Weighted inserts why?

[Deadfall]

Ok. Dropped bow at shop for new string and cables. Got 6 new arrows.
Decided to have inserts put in.

Driving home it dawned on me I don't have any idea what inserts are even for.

What am I doing? Idk. Now I have 6 arrows with inserts to monkey around with.

What is point of putting insert in a arrow? Serious question.

 

[Ac338]

To screw your fp/bh into…. And to add weight up front without switching broadhead weight give you more possible weight configurations to try, but yeah you need an insert/outsert of some kind for every arrow

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Inserts give you the ability to quickly and easily change the type/weight of the head/point you're shooting. You could use unthreaded glue-in points/heads that bond directly to the arrow shaft, but most broadheads aren't available as glue-ins and you would lose the ability to easily switch between field points and broadheads. Glue-in field points are a fairly common choice for dedicated target arrows.

 

[Ac338]

Inserts give you the ability to quickly and easily change the type/weight of the head/point you're shooting. You could use unthreaded glue-in points/heads that bond directly to the arrow shaft, but most broadheads aren't available as glue-ins and you would lose the ability to easily switch between field points and broadheads. Glue-in field points are a fairly common choice for dedicated target arrows.

Good point wasn’t thinking at all about glue in, I’ve never used them but op may be.

 

[Deadfall]

Haha... I mean the weighted ones.
Never used weighted ones before

 

[Billy Goat]

I use them in my trad arrows to help breakdown the spine. Could use lighter spine, but I get a more durable arrow with a stiffer spine and a little more weight overall from both the insert and the spine increase.


I don't use them in compound arrows unless I'm targeting a certain weight that the shaft, components, and point isn't getting me at.


Depending on the arrow, some of the SS options might be making the front-end stronger. The really long ones stiffen the shaft too if you are on the weak side.

 

[Deadfall]

Ah... just wasted some cash then. Perfect

 

[Idaboy]

I use them in my trad arrows to help breakdown the spine. Could use lighter spine, but I get a more durable arrow with a stiffer spine and a little more weight overall from both the insert and the spine increase.


I don't use them in compound arrows unless I'm targeting a certain weight that the shaft, components, and point isn't getting me at.


Depending on the arrow, some of the SS options might be making the front-end stronger. The really long ones stiffen the shaft too if you are on the weak side.

How does more weight stiffen a shaft? More weight up front actuallly changes spine/makes spine more weak....it would need to be really long.....(if you mean it reinforces the tip, well maybe)....but maybe someone makes like a 5 inch insert, which seems weird....maybe this is unique to trad set up

 

[Idaboy]

Ok. Dropped bow at shop for new string and cables. Got 6 new arrows.
Decided to have inserts put in.

Driving home it dawned on me I don't have any idea what inserts are even for.

What am I doing? Idk. Now I have 6 arrows with inserts to monkey around with.

What is point of putting insert in a arrow? Serious question.

- change total arrow weight
- fine tune spine so that you can keep arrow length constant and/or fine tune spine to prevent having to buy a whole new arrow spine
- boost FOC if that is your thing

How much weight did you add? Your new arrows will tune different than your initial set up

 

[Billy Goat]

How does more weight stiffen a shaft? More weight up front actuallly changes spine/makes spine more weak....it would need to be really long.....(if you mean it reinforces the tip, well maybe)....but maybe someone makes like a 5 inch insert, which seems weird....maybe this is unique to trad set up

Take the GT .246 aluminum insert. It's almost 3" long and 50 gr. It should weaken the shaft because it's heavier, but it will actually stiffen the shaft reaction as opposed to the lighter standard insert.

It takes up more "free space" in the shaft, and reduces the amount it can flex. Similar to cutting it down.

Rarely would you notice anything with a compound unless you are too weak. It shows in tuning arrows with trad bows where the shelf isn't cut past center.

If you have a 29" shaft, it flexes over approximately 28" with a standard insert. Put a 3" insert in it, and it's down to 26".

 

[Idaboy]

Take the GT .246 aluminum insert. It's almost 3" long and 50 gr. It should weaken the shaft because it's heavier, but it will actually stiffen the shaft reaction as opposed to the lighter standard insert.

It takes up more "free space" in the shaft, and reduces the amount it can flex. Similar to cutting it down.

Rarely would you notice anything with a compound unless you are too weak. It shows in tuning arrows with trad bows where the shelf isn't cut past center.

If you have a 29" shaft, it flexes over approximately 28" with a standard insert. Put a 3" insert in it, and it's down to 26".

Interesting

 

[Marble]

Ah... just wasted some cash then. Perfect

You didn't necessarily waste money. I have found playing with the point weight will tell you how much weight up front shoots best with that combination. I don't do this as much with my hunting arrows, but with my 3d arrows I tinker with it.

Sometimes guys want high FOC, don't even bother calculating or focusing on getting to a certain percentage. Guys create more issues when they do this.

I like to get my arrows right around that 500 grain mark. So I use a brass HIT.



Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Yoder]

Increases FOC and is supposed to make the arrow fly better. I played around with this using different weight field points and was able to get bare shafts to fly like fletched arrows. Mine took a 250gr field point to make it happen. The Ranch Fairy on YouTube has a bunch of info on this. I found it overkill for regular arrows but it fixed an accuracy problem with my wife's crossbow.

 

[Zig4648]

I wouldn’t say you wasted money weighted inserts also help with penetration. Depending on what your hunting and how far your shooting. These days bows are pretty fast

 

[Deadfall]

- change total arrow weight
- fine tune spine so that you can keep arrow length constant and/or fine tune spine to prevent having to buy a whole new arrow spine
- boost FOC if that is your thing

How much weight did you add? Your new arrows will tune different than your initial set up

Eh. Think they putting brass 50 in 3 and brass 100 in 3...

 

[Deadfall]

Since switching from traditional to compound in early 2000's I've shot 70lb bow, with 300 spine gold tips at 32 inches long and 125 broadhead.

I always been pretty basic dude. Since joining rocksl8de a few years ago seems like I'm all the time findings new caverns to jump in and get lost.

Guess this winter it's arrow $%^kery...

 

[Deadfall]

I wouldn’t say you wasted money weighted inserts also help with penetration. Depending on what your hunting and how far your shooting. These days bows are pretty fast

I dont shoot at live animals over 40. Recon more penetration/harder hit never a bad thing

 

[MattB]

Since switching from traditional to compound in early 2000's I've shot 70lb bow, with 300 spine gold tips at 32 inches long and 125 broadhead.

I always been pretty basic dude. Since joining rocksl8de a few years ago seems like I'm all the time findings new caverns to jump in and get lost.

Guess this winter it's arrow $%^kery...

My advice would be to avoid it and just spend your free time time practicing. We see threads from so many guys on this site who seemingly go down that hole and I honestly think it is more off-season entertainment or trying to out-“build” (god I hate that term when people apply it to gluing 3-4 things together) the last guy than actually improving their likelihood of success in the field come next season.

 

[RandomShuffler]

Weighted inserts are gonna help you drive the center of gravity on your arrow forward toward the point, which is where the term FOC keeps coming up. The idea of this is that as you increase the center point of flex in the arrows during flight from the COG, you create a stiffer, straighter flight that is going to loose less kinetic energy to flight and impact, especially if your using an expandable head which is going to require a level of energy to deploy itself on impact. Ultimately, the answer as I understand it is to assist in having better penetration and energy transfer for greater lethality. Guys like The Hunt Public and Ranch Fairy on Youtube would be helpful if your looking to learn about it more!

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

I use weighted inserts for a variety of reasons, the biggest being I believe all setups have a sweet spot for FOC, ( not more is better ) and I enjoy shooting a lot and tinkering with arrow builds is a fun off season way for me to get the most out of my setup.

If I could offer a friendly watchout. A 32 inch, 300 spine arrow out of a 70 pound bow IMO is likely to get a little weak with the heavier inserts. Don't know your setup details, and it could work great. It just wouldn't be my first choice if I was recommending a new arrow build.