Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Arrows => Topic started by: agd68 on July 16, 2008, 11:51:57 am
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What is the benifit to tapering arrow shafts? ???
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Tapering a shaft allows you to shoot a lighter weight arrow while still keeping a higher spine weight and that equals a faster arrow.
It also helps the back end of the arrow clear the bow better, the tail end being thinner theres less there for the handle to disturb as it goes zippin by.
A lot of natural material arrows are naturally tapered, cane and shoots (if not made parallel) have a big end and a small end, just put the big end up front and you have a naturally tapered weight forward shaft.
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Barrell tapered shafts are suppossed to recover faster from the archer's paradox, making them better for non center shot bows. Because the tips are lighter, they will recover faster. A weight forward shaft will also fly better.
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Thanks for the info. Do you spine the shaft before or after tappering it?
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They look cool. ;D
There's a lot of debate about this....and many people (including engineers and physicists) conclude that parallel shafts are the best shape for arrows.
IMO, the material that is most readily available (i.e., cheapest) is the material that is (and has always been) used for arrows. IMO, the effect of arrow shape is relatively small compared to the effects of bow strength and the archer's skill. It's one of those things that archers use to "fine tune" their equipment. If you're close to your target (like you're supposed to be), the difference is negligible.
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Spine before and after tapering. Also, spine after shooting the arrows, if you shoot a lot.
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Barrel tapering will allow for decrease physical weight without(or almost) effecting the spine. Flight shooters use them, I believe, for that reason. I'm shooting mostly cane or hardwood shoot arrows(tapered from point to cock) and for self bows they are hard to beat. I get good bow clearance and good heavy hunting arrows...and both are almost indestructible. Pat
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Jack is absolutely correct. I don't personally use barrel tapered shafts, but that is the theory. I don't think it's worth the extra effort. I use hexpine parallel shafts, and cane. But, if you want to fine tune, it's an option.
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I don't think Jack is " absolutely correct" . I think that he was expressing his opinion. Tapered shafts are one step up from parallel shafts in performance especially in hunting situations. If Parallel shafts were so much better than tapered why would folks taper them? Why would they cost more and people pay it?
Jack can shoot what he wants but he was stating an opinion not fact. I can say that the tapered arrows I've fletched up and shot were more forgiving than parallel shafts and usable spine range seemed to be wider.
Most of the arrows I make are parallel simply because I haven't come up with a real good way to taper them yet.
"Any old stick can make a bow but a good arrow is a heap of work."
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Hey Minuteman! Why did you have to go and deflate my ego like that? Dang..... :'(
Anyway, some might conclude from my comment about parallel shafts that I prefer parallel shafts or that I think parallel shafts are superior to all other designs? Well, truth is, I prefer tapered shafts.
Huh?
Yep....I haven't used parallel shafts for years. For me, barrelled shafts are more "natural" and fit better with my primitive equipment. I'm also not trying out for the Olympics so the accuracy and consistency of parallel shafts is not a concern to me. The key word here being consistency.
And while we are on the subject, why is there a general lack of understanding of Olympic records, techniques, and equipment in the archery community? Those guys are out there fishing while we are debating about the best way to dig up the worms. :-\
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Hey Minuteman, go to June 23 in "Arrows" and see the "tapper tool remake". Its a simple tool to tapper shafts.
Dick
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Dick, bring your taper tool to the camp-o-rama. I have a doz ash shafts I want to taper. Pat
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Its in the truck. Need a drill?
Dick
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Might as well bring it. ;D Pat
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Done. Anything you can think of we need. This is a list of what I am bringing:
Cane-two bundles, dried
Douglas fur shafts 3 doz
POC several doz shafts
Aluminum shafts (ouch)
Flint napping matl-8 buckets of it including coral and 4 bags of sand for heat treating.
Tapper tool
Draw knives with tools
Nocking tool
Draw horse
one 8 ft table
one 10 x 10 pop-up
two shelter tents(in case someone forgets)
Flintlock rifle and pistol to show Allen
Some Bowie knives, done and in process
5 bows with arrows (we may run into a war)
1 H & K .45 We may run into a BIG war.
Did I forget anything? This is the reason I have to come on Thursday. It will take two days to unload. ;D
Dick
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That looks good, Dick. I'm posting a few things on the Trad Shoots thread. Pat