I got my 125S Ribteks and after Iepoxiedthem on the adapters they weighed 176-177 grains. They are not flying as well as I had hoped with the 2016's. So I tried them on some 2018's and they have a pretty noticeable wobble on the nock end in flight. With2016'sand the Ribteks myarrows only weigh 519gr. Should I switch to a 125gr screw in Snuffer and have even less KE? With 125gr Judos they fly great and hit where I'm looking. I'm shootinga 60# Howatt Hunter and have a 29" draw. Finally, are my arrows too light to be effective for deer and hopefully,someday, elk and black bear? What do you guys use that shoot a 60# bow and aluminum?

I'm only thinking out loud, but you may be underspined with a 2016 for a 60# 29 inch draw with your ribteks. The 125 grain head that you mentioned will have a weaker effect on the arrow, and will not steer the arrow as much a broadhead. I am using a 2018's with my 52 pound longbow at a 30 inch draw and am using 150 grain stinger heads. Which is just about right for my setup.

I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but a 2117 or 2020 might be a better fit to try.

What type of fletching are you using.

I'm using 5" parabolic RW helical feathers. I have 2018's that just don't fly well with the Ribteks and I have a couple of new 2216's I'm going to try this morning. I will get some 2117's and try them also. Since the 125gr judos fly great with the 2016's, wouldn't 125gr Snuffers likely fly good too? Is a 457gr arrow enough for heavier game like elk? Thanks for getting back to me.

Shooting fixed broadheads could magnify a problem. The 2016's IMO even with 125's fields or judo's could (remember could) be underspined, however, your fletchings are able to counter the problem by stabilizing the arrow. Have you tried bare shaft tuning with field points? That would be the best way find the correct arrow shaft.

In your second question, you are only getting about 7.5 grains per pound on your setup which is light.

I tuned with bare shafts according to the instructions on OL Adcock's website and the 2018's grouped as if they were to stiff. They grouped left of the fletched shafts and had a severe nock right attitude. The 2016's were much better. I wonder if my bow is mismarked. It is marked 60# @ 28" but I bought it new in 1984. It's not FF compatible, has dacron string and cat whiskers silencers. It feels every bit of 60+ to me after not shooting it for probably 5yrs.

You're right. It is a light setup and I am wasting alot of the energy that my limbs produce. I used the formula in TJ Conrad's book and estimating 180fps, my bow with this setup is only 62% efficient. This would account for some of the noise although I tried several barce heights and settled on 8 1/8" as the best for arrow flight and noise. Do you think 180fps is realistic for a 21 yr old Howatt Hunter? I don't have access to a chronograph to check it.

You're shooting a 60 pound Howatt Hunter at 29". Add 3 pounds for the extra inch of draw weight, gives you 63 pounds

I assume your arrows are at least 29.5" long, so add 2 1/2 lbs spine for the extra half inch of arrow length (5 pounds per inch), you need an arrow spined for 66 pounds.

Add 5 pounds of spine for each 25 grains of tip weight over 125 grains. 50 grains over = 10 pounds of spine. You're up to 76 pounds.

I'd start off trying 2216's or 2219's to tune with those Ribbies.

I appreciate you guys help. I'll give some stiffer arrows a try.

Let us know how they work out.

2016's spine out at 61lbs
2018's spine out at 69lbs

I would opt out for a stiffer spine shaft also.

Here is a list of spines as they go up from the 2018's

2217 - 70
2020 - 74
2215 - 76
2117 - 78
2216 - 84
2315 - 91
2219 - 94

I would think the 2219's to be to heavy something between the 2217 and the 2117.

next I would be worried more about arrow flight then anything else. No where else in the scheme of penetration will you loose more then poor arrow flight with the next being broadhead angles and sharpeness along with the amount of blades and diameter. You'll be fine in all regards if you can get an arrow flying perfectly even for animals up to and including Ak moose and grizzlies. Arrow speeds themselves are also irrelative! A bowyer might need to atleastthink about some of these things "efficency", but the shooter shouldnt worry as much in figures as he should in with results!

Next find a head you like. If it's 125 grainers so be it, but dont switch unless you absolutely can't get it to fly (usually there is a problem somewhere you are overlooking). Some guys like heavy heads, some dont. I dont like light heads, but extremely heavy heads messing with to many other factors of arrow flight, not to mention adds little to the overall weight of a shaft. Again the most important thing you can do is find a combination to fly, whatever that maybe dont worry about the figures. There is however some fudge room here. THere are shafts as you can see that spine out reasonably close to other shafts however weigh considerably different. The heavier side arrows will help nock some of that noise down. As will getting rid of the rubber silencers and placing them at the 1/3rd or 1/4 intervals (similar concept as guitars dealing with harmonics, afterall that is where a bow started so some say). Measure this from where the string lifts from the limbs, not the string grooves itself. Some guys will place one at each and might not be a bad idea with the cat wiskers, even more so if you trim them to small balls. I would be a thinner diameter string itself will also be quieter as it will help in the recovery of the limbs. Eight plus inches on your brace seems high but that is just my opinion, again these numbers are only references, they are what they are and dont change them on speculation just because I think this or he thinks that, or he says it should be this or that way.

Stickbows have changed little over time imho. The concept is the same though materials and designs have changed, speeds have changed little compared to the wheel bow sides. Strings will help performance along with other idears that I don't care to mention for fear of a flogging by the heavy arrow guys.... [&:] Again it is what it is and dont worry about it. Now if you were going to be hunting cape buffalo then every spittin thing may help, or you were hunting elk with a 40lb bow, then ya I could see it. Get the arrow flying right, put it where it needs to be with a quality head that's EXTREMELY sharp and enjoy those steaks.