Which Arrow?
 

I have a Bear Kodiak Mag that is 55#. I'm new to the use of trad. equipment and am wanting a good starting point for an arrow. My DL on my compound is 29". Not sure what my DL on this recurve would be in relation to my compound.

I'm assuming a 2117 would be a good arrow for strength and weight.

Am I close?

Is this a good bow?

RE: Which Arrow?
 

I'm thinking more like a 2016 or 2018. You're more then likely going to loose at least an inch of draw. Not sure of the year of the bow, but you'll probably need a dacron string for it.

RE: Which Arrow?
 

I think the string I put on it last year was a dacron....How do you know for sure? It is all black and approx. 18 strand.

Bob,

How did you arrive at a 2016/2018?? Easton is where I got the 2117.... Thanks for the info!

RE: Which Arrow?
 

the 2117 will work but youll have to leave them 2-3 inches longer than your normal arrow(if your draw is 28" your arrow is normally cut to 29 inch or so, so if you go with 2117 order them uncut and take .5 of an inch off untill you get good arrow flight). 2117 is approx a .400 spine, you need somthing closer to a .500 spine (2016, 2018) more than likely. my bow likes 2016 easton legacys pretty good my bow is 48# at my 27" drawlength my arrows are 28.5 inches, i think, 175 grain field tips(it shoots 125 grain tips fine too tho) use either 4 or5 inch feathers.

the easton chart consistantly recomends arrows that aretoo stiff for traditional bow setup(shooting off the shelf).

RE: Which Arrow?
 

also, if your just getting started with traditional equip any arrow will do at first(you dont have to spend a fortune on new perfectly matched equip)as long as the flight isnt too horible, you'll be fine,after you get some experience with the equiment youll be able to figure out what arrow setup might work best(then go ahead and spend for those perfect arrows.
you can useyourold compound arrowswith some heavy field tips up front.just as long as your shooting. but they probably wont fly the best.
what it will do is teach you the feel for your bow and what it takes to shoot it.

at first youll want to work on your form: anchor, back tention,keeping your head and bow arm still. work on your aiming later.

basically dont get mad if the shot felt good and you didnt hit exactly what your looking at, get mad because the shot felt bad because of your poor form. work on your form first.......then your aiming.

trad and Compund are really simular and really different at thesame timeas far as shooting form goes,all i can say is that when shootingbarebow theimportance of key "good form" ingredients is multiplied and it makes you a better compound shooter....

have fun and dont be afraid to ask questions.
getting started is definately a learning process, try as many things as possible(even if youknow or think it might be wrong) and learn things for yourself, thats the best way to do it IMO.

RE: Which Arrow?
 

So if he were to go to wood arrows, what size would he use.

<Just trying to understand the thought process...

RE: Which Arrow?
 

First, welcome to our addiction! Second, I don't mean to rain on your parade.....but those short bows can be frustrating, especially starting out. With a 28" or so draw length, I'd look for a bow at least 60" long. 55# may be more than you are comfortable with also--you want a draw weight you are comfortably in control of, especially when learning the ropes. Too much weight and you won't shoot as many arrows, or as often, and you'll have a tendency to rush the shot rather than focus on good form.

That being said..........if your bow is an older one, definately a dacron string. 18 strands is overkill, and will only cost you performance. On top of that, it's going to be dang near impossible to get a proper nock fit, which will cost you even more performance, plus make it a devil (if not impossible) to properly tune. If it's a newer bow, and has 18 strands of FF, it's still overkill, but since FF is a smaller diameter material it will be easier to get a proper nock fit.

If you are wanting to try wood arrows and 125 grain points, with a dacron string and arrows cut 29" BOP you'd probably need a 55-60 or 60-65# spine; with a FF type string and the same length/point weight, probably 65-70# spine. That's just ball-park--a lot will depend on your actual draw length, release, nock fit, etc.

I agree with AC--don't worry about getting perfect arrow flight at first. Most likely your form will change a bit here and there as you develop your shooting style, and when it changes your arrows may need changing as well. Like he said, concentrate on form, and consistency. When you have that down, then start working on the right arrow.

Good luck!

Chad

RE: Which Arrow?
 

I would go with 55/60 cederwith 125grn FP/BH.Iam shooting Beman 400 Clasics with my 55lb bow and 50/55 ceders with my other two at 50lb with 28" draw my B.O.P is 29 5/8,all three Iam useing 125grn FP/BH....
But Iam having major shoulder surgery nxt Thur's so you know where I sit right now.....

RE: Which Arrow?
 

Weird.....I thought all you trad. guys thought compounds were too techy!!! This bow is prob. not the best fit more me, but until I totally develop the addition it will have to do....

Right now I'm just shooting some 29" 2213s that I had kicking around and I can tell the are too stiff, but it still fun!

Thanks for the info.

RE: Which Arrow?
 

P.S.

I have a flipper rest on the bow(it was on it when it was given to me), should I be shooting off the shelf???

RE: Which Arrow?
 

nothing wrong with using a rest, most guys dont use them because its one less thing to worry about.

ive thought about putting one ona bow before(one of those little stick on plastic do-dads)just to see what the difference is but never got around to it.

RE: Which Arrow?
 

I put the stick on one on my Kudu,the Bemans Clasicsjust shoot better that way then off the shelf.Havent tried my ceders thru it because I bought it to have in my Veh and ceders wont hold up to the temp changes.ie warp..

RE: Which Arrow?
 

Shoot off the shelf, less b.s. to worry about when your starting out like you are!

RE: Which Arrow?
 

I generally shoot off the shelf because, as Schultzy says, it's one less thing to worry about. No need to worry about your rest breaking because, if it does, it means your whole bow broke. [8D]

If you use an elevated rest, it's better to have a flipper than one of those all-plastic jobbies, that have the little finger sticking out to set the arrow on. I've had those plastic things snap off when shooting in cold weather, and 'cold' here means anything under 30 degrees. I've had flippers fail on me, but not nearly as much as those plastic things.

An elevated rest is generally more accurate, as I found out shooting competition. Actually, my competiton bow - a '65 model Wing Presentation II - has a built-in flipper and doesn't even have a shelf.

Now, I love wood arrows but.... I think they aren't the best choice for a newbie traditional shooter. As Bobco recommended, 2016 or 2018 would be good for a start. A friend of mine shoots several full size Kodiaks (he's a full fledged Bear nut ;)) has a similar draw length and draw weight and he has perfect arrow flight with 2114's. Or go to Kustom King and order some 200 or 250 gn field points so you can try shooting 5575 Gold Tips. Feather fletched for shooting off the shelf. Plastic vanes work fine on a flipper.

When you get the form down and the ol' eye sharpened, to where your misses are reasonably rare, then give wood arrows a go. Cedars aren't as cheap as they used to be and they are easier to break than aluminum or carbon.

RE: Which Arrow?
 

a friend of mine was telling me he used to shoot Traditional bows...when he was younger, hes about 70 now.

he said that he used wood arrows and that he had to buy 100 of them just to get 12 good ones out of the bunch, is this a true statement???or just an isolated opinion.