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New guy question

1K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  BLACK WOLF 
#1 ·
As I eluded to in another post, I'm getting back into archery after about a 25 year hiatus. I've never had much of any coaching, and my memory for what we talked about in archery merit badge is pretty bad, so here goes.

Should an arrow that is correctly matched to the bow (spine, length, etc) travel straight to the target, regardless of the cant of the bow?

Does the above apply to all bows, or just those with a shelf that allows the arrow to be close to or on the mid-line of the bow (i.e. are things different for a traditional long bow that has no shelf)?

Are there other factors that would affect the spine of a wood arrow other than the diameter and material?

If it helps, I'm specifically thinking about this regarding a 40-45# longbow that I want to get in the near future.

Thanks,
D
 
#3 ·
Canting the bow will affect where the arrow hits on the target, and that is dependent upon whether you are right handed or left handed shooting. It applies to all bows.. . shelf or not.

Yes, there are other factors that affect the spine of the arrow. . .that is the bow itself and how it is set up.
1. different poundage
2. Different brace heights
3. different pile weights (arrow tip weights).
4. Different shelves and the distance they are from mid center of the bow.
5. Whether you use a release, finger tabs, or glove.
6. Draw length.
and others.
 
#4 ·
Should an arrow that is correctly matched to the bow (spine, length, etc) travel straight to the target, regardless of the cant of the bow?
Basically....yes.

Are you asking this based on what you see at full draw while aiming?

How the arrow looks as it is pointed towards the target depends on which eye is dominant, if you're shooting right or left handed, your form, the position of the arrow on the bow and exactly where the arrow is positioned under your eye.

Does the above apply to all bows, or just those with a shelf that allows the arrow to be close to or on the mid-line of the bow (i.e. are things different for a traditional long bow that has no shelf)?
Canting the bow is sometimes used for this very reason...to help point the arrow visually in a straight line to the target.

Are there other factors that would affect the spine of a wood arrow other than the diameter and material?
Static spine...maybe humidity....dynamic spine...yes.

The static spine of an arrow is specifically measured at a specific length using a specific method to test it's spine.

The dynamic spine of a wood arrow can be determined or changed by it's length, the point weight, whether the arrow is footed or not, any weight at the back of the arrow such as the application of crown dipping or arrow wraps for examples.

Ray :shade:
 
#5 ·
Thanks for all the responses, this is quite helpful.

I'm one of those cross-dominance people (right hand - left eye), so I'm planning on using the instinctual method of shooting. I tried using sights on borrowed bows, or the gap method that they told us about in Archery Merit Badge, but they never worked for me. Using any of those methods, I had to change where I aimed, both vertically and horizontally, which was difficult at best, as well as very frustrating.

Regarding the arrow flying straight to the target, yes, I was thinking of that as being shot from full draw. The other thing I was thinking is that as distance changed, properly tuned arrows and bow would not require a change in windage (assuming a calm/windless day) as distance increased, only elevation would need adjustment.

When making wooden arrows (and considering spine again), is it correct that you choose the static spine based on the draw weight of the bow you are using, and then adjust the dynamic spine by changing the weight of the point and the length of the arrow to get the most accurate combination?

Thanks,
D
 
#6 ·
I'm one of those cross-dominance people (right hand - left eye), so I'm planning on using the instinctual method of shooting. I had to change where I aimed, both vertically and horizontally, which was difficult at best, as well as very frustrating. Regarding the arrow flying straight to the target, yes, I was thinking of that as being shot from full draw. The other thing I was thinking is that as distance changed, properly tuned arrows and bow would not require a change in windage (assuming a calm/windless day) as distance increased, only elevation would need adjustment.
That's generally true for archers that shoot the same hand as their dominant eye.

I believe being cross dominant can cause problems in that area as you have already expereienced.

When making wooden arrows (and considering spine again), is it correct that you choose the static spine based on the draw weight of the bow you are using, and then adjust the dynamic spine by changing the weight of the point and the length of the arrow to get the most accurate combination?
Simply speaking yes...but there are other factors that play into it.

Use Stu's Dynamic Spine Calculator and it will begin to help teach you what's involved with choosing the correct spined arrows to start the tuning process.

http://www.heilakka.com/stumiller/

Ray :shade:
 
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