What are the pros and cons? Thanks

Unless you are flight shooting, I don't really see a great benefit to barrel tapering vs. nock end tapering. The biggest con I see is that your point will break off easier.

Here is an old post by Bob Burton (avid Hill collector and of Whispering Wind Arrows) -

"Lets talk tapered shafts. Dr. Robert Elmer in his book "Target Archery" made the following statement. "I believe the parallel arrow shaft is a product of modern American technology, I don't know of a race of men that lived by the bow that shot anything other than tapered shafts."

Tapering has nothing to do with fletch clearance, or weight forward. The primary benefit is overcoming paradox faster. By removing weight from either one or both ends of the shaft, the shaft stops its oscillations faster and begins spinning on its axis quicker. That will allow the arrow to retain its velocity longer(Less drag) and have more remaining energy, and flatter trajectory at impact. Its not something that will be observed by the shooter, because it happens so quickly. Its especially beneficial on bows cut less than center, where the arrow goes through a great deal of paradox. Past center bows have much less paradox to the arrow and its benefit is minimal.

I have arrows in my collection that go back to the 1800's every one of them are tapered. To give you an extreme example. Elmer did some testing, in the 1940's, using a barrel tapered arrow and a Breast tapered arrow of the same spine and physical weight. He had one of the best target archers of the day shoot them at 100 yards at a 48" American round target. He stated that the breast tapered arrow consistently printed 1/2 (24")a target higher than the barrel tapered arrow. Now that's comparing a taper against another taper, I can't even imagine what the difference would between a taper and a parallel arrow. So don't discount the tapered arrow, they are well worth the time and effort. I'm sure some will say, I only hunt and don't shoot at animals a 100 yards away, true but quick recovery allows the arrow clean passage thru tight spots and a arrow spinning on impact allowing deeper penetration. I know a lady who was shooting a 40# bow at 25" shooting tapered arrow in Africa several years ago who shot 17 animals most being pass through's"

I made some years ago, but I'm not perceptive enough to warrant the effort. If I was going to make them again, I would make a jig like Longcruse did for tapering.

Good post Two4hooking but I'm confused. Easy enough to do.

What's the difference between barrel and breast tapering.

Shooter: Picture a wooden barrel, fat in the middle & smaller dia. at the ends, that's a barrel taper. The breast taper you move the fat part back towards the fletching, so you have a longer taper on the point end and a shorter taper on the nock end. I make mine with an 8" taper on the nock end 5/16" dia. nock and an 11" taper on the point end with a 11/32" dia. point. The fat portion is 23/64" dia.

Bob

Those are my favorites, as Bob described. Sometimes I can see the difference and sometimes I can't. It depends on the background and lighting. But just because you can't see it recover doesn't mean it isn't, or that there aren't other benefits.

Thanks Bob

Thanks Bob I assume that the barrel taper will not equal the flight abilities of the breast taper.

Shooter:

According to Dr. Elmer's test, that is correct!

Basically what he said is the breast taper starts spinning on its axis faster, which reduces friction allowing it to not drop as much over a given distance. If it doesn't drop as much it is retaining its velocity longer, which will give you more momentum at impact.

Bob

For hunting purposes your comment makes no sense at all. " and a arrow spinning on impact allowing deeper penetration"

There is no way in the world a spinning broadhead will penetrate further than one that is not. Simple physics dictates the higher the rate of rotation the less penetration.

JusPassin:

You obviously do not realize that every arrow regardless of how its fletched spins in flight. A straight offset spins slower than a helical, but both spin. If you knew anything about physics you would realize that!

Bob

Ok Bob Now a couple questions if I may

First is there any advantage to a barrel taper over a just nock end taper?

On a breast taper you said that you do 8" nock and 11" point end taper. Is there some set rules that need following as to length of each taper?

Thanks

In the days, when fletchers made their own shafts from scratch with a plane, barrel tapered arrows allowed the fletcher to better control spine and weight. Jawge

PEOPLE?? PUH-LEEZE??? At the average range that bow-hunters shoot with wooden shafts ( 25 yards or LESS) is this deal about tapered ( either end) or barreled shafts really going to make THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE? My personal opinion is that getting into a lot of technicalities gets in the way of flinging arrows for fun and/or hunting. Not to mention the plain fact that NOT ALL archers or bow-hunters use wooden shafts. Kudos to those who do but let's try to have fun instead of filling chalkboards with equations. Just saying.

Bob, you'd do well to re read what I said. Of course I know that an arrow spins during flight, at least as long as it's properly fletched it does.

My point was that an arrow spinning faster, does not equate to better penetration. It doesn't work like an auger or drill bit. Logic would dictate that do to the shape of a standard 2 blade cut on contact head the best penetration would be achieved if it wasn't spinning at all.

Any rotational energy has to be dissipated 90 degrees to the direction of travel. That will decrease forward momentum.

Juspassin: I would suggest you read what I wrote. "Basically what he said is the breast taper starts spinning on its axis faster," That does not mean the revolutions are faster, it means it comes out of paradox faster, which reduce the arrows friction allowing to have greater velocity at impact.

Bob

Bob, I took the quote directly, were it said spinning on impact improved penetration. It can't.

Ok guys.

To those that keep committing about hunting distance,BHs and such I never brought those things to the table. I'm sure they matter to some but not me.

My question only was the effects of a barrel taper verses breast taper and their flight characteristics.

Jus passin. You need to view/take the quote in its entirety. What Elmer is saying is that the arrow penetrates better because it starts spinning sooner, which stabilizes the arrow sooner, which retains more of its speed, which finally increases penetration. I.e.,

"By removing weight from either one or both ends of the shaft, the shaft stops its oscillations faster and begins spinning on its axis quicker. That will allow the arrow to retain its velocity longer(Less drag) and have more remaining energy, and flatter trajectory at impact."

Given what we know about increased FOC being an aid to increasing arrow penetration, wouldn't a barrel tapered/breasted arrow work better for penetration if the fatter portion of the arrow were moved forward rather than rearword?

Hmmmmm.

Probably the ideal shaft configuration from the standpoint of penetration is a shaft that tapers larger to smaller front to back resulting in the arrow diameter having less and less resistance as it penetrates. Ashby noted shaft diameter behind the head as a penetration factor.

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