Arrow Straightness

[Jake Leibke]

Wondering how noticeable of a difference there is between an arrow with a .003 and a .006 straightness rating? Mainly at longer distances? I read once that if you cut off each end when cutting to length that would help some with the straightness tolerance, any truth to that?
Thanks

 

[Jeff Martin]

Arrows straightness are measured from the center. So, cutting from both ends reduces any variances and makes for a more consistent arrow. I have never found that i could tell better groupings from .001 versus .006.

However, I see a difference when trying to get broadheads to spin out, avoiding wabble and fly well. My view is this. You spend countless hours preparing for hunting. You spend absurd mounts of money on gear, so why not buy the best arrow you can find?

 

[Chuffness]

I can tell a difference between .003 and my new .001... Nothing i've ever had groups as good as my current .001 arrows. Plus my BH's are flying better too

 

[realunlucky]

Archery is a mental game so if you think its better it will perform better. I also agree with the above after all the effort it's really not that much more money.

 

[no limits]

I'm not a expert, but I would think with the force and speed these new bows are shooting every little .001 would make a big difference in arrow flight. Especially shooting broadheads.

 

[lintond]

Here is an engineers take on it. Forgive me for being a nerd. If you take a theoretical straight arrow and apply a force at the end (string pushing, and broadhead resisting at the other) you have no flex in the arrow. Now take an actual arrow with some slight bow to it. You get a bending force of that distance times the end force. Example 1"x50# = 50 in-lbs (torque or bending moment) this will cause your arrow to flex and bend. Now lets say you have a cheap arrow that is 6 times as curved. ( .001 vs .006) you'll get 6"x50# = 300 in-lbs which causes even more bending. Hope this makes sense.

Just my opinion but we spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on our bow, gear, boots, etc... Plus the fees to hunt, travel, etc... Is that small savings worth it if you can get better accuracy? I shoot the best I can get and afford. My GT hunter pros shoot very well and I am the limiting factor. This is what I want, not me hoping my bow/arrow will perform.

 

[FemoralArchery]

I'd be willing to bet that if I sent someone a dozen arrows, 4 each of .001, .003, and .006 straightness, free of labels and numbered so that only I know the true identity of each arrow, not one person out there could figure out which ones are which.

 

[Lukem]

Here is an engineers take on it. Forgive me for being a nerd. If you take a theoretical straight arrow and apply a force at the end (string pushing, and broadhead resisting at the other) you have no flex in the arrow. Now take an actual arrow with some slight bow to it. You get a bending force of that distance times the end force. Example 1"x50# = 50 in-lbs (torque or bending moment) this will cause your arrow to flex and bend. Now lets say you have a cheap arrow that is 6 times as curved. ( .001 vs .006) you'll get 6"x50# = 300 in-lbs which causes even more bending. Hope this makes sense.

Just my opinion but we spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on our bow, gear, boots, etc... Plus the fees to hunt, travel, etc... Is that small savings worth it if you can get better accuracy? I shoot the best I can get and afford. My GT hunter pros shoot very well and I am the limiting factor. This is what I want, not me hoping my bow/arrow will perform.

Sorry, but every arrow shot out of a bow has bend in it, unless you're shooting rebar, even then (probably a little bend depending on the length). Weight at the front of a flexible shaft will accelerate slower than the rear causing bend.

As for the straightness issue, the difference between a .001 and a .006 is literally the width of a human hair over the entire length of an arrow. That equates to less than .02% grade over the length of the arrow. I'd bet a paycheck that nobody here can build an arrow precise enough that either the nock, fletchings, insert or broadhead are off less than that. I know everybody spins their arrows, but I doubt anybody could detect that kind of difference either. Arrow straightness is about selling arrows for all the reasons mentioned above: we spend tons of money on everything else, we better have the best, you never know, etc., etc.

 

[Lukem]

Put it this way: You're shopping for a car and all you need is a commuter to go 3 miles back and forth to work daily. A 1993 Subaru Legacy will work perfectly, yet some guys will find a way to justify spending money on a Ferrari.

 

[no limits]

Put it this way: You're shopping for a car and all you need is a commuter to go 3 miles back and forth to work daily. A 1993 Subaru Legacy will work perfectly, yet some guys will find a way to justify spending money on a Ferrari.

Everybody is entitled too their opinion. I was a mechanic for over 20 years and a construction worker for 6 years, I've bought more than my share of tools through the years and I'm telling you it doesn't pay to buy cheap tools because you will be buying the good ones eventually. Believe me I know, the same holds true for me with my hunting gear. I buy good quality gear including arrows, I don't want too be 1000 miles away on a hunt and have junk gear wondering if everything is going too work because I wanted to save a 100 bucks. That's just my two cents worth.

 

[Lukem]

Everybody is entitled too their opinion. I was a mechanic for over 20 years and a construction worker for 6 years, I've bought more than my share of tools through the years and I'm telling you it doesn't pay to buy cheap tools because you will be buying the good ones eventually. Believe me I know, the same holds true for me with my hunting gear. I buy good quality gear including arrows, I don't want too be 1000 miles away on a hunt and have junk gear wondering if everything is going too work because I wanted to save a 100 bucks. That's just my two cents worth.

.006 arrows aren't junk. They're made at exactly the same time as .001, often out of the same batches, they just grade a hair's width different and have different stickers on them. We've really been sold a bill of goods on the arrow grade issue.

 

[weaver]

Somebody with access to a hooter shooter should test this. I know i cant shoot good enough to notice a difference.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Pretty much agree with Lukem.

 

[Jake Leibke]

Well I decided on a middle of the road .003 ........ It will have to be good enough I guess

 

[ontarget7]

To each their own. For me I shoot the tightest tolerance arrows I can get in any given brand. Yes, I see a difference

 

[Brandon Pattison]

I cannot see the difference but I go for the better ones as they usually are in production for longer for replacing and I tend to spend more time looking for lost ones. I wonder how many arrows I have lost...

I have also seen arrow manufacturers release A arrow this year and then a new one (B) comes out next year. Next year the specs on the A arrow get worse (new graphics, same specs otherwise) to help drive sales up for B arrow. Although, the tooling could get sloppy after a year and the new employee could get assigned that machine too I suppose. A lot of 'crappy' arrows have shot 300/60X rounds years gone by.

 

[Lukem]

How many guys shoot match grade ammo out of their hunting rifles? Why not?

 

[lintond]

Sorry, but every arrow shot out of a bow has bend in it, unless you're shooting rebar, even then (probably a little bend depending on the length). Weight at the front of a flexible shaft will accelerate slower than the rear causing bend.

As for the straightness issue, the difference between a .001 and a .006 is literally the width of a human hair over the entire length of an arrow. That equates to less than .02% grade over the length of the arrow. I'd bet a paycheck that nobody here can build an arrow precise enough that either the nock, fletchings, insert or broadhead are off less than that. I know everybody spins their arrows, but I doubt anybody could detect that kind of difference either. Arrow straightness is about selling arrows for all the reasons mentioned above: we spend tons of money on everything else, we better have the best, you never know, etc., etc.

I'm not saying that the arrow won't bend. I realize that is part of the dynamics of an arrows flight. The arrow with poorer tolerances will just magnify this. Sorry if I'm the type that buys the best I can get and realistically afford.

 

[Brandon Pattison]

How many guys shoot match grade ammo out of their hunting rifles? Why not?

Yup.

 

[Lukem]

Sorry if I'm the type that buys the best I can get and realistically afford.

This is really my point, it's not like we're comparing a Kifaru pack with a Kelty (or a Subaru Legacy with a Ferrari for that matter), we're comparing two Kifaru's built slightly different. We don't demand that all the packs grade out and then pay twice as much for the perfect ones versus the ones with stitching that was slightly off center, do we? We get wound up on arrows because they have numbers on them and one of them is 6x the other and think "Holy crap, they must be junk" without considering what they actually mean in real world measurements. It's literally a hair's width on something that we induce spin to negate any irregularities, and most of the time are hand built and "eyeballed" for symmetry...

I shot .001 for 10 years thinking I had to have them and that I could tell the difference. I started shooting .003s and now .006s because I realized that before when I'd shoot .006s and I'd have a flier I'd blame the arrow. But when I'd have a flier with .001s I knew it was me. My groups are the same. It's me. Just now I have an extra $50 in my pocket to spend on other gear. Save your money from the "What If" Fairy and spend it where it matters.