How picky are you when building your arrows?

I am probably overly picky. Here is my process.

I usually buy 3 to 4 dozen at a time and start by sorting them by weight, spine, and straightness. I throw out any that are outside of a 2 grains span. I spine each one and throw out any that are not within 1 to 2 lbs of each other. I mark the stiff side of the shaft, and this is where my cock fletch will go.

My draw length is 27 inches so I usually end up with a 28 inch arrow. I start by cutting an inch off of the nock end and squaring it up. Most carbon arrows are a little less straight on the ends. Once I cut both ends it makes even .006 straight shafts into .001 or .002 shafts.

I use a bitzenburger with the zenith upgrade. I use the same one for all arrows.

I weigh all the components and organize them to get all remaining arrows as close in weight to each other as possible.

For this group I started with 4 dozen and ended up with 24 arrows that are .001 straightness, spine is within 1 pound of each other, and they all weigh within half a grain of each other.

I use the ones that did not make the cut for stump shooting, tuffman competitions, or steel novelty targets.

Now I will be the first to admit this is overkill, but I enjoy making arrows, and it gives me piece of mind knowing every arrow in my quiver is exactly the same.

What are your standards for your arrows?

I buy a dozen arrows, glue, fletch and put em together... lol

I do it as easy and quick as I can. Onestringer simple slap on fades if I want to be fancy, and those are to add color. When I shot woodies, would just dip the whole shaft in a bright color.

Was a pretty good illustrator doing text books for extra money in the seventies and early eighties, and an active member of many art organizations back a few, but don't get artsy-fartsy with my arrows. Plain jane, ordinary, everyday arrows fly just fine for me.

:)

I apologize, but what is the zenith upgrade? Thanks! TLM

I hand plane my shafts from board stock or harvest shoots from nature. I don't use shafts with bad grain that runs top to bottom.

http://traditionalarchery101.com

Jawge

Here is a description of the zenith upgrade.

Zenith Archery Products has introduced a new upgraded nock receiver for your Bitzenburger fletching jig. The replacement body will fit directly into your jig and will still adjust for all three different fletching patterns. The original receiver held the arrow only by a loose fit on the nock. The new receiver comes with two inserts which are held into the body by a long screw which is tightened through the rear of the receiver and will hold the arrows directly, without slippage.

Going to that kind of effort, for me, would make as much sense as insisting on Bench Rest Championship-grade ammo for all my my rifles.

And to be honest, I assumed you were talking about woodies.... until I saw the pin nocks.

I think you’re bat-$#!+ crazy to go to that kind of effort when you could just buy higher-quality target shafts to begin with; let Easton do your Quality Control for you, and spend more time shooting.

But maybe you’re already competing at national/world level and it makes sense because the competition is that tight??? I don’t expect you are, because I’d bet that not many who compete at that level are buying their own shafts... but we do have some pretty heavy hitters around here, so you never know who you’re talking to until you know who you’re talking to.

If you enjoy the process, knock yourself out. If you’re doing it because you think you need that level of uniformity to do anything short of compete at the very most elite level.... I’d check with somebody like Viper or Limbwalker first. Sounds to me like you’re “throwing out” a lot of arrows that are higher quality than many of us even own...

Not beatin’ on you, believe it or not.... I just think you would derive more benefit from putting that level of dedication to work elsewhere. Not a lot of lift from matching your arrows to a single grain, etc. if your release is only consistent to within 5% velocity.

I put the Zenith upgrade on my bitz and can now pull in all the local digital TV stations with it.

I hand select my shafts at big shoots where some vendors will let you pick through their boxes of shafts. POC quality isn't as good as it used to be. Grain straightness is as important tome as spine and weight. I often go through a couple hundred shafts to find a dozen with grain straight along the entire shaft with very little or no run out.

If one starts with straight grain, the shafts are also usually very straight and/or easy to straighten, and they're more likely to stay straight.

After I've accumulated enough shafts with straight grain, I then sort according to spine and weight -- usually within a few pounds of spine and 5 grains or so of weight. It's not necessary to match shafts that closely, but given the work that goes into making a good wooden arrow, I figure it's worth the effort.

I am sure scientifically it can be proven that what I do is overkill.

I have seen some archers make great shots with inconsistent gear.

For me consistency in form and equipment are the areas that can be improved upon, and make the most difference in accuracy.

How do you find or tell which side is the stiff side of the shaft? I don't think you're crazy, exact spine and grain weight with right bow is important. Besides, making your own arrows is fun and therapeutic.

I use a spine tester to find the stiffest side of the shaft.

OCD I've got mine too, just not with consumables like Arrows. I say go for it and make the most awsome arrows ever. But you should probably switch to wood so you can manufacture your own. And there are hundreds of species of wood to experement with. Not to mention all the different fletch options, nocks, footed shafts. Infinite options and endless nuance.

The edge grain of a wood shaft is normally the stiffest,and is where the spine reading is taken. NOBODY is fussier at building wood arrows than I am. If you are going to take the time to do something....do it right!

I buy a dozen arrows and just crest and fletch. I love making arrows. I usually do on a rainy day. Very relaxing!

It doesn't matter, if that's what you enjoy!

I think there's "fussy",and then there's anal! I like to keep the spine within limits,but I sure can't shoot the difference of a grain or three in weight!

For long distance you can't make them too good. That is getting close to Olympic quality. However some on here go to the opposite extremes. Multiple aluminium sizes,different lengths,then throw in shafts from a different material and shoot them in the same groups.If you never exceed the 16.3 or what ever distance it don't make no never mind. I don't go quite as far as Pinwheel because it eliminates all excuses for not shooting a pinwheel.>>>----> Ken

Like this? 2 sizes of aluminum + carbon + wood, and 3 of the 5 aluminum are even the same length, eyeballing my nocking point at 3/16” off of the nock-set that’s crimped onto the string. But apart from a high flyer, the group is just about 4X4 @ 19 yards, and that’s as well as I can shoot on any given day and... and not infrequently better.

I’m just wondering if I did something identifiable that accounts for the fact that the group is more like 1” - 1 1/2” X 4” or so on that diagonal line....

:)

I'm good with a point on one end and a nock on the other

Exactly like that. There is a lot of worry over nothing when you stay inside 20 yards. Buy the recommended arrow for your bow and go shoot.Have fun. That proves the guys that say tuning is unnecessary, and bare shaft is unnecessary are absolutely right. It isn't necessary to shoot pie plate groups inside 20 yards.How ever you will never realize your potential if you don't tune and match all your components.>>>----> Ken

I spine test my woods and carbons. Even Easton carbons are not all alike. I put the woods into groups by weight. Spine is the normal 5# spread. I do have some dozens of POC that are spined within 2#. My Blitz’s where drilled out many years ago to accept the old fat Bjorn nocks I used on my 2419’s.

Interesting, great attention to detail but my first reaction was, " I bet he lives somewhere with long cold winters ", and I see that you are in Idaho. I'm consistent in how I assemble my carbon arrows but I trust that they are manufactored within the maker's tolerances and specification. I respect your attention to detail but the benefit of all that precision can be negated by the one factor that has wide variation and limited control, and that is the man behind the bow and his infinitely variable release of the bowstring. There is more joy in archery than just shooting the bow, and part of yours is in building a precision batch of arrows. :)

You can make the process as infinitely picky as possible and you would never get anything done. Some people have an obsessive gene that makes them check everything 3 times and look for only the most perfect one, etc. I have a good friend like that. He bought a nice varmint rifle and spent a week getting the scope mounted. I could have done it for him in an hour, correctly. He then spent over an hour describing the correct way to load the ammo for it. I asked him how much ammo he had loaded and he said "none yet." So do it however you want if it makes you happy. I have too many other things to take are of so I'm not quite so fussy. Yes, perfection is nice but not always possible.

Pinwheel, if you enjoy doing it and it gives you more confidence, then it is time well spent. It still probably takes you 1/5 the time it takes most of us to build wood arrows. I enjoy being picky building my wood arrows, and am constantly talking to the best shooters and best arrowsmiths I know at 3D shoots to learn how to do it better. Now carbons, for me they only exist so I can shoot another class at the trad 3D's. I buy them, cut, and fletch them. They don't have souls. Matt

I reread the 1st post and saw that you ended up with 2 Dozen Stumping arrows and 2 Doz precision target arrows. Ready for some Spring Stumpin or a Sun Basin Rock Shoot (trad 3D shoot) "shoot until you run out of arrows .."Not responsible for broken arrows" shoot. I hope to make it to the Sun Basin Shoot sometime, it sounds fun.

I am shooting mostly carbons - I cut them, fletch them, foot them, and shoot them. Winter Arrow Building anticipating Spring, it is All Good.

and Upside-Down. :/

When it comes to Wood, I order a few dozen, as soon as I get them they go on the spine tester to "test" the quality of the seller. I then group them to with in few pounds. Next, I will spend a few days to straighten them and get them spinning perfect. I too mark the "stiff" side, so they all leave the bow the same. Then I Sand, finish and seal the shafts. Once this is done, I take and taper add nock, cut and taper them one inch longer than normal, and bare shaft shoot them. I will cut and taper till they are flying where I want them with field point. Those that don't go into "fun" pile. Those that do, I ensure have 2 dozen that is just for broadhead and I shoot them, then sharpen and set aside just for bowhunting. The other are for practice and 3d.

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