Nobody can tell you the shaft you need. Only you can. Matt showed me some nifty setups with goldtips where you can add weight to the front or back depending on what you need.

First off I suggest you get out in the yard and start trying to get proficient at hitting a recongizable POI or group. That may take months. In that time taking about 30% of your time working on your release, anchor and form.

I like bareshaft/broadhead tuning at this point. And this can change over time, in other words, 2016's at 30" used to be perfect for me when I first started. As my release got crisper, form nailed, down, I now require 2018's with 125gr points or 2020's with 145's. The 2016's are too weak.

I bought several points from 125gr to 250gr just for this experimentation.

But if you go the gold tip traditional route, you can add wieght to your front or rear. And then when you find the spine/tip/BH combo, you can add equal wieght to the front and back for heavier setup for hunting, or take off equal weight tip/nock for 3d.

It sounds very nifty, but can't bring myself to go the carbon route.

BC,
I understand. I knew I was in trouble when I started shooting the 7595's yesterday evening. They were hitting big-time tail left. I'll just have to learn as I go. One question for you if you don't mind me asking.... why do you prefer aluminum to carbon?

Not speaking for him, but guessing. Carbon is not as traditional. I know many that wont shoot anything but wood. Im lazy and cheap, i shoot carbon with most of my trad bows because they are more durable and easy to keep straight.

Cheaper, easier to find right spine/BH/point combo. Carbons were too light. You either have to get a heavy spined and put a 200gr point on the end (and have FOC like 25%), use the gold tip wieght system (equal wieght both front and back), or put in wieght tubes (wieght tubes are expensive). I want at least 11gr/lb pull with trad. A 600gr arrow out of a 52# bow going at 175fps is lethal. I would rather have that combo than a 400gr arrow going at 190fps. Heavier arrows are more quiet also.

So alums are heavier, and much straighter and much more consistent spined.

Actually my fav is Port Cedars. But finding quality, straight, straight grain, consistent spine cedars are tough these days. I have two dozen by two different people (3rivers being one), that suck.

And lastly, I will add, over the past 20 years, I have gathered up quite a collection of aluminums. I have 2219's, 2216's, 2020's, 2018's, 2016's, 2314's, so I go out and bareshaft tune and if I find the right spine, then I am done. I would have to start over with carbons.

Well, I can't seem to find what I want in carbon, so after work I'll be picking up some Easton 2117's as a starting point. I'll start bare shafted at full length and go from there. The inserts weighs 25 grains and I have 145 grain points. Personally, I'd like to go heavier on the point weight, which is why I went with the 2117's with a .407 spine. We'll see how it goes.

If I was you, I would go with 2020's and 145's. 2117's might be fine with 200gr points, probably.

The 2117's will probably work, especially left a touch long. I'd be more apt to lean towards a 2018 with a 145 gr. point, but that's me.

Little Chief, you added 2 inches to my arrow. It is 30 1/4. I use a 150gr Magnus 1, 4 blade with a 75gr insert in the head. They fly great.

What's your bow's draw weight again? You're arrow is 2" shorter, but you're shooting 40 grains more on the front end than I am. Would that put us close to the same?

Here's where I'm at... I picked up a half dozen 2117's and they're still original length at 32". I fletched three of them.

I believe they're 11 grains per inch. The Easton inserts weighed in at 46 grains. I have 145 grain points on. I fletched three of them.

I don't know how much the nock insert, nock and feathers weigh, but even without them, the total weight is 543 grains. I'm guessing total arrow weight right now will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 grains.

As far as I can tell so far, the point of impact for the bare shafts and fletched shafts is close to the same. It's sort of hard to tell at this point since my shooting is anything but consistent. If I concentrate and all goes well, I can put all six arrows in a 3" group at 10 yards.Anyway, while the bare shafts are usually hitting in the same place, they're impacting tail left. What does that indicate, if anything?

If they are left and you are right handed the spine is weak. I shoot a 60lb @ 28 in Black Widow SAG. They bare shafted just a bit stiff at 20yds. They fly great with 5 1/2 in Banana fletch. I draw most of that arrow, just about 1/2 inch short of my fingers.