Arrows hitting sideways - Spine Issue?

[Canoe]

Howdy Group,

Recently, I've made a few boo arrow shafts.  And, a whole ago, I made a half doz. Red Oak dowel arrows. 

When shooting these arrow shafts, I am consistently hitting the target sideways with the feathered ends leaning toward the left. (Note: I am a lefty.) 

To my knowledge, this would suggest that my arrows are too stiff - over spined.  Is this correct?  Or might there be be some other factor(s) at play here?  Could it be something like the string rolling off my fingers?  (Or perhaps, there's some other questionable style / shooting technique at play here?)

The shafts have a fairly wide range in spine, (tried as I did to make them consistant.) 

Of the two boo shafts (without feathers) the first one was spined at about 60# over its 30" length.  (This arrow cracked after just four shots.)  My second boo shaft was spined at about 55# over its 30" Length.  (This shaft cracked after about 20 shots.)  And yes, I knocked these shafts so that the stiffest side was against the strike plate. 

Similarly, with my Red Oak dowel arrows (with the feathers on) are also all hitting the target with the feathers leaning strongly to the left.
The spine on these Oak arrows range from 45# to 65# with most of them between 50# to 55#.  Yet, again, all of these arrows are leaning strongly to the left.

I'm shooting from six yards out, and my bow is 47#@28" with about 66" length.  It is a well tillered, stiff handled, Red Oak, board bow.

My shooting style seems to be ok.  I'm pretty new to prim. archer, although I have been shooting wheelled bows for about 30 years.

Why is this happening?
Any questions / comments are great welcomed, and thanks for reading,
Canoe

[FlintWalker]

Too stiff.  How heavy are the tips?

[artcher1]

How wide a handle are you shooting around?  Six yards is mighty close for all but a perfectly tuned arrow to recover, and that's with a great release. You sure you got your bow straight? String out of alignment will cause you problems as will limbs twisting. Could be your arrows but wouldn't hurt to take a closer look at your bow IMO. Are you drawing a full 28"? ART B

[markinengland]

Where are you drawing to? Under your eye?

Might be worth resurrecting a release aid if you have one and see if the problem goes away. This might show it to be your release.

Also worth asking a friend you trust to shoot your bow and arrows. If the problem goes away it is you, if not it is probably the gear!

[Canoe]

Howdy Mark, Artcher, sawFiler, and Group,

Well, thanks for the reply, guys... 

My tips are 125 gr. 

My bow has a cut-in arrow window which puts my arrows about a 1/4" from on-center.

I'll back up to 10yd. to see if things straighten themselves out.
 
I'm sure there's no limb twist, and I'm sure the string is running true through center.

"Are you drawing to full 28in."  That's a really good question.  I may be drawing only to 27" or 26-1/2".  Would that make a whole lot of difference?

I'll pull out my old mechanical release and see if that makes a huge difference.

Thanks again for the replies / suggestions.  I'll go out and do a little experimenting and then get back to you all.

Canoe

[riarcher]

Interesting-
I took my first "test shafts" to the range Friday.
Shot from a 45 / 50# ish bow.
Shafts were 30" w/ 145 piles, spined 50,55,60,65,70,75#

Bow was never shot (by me), recommended brace around 5" (started around 4 1/2")
Tons of "shoot around" off the nuckle.

With low brace all were tail left (right hand shooting). All weak? Couldn't buy that.
Tried a few things, took a break and came back.
Started twisting the string to try and find a sweet spot. (quiet & smoother)
All went along with the weak spine idea until I hit right at 6" brace. Suddenly the 55 to 60# arrows started to straighten so I twisted a couple more.
Interestingly, the 55,60,65, &70# shafts went slightly stiff by just a little.

Not sure what you're shooting, But for me I think the huge amount of shoot around killed me. With the low brace the arrow was held tail right to the end of string travel, then the bow would whip the nock to the left getting around the handle and and stayed that way.
That' only an assumption.  I was testing @ 10, 15, and 20 yds. all bare shafts.

Maybe my experience will give you an idea or 2?

Anyways, I'm considering a little heat bending to try and line up the string a bit. Just feeling shaky about messing with a (sorta) finished osage self bow. Having some limb twist on one end too, so I don't know if I really have anything to loose if all goes wrong. 

[aero86]

You've got some decent weight on those points riarcher.  I think you've got too much spine for the bow your shooting.  I could be wrong though. I've got some arrows that are 45-50 for my 40lb bow, bamboo arrows, and they all seem to hit pretty straight at 10 yards.

[riarcher]

Areo, bare shafts?

I think my setup was just way out of whack.
As mentioned, raised the brace and they came in nicely. Well, at least for a rough starters. 
Interestingly, just the oposite of what has been written.

[aero86]

oh, no, mine werent bare.  i guess i was confused about what you meant by test shafts!

[Barrage]

Riarcher, you might have been slamming the rear end of the arrow off the side of the bow.  I had some aluminum arrows (way stiff) do the same thing.  Would kick the nock end of the arrow out way left until the feathers could stablize it.

[Canoe]

Howdy group,

Well, I went out shooting again this weekend.  I used my mechanical release to see if my arrows would fly straighter.  And, I went out to 10yards.  I got mixed results...

Using the release, I pulled back to a full 28" draw, this increased the arrow speed notably.

The arrows were no longer leaning to the left as they were earlier.  But, they were a littler more scattered (Or, I should say I was a little more scattered with my arrows.)  (And I managed to shoot three more holes into the shed.  Boy, is she going to be P.O.ed!)

So, I think the cause of the leaning arrows is not yet determined, but I think it is my shooting form.
 
I'll investigate farther and then let you know.

Thanks guys,
Canoe 

[aero86]

maybe you werent getting the full draw length?

[Canoe]

Howdy Aero,

Ya, I was definitely not getting my full draw length.  But, do you think a lesser draw length would account for my arrows hitting sideways?

I still intend on going out and experimenting a little more to see if I can solve (and correct) the mystery.

Thanks for your comments / questions,
Canoe

[aero86]

well, im no expert, but i would think it would since your not getting the full power from the bow if you dont draw it the full length..