Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: burchett.donald on November 25, 2011, 06:34:20 am
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I'm ready to begin on a dozen arrows for hunting and target shooting. I would like to know EVERYONE'S OPINION on the best arrow wood. I was leaning towards sitka spruce. I will be using chert points, sinew, feathers and self nocks. What's my best choice here. Would like to end up between 500 to 550 gn. total. Any comments would be appreciated.
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Sitka spruce makes very good arrows as does most of the store bought shafting. If you have access to cane or hardwood shoots you can make great "primitive" arrows. If you've never made arrows from scratch, the sitka spruce should work fine for you.
When cutting self nocks into doweled shafting be sure to cut the nock across the end grain and wrap just below the nock to keep the shaft from splitting. Also put the stiffest side of the shaft against the bow.
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I've made plenty with cedar but heard sitka was tougher with the same qualities. To me that's a plus! Is sitka a better shafting in your opinion? Is sitka better than cedar? Most of the cedar I'm receiving is twisted, some grain MORE THAN 45 degrees! And have had this problem from multiple suppliers. When setting in self nocks this is a big problem because once you line up the grain for spine sometimes it twists parallel to the sring, "self nock". I heard that sitka usually has straighter grain also! when I recieve a badly twisted shaft or 2 or 3 in a doz. it makes me wonder because someone spined it and looked at it and made the decision to sell it! Maybe I'm getting a few culls and their saving the goodies for the premium premaid arrows they sell?
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Sitka is a bit heavier and probably a bit stronger than POC. If you are buying shafting with that bad of grain I would complain to the supplier. I started making my own shafting from cane and hardwood shoots because I didn't trust the store bought shafting. I have made good arrows with POC, self nocks and tied on stone points but they just aren't as strong as my cane or hardwood shoots are. You can split out or saw out blanks for shafting and hand plane out the shafts yourself. Find a good board of spruce , fir, poplar or pine cut it into 3/8"x3/8" square stock and plane off the 4 corners...then the 8 corners then sand it smooth and sand it to adjust spine. These can be as good or better than any you can buy.
Another option is to go to a hardware or lumber store and hand pic and buy wood dowels. They make excellent arrows if you are choosy about what you start with.
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If you bare shaft tune the arrows they fly great. Pat were you the one that explain this technique to me this summer? Each arrow is tuned to the bow and it works great.
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I never bareshaft test arrows. I make up an arrow and shoot it. If it shoots poorly I make fluflus with it. ;) I rarely even spine test my homemade arrows except to find the stiff side.
I do make my arrows long, 29" to 30" for my 26" draw. If it seems a bit flimsy I will cut it down to stiffen it a bit. It will increase the spine by 5# for each inch I cut off.
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The arrow I killed my first and only deer with was made from red oak split from a log and then I shaved it down till they shot real good. But my POC snap back and don't neeed as much attention all the time.
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I've nver tried POC but I prety much only use the cane or bamboo arrows. They last realy well and if made well fly great! Pluss they are dirt cheap (minus all the fidgiting time for construction).
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The best arrow wood, IMO, is birch. I use it whenever I can. My second choice is shoots that I harvest myself here in TX: Yaupon holly, privet, poverty weed, sage, and phagmites reed, in that order.
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Bamboo or cane, but they are plants rather. Still the best you can get in my thin book!
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I have access to allot of river cane patches but wouldn't know where to start. They look like a heep of work and time. What diameter to cut while green? Also I would need a spine tester. I'm serious about close to exact spine and near perfect arrow flight. Wouldn't want to invest all the time to find out my spine was 25# or 105#. If I knew a good diameter I could try and cut some. How long does it take them to dry? Have a doz. or more points that are between 150 -175. Thats what the Indians used here is what I was told. Whats the average weight on a shaft of cain around 26" minus the footing? Man I have so many questions about that subject been going around in my head I could keep going and going and going....
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River cane is killer stuff from what I have read here. Many guys will tell you its the best. I know you are an impatient guy and want to tear it up, Im the same way. I would suggest checking in on the "arrows" forum as much as you can daily. Read up on all the cool stuff these people post about cane arrows, soak it all in. After enough reading you will be whipping out cane shafts by the dozen Im sure. They are labor intensive Im willing to bet, but anything worth it always is! PRIMITIVE archer says it all man! As far as arrow flight. We all want perfectly tuned shafts. If a particular material is chosen to make shafts out of it is usually because of diameter, strength, longevity or personal preference. Great arrow flight is a given, or the material wouldnt even be on the "list". You can use the "search" feature up top as well. Just type in rivercane and you will busy for hours. You got a 6 month wait til that bow stave is ready anyhow Don!
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River cane or bamboo for me too. The most durable shaft material out there as far as I'm concerned.
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I use some old POC that I inherited. They break @ the point when using a tappered point. I started putting those soft grips from pens on them...I saw somwthing similar for sale @3R. I like POC, but I also use multi-floral rose. Tough, but light. Looks like canes the stuff to use and the oration of Pearl Drum should be read again. Way to put it out there it PD!!
good luck on your dz., dpgratz
oh yea, if I'm not mistaken, using a 3/8" open end wrench for a guide will give you about the standard diameter for arrow shafts.
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And one more thing.
If you have an arrow that flys good from your bow, you can nail two nails into a wall or whatever, 26 inches apart, put your arrow on them horizontally and hang a weight from the center, 2 pounds is standard, but anything close to that will work, then mark the deflection on the wall. In theory any shafts that have the same deflection should shoot good from that same bow. Check all sides of the shaft and make sure you put the stiffest side towards the bow riser. This is hillbilly, but works. Relax and enjoy. ;D dpg
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Yea that stave is going to wait but I have 2 68" hickory's that I shoot and they are begging for some shafts. I'm down to 4 hunting shafts now in the middle of hunting season. Made 6 and busted 2 points out of them. I have some cedar shafting and If I have to I can keep myself going until season ends Jan 1. Seen an interesting build along on cane last night. Looks time consuming but am seriously considering cutting some cane so it can be drying. Saved my busted arrows so I can reuse my feathers and the sinew as well. I believe in reusing stuff when I can. I bet not to many indians would bust a shaft and not pick it up and try to salvage what they could. Looks like with cane most of the time you just replace the foreshaft and point and keep going.
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I think for shoot arrows at least in my area Dog wood is the hardset stay straightest shoot arrow wood there is. I made arrows of all hard woods in my area. All hard woods here make fine arrows.
As like Pat I never spine or weight my arrows. I can looks and be close on spine ofcorse all my bow are center shot. This gives me a wide range of arrow spine that one of my bows will shoot. You'd really have to go through a lot of shoot arrows to make a matched set of shoot arrows (spine and weight). I make and shoot lots of bows so if it dos'nt shoot well in the bow I'm shooting at the time. I just but it up untill I get a bow for it.
As for dowl arrows I made many dozzen's of both. Sitka is heavyer and harder and stays strighter longer than POC. Birch is one of the best arrowwoods but a little heavy unless your shooting a heavyer bow. I'd have to say HICKORYS also not bad it you like heavy.