.001 or .003

bigbuck270 · 03-22-2005, 07:48 AM

I am an average shooter. Will I be able to tell the difference between .001 and .003 straightness? There is about a $30 per doz price difference. Is it worth it?

Arthur P · 03-22-2005, 08:22 AM

I haven't seen as big a difference between +/-.001 and +/-.003 as I have between the +/-.003 and +/-.006 grades. I think the +/-.003 grade is the best value for the average guy.

gibblet · 03-22-2005, 10:09 AM

oh, this weekly debate isn't going to be any fun at all if we restrict it to .001 -.003.

BGfisher · 03-22-2005, 10:42 AM

I'm with Arthur on this one. Better quality will generally mean better shooting, but there is a point of diminshing returns and there is no sense spending money on trying to achieve the unachieveable.

bigbuck270 · 03-22-2005, 12:27 PM

OK then can an average shooter tell the difference from .001 to .003 to .006 at 30 yards and under?

BigJ71 · 03-22-2005, 02:26 PM

In my opinion the average shooter won't be able to tell the difference from 0-40 yds

Save some money and but the .003

I shoot .006 and have never had a problem with my arrows going where I want them to.

BGfisher · 03-22-2005, 08:37 PM

Without getting cynical here I want to sy that the AVERAGE shooter doesn't even know or care. The fact that you are asking means that you are somewhere above average or trying to get above average.
As with anything else, quality determines what you pay, and the results you'll get. .006 is pretty darn goo when getting practical. The average piece of paper is .003-.004. And this is suppsed to be the tolerance over 30" or so in an arrow. If and when you get really good it's prbably time to make a move up from .006 to .003. Yes, people can shoot well enough to tell the difference. But it is next to impossible to shoot well enough to tell whether it's .003 or .001.

If I got my wired hooked up to the battery right I think I recall that many Olympic shooters shoot arrows that check .004 and they are shooting out to 90 meters (100 yards). And I've seen them shoot five inch groups out there.

muzzyman88 · 03-22-2005, 10:19 PM

Here's another twist in the equation. To the best of my knowledge, most shafts are rated at 31" for straightness. Cutting equal lengths off each end will yeild you the best part of that shaft and possibly be even straighter.

I for one use the Gold Tip Xt's. They are rated at .003. I shoot a 27" arrow. Once I'm done cutting them down, they are exceptionally straight with the common oddball or two out of dozen.

I don't think the average or even above average shooter is going to notice an enormous difference in .001 to .003. They are darn straight. Save yourself some money and get .003.

Arthur P · 03-23-2005, 06:07 AM

Maybe one or two outfits might rate at 31". Most of them I've dug into are rating their shafts at 29". Someone like me who needs a 32" arrow is S.O.L. That's one reason I can see a huge difference between the .003 grade and .006 grade arrows. I'm out there in no-man's land on arrow length and straightness frequently goes completely to pot when you get outside where the factory measures their tolerances.

I do agree though, if I were able to trim arrows to length, I'd definitely cut half off each end to get rid of the junky parts of the shaft.

gibblet · 03-23-2005, 06:56 AM

wow, the spine junkies haven't weighed in yet. (who i agree with)