I was at a local archery shop when on of the guys that works there says "I got this Bear bow I am trying to sell for $200". It turned out to be a 60" 45# 1970 Bear Kodiak Hunter. I told him i thought that was high and offered him $175 (still a bit of a high offer but with the exception of a kwikee quiver base mounted on it, it is a 9 out of 10). I left with it in hand. I made a dacron string for it but I thought that because I draw 30.5" I wouldn't be able to shoot it, but it shoots pretty good. I think I want to hunt with it this season and I want to use wooden arrows (I have never harvested a deer with a wooden arrow).

My question is what spine arrow should I use? I am thinking because of my long draw length I need a 70/75 with 125 up front. Any suggestions? Thank you.

Try 54 - 59 as well as 60 - 64 depending on how you have the sight window set up, and the overall length you want.

Wood is pretty simple (well, spine is pretty simple). Add 5 pounds for every inch over 28". Add 5lbs. for ever 1/16" past ceneter, subtract 5lbs. for every 1/16 before center. If you shoot high performance string, you have to allow for that as well.

X2

With a 30 1/2-inch draw, you're going to have trouble finding wood long enough. Most POC and Doug fir shafts are made in 32-inch lengths. You need to subtract one inch from that for the taper for the point. Would be able to shoot field points that way by drawing them onto the riser, but that won't work for broad heads.

If you can find shafts long enough, I think you'll need 60-65# spine.

I advocate 60-65 also full length. Learn to shorten your draw. You could get glue on adapters or get arrows spliced there's guys who do it and tools and jigs to do your own but before I considered any of that shorten your draw. Just because you have long arms you don't have to have long draw you an learn to change anchor release point.

If you shorten draw then 55-60 or less. Its best to have various arrows around to test.

Whatever you do.....don't shorten your draw. That's a disaster.

Shortening ones draw length is one of the major reasons that peope have relase problems. They don't draw far enough to get their back muscles engaged.

I have several 44-47# bows and a 30" draw. All of my bows run 5-6# above stated weight. I shoot full length 65-70# POC or Fir shafts, full length with 125 to 145 grain BH's. That gives me just a hair over 31" BOP. I think most of my bows are cut to center.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm a little confused by the different opinions on shaft spine.

Cueman - My initial logic was along what you came up with. At my draw length the bow should be around 52#-53# and the way I understand it I would need to add an additional 15#-20# of spine to cover the 3 extra inches of draw. So wouldn't be around a 65/70 or 70/75 pound spined shaft?

I think I might be able to get by with a 31" BOP arrow as 30.5" is when I get my back full engaged. As long as I don't over draw. I would prefer a little more arrow in front of the shelf

I'm with the 60-65 suggestion group with a 125gr point. You can build the plate out if weak

20-25# over weight spine works well for me, you may have to use the 70-75#.

Problem is, you cant cut the shafts to increase spine only change the BH or field point. If they are a little stiff at 125 grain point, you can go to 145 or 165 grain and you should be good.

I have a set of fiberglass arrows for 2 of my bows that are 30.25" BOP and the zwicky BH just touches the back of my index finger at anchor. Acts like a draw check. That is, if you are not wearing gloves. Depending on the BH that you use, that may work well for you also.

Regarding spine. Bears Kodiak Hunters are cut to center. I've found that with bows cut to center or past center, as long as you attain the minimum spine required, you can usually shoot more spine as well. In short, overspined arrows also yield good arrow flight.

I offered the minimum spine that I think will work, based on 50 years of making (a while commercially) and shooting wood arrows. No doubt you can go heavier if you want to.

I'll offer one more caveat. A 60-inch recurve is, IMO, rather short for a 30 or 30 1/2 inch draw. Sure you can shoot it, and it will likely hold together, but it will stack and you will get increased finger pinch, which may or may not bother you, but it will affect the quality of your release. For a 30-inch plus draw, I'd recommend a 64-inch recurve, even better, a 66-incher.

Good luck.

I checked the A&H (Adcock) tuning chart and they suggest a 65/70 wooden arrow for a 31" BOP arrows. That is for a bow that is 50#-55# at my draw length.

People have short draws all the time. Sometimes when you could be in a hunting situation you might short draw on something you could shoot at so I would not listen to that. If you shorten your draw and work into it and practice it that's your method. I short draw close targets I don't need to be a statue and come to full draw all the time on certain targets. When you get used to shooting like this you just work it in as a method. Just a suggestion but guess if others can't do it you shouldn't do it either. LOL

I'd love to see you in a fast pace shoot at a critter and come to full draw on a running rabbit of something moving fast along ground it will or could be gone on you.

Like I said in another thread its better here than Mad magazine.LOL

Ronin: Charts will get you in the neighborhood. Beyond that, you have to test a few shafts. A&H bows are cut past center. That feature generally requires an additional 5# -10# of spine because the center of the arrow is riding closer to the center of the bow and it doesn't need to ( in fact, should not) flex as much.

Good idea to get a test kit before buying a dozen arrows. 65/70 will probably work. My guess is 60/65 and 70/75 will also work. Though there probably is one optimal spine for a given draw length and bow, most folks don't have form good enough to determine what that is. Too, there are individual quirks in form that can change the spine requirements. Two people with the same draw length, shooting the same bow, may need different spines for best results.

Traditional archery is simple, but matching an arrow to one's bow isn't, at least not in the beginning. Good luck.

Quick update: I have a twelve yard range in my basement to shoot. I found some wooden arrows in my basement (some were 70/75), but all of them flew stiff (nock right). So I went into my stash of aluminum arrows and tried a 2017, 2215, and a 2018. All of them flew nock right stiff. I didn't have a 2016 to try, but I did try a 2114 and bingo, straight down the pipe every time. I looked it up and that shaft has a static spine of 62#. So maybe a 60/65 wooden arrow would fit the bill. By the way, I scaled the bow and it is about 53# at my draw length.

Ronin, shoot the arrows at a vertical line on the center of the target and see how they impact. Aim the arrow at the line and shoot. The arrow that is the proper spine is the arrow that lands in or very close to the line.

If it's the 2114, that that's what it is.

fdp - I did that and some of the arrows impacted on or near the line, but left the bow tail right. The 2114 flew straight just off the line.

Last update. I found a place on line that sell cheap finished 65/70 23/64" cedar arrows for $70 a dozen (plain, unstained, uncrested,full length, no points). After I put 125 grain points on them and made an adjustment to brace height and nock point they seemed to fly good at twelve yards. Today I went to the range and shot them at 22 yards figuring that I needed to make some adjustments. No need. They flew like a frozen rope and grouped nicely. I am amazed at how well this 47 year old bow slings these wood arrows.

Thanks for your help guys.

Ronin, I have a 76 KH and they are no slouch for sure. Congrats on a successful tune.

If you put a low stretch string with padded loops I bet the 2018s would fly well and wood 65/70

Ur shooting about 51 or 52 lbs so if you cut the arrows 31" you'd add to that. So 66lb shafts. I'd get 65-69lb shafts. That's a 5lb spread. I would buy more than 5 lb spread. Btw you don't subtract for Nock taper since you measure to the Nock throat which is slightly past the end of the taper.

My post is assuming you shoot the b50 string you made for it. A low stretch string would add another 4 or 5 lbs.

Would NOT buy over 5lb spread. Sorry.

Ronin, glad you got it figured out.

GLF, I scaled the bow several times at my 30.5" draw length and came out between 53.25# - 53.70#. And at my draw length I can't cut the arrow down. And yes, I made a dacron string for it. I have made padded looped fast flight strings in the past for friends (one guy actually likes them for his self bows he makes), but on an old bow like thi, I don't want to chance it.

With those numbers I woulda just added 2 more lbs. But sounds like you got it solved. Glad you found what works for you. Enjoy!

GLF, sounds like you are saying 68# arrows for this bow? Explains why these 65/70 arrows shoot well out or this bow. Thanks again

Be mindful of the fact that Bear bows tend to shoot best with a high brace height, somewhere around 8.5".

Wild Bill - I had heard that the Kodiak Hunters liked a brace height of 8", but I had to go to 8 3/8" to get it quiet and shooting good. For some reason I shoot most bows at a higher brace height to them quiet and shooting well.

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