I have a 55# Dreamcatcher with a 28 in. draw and I'm using 2018's, 30 in. with 125 tips. Shoots very good bare shaft and fletched. I would think the 2016's should work for you. Are you griping the bow? I've only been shooting a recurve for around 5 months and hold the bow like I hold my compound which is basically not to grip it all. I think this is different than you might hold a longbow. I get erractic flight if I hold the bow tightly. My brace height is 8 3/8 in. and nock is 3/8 in. above center. Doesn't seem to matter much as far as fletching orientation, but I like the top fletch at 12:30. You might try some different strings if you have them. I'm using endless loop, B-50.

Hope this helps. Joe.

Not at all, bigcountry. I was just being a smart-arse. If you've got an arrow flight problem you must get it sorted out. It just helps sometimes to make an adjustment to the hair-covered computer, and nothing better for that than a solid whack on the noggin.

I really have had bows that wouldn't hardly shoot an aluminum arrow at all but would shoot great with wood arrows, so that was an honest suggestion. I know it sounds crazy to some but many of these traditional bows really do have personalities and just will not do what they don't want to do.

Thanks Arthur, I am about at the end of my rope with this recurve. One, I think I need a longer one. I love the feel of the handle, but I can shoot alot better with my longbow and its alot more quiet. I have a feeling this recurve is performing better speed wise, but if you can't hit where you are aiming, what does it matter. Right.

I do have 12 cedars, and it will shoot about 4 or 5 of them good. And I have to shoot it cock feather in. Seems like the bow has a narrow range of operation. I mean, it should be more dynamic than this. I can shoot 2018's with 145gr tip and 2016's with 125gr tip, and 60-65lb cedars out of my longbow and they fly straight. 2016's are the best for it but the others don't do too bad.

Just frustrated.

BigC--I traded a Zipper Extreme for another t/d recurve and I just couldn't group with that bow to save my life.No matter what I did or what arrows I used--I just could not shoot it.I got the bow on a Monday and traded it off that Friday.The guy that took it off my hands was stacking the arrows in like he'd been shooting that bow his whole life.Thankfully I haven't come across many bows like that.I sure do miss that Zipper,though!

You couldn't get the zipper to shoot? Or the other one? I might sell this and get a zipper. I just don't know if i can foot a zipper right now.

Oh no--the Zipper shot great.It was one of my favorite bows(still kicking myself for getting rid of it).I couldn't get the other one to shoot.
Are you going to Denton Hill this weekend? Last year,I saw a few Zippers at the swap meet that were pretty reasonable

You know what guys, all this may make sense. Playing around with the Chrony today, and here is the numbers. My longbow is actually outperforming my recurve. My longbow is almost a recurve with fastflight string and the design. I know 2 or so fps isn't much. But I was expecting the recurve to blow away the longbow. Harder to pull back maybe due to the 8" BH. Where on the longbow I have it at little under 7". So maybe I should try some 1916's? Or find a set of cedars that work like the few I got. Thanks for alls help. Or possibly get a high speed string.

Savannah Longbow
590gr 2018 with 175gr tip 159fps
560gr 2018 with 145gr tip 164fps
500gr 2016 with 125gr tip 175fps

Dreamcatcher Recurve
590gr 2018 with 175gr tip 157fps
560gr 2018 with 145gr tip 163fps
500gr 2016 with 125gr tip 173fps

You know, some years back I finally got a Bighorn Custom TD. I'd been wanting one for years and finally broke down and spent the big bucks for one. That bow wouldn't hardly put two arrows in the same time zone for me. It even gave me a roaring case of tendonitis in my bow arm elbow! [:@]I got rid of it and took one heckuva beating on the sale price.

Sometimes you run into a bow that simply doesn't match up well with you.

But before you jump off the deep end and take a hatchet to it, I've thought of something else that might help. Check your nock fit. If your nocks are too tight, that can cause them to not release from the string cleanly. Just tight enough to hang on the string, not a firm snap.

Can't believe I forgot that one--it's usually the first thing I check/ask about! Art is dead-on--a nock that fits too tight can really bugger arrow flight, cost you performance, and add a lot of frustration to trying to tune a bow. It's worse with lower poundages, but will affect higher poundages to a degree.

Chad

Thanks guys, I have filed the nocks so they pop off when I bounce them with the bow horizontal.