Ok...it's me again with the "explain it to me like a 4 year old" question.

Arrows. I see the charts and even they say it's only a guide. There are so many out there and I honestly have some questions about the numbers they're throwing out.

2314- the 23 is actual diameter and the 14 is wall thickness??

There is also a "Spine" # 365, 390, 342...what is THAT?
Stiffer is higher or lower or what? I would think that stiffer would be heavier in GPI, but the Easton chart doesn't follow that.

And now for the grand finale...how do you pick the "perfect arrow" for your setup without buying 73 dozen varieties and finding 2 that fit your rig better than the others?

I'm looking for something that'll cover the indoor spots (which I am not serious about...I still shoot my little MM there) 3d in the summer and still hold up to a shoulder blade come October. Am I dreaming here?

I've shot 2512's, CSX 400, Blackhawk Vapor...and trashed them all rather quickly except the CSX's that shoot like pooh through my setup for some reason. Should I look at the 2315's and just suck up the extra weight?

Thanks for sifting through my confusion guys...

Jeff B and some of the other arrow gurus will be a lot more help than me on this one but i'll do what I can. You are correct on the shaft diameter and the wall thickness with the 2314. The numbering on carbon arrows varies by company, Gold Tip, the higher the number the stiffer the arrow. Easton the higher the number the less stiff or less spine. If you are looking for the perfect arrow I would suggest an ACC from easton or a Beman Matrix. With the composite arrows you get the straitness of aluminum with some of the carbon durability. They are not cheap but IMO worth the extra money. My pro shop keeps arrows of every kind that they sell fletched so you can shoot them all if you like. Gives you a chance to see what works best out of your bow before you buy. I shoot a BK II and my bow is always above where the charts recommend for spine. I think that most of the arrow charts don't apply to todays agressive cams and more efficient bows.

Trueshot, what's your draw weight and draw length??

The spine numbers refer to their deflection. There is a specific test procedure where an arrow is placed on two pivot points and a very specific amount of weight is applied to the middle of the shaft to see how much it bends. The amount that it bends is the deflection rating for that shaft.

Stiffer is lower.

Stiffness does not really have anything to do with actual arrow weight. The wall thickness in relation to the diameter of the shaft dictates spine in large part. For example, if you see a large number in the first two digits of the Easton aluminum rating system and a small number in the second two digits then that normally is a stiff arrow for any given setup....when comparing it to an arrow that might have a smaller number for the first two digits and a larger one for the last two. Examples of this might be a 2413 or a 2117. With a setup that might suggest both of those shafts the 2413 will be a stiffer spine than the 2117 when all else is equal.

Hope that did not confuse you more.

Most of the Easton charts I have seen will recommend at least 3 or 4 different arrow sizes for any given setup combination....each normally with a different spine rating. However, normally one or two of those 3 or 4 choices will be darker in print which means that those are the most commonly used sizes for that specific bow arrow setup combination. If you usually stick with those then you won't go wrong in picking the correct setup.

One word of advice though...if you are going with a perimeter weighted style or similar single cam or a hard dual cam then always opt for the stiffer spine out of the recommended choices.

So, forvive me for being too critical, but they update the charts every year...why wouldn't they compensate for the cam technology??

Wwag, 28.5-29 draw with a 27.75 arrow @ 70lbs

[quote][Hope that did not confuse you more.
/quote]

No Frank, I think I get it.

I mean I loved the way the 2512's shot, but if I hit a gnat in flight on the way down they'd bend and I'm pretty hard on equipment anyway.

So an arrow with thinner overall diameter but thicker walls will actually be less stiff or have less spine...but it would be more durable??

In addition to Frank's discussion about aluminum arrows... Wall thickness has some effect on stiffness, but it's major effect is weight. Shaft diameter has some effect on weight, but it has more effect on stiffness. The thicker the walls, the heavier the shaft. The larger the diameter, the stiffer the shaft. Two shafts the same diameter, the thicker walls are stiffer. Anyway, that's why a 2512 is a much stiffer arrow than a 2018, but the 2018 is a good bit heavier. And a 2219 is a stiffer, heavier arrow than a 2213.

Thin walls are easily dinged and cracked, and they can fold up like an accordian. Smaller diameters are easy to bend. Thicker walls are heavier but more durable. Larger diameters are more resistant to bending. Go up to a 2419 and those bad boys are darn near indestructable!

I generally shoot 2315's out of my bows because they're a good compromise between weight and durability. I won't go less than .015" wall thickness on an arrow when I want decent durability.

My main rule of thumb for carbon... If the chart shows me within 5 pounds of the upper end of the scale for my setup, I ALWAYS go to the next stiffest spine. If the arrow has a reputation for being softer spined than they're marked, I bump up if I'm within 10 pounds. It works for me.

I am confused about arrows myself! Being new to the sport what is the proper arrow length if your say a 27in draw, do you addan inch or what? Can you give me a general rule shooting a regular rest.

Most folks cut their arrows so that the point of the arrow is 1/2 - 3/4" past the rest at full draw.

Hey Thanks guys.
It is so cool that this site is around where I know I can get reliable info and the answer to damn near ay question I have about archery at a mouse click. Man I love it here!

Trushot

You can go to www.eastonarchery.com and download an arrow selection chart that will get you much closer than most in print.They ask specific questions on exact arrow length and weight and give you the best selection for you.


There are some really good 3-d arrows that will crossover to hunting.The ACC is probably the best but the new Axis might prove to be good ones also.