Experiences and learnings with my first arrow build
11-07-2004, 06:34 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 46
Experiences and learnings with my first arrow build
Hi guys,
Just thought I'd share some experiences on my first arrow set-up. After reading the forums for a while I decided to get into making my own arrows and setting them up with broadheads. Beware - depending on how carried away I get, this might be a long one.....
Firstly the ingredients: For arrows I initially ordered GT XT hunters in 5575. After reading some posts I got worried that they might be a bit soft in the spine, so changed the order to 7595's (thanks Lancaster). At the time of set-up I am shooting a 28.5" arrow out of my 63#, 29" draw Liberty. Got some Bohning Blazer vanes and after some good forum inputs settled on WASP Boss Bullet 100 gr heads.
I bought a Grayling jig with RH helical and proceeded to build my first arrows this weekend. For my setup I used the cock feather down plate.
At first I set the jig up with no offset. So plain RH helical. I had glued the nock in on my first arrow and found it hard to line the cock down vane up with the flat end of the nock. After a few tries I got this right and proceeded to stick the remaining vanes on. I am still not sure what the nock holder screw on the jig does, but tightened it down anyway. The jig instructions aren't great. And no website I could find! My observation was that the RH helical in itself does not do much for the 2" Blazer vanes. Ok - so did some more arrows and shifted the magnet base plate to have a good offset. For these arrows I didn't glue the nock in - just stuck them in tight and jigged the vanes on. Then adjusted the nock as required. They fit pretty tight so I ended up not glueing them in at all for all the rest of the arrows. My theory was to just shoot and see how they go. I was happy about the fletching job - although my 2 opposing vanes (not the cock down vane) don't look quite 120° apart (I'm assuming that this is due to the offset).
Ok - off to the butt with field points. Was a bit worried about the arrows being a bit stiff in the spine, but no danger there. Started at 10 yds and had to shoot 3 arrows at 3 small targets - groups would've been too tight. For field points I used the GT EZ pull screw in points. Aaarrrggggghh. Waste of money. The tip is way bigger than the arrow and has a small ledge before the insert. They are impossible to pull! ! !
So field tips shot well at 10 and 20 yds - so stuck the WASPs on and shot cautiously at 10 yds. WOW! First arrow bulls eye. Too scared to shoot more at that range (fear of destroying my newly built arrows) and backed off to 20 yds. BANG! Another bull! Confidence built up nicely and I backed up to 50 yds. I could put 3 arrows into a 8x8 square at this distance (with the WASPS). In changing to field points I could not see a difference at all (EZ pulls were as hard as BH to pull out though). What was interesting was that the arrow with no offset shot 0.5" high at close distance, just about spot on at about 30 yds and 5" low at 50 yds (but centre line). Very interesting.
I was ready for stacks of tuning issues around the BHs, but no issues whatsoever. My next batch of arrows will be slightly longer though - I find that I have to close my bowhand (usually shoot with index and middle finger extended off the grip) else the BH cuts the ole fingers up. At the end of the draw cycle the drop away lifts her out of range, so just the tips of the fingers that end up in danger land. The rest of the hand is ok. I'll add an inch onto my next set of arrows.
Hope this helps someone somewhere in some way.
Cheers,
Greg
Just thought I'd share some experiences on my first arrow set-up. After reading the forums for a while I decided to get into making my own arrows and setting them up with broadheads. Beware - depending on how carried away I get, this might be a long one.....
Firstly the ingredients: For arrows I initially ordered GT XT hunters in 5575. After reading some posts I got worried that they might be a bit soft in the spine, so changed the order to 7595's (thanks Lancaster). At the time of set-up I am shooting a 28.5" arrow out of my 63#, 29" draw Liberty. Got some Bohning Blazer vanes and after some good forum inputs settled on WASP Boss Bullet 100 gr heads.
I bought a Grayling jig with RH helical and proceeded to build my first arrows this weekend. For my setup I used the cock feather down plate.
At first I set the jig up with no offset. So plain RH helical. I had glued the nock in on my first arrow and found it hard to line the cock down vane up with the flat end of the nock. After a few tries I got this right and proceeded to stick the remaining vanes on. I am still not sure what the nock holder screw on the jig does, but tightened it down anyway. The jig instructions aren't great. And no website I could find! My observation was that the RH helical in itself does not do much for the 2" Blazer vanes. Ok - so did some more arrows and shifted the magnet base plate to have a good offset. For these arrows I didn't glue the nock in - just stuck them in tight and jigged the vanes on. Then adjusted the nock as required. They fit pretty tight so I ended up not glueing them in at all for all the rest of the arrows. My theory was to just shoot and see how they go. I was happy about the fletching job - although my 2 opposing vanes (not the cock down vane) don't look quite 120° apart (I'm assuming that this is due to the offset).
Ok - off to the butt with field points. Was a bit worried about the arrows being a bit stiff in the spine, but no danger there. Started at 10 yds and had to shoot 3 arrows at 3 small targets - groups would've been too tight. For field points I used the GT EZ pull screw in points. Aaarrrggggghh. Waste of money. The tip is way bigger than the arrow and has a small ledge before the insert. They are impossible to pull! ! !
So field tips shot well at 10 and 20 yds - so stuck the WASPs on and shot cautiously at 10 yds. WOW! First arrow bulls eye. Too scared to shoot more at that range (fear of destroying my newly built arrows) and backed off to 20 yds. BANG! Another bull! Confidence built up nicely and I backed up to 50 yds. I could put 3 arrows into a 8x8 square at this distance (with the WASPS). In changing to field points I could not see a difference at all (EZ pulls were as hard as BH to pull out though). What was interesting was that the arrow with no offset shot 0.5" high at close distance, just about spot on at about 30 yds and 5" low at 50 yds (but centre line). Very interesting.
I was ready for stacks of tuning issues around the BHs, but no issues whatsoever. My next batch of arrows will be slightly longer though - I find that I have to close my bowhand (usually shoot with index and middle finger extended off the grip) else the BH cuts the ole fingers up. At the end of the draw cycle the drop away lifts her out of range, so just the tips of the fingers that end up in danger land. The rest of the hand is ok. I'll add an inch onto my next set of arrows.
Hope this helps someone somewhere in some way.
Cheers,
Greg
11-08-2004, 05:48 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Norwalk, CT
Posts: 599
RE: Experiences and learnings with my first arrow build
The screw on the nock holder lets you rotate your nocks if needed for clearence. I have the same jig & like it alot. Once I get it set & making arrows the way I want its great but it can be frustrating if you move anythng. I try & keep at least one arrow together before building more. This way you can loosen everything & put in an arrow you like, place the clamp over the fletch & carefully line everything up. This way making arrows identical to the ones you have is a snap. If your arrows are all always the same this dont matter but I fletch with vanes & feathers both & found that the vanes being thinner than the feathers I needed to adjust the jig to get them to turn out the same, cock feather down with a slight right offset for me.
Good luck, I think you'll like building your own arrows. Heck of a satisfied feeling when you take a deer with an arrow you put together from scratch.
Good luck, I think you'll like building your own arrows. Heck of a satisfied feeling when you take a deer with an arrow you put together from scratch.
11-09-2004, 12:11 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 46
RE: Experiences and learnings with my first arrow build
Leverdue, thanks for the good information. Fortunately I do all my arrows the same and don't need to move the set-up. I could never imagine arrow building to be so satisfying (even though I'm not great at it yet).
Thanks for the help on the function of the screw on the nock holder. Will using this be responsible for my opposing vanes (not the cock down one, the other two) not being nice and 120° apart? I am still not quite sure how turning this screw will help you with clearance? Clearance of the fletches? I'm sorry I'm a bit slow, but very new to the terminology...
Thanks,
Greg
Thanks for the help on the function of the screw on the nock holder. Will using this be responsible for my opposing vanes (not the cock down one, the other two) not being nice and 120° apart? I am still not quite sure how turning this screw will help you with clearance? Clearance of the fletches? I'm sorry I'm a bit slow, but very new to the terminology...
Thanks,
Greg
11-09-2004, 06:22 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Norwalk, CT
Posts: 599
RE: Experiences and learnings with my first arrow build
gregvisser,
Glad I could help.
That screw wont help your fletching to come out even. Are they all uneven the same? The only time that has happened to me I grabbed the base of a feather with the clamp instead of the feather itself (at least thats what I think) & it threw the one feather off a bit.
The screw allows you too turn your nock in relation to your fletching a bit. I fletch cock down like you but if I put the cock feather on perfectly square the front of my feather or vane will hit the left prong on my rest. The screw loosens the nock holder so you can rotate it & not move to the next click stop. A little goes a long way & its easy to go too far. I usually will try an arrow with a loose nock first & if its not quite right I can put the nock where I want it & try using it as a guide to adjust the nock setting. Its trial & error but once its set its done & switching from feathers to vanes doesnt affect this setting.
Glad I could help.
That screw wont help your fletching to come out even. Are they all uneven the same? The only time that has happened to me I grabbed the base of a feather with the clamp instead of the feather itself (at least thats what I think) & it threw the one feather off a bit.
The screw allows you too turn your nock in relation to your fletching a bit. I fletch cock down like you but if I put the cock feather on perfectly square the front of my feather or vane will hit the left prong on my rest. The screw loosens the nock holder so you can rotate it & not move to the next click stop. A little goes a long way & its easy to go too far. I usually will try an arrow with a loose nock first & if its not quite right I can put the nock where I want it & try using it as a guide to adjust the nock setting. Its trial & error but once its set its done & switching from feathers to vanes doesnt affect this setting.
11-10-2004, 07:36 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 46
RE: Experiences and learnings with my first arrow build
Aaah man. I'm just taking this in. Sooooo much good info here. Thanks Leverdude. I'm on the ball now with what the nock screw does. I'll try a few more arrows and see how they go...
Cheers,
Greg
Cheers,
Greg
