Arrow Flight

RDHunter · 08-12-2006, 07:49 PM

What cause's an arrowto sprial after it's been released ?
It's weird I was practicing the other day in my backyard and every time I shot I saw the arrow sprial like a football but the funny thing is I wlways hit my target right where I aimed.

mauser06 · 08-12-2006, 08:14 PM

you must have helical fletchings.....which is good...acts like rifling in a rifle barrel...throw a football without a spiral and its not so accurate...put a spiral on it and its more accurate......not saying you cant be accurate WITHOUT helical fletchings....i think it helps though..

RDHunter · 08-12-2006, 08:20 PM

Yea I do so this is a good thing huh I mean as long as I'm hitting my target I souldn't worry about right .
It's just weird that I noticed it, I've been shooting a bow for 10 to 12 years and I never noticed it before.

mobow · 08-12-2006, 08:26 PM

Uh, this type of spiraling isn't the good kind. Spin is good, tail whip spiral is bad. You've got a tuning issue that needs worked out. Either you're getting some fletching contact w/ your rest, or you are out of centershot, something. Head to the shop for some papertuning.

RDHunter · 08-12-2006, 08:33 PM

Hey That sounds like a good idea , thanks.

Bulzeye · 08-14-2006, 10:52 AM

If your groups are dead on at several distances, then the point of the arrow is probably staying in-line with your aiming point,and it's the back end of the arrow that's doing the dance. Almost certainly a clearance prob, and it will affect broadhead flight and penetration in game. If your groups are off-center at different distances, then the main prob is simply tuning a bit more precisely.

A simple fix for a clearance probmay be to rotate your nocks so they index differently in relation tothe fletch. Helical fletch and skinny shafts are notoriously tough to clear unless you use a drop away or a bisquit that exerts the same resistance on all the fletchings. I'd mess with just one arrow until you get it good, then copy the nock orientation to the other arrows, and then test each for performance and tweak as needed.

If you can't get the helicals to clear, go to smaller (lower profile) fletch, switch to feathers which are very forgiving, change to offset fletch orientation or a less severe helical, change to a different type of rest, or get fatter arrows.

I wanted the stabillity of helical fletch but had clearance issues, so I went to 4" instead of 5", stuck to fatter shafts (2314's), and then played with the nocks. I feel that keeping the helical was worth the extra changes because hunting ismy main activity with my bow. Everything else is practice, and keeping that blade stable in the air is second only to shooting it in the proper direction in the first place.

Good luck.
-Bulz