, keep it long and put a heavier point on it. This will lower its spine weight and potentially correct your error.  The TBB does have that wrong, for a righty, too much spine shoots left too little shoots right. Spine is measured using a 28" arrow with nails spaced at 26". Every inch over 28" is 5 pounds lighter, every inch under is 5 pounds more spine. This is also true w/ point weight. Spine is done w/ a 125 grain point. More weight weaker spine, less weight more spine. That's the simple definition. Understand? Have a gooder, dp

Also like arron said, Keep them the way they are and copy the oak arrow for your recurve and  copy the other arrow for you selbow.

[birdpointlightstring32]

What do you mean by a Nail at 26 inches? 

[Pappy]

Do you cant your bow while shooting or hold it straight up and down ? You can bring the arrow to the right on a non center shot bow by canting a little more. An arrow out of a non center shot bow shot straight up and down is going to hit left,look at it in the bow,it is already pointed to the left with a right handed shooter and will hit futher left the longer the shot. Nock tail left or right in the target is a completely different thing,that is the spine tail left to weak,tail right to stiff. You can weaken the spine by adding length to the arrow adding tip weight,you can stiffen the spine by shorting the arrow or reducing tip weight.
   Pappy

[birdpointlightstring32]

thank you. Spine tester build along is next on my list.

[Pat B]

Derik has it right. When measuring spine by popular standards you start with a 28" arrow with a 125gr field point. This is measured on a spine tester with the uprights(nails in this instance) set 26" apart with a 2# weight hung(or pushing down) from the center. For each inch over 28" you can subtract 5# of spine weight and for each 25grs of tip weight over the 125gr point subtract 5# of spine weight.
  For example...a 30" shaft that is spined at 50# will shoot like a 40# spined arrow(2" over 28" @5# per inch). If you use a 150 gr point(instead of 125gr) that arrow will shoot like a 35# spined arrow.

[bradsmith2010]

what pappy said,, keep in mind holding the bow with a loose grip will help,,if you have an arrow that shoots well,,, dont worry if it fits some chart,,, just make more like it,,, self bows are picky about your form,, and different than what is needed for a modern bow,,, if you switch back an forth,, it makes it hard to fine tune your form and brain for shooting the self bow,,,,,, if you want to be a good shot with the self bow,,, shoot it exclusively ,,,,, at least until you have solid form and dont shoot to the left,,