Arras

[Jimmy Alexander]

Im shooting 32" cartel carbon shafts with 4" feathers on my 60# longbow. Its my first bow so are these the best shafts to use or should i be using timber shafts?
Do people use them for traditional reasons or do they fly better.
Also can you get the Vic ash shafts fully fletched or do you have to do that yourself?
My arrow length seems right though. The heads about 35mm from my knuckle when fully drawn. Is that right or should i go a 31" shaft.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated

Cheers Jimmy

[Paul R]

Jimmy you can use wood, alloy or carbon, the choice is up to you, I have and use all 3.
I like wooden shafts for the traditional feel and the fact that I can put more work into making them and give them more of a personal touch.
They can also be a lot cheaper.

I also use carbons for their durability, strength, small diameter and because I can tune them with a greater FOC.

I am also using some alloy shafts at the moment that were floating around from years ago, because they are the only arrows that match the bow I'm using at the moment.

As for the Vic ash, ask Keith Forrester (Forro) on Ozbow, I think he fletched some up for Rory a while ago.

The most important point to stress is to put a lot of work into tuning your arrows to your bow and/or your bow to your arrows. If you get your arrows flying straight from your bow from the very begining you will cut down on a lot of frustration. :D
Have a look at this tuning guide and follow the steps: http://www.bowmaker.net/index2.htm

Unfortunately you can only use arrow charts as a rough guideline of where to start and dissapointingly that is what most of the archery shops refer to when most beginers ask for arrows to match their traditional bows. That can lead to a lot of frustration with arrows not spined correctly for the bow; you may achieve fairly decent groups with field points but as soon as you screw on a broad head and go hunting your arrows start flying all over the place. :?

Before you buy any shafts or arrows ask if you can shoot some bare shafts on the shops range. If they let you then shoot some different spines with different weighted points and choose the spine that flies nice and straight. With some extra tuning at home you should be able to get your bareshafts shooting like darts. Don't forget to shoot your fletched arrows with the broadheads you plan on using before you go hunting. Any spine issues and tuning problems will be magnified with broadheads attached.
Good luck and enjoy the process. :D

[rory]

Forro made sure they were spined right and straight for me, I still had to fletch em :wink: I like fletching 8)

[Jimmy Alexander]

Whoa, that is some good info. I wondered why the broadheads had a mind of there own. Ive got some work to do tuning now. The prospect actually excites my of putting a personal touch to Zen. Yeah i named my bow, i love her that much.
Cheers paul and rory, dont know anything about fletching yet or anything about anything for that that matter :? getting some more of the same arrows so i better buy a book on fletching for my next doz.

Many happy returns boys. Jimmy