Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: zeNBowyer on October 24, 2009, 02:23:56 pm
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I have been honeymooning with my bamboo arrows all this week after jumping head long into the wonderful craft of bamboo arrows, shooting every chance I get between crafting arrows,
Evaluating what kind of performance I can get from boo,
sometimes they are spot on, always hard hitting, always very satisfying to shoot,
and then some shots are somewhat erratic,
I compared them side by side with my carbons, shooting smooth, fast, and accurate,
the bamboo on the other hand , while always more satisfying and at times exhilirating to shoot, are not as stable in flight, and there seems to a be some real variance in shots, some are solid, very accurate with some erratic and off, though the groups in general are pretty fair, usually low, an expected result of the bamboo being much heavier,
Wondering how you guys do with your bamboo arrows, is this this a general characteristic of bamboo arrows in general or are you guys getting very stable and consistent arrow flight,
zeNBowyer
Here's a fascinating vid of a korean musem of bamboo arrows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK_Q96BKsdA
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Sounds as your set of arrows are not matched all the same..
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With carbon arrows everything is the same, no matter how you orient them on the bow. With boo, and other natural shafting, there is one stiffer side. Generally speaking the sides with the nodes are the stiffer sides and one of them will be stiffer than the other. That stiffer side goes against the bow.
On some arrows that you have chosen the stiff side, one or 2 will not shoot the same. Flip these "odd ball" arrows over(cock feather in) and they generally shoot fine. You have to find the "best" side of each arrow. I generally put a drop of glue, as an indicator, at the nock end like with indexed plastic nocks. I like to feel the correct position of the arrow while concentrating on the target instead of taking my eye off the target to position the arrow.
Also, when working with natural materials like boo or hardwood shoot arrows, there are some that just won't fly right no matter what. These arrows I generally add a spiral wrapped flu flu and a nutter for the point and use them for squirrel or small game arrows. The flu flu will quickly adjust the arrow's flight and at the short distances I shoot these, they work just fine for this.
You are not in Kansas anymore Dorothy! Welcome to the world of OZ(primitive archery)! ;D
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I can see there is a lot of craft in sorting, spining and selection of good bamboo arrows, which is fine by me,
but you guys seem to be saying that a good set will fly straight and true with a good set,
I wasn't sure if you could make bamboo consistently accurate, with the profile and natural characteristics of bamboo,
thanks appreciate the comments:)
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Yes you can make a very consistant set.. It just takes a bit more time than carbon..lol.. Pick out the ones that are flying true and match some to them.. weight,spine so on so forth,.. ;)
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Thanx,
Was wondering if there was anything different about spining bamboo shafts, since they are thick toward the nock and thinner toward the tip
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The natural taper is good for 10# less spine so a 50# spined cane arrow will shoot like a 40# spined arrow. For each inch less than 28" you can reduce the spine by 5#.
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Pat is giving you great advice. You will also find that some times 65# spine shafts can be shot off bows from 45# to 70#..
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"Was wondering if there was anything different about spining bamboo shafts, since they are thick toward the nock and thinner toward the tip"
When I used to make em, I used the smaller diameter for the tip, giving you the natural taper you need.
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That's backwards from how I make them. I put the point on the big end and the nock on the small end. weight forward.
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i was wondering about orientation of the tapered end, but I thought the small end might be too thin for supporting a nock
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Pat that was a right on tip, i had one erratic arrow so i rotated the arrow 180 degrees and it bamboo shot spot on,
so it looks like some orient taper forward and some orient the taper backward
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Rotate the shaft 180 not flip it 180!
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How about everyone else-large end of bamboo at the tip, or nock?
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Large end always at the point so that shaft tapers back to nock.
Craig.
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I use the large end torward the tip. :)
Pappy
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Natures way way of the first "arrow dynamic".
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Weight forward always helps arrow flight.
Thick end forward seems to be standard all round the world for bamboo arrows and shoot arrows in general.
Spine does seem somewhat less important in bamboo arrows than parallel POC due to the taper but go too far and spine still counts.
Mark in England
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Always small end at the nock. And if you wrap it with sinew and thread, there is no problem with the nock.
Again, the voice of experience. I spent 4 nights in the hospital, 3 hours in surgery, and on anti-biotics for a month. A POC came apart on me on release and about 4"of the pieces went into my left index finger knuckle, where it blew up like a grenade when it hit bone. Thank goodness I had insurance, it was close to$500 grand before it was over with. The arrow cracked in front of the fletching and I didn't know it. In comparison to Tonkin. I shot a range and missed and buried my arrow in a Live Oak. I cut it out and shot 3 more targets before somebody pulled my arrow and told me it was split in front of the fletching for 4". It was still shooting with know change.
Bamboo will not come apart like that, even with nocks teensey- small, if you wrap them in front of the nocks.
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OUCH!!!!
Add another reason that I'll be sticking with tonkin.
Nate Danforth
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If you make the nock so that the node supports the string, there's no need to wrap the nock to reinforce it.
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That's what I do, Dano. But after that, I wrap it, too. ;)
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Belt and suspenders ::)
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I consider nock wrapping as part of my arrow making ritual no matter what shafting I use.
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Big to small when it comes to arrows.
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I wasn't sure about the orientation of the tapered end of bamboo when I started, neither could I find that information, the end seemed too small for nocks, but again I am constantly suprised at the strength and qualities of bamboo,
I made up a half dozen with large dia toward the broadhead, used hot glue for broadheads (artificial pitch I guess),
these arrows shot wonderfully, and as accurate as any of my arrows, certainly much more beautiful to look at:)
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fat end is for point. works for weight FOC and the natural taper serves for less drag uppon entering an animal. think about it, the fat end punches the hole, and the rest of the arrow is pulled through a hole that is bigger than the shaft itself is. ;D ;D ;D
man that sounded smart for someone who has yet to make a successfull arrow. O:)
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Large end at the point. Try to make your nock at a node, for strength, and wrap them with thread or sinew.
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Decided to try some adapters for my bamboo target arrows, seeing how they fascillitate arrow tuning, wasn't sure if I could taper a bamboo arrow and use a conventional socket type adapter, seeing how the strength of the bamboo is on the outside with a weak core (if any core at all), but after reinforcing the center of the shaft they seem quite adequate, we'll see how they fare on the target here shortly
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Shot some of these into a log, had to use a lot of force to pull them out-points performed well, nothing seperated or broke, pretty hardy stuff:)
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I once had a nock splitting which was made just before a node
(http://www.bild-hoster.de/images/faltenhemd/bambusplit.jpg)