Building Arrows; It’s not Complicated

pk_

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03D2B7C3-ACAD-4871-B829-A273B64722D0.pngPeople miss animals with guns. Sometimes they have scopes mounted on top of them… it’s the damndest thing.

I just don’t know if squared arrows or a tuned bow are going to save most folks in the moment of truth…

A lot of the conversations I hear about arrow setups and bow tuning remind me of someone getting golf lessons from Tiger Woods in order to go play mini golf. I’m not saying it isn’t helpful, I’m just saying…
 

LONE HUNTER

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I mean, the fact people call it a build baffles me. It's gluing shit on to a shaft. It's no more technical than assembling a model rocket. I personally will never shoot fancy arrows ever again. Easton axis 300 spin. Standard inserts AAE Maxstealth 3 fletch. Grim reaper mechanicals or fixed depending on the game.I do square the ends but that's about it.
 

MattB

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I mean, the fact people call it a build baffles me. It's gluing shit on to a shaft. It's no more technical than assembling a model rocket. I personally will never shoot fancy arrows ever again. Easton axis 300 spin. Standard inserts AAE Maxstealth 3 fletch. Grim reaper mechanicals or fixed depending on the game.I do square the ends but that's about it.
Sweet build bro. ;-)

I can't wrap my head around the "build" thing either when it comes to gluing a few things to an arrow shaft. I think using the term makes guys feel cool. Probably even tacticool...
 

5MilesBack

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I can't wrap my head around the "build" thing either when it comes to gluing a few things to an arrow shaft.
Straight out of Webster's. Definition: "build: to make by putting together parts or materials".

Don't wrap your head around it, just read it. It's just a carbon tube until you put all the parts together, and then it's an arrow.........after it's "built". Just like a house.
 
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I wonder if the archers of old would look at this thread in amusement or disgust with them shooting pointy rocks on a dry stick with tendons for a string sitting on a pile of animals
 

Marble

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Choosing and building arrows is not difficult. A lot of guys get analysis paralysis and put too much emphasis on FOC, component combinations, footers, headers, collars and on and on.

I would rather see guys get to shooting and worry about the most important part of the accuracy solution, the shooter.

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Beendare

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Not rocket science…but I’ve seen more than a few bowhunters with arrow ends that weren’t squared and their BHs didnt spin. <face palm>
Some came from shops that didn’t bother with squaring, they claim, ‘They are fine right off the saw’ Nope.

TH’s rant is fine…I have seen light 380g arrows travel lengthwise in a bull elk frontal shot and wedged against the hide in the hind quarter. I’ve also seen them fail with big mech heads. Match the right head to your arrow and you are golden.

I like a little more weight in my arrows (450g-550g). I don’t loose much trajectory, they make my bow super quiet and perform well- win, win, win
 

LONE HUNTER

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Straight out of Webster's. Definition: "build: to make by putting together parts or materials".

Don't wrap your head around it, just read it. It's just a carbon tube until you put all the parts together, and then it's an arrow.........after it's "built". Just like a house.
Just like a sandwich too huh? Just kidding around, I respect you a lot. We can disagree on how to articulate the finishing process of arrows.
 

Jethro

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I wonder if the archers of old would look at this thread in amusement or disgust with them shooting pointy rocks on a dry stick with tendons for a string sitting on a pile of animals
What I wonder is what did those old timers call it when they were lashing a pointy rock onto a dry stick. Do you think they called it "building" arrows or did they have another name for it? Be good if we could find that out.
 
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Just like a sandwich too huh? Just kidding around, I respect you a lot. We can disagree on how to articulate the finishing process of arrows.
hey, I've seen some "built" sandwiches and some assembled sandwiches (subway), there is a difference lol.
if you only had 1 choice of each component, then you would or could call it assembling an arrow. however, since you have an abundance of choices in each component, and you have to select your parts based on mathematical calculations and theories I'd say you are building the arrows.
 

5MilesBack

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We can disagree on how to articulate the finishing process of arrows.
Speaking of "finishing".......I absolutely love those old Trophy Ridge Crush arrow shafts. I still have some of those that I "built", "assembled", "put together"......whatever each segment of the archery community wants to call it......doesn't really matter.

But.....those arrow shafts came with a very shiny finish that would blind you if the sun shined off them just right. TR said that the finish "made them very slick". I found the opposite......they seemed to be kind of "tacky" depending on what was sliding on them......especially target foam. So I put each of the shafts in a drill and used 600 grit silicon carbide paper to redo the "finish". That worked great to remove that shine, and even smoothed them up.

These arrows also were designed to be used with outserts. I've always hated outserts, so wanted to use my normal HIT's. Well, the HIT's wouldn't fit inside the insert end of the shafts. So I ended up flipping the shafts because they did fit perfectly in the nock end. Then my Bohning A nocks also had trouble fitting in the insert end, so had to sand those down to fit as well.

By the time I finished with a dozen arrows, I felt like I had just "built" them from scratch. But after they were finally finished.....they are the toughest, most accurate arrows I've ever used......whether they were built or assembled.
 
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trophyhill
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View attachment 482451People miss animals with guns. Sometimes they have scopes mounted on top of them… it’s the damndest thing.

I just don’t know if squared arrows or a tuned bow are going to save most folks in the moment of truth…

A lot of the conversations I hear about arrow setups and bow tuning remind me of someone getting golf lessons from Tiger Woods in order to go play mini golf. I’m not saying it isn’t helpful, I’m just saying…
Probably wouldn’t make much of a difference at 10 yards. But once I get out to 80 and beyond, it makes a huge difference 🏹🏹🏹
 

S.Clancy

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What I don't understand is people willingly choosing to setup 300$+ a dozen arrows with all these different components....
 

NXTZ

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Speaking of "finishing".......I absolutely love those old Trophy Ridge Crush arrow shafts. I still have some of those that I "built", "assembled", "put together"......whatever each segment of the archery community wants to call it......doesn't really matter.

But.....those arrow shafts came with a very shiny finish that would blind you if the sun shined off them just right. TR said that the finish "made them very slick". I found the opposite......they seemed to be kind of "tacky" depending on what was sliding on them......especially target foam. So I put each of the shafts in a drill and used 600 grit silicon carbide paper to redo the "finish". That worked great to remove that shine, and even smoothed them up.

These arrows also were designed to be used with outserts. I've always hated outserts, so wanted to use my normal HIT's. Well, the HIT's wouldn't fit inside the insert end of the shafts. So I ended up flipping the shafts because they did fit perfectly in the nock end. Then my Bohning A nocks also had trouble fitting in the insert end, so had to sand those down to fit as well.

By the time I finished with a dozen arrows, I felt like I had just "built" them from scratch. But after they were finally finished.....they are the toughest, most accurate arrows I've ever used......whether they were built or assembled.
I’ve seen you mention those crush arrows on other threads-curious what you’ve found to be comparable from current offerings, if anything?
 

MattB

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What I don't understand is people willingly choosing to setup 300$+ a dozen arrows with all these different components....
You can't call it a build if you don't mix and match. Gluing an insert manufactured by brand A into a shaft manufactured by brand B is an experience so profound that it cannot be described in words. Gluing in an inset manufactured by brand A into a shaft manufactured by brand A....well, that's just assembling. 😀
 
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Ok so I’ve listened to several “long winded” podcasts recently regarding building arrows and which arrows are best and which components “you need” to build that perfect arrow. By the time I was done listening to all this crap, I am even more convinced that keeping it simple is all a guy needs to do.

I don’t need an 800 gr arrow to kill an elk. I don’t need a 500 gr arrow to kill an elk. I don’t need a 400 gr arrow to kill an elk.

What I do need is perfect (or as perfect as I can get) arrow flight. And it isn’t rocket science. I think all the arrow manufactures have charts that give you the spine you need with a particular arrow. Last time I looked at a chart (which has been a few years) because if it ain’t broke, I ain’t fixing it. But to the best of my recollection, it said I need a 340 arrow. GoldTip XT Hunters check that box. The guy who said Easton Axis are the clear cut winner obviously has not shot them from a D350 at 72 lbs with a 29” draw length. I’ve had those Axis arrows come apart after only impacts on my 3d target. Whereas I’ve hit trees, rocks and even a steel post with my GT’s and the arrows just keep on working without coming apart. But I digress. I did my homework and chose my arrows according to “my” findings.

So going off those charts I mentioned earlier, a 340 arrow cut at 28-1/8” gives me perfect fixed broadhead flight. But there are a couple things I do that do not require expensive inserts and all that other BS I heard on these podcasts. But if you can’t get your arrows to fly right it might be worth a listen.

After my arrows are cut to 28-1/8” from throat of nock to end of carbon, I mark the spine, then I take a G5 squaring tool and square the ends. Then I put the nock back in and glue in the insert. I screw in a SlickTrick and spin test. If I have a wobble I square the insert. I think I’ve only ever had 1 SlickTrick that just wouldn’t spin true.

This is all I do to get perfect flight with a fixed head. My 392gr total weight at 300 fps+ is all I need to kill elk sized animals. It really is that simple. Okay my rant is over. If you want to be a ranch fairy or let Snyder build your arrows, go for it. I’m sticking with what works for me 🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹

Also of note is the very first thing I do. I make sure my bow is tuned to perfection.
I agree simple is the best policy, and you are right, I killed several roosies with sub 400gr arrows in the past with zero drama… I do prefer 475-550gr arrows these days, and it’s a very good weight range for the hunting I do, and have been all over the board from 375gr-642gr, none were magical, shoot them good, they die fast… don’t shoot them well, it’s a crapshoot that doesn’t favor our odds, or the critter’s.

Where I don’t totally agree with you is on the axis, I shot GT xt hunters for about 10 years and then axis about the same, and I have found a footed axis to be completely bomb proof.

I go over east every spring and shoot sage rats with my bow (shoot the 17hmr to start the day to keep the ranchers happy and kill a bunch of them) when it slows down late morning I shoot them with my bow around the edges of the pivots so I’m not walking in the pivots.

3-4 days of shooting high volume with hard impact after hard impact on hard desert dirt and glancing impact on sage, it really tests the durability of an arrow.

Before I footed them, they would broom out on the ends with a lot of shooting, but a 1.5” chunk of aluminum arrow of the right diameter epoxied on solves that. I lose nocks, that’s about it… they have been the toughest arrow in that environment that I have shot
 

PMcGee

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I agree simple is the best policy, and you are right, I killed several roosies with sub 400gr arrows in the past with zero drama… I do prefer 475-550gr arrows these days, and it’s a very good weight range for the hunting I do, and have been all over the board from 375gr-642gr, none were magical, shoot them good, they die fast… don’t shoot them well, it’s a crapshoot that doesn’t favor our odds, or the critter’s.

Where I don’t totally agree with you is on the axis, I shot GT xt hunters for about 10 years and then axis about the same, and I have found a footed axis to be completely bomb proof.

I go over east every spring and shoot sage rats with my bow (shoot the 17hmr to start the day to keep the ranchers happy and kill a bunch of them) when it slows down late morning I shoot them with my bow around the edges of the pivots so I’m not walking in the pivots.

3-4 days of shooting high volume with hard impact after hard impact on hard desert dirt and glancing impact on sage, it really tests the durability of an arrow.

Before I footed them, they would broom out on the ends with a lot of shooting, but a 1.5” chunk of aluminum arrow of the right diameter epoxied on solves that. I lose nocks, that’s about it… they have been the toughest arrow in that environment that I have shot

I agree. I went from GT’s to axis and definitely won’t be going back.


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