Hello all. I have been practicing with traditional archery for a little while now. I started with a Samick Journey about two years ago, and just recently had a wonderful ASL built by a waller here.

The bow is perfect, and really is helping with the traditional journey I am wanting, and now to take it to the next level, I am wanting wood arrows. My draw length is 31.5" which really seems to be narrowing down selection.

So how do I convert to wooden arrows? My carbon arrows I was using with the Journey were 31.75", but don't seem to be working with this bow, so have been holding off on getting arrows until I figure out the wood arrow thing.

The bare shaft testing, and the test arrows are a bit confusing to me, as my accuracy is not up to snuff to truly find what arrows work the best. It just seems to be a catch-22, with needing the right arrow to help with accuracy, yet needing accuracy to find the right arrow.

Any tips, where to start, any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks, Rick

Rick, they may be hard to find in your area but you probably have some traditional archers near you that would be glad to help you with shooting techniques and some of them will probably shoot wood arrows. One on one help is so much better than trying to figure out what needs to be done over the internet. Good luck with the wood arrows, they're all I shoot and a lot of fun to make. Gordon

Most wood shafts are 31.5 inches in length. So to get a shaft long enough for your drawlength of 31.5 inches, you will most likely need to find a shaft supplier that could supply you with shafts longer than 31.5 inches up to 32 or 33 inches.

Additionally, don't confuse tuning with accuracy. You can tune without perfect accuracy.

Three Rivers Test Kit.

Standard length arrow shafts can be lengthened by footing. This, however, throws a big monkey wrench in the tuning process. The combination a extra length and extra weight up front (not necessarily a bad thing) messes with the dynamic spine. Once you get the formula down, you will be golden and can go about building arrows at will. Getting to that point will take a bit of work and fiddling with shafts and points. You will only need to add a couple inches. Really nice thing about that is you can get a nice hardwood up front and make some nice tough arrows with extra weight "Forward Of Center". The biggest bit of help a wood shooter can have is to get a power taper tool to make good straight tapers for nocks and points.

I think that Surewood Shafts may offer a longer arrow. I would give them a call and see. They are nice folks.

All Wapiti cedars come 33" not a problem. The best arrow shafts you will find.

31.5" with an ASL you must have an 80" arm span.

How did John Schulz explain draw length? Put a yard stick on your breast bone, reach forward with both hands, no stretching, the number you get would be a good general draw length for an ASL. A little leeway is allowed for those with extra wide shoulders and short arms.

About 82" wingspan to be exact ;) haha 6'5" with a linebacker build. That is honestly what helped me get into traditional bows, wheel bows were hard to find and much more expensive for my draw length, and I fell in love with the trad style and have stuck with it.

So from what you all seem to be saying, go the bare shaft way and fletch my own? That is a whole new territory! To the books I go. I guess now is as good a time as any to learn this skill!

Thank you all so much, Rick

Rick: Its virtually impossible to direct you to a arrow spine direction without knowing. Your bow weight as marked by the bowyer your exact draw length, how deep the shelf is cut. I surmise by your admitted draw length your not bending your bow arm as most ASL shooters do. I've known some very large guy's that shoot ASL and never encountered one with a draw length as long as your. So what I would suggest is first develop a form that decreases your draw and we can go from there.

Bob

I don't know, I worked with a fellow when he walked his knuckles drug the ground. I think I know who his ancestors were.

While I cannot possibly say what a proper draw length for an 82" wing span should be, but to go along with Bob suggested, if you have not studied this, it may give you some incites to what he is referring to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rel4Q_VT_Fo

One more, check the form photo, particular to the bowers. You may already be doing this, so it is just for information only.

not 'bowers' BOW ARM. I must learn to proof read.

If I had a 31.5" draw I would not look to decrease it.

That depends on the shooting style. I have personally seen from long years back that guys declared they were not going shoot the ASL any different than they shot their compounds, i have seen it more recently from those that switch from recurves to longbow, a few weeks down the road and they begin to meld to the longbow. A year down the road and they shoot like real live John Schulz trainees and some those declared that they didn't change a thing, but they would not hunt with anything else other than their ASLs, because their old recurve felt weird to them.

I like wood.

OMG, howard hill is smoking while shooting. No wonder cancer got him

Forrester wood shafts can make you any length shafts. Very high quality.

Well, I disagree with most of the above. And your do not yet have enough information to decide. It takes a year or two to settle on form and draw length. I would not shorten it

So, I suggest you get some cheap run of the mill arrows with 125 grain points spined about 25 pounds more than the draw weight marked on your bow. Then just shoot casually by feel, not worrying about accuracy. Get a couple of judo points for stump shooting and roving. Develop the style and form than enables you to bond with your bow. You could also get a few 100 and 145 grain points and a stick of hot melt glue to alter your tune.

Kindly let us know how it goes. - lbg

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