Arrow setup for new recurve

[Jagger0502]

I am getting a new recurve here hopefully in the next week and planning to refletch some current arrows I am using on my current recurve but unsure if they will work with my new bow, mostly because they shouldn’t work with my current bow but for some reason they fly great.

I am currently shooting a Striker sport 48lb@28”. My arrows are Black Eagle Instinct 400 cut to 30” (30.5 with outserts) with outserts at 100 grain and 150 grain tips, 4 feather 3” and 4 feather 4” both flying the same. I have been told by every calculator and most bow shops that my arrow setup for this bow is wrong and I have two much FOC for a micro diameter arrow on a 48lb recurve. Problem is, all my fletchings are screwed up I lost six nocks this past week shooting targets between 15-20 yards… so they fly well for me. Why is everyone telling me they are not the right setup?

New bow is South’s Coyote FXT with ACS longbow limbs. One set of limbs at 50lb and another at 60lb. Will my current arrow setup work? Should I go ahead and redo my fletching and knocks and get them ready for this new bow or should I start from scratch and build a new arrow specifically for the new bow according to what everyone else says I should shoot and not waste my time rebuilding these arrows? I do plan to test these arrows along with some Gold tips 400s and FMJ 340s to see which fly the best as a test but hoping the black Eagles fit the bill.

PS. The striker sport will be going up for sale once the new bow arrives if anyone is interested. Two sets of limbs, also have 37lbs @28”.

 

[NoRush24]

Will be extremely hard for anyone to say if they will work or not, best bet is to get the new bow and shoot some bareshafts and see what your arrow flight looks like. Can always order a couple arrows Spine up and down. It’s nice to have a couple or different spines laying around even if it’s just 2-3 arrows. And using hot melt on your components to allow you to swap around insert weights as well.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

400 spine doesn't seem unreasonable at your listed bow/arrow specs. 3 Rivers Archery's website has the most comprehensive spine calculator I've found for traditional bows. You could play around with it to get an idea of what the "right" spine should be for your current and future bows. However, regardless of what the calculator says, the proof is in the pudding. The only way to truly determine appropriate spine for your bow is to shoot different shaft lengths, front end weights, and static spines until you get broadheads hitting with field points (or bareshafts hitting with fletched shafts if that's how you prefer to tune).

 

[Jagger0502]

Will be extremely hard for anyone to say if they will work or not, best bet is to get the new bow and shoot some bareshafts and see what your arrow flight looks like. Can always order a couple arrows Spine up and down. It’s nice to have a couple or different spines laying around even if it’s just 2-3 arrows. And using hot melt on your components to allow you to swap around insert weights as well.

Thank you. I do plan to try a few arrows I have lying around from other bows. I guess I plug my info into these calculators and it tells me my setup is wrong and I don’t know why and equally as confused as to why my arrow flight is so good. I would love to say I figured it out, but I bought the bow and arrows from a fella as a package so he did all the work and I am just shooting what he already had setup. Now that I need to do it for a new bow I am at a loss other than just starting from scratch and trying a few setups. I asked a few bow shops and they all told me what I have now won’t work and that it shouldn’t work well with my current bow. I am not educated enough because I had it handed to me on the first go around.

 

[Jagger0502]

400 spine doesn't seem unreasonable at your listed bow/arrow specs. 3 Rivers Archery's website has the most comprehensive spine calculator I've found for traditional bows.

Thank you, that is what I have been using. Basically the spine is correct if I go to a 100gr point with the 100 grain insert. I have a buddy coming over later that has some 100grain field points to see how it changes. Maybe it will fly better…

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Thank you, that is what I have been using. Basically the spine is correct if I go to a 100gr point with the 100 grain insert. I have a buddy coming over later that has some 100grain field points to see how it changes. Maybe it will fly better…

If you're only shooting fletched shafts with field points, you might not see the effect of being over or under spined. You can get good groups with an arrow that's too stiff or too weak. It's when you start tuning that you begin detecting the effect of spine.

 

[Rob5589]

Different spined shafts, points in various weight, slow motion video to see flight, is what worked for me. Trad bows seem to be all over the place with regards to spine.

 

[Patriot2]

Trad bows cannot be adjusted to accomodate spine so it is very different. You must adjust the arrow. I always started with 2 or 3 different spine arrows of full length ( I shot wood with my recurve but it doesn't matter). Shoot them all through paper and any that are too stiff according to the paper test can be disregarded. Each remaining arrow, cut off 1/2" (or 1/4" when getting close) and shoot through paper again. Repeat until you are shooting bullet holes through paper with each shaft and choose the one nearest the length you prefer and disregard the others. I know of no other way to properly get the EXACT proper spine - this way works every time. It it time consuming but you will learn a lot in the process and your arrows will be perfectly spined and shoot like bullets. Use hot melt glue for the inserts so you can take length off the point end and not have to refletch every time. Good luck!!

 

[Wrench]

My stalker is 51@28 and I draw 29". My tune comes in with a trad 400, 31" 100 insert and 175 head.

Those acs limbs are probably snappier than my limbs, but is probably offset by the skinny shaft.

Hope that helps.

 

[mparks270]

Seems like you have 400 spine arrows to bare shaft tune with right now. I would go that route and not worry about spine calculators. A 3 Rivers field point test kit would be a good idea.

 

[Jagger0502]

Ok, for my current bow I just did some testing this morning and found the micro 400s with 250 up front jump a little, very little, I went down to 200 up front and the jump went away. I also have some 500 spline I went with 200 up front and didn’t have any jump with those but they are an inch shorter. My 400’s that are not a micro shaft are all over the place but I didn’t mess with trying to figure out the reason knowing the micros are shooting much better without much effort. With 250 or 200 upfront on the micros I still have great groups at 15 but might switch up to the 100s knowing the jump or shorten the arrow and try the 250 up front again. Not enough time to do it all today.

I have a buddy with a bunch of uncut arrows in 340, 350 and 400. Once I get the new bow I will test them all out and see what works best. Thank all for the helpful comments.

 

[1denogean]

All my bows seem to shoot better on the weaker spine of the scale. I have 2 black widows same specs and they don't like the same arrows. I'd take my time cutting arrows bare shifting cuz arrows are getting more expensive by the week

 

[Wrench]

Ok, for my current bow I just did some testing this morning and found the micro 400s with 250 up front jump a little, very little, I went down to 200 up front and the jump went away. I also have some 500 spline I went with 200 up front and didn’t have any jump with those but they are an inch shorter. My 400’s that are not a micro shaft are all over the place but I didn’t mess with trying to figure out the reason knowing the micros are shooting much better without much effort. With 250 or 200 upfront on the micros I still have great groups at 15 but might switch up to the 100s knowing the jump or shorten the arrow and try the 250 up front again. Not enough time to do it all today.

I have a buddy with a bunch of uncut arrows in 340, 350 and 400. Once I get the new bow I will test them all out and see what works best. Thank all for the helpful comments.

Fat shaft move the arrow mass away from center....just like stacking the shelf.

Some nock high with a lot of foc is normal.

 

[ammonnhonduras]

Looks like a great set up to me. I just posted a thread of my current arrow set up and results. As long as your shafts bare shaft tune perfectly, you should be fine. And it looks like your weight upfront is nice. My FOC is like 25% and it performed amazing for me this past weekend. The guy at my bow shop had no clue to what or why I was doing. But he watched and learned as I got my bare shaft tune perfected. He enjoyed seeing the pics of my results.

 

[Jagger0502]

Thanks for the info and congrats on a very nice buck!

 

[oldgoat]

First off, those calculators rarely really work, only way I've used them successfully, is put in the specs for an arrow that I know works, look at the results and document that, then you can put in other arrow specs and see if they are in the same ballpark and then you know they will probably work! Second, don't depend on just that arrows group as to whether or not they are tuned, unless you have a bare shaft in with fletched, even unturned arrows will group with likewise untuned arrows. Ultimately, get them where they fly nice and try a broadhead, broadhead flight is your benchmark! And when you shoot the broadheads, hold your form and don't lift your head to peek at the arrow flight!