How much straightness can you add per inch of arrow cut off?

[KBC]

I've been using the Axis match 5mm for the last while but the price has almost doubled since I bought my last dozen about a year ago. The non-match ones are now the same price I paid last February so I'm wondering if anyone has figured out an average of how much straighter the arrows are if you are picky on which end you trim from. They come at 32" and I will be trimming them to just over 29".

In the past at 0.001" straightness I never worried about which end they got cut. If I spin them and cut the wobbly end will I end up in the same spot?

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Shoot wood shafts and stop caring. Practice more using different (unknown) distances and in different positions. Learn to trust your gut. Forget all else. JMO.

 

[Billy Goat]

Probably none. The standard for measuring straightness is not measuring full length, usually 30" or 28", I think Black Eagle and Gold Tip sell on Full length straightness, but I might be wrong there.

 

[Wapiti1]

You would need a good arrow inspector and you would have to accept that an arrow might be "bent" full length, on one end, on both ends, in the middle somewhere, in multiple spots, gradually or abruptly. Be prepared to cull.

Jeremy

 

[Blockcaver]

Easton Carbon Injexion 330s straightness could be improved by selectively cutting. Some were + or - .001 but a lot of them over my 12” center to center dial indicator style aluminum arrow
Straightener were way out…some exceeding the + or - .003” tolerance they touted by a significant amount.

All you can do is test straightness at each end of the shaft and pick the crooked end to cut from. And the crookedest of the lot get relegated to judo or field points.

Rolling a shaft across a flat table or counter top tells you a lot as well. Those that don’t roll smoothly, instead gallop along aren’t very straight.

A simple arrow arrow spinner without the dial indictor can tell you which end to cut as well. Just not with defined data.

And always put your nock in the straightest end of the shaft.

 

[wildwilderness]

I haven’t tried it yet but the experts also recommend indexing your shafts for spine. I don’t have a tester, but may try the water float thing. Spine consistency is probably as important as straightness for arrow grouping.

 

[KBC]

I haven’t done the spine indexing thing either. I nock tune the bare shafts to get the best paper tear I can before fletching. I think it accomplishes the same thing.

 

[cornfedkiller]

I haven’t done the spine indexing thing either. I nock tune the bare shafts to get the best paper tear I can before fletching. I think it accomplishes the same thing.

I do the same thing..seems to work pretty well.

 

[Wapiti1]

I haven’t tried it yet but the experts also recommend indexing your shafts for spine. I don’t have a tester, but may try the water float thing. Spine consistency is probably as important as straightness for arrow grouping.

Elkshape did a good Youtube video with MFJJ on indexing and arrow straightness. Worth a look. They used Victory arrows and compared a spine checker with the alignment mark from the factory. Interesting results.

Jeremy

 

[Billy Goat]

I never found spine indexing to really work. Need to just shoot them and rotate nocks. Seems they even reacted a little different with fletching then bareshafts as I'd still rotate a few when I'd bareshaft them before fletching.

Benefits of having a shooting machine, I group any arrows that I'll use in tournaments. I just 3 fletch and can usually get them to work at one of the 3 positions. I don't bother with it for hunting arrows usually, just get the straightest shafts I can for broadheads, that makes the most difference for what I have found.

 

[KBC]

Yeah I’ve found they are usually a little different after fletching. I should clarify that when I nock tune I’m trying to get the best tear out of each arrow but also get the same tear out of each arrow. Makes it easier to tune the bow so they all fly the same after.

 

[Long Cut]

Honest question while I’m here.

Can the average bowhunter practicing out to 60-80 yards notice a difference between a .003 and .001 arrow shaft?

 

[Billy Goat]

Honest question while I’m here.

Can the average bowhunter practicing out to 60-80 yards notice a difference between a .003 and .001 arrow shaft?

With a fair sized fixed blade broadhead, yes, they should be able to.

Really forgiving, small fixed heads, and mechanicals unlikely.


Without a broadhead (meaning target points) on the front it's difficult to tell much difference in .001 and .006 from what I have found.

 

[Long Cut]

With a fair sized fixed blade broadhead, yes, they should be able to.

Really forgiving, small fixed heads, and mechanicals unlikely.


Without a broadhead (meaning target points) on the front it's difficult to tell much difference in .001 and .006 from what I have found.

So if my form is off in a real life hunting scenario (gloves, bulky clothes, odd shot angles, fatigue, etc…)

Can that .001 shaft buy me forgiveness in real world scenarios?
Or are we splitting hairs here

 

[Billy Goat]

So if my form is off in a real life hunting scenario (gloves, bulky clothes, odd shot angles, fatigue, etc…)

Can that .001 shaft buy me forgiveness in real world scenarios?
Or are we splitting hairs here

No, straightness doesn't buy any forgiveness. What it buys you is smaller group sizes.


So it's like having a setup that's ultimately capable of 3" groups at 65 yards, or 7" groups. With what amounts to vanes on the front of a shaft that is spinning going down range, if there's wobble in that front end it walks around a bit on the way to the target.

 

[TheTone]

Honest question while I’m here.

Can the average bowhunter practicing out to 60-80 yards notice a difference between a .003 and .001 arrow shaft?

the absolute best I ever shot was shooting a .003 arrow. I was shooting almost daily with most shots from 40-60 yards. I think the quality of my shooting was due to my consistency with form and amount of practice, not my arrows

 

[Long Cut]

the absolute best I ever shot was shooting a .003 arrow. I was shooting almost daily with most shots from 40-60 yards. I think the quality of my shooting was due to my consistency with form and amount of practice, not my arrows

Agreed. I’ve always shot “budget bin” arrows.. Mainly the Gold Tip Hunter, XT etc grade arrows.

The best I’ve ever shot has been with Beman ICS & Gold Tip XT’s.. two different setups, arrow weights etc.. both I was consistently getting 3-4” groups at 50-80 yards.

Granted, I was shooting daily for several months. I’m not a professional shooter, just an average dude enjoying my hobby.

 

[wapitibob]

Easton Carbon Injexion 330s straightness could be improved by selectively cutting. Some were + or - .001 but a lot of them over my 12” center to center dial indicator style aluminum arrow
Straightener were way out…some exceeding the + or - .003” tolerance they touted by a significant amount.

All you can do is test straightness at each end of the shaft and pick the crooked end to cut from. And the crookedest of the lot get relegated to judo or field points.

Rolling a shaft across a flat table or counter top tells you a lot as well. Those that don’t roll smoothly, instead gallop along aren’t very straight.

A simple arrow arrow spinner without the dial indictor can tell you which end to cut as well. Just not with defined data.

And always put your nock in the straightest end of the shaft.

not a lot of people remember those old straighteners we used to use

 

[dtrkyman]

Spin each arrow and determine which end is best, some arrows will have one end better than the other, otherwise cut both ends equally and get the straightest arrow possible. There is no draw back to a straighter arrow!

You can build a fine arrow using this method with even cheaper .006 shafts.

You likely wont see a difference but it is so easy to do why wouldn't you?

 

[TheTone]

Seems like it would be pretty easy to put an arrow between centers and run a dial indicator down it to see where the straightest section is and cut accordingly