I would have thought that the 50-55 would have been to weak. Always thought with woods you went up 10 lbs in spine so the 55- 60's should be perfect.

"Always thought with woods you went up 10 lbs in spine so the 55- 60's should be perfect." And where did you hear that? First you almost need to spine them and see what they really are...50/55 is a 6 pound difference as is 55/60. Somewhere in the middle is likely where your arrows are.

Center shot, past or before center all have an effect on spine. Most bows at center will shoot arrows spined to the bow weight at 28". If you add low stretch strings to the mix, you can change the spine by about five pounds stiffer, but you still have to figure your personal dynamics into the fray. And, you may find your arrow are actually very close in spine. Arrows aren't 55-60, they are somewhere between that spine...may be 55, 557, 59, etc. 50/55 may be 53/55, etc., so you need to know what you're shooting by flexing them on a spine meter.

I shoot over spined arrows out of many non center shot bows and get great flight.... just have to know the secret :)

sounds like very good common sense george

Those bows are cut deeper than his longbows, don't remember to where though, and are a pretty efficient bow. Don't shoot wood arrows so not real familiar with their spine differences. I have a 44# SS and a 50# Lynx longbow and I have to drop quite a bit of weight on the tip, 75gr to get the same arrow to spine out of the SS!

George I heard that from one of the most recommended arrow makers on this site. When I called him to ask about getting some arrows made and told him that I shot a 46 lb bow he recommended I go up to a 50-55 spine arrow.

People seem to think, if the arrow shoots without fishtailing, it shoots well and are of the proper spine. Arrows need to shoot to the point of aim, to be of correct spine. In other words, if you have the arrow under your eye and pointed to a vertical line on the target it should hit that line at any distance. For a right hand shooter, if it prints left of the line they are too stiff, too the right of the line too weak.

Most bows will shoot a range of spines, the more center shot the greater the spine range that is usable in that bow. Arrow length and point weights effect spine. For every inch longer than 28" a wood arrow will decrease 5# in spine. Wood arrows spine is expressed at 28", So if you buy a doz. arrows that are marked 50/54# they are that spine @28", if the arrows are cut 30"BOP they are 10# lighter or 40/45, unless the arrow smith has custom made them for you and marked them 50/54@30"

Bob

Jim Ploen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq85KxnujIo

What aromakr said. Kansasclipper, static spine is a start. What are the gozintos you are using and what draw length....what center cut, what string? Sure, shooting a 46# bow you may need 65# if the dynamics come out that way...modern string, cut past center, over 28" long, tip weight....????

It appears few here still don't understand that spine is a variant.

I too had heard to choose a spine range a bit stiffer. I don't follow that adage.

Here's what I found out recently when tuning cedars to my Toelke PIKA that I pull about 36#. My string is fast flight.

I tried a range of cedars from 36 up to 50#. The heavier spines would repeatedly group within their range as stiff. The lighter spines would be closer to my aiming point.

11/32" cedars at 36# tuned pretty well (just a touch stiff) when left 31" with a 125 tip. I wanted to drop down in overall arrow weight with this set up so I ordered what I thought would work---5/16" tapered to 9/32" in 33/34# spine. Well when I got them, they tuned about perfect with a 100 gr point at 29.5". The overall arrow weight is just under 10gpp and gives me excellent trajectory.

I stopped bareshafting wood arrows a few years back after breaking several. These 33/34# shafts were so close that I decided to bare shaft and the results were great. Years ago I was pretty far off in spine so that would explain the sideways hits and breaks. I also confirm my tune with a fletched arrow and broadhead.

I don't use spine charts---maybe I'm just not smart enough for that. I agree that arrow spine is just one factor--- centershot, string material, bow performance, draw length--etc. all work together and the only way I have found to get very well tuned arrows, whether wood or carbon is to pay attention to what the bow is telling me. When tuning as well as shooting, form trumps everything and I have put up the bareshafts more than a few times when I get tired and results are sketchy.

Here is a DIY spine tester I found on Utube from 'Poor Folk Bows'. Ahh, the picture will not post, even under 600 pixels each way.

I made one easily by running a 2x4 over a table saw to cut a friction tight groove for the upright plywood to fit in. I drilled the ply so the dowels were 26" on center. I filled a soup can with pennies and washers until it weighed 2 pounds including the can and hanging wire. I clamp a dial caliper on when I use it.

Just set an arrow across the dowels, slide the caliper down so the stem just touches the surface of the arrow, hang the weight on the arrow, and extend the caliper stem to just touch the deflected arrow. The deflection is the difference between the two readings.

You can build it to conform to ATA, formally AMO, with a 26" span and a two pound weight, or you can make it 28" with a 1.94 pound weight to conform to ASTM. Yeah, you could have a set of dowels for each standard.

Note that ATA deflection = 0.825 ASTM deflection. And a rule of thumb for wood arrows is that 26" divided by the ATA deflection is the approximate draw weight that the arrow is suitable for.

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