[Huh]

Hey, just curious what everyone thinks about the idea of a tapered shaft, pros, cons. Any technical considerations? The advertising of some say cut from the back to increase the spine and cut from the front to weaken it while others claim to cover bows from 60-100#. I think I like the idea of the shape in general and an increase in FOC, but they seem a bit mystical at this point given their lack of popularity and the difficult I am having finding information.

Also, if you have used them what was your experience like?

Brands I know of at this point:
- Arrow Dynamics
- AMG/Allied Archery Air Force/GT20's "Smart Shafts"
- Carbon Tech - Panthers
- Alaska Bowhunting Shafts - Grizzly Stiks
- ? Slipstreams ?

FWIW, I shoot a compound and mostly hunt.

Thanks,

 

[60X]

I've shot the arrow dynamics. While I'll agree that they're tolerances aren't very consistant they shoot pretty good.

 

[ChappyHOYT]

They're used a lot in the traditional archery setting. You'd find a lot of info on tradgang.com

 

[bigbuckdn]

They're used a lot in the traditional archery setting. You'd find a lot of info on tradgang.com

I shot arrow dynamics nitro stingers I think they flew real good just hadr to get and other arrows flew just as good

 

[stain]

If haveing fletching clearance problems tapped is a good way to elimanate this. Need more weight forward this does work but going to a heavier head is cheaper.

 

[Huh]

Thanks for the input so far guys, anybody else have an opinion?

 

[jusrie]

I use the Carbon Tech Panthers, and i love them. I'm told the tapered shatf helps with arrow recovery as well. Most of the guys i shoot with use the panthers as well, they group really well, and have a nice weight to them.

 

[Huh]

So, how does one cut a Panther shaft? Which end did you choose to cut? Is there a chart you use to help you decide or is it all trial and error?

 

[Bill 2311]

I shot them back in my traditional days. They stabilized quicker and gave better fletching clearance off of the shelf of a longbow or recurve. They also gave a higher f.o.c. However they were wood shafts. Now you have me curious about tapered in a shaft other than wood.

 

[mdmountainman]

So, how does one cut a Panther shaft? Which end did you choose to cut? Is there a chart you use to help you decide or is it all trial and error?

I have just purchased some Carbontech whitetails and I was really considering those panthers. I didn't get them because I had the same question you do. Unless you are spine testing then how do you know how much to cut from each end? I also worried about consistency between arrows. If you take some from both sides then you would have to take the exact same amount from each side of ALL of your arrows. That might be challenging to repeat.

 

[Koorsboom]

They are also supposed to be higher spined and therefore supposed to be able to handle heavier broad heads. I could however not find any that gave me total arrow weight of around 65ogr and could handle more then 300gr up front.

I see some of them are advertised as aiding in line cutting ... that may be so, but the rules normally state that the shaft must be touching a zone to score so with the thin end at the back you end up with a large hole in the paper, but the shat not touching and therefore you still get the loewer score.

I do hearthat they fly great though ...

 

[jusrie]

I cut off the front of my panthers, i shoot a 60 lb, and carbon tech lists the spines in their catalog.

CT says at 28"
4" cut from the insert end gives 8.4 gpi and a .400 spine
2" cut from each end gives you 8.7 gpi and .370 spine
4" cut from the fletch end gives 8.5 gpi and .340 spine
The hunting arrow selection chart in the CT catalog it gives a suggestion listed as either F, M, or B. Front , Middle, or Back cut
I went on the lighter side of the spine selection since I'm kind of in between a front or middle cut.
The arrow ends up just about 300 grains without the tip on any cut.

 

[Huh]

Thanks for the info. The panthers definitely sound like they have a lighter spine than that reported by Arrow Dynamics. The other manufacturers are so hard to find out about to the best of my knowledge we are to assume that each arrow is good for 60-100lb bows, but how to cut? For the arrow dynamics the weights and spines are listed below for comparison.

Model Grains/in Deflection

Nitro-Stinger Gold Label 8.9 gr/inch 215
Nitro-Stinger Green Label 8.5 gr/inch 225
Nitro-Stinger Orange Label 8.0 gr/inch 250
Nitro Light Yellow Label 6.7 gr/inch 350
Big Game 10.5 gr/inch 200
Traditional 11.0 gr/inch 300
Traditional Light 9.3 gr/inch 350

And of course they changed the chart of the trad page, so...
Model Weight Spine Deflection
Hammerhead Lite 370g ±7
Hammerhead 390g ±7 90 lb. 350

 

[Whitey375]

27.75" CT Panthers
3-2" Blazer fletches
50 grain Gold Tip weight
100 grain head
438 grains
17.8% FOC
Cut all the length off the back, nock end, bullet holes in paper out of a 69# Destroyer 350, tuned right down the middle.

 

[mt hunter22]

hey whitie what is your foc with a 125 gr head and no weight? and how about with the 100 gr head and no weight? thanks

 

[Vortex69]

Forge makes an interesting taper shaft. The front few inches are straight as is the back couple of inches only a smaller diameter with the taper inbetween.