You know I can't figure this out.

I work with a field target shooter. He is trying his best to get me into field archery.

But he shoots the stiffest arrows I ever saw for his rig. He is amazed that my trad bows shoots such a weak arrow.

The guy wins tourniments so he must know something.

For instance, I figure a 2016 arrow is perfect for a 48-50lb longbow. Or even wood core recurve. He shoots a 2018 alum for his 36lb hoyt FITA recurve.

Yes, he is perfectly centershot, and shoots off a target rest. His limbs are carbon.

So what do you all think is the biggest contributors to his arrows having to be so much stiffer?

I figured its a combo of faster bow, perfect centershot.

There's few if any "rules" that are written in stone, especially when it comes what arrows will work for a certain poundage bow. You shoot what works, and don't worry about it.

You are probably right about why he gets away with such a stiff spine, but it could be something different. I bet he has an excellent release also.

A few years ago, a short time after I was given a selfbow, I decided to compete in the Howard Hill tournament with it. I didn't have time to get any arrows together to match it, so I used the ones for my longbow. If I did everything just right, I got good arrow flight (didn't happen much), otherwise my arrows did manuvers that would make a Russian gymnast jealous. They were spined 75/80#. I won the selfbow class that year. Later I got a chance to match some arrows up to that bow--the arrows that fly best from it are spined 40/45#. You can get away with breaking the rules sometimes.

Chad

Yea, I agree, just trying to figure out how they get away with it. I know that shelf of ours causes some issues. We need to get around that. They have over .5" of room.

A shelf cut past center will allow for stiffer arrows, but there can be more to it. The selfbow I shot with arrows spined 35# too heavy doesn't have any shelf cut-out.

I'll have to ask, but I think Rod Jenkins generally shoots arrows way under-spined--or at least what the "rules" say should be way under-spined.

Chad

Honestly Chad, I am shocked that you got good arrow flight with no shelf. Usually when i shoot selfbows with no shelf cutout, and arrows overspined, you hear that wood to wood sound on the shot and have a lot of fishtailing.

I know your an honest dude, and sounds like you made it work well.

My whole thing is good arrow flight with large broadheads. This is where a overspined arrow hits way to the left for me.

I would have bet that there was no way they would fly even half-way decent, but they did--when I did everything just right. Most of the time they flew like crap, but hit the mark just the same. Might havebeen a different story with aluminum or carbon-never tried those. I have learned you can get away with a lot more if your form and release is good though.

I never shot those arrows from that bow with broadheads--don't plan to either. Broadheads will magnify every mistake.

When I say I got "good flight" from my selfbow, that was to my eye--i.e., I didn't see the wobble, didn't get any noise, etc.--never tried shooting through paper. The folks I was shooting with noticed the shots that flew great vs. the others also (I shot the same arrow for the entire course, so it wasn't a difference in arrows).

The more I learn about this sport, the more I realize how much I don't know.....and how few "rules" are absolute.

Chad

Target shooters that ive seen in local "shooting Leagues" us arrows that are like 2413 or 2512 something like that....

the spine on one of those is basically unbendable and they still shoot them well.
its my understanding that they use the fatter arrowsbecause it takes more space upon the target(cheat the lines on targets).

those bows are center shot with arrow rest and using a release,.....
from what i gathered , most of them pull around 60lbs but there arrows are spined for like 120#

I have never seen a FITA or field archery shooter pulling more than 45lbs. From my buddy who competes he said a round is usually 80-120arrows. He said most pull 38lbs especially the olympians.

Never said they were FIta Shooters....just guys with Target Compounds shooting in a fun league.
(some of them have $1500 setups).....they get away with using arrows that are way stiff on there setups, and are really accurate still. thats all im getting at.

the only peole that shoot traditional in my home city is either Me or the dozen or soother people that ive found/seen shooting...its that rare around here...
3 of them ive gotten into it myself.

quite a few will shoot trad while bowfishing but that dont count.

Ive never seen an all Traditional or FITA tournament.

around here if you show up with a recurve...everyone laughs at you pretty much there really isnt any interest in it.

He gets away with it due to the tunability of the bow. The sight windowson olympic style recurves, are typically cut way past center; much like a compound. With the use of a cushion plunger, one can tune extremely stiff arrows for draw weight by adjusting center shot and adjusting spring stiffness in the plunger.Several years ago, before I got in to 3D,I use to shootan indoor league in Nashville. My indoorbowwas aFITArig pulling 40#. Using an adjustable cavalier plunger and a simple magneticflipper rest, I was able to tune a 2020. The total arrow weight put my point onjust under the bull at 20 yards withmy anchor point.