Hi, I am looking for some guidance on whether to upgrade my choice of arrows and if so what would experienced traditional shooters recommend.
I currently shoot a one-piece Bearpaw Penthalon Creed Recurve 30# bow in the Recurve barebow class at my local Australian Archery target shooting club. I have been shooting cheap carbon arrows with 700 spine feather fletched for a couple of months and my scores have been improving. I was wondering whether upgrading the quality of my arrows might be worthwhile now I have moved up a few grades.
The 700 spine’s I shoot are pre-made with insert installed and 100grain field points.4-inch parabolic feather nock collar and nock system installed, Shaft Length 32cm. They come in a box of twelve for $80. My draw length is 28”. I am hopefully about to upgrade to a Bearpaw Bodnik Desert Hunter Recurve 35# in a couple of months if it arrives and will also need to find the right arrows for this bow.
I am not looking for another cheap option, happy to pay more if it will improve my accuracy over 20-30 metres. I confess I find the subject of arrows very confusing. I am a target and occasionally 3D shooter and I string walk, using the point of the arrow to aim. I also shoot a 35# longbow and a 40# Tartar bow, just for fun not competitively.
Cheers Cathey
Looking for advice-Best Arrow for traditional target shooting
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Re: Looking for advice-Best Arrow for traditional target shooting
Happy New Year Cathey.
Going by the information you have provided, it seem that your arrow set is very close to being the correct spine, if perhaps only a very little over-spined. However, without knowing whether you are using dacron or fastflight for your string, and how centreshot the bow is, it is hard to be more accurate with that calculation. These may also be suitable for when you get a 35# bow, depending on centreshot and the string. If you are string walking, I think perhaps being a little overspined might be a good thing. I would imagine that you are shooting the bow quite vertically.
$80 is very cheap for a dozen arrows. What you may need to test for is whether the spine is consistant and also the weight (+/- 10gr [5 would be better]). You may need to find someone with a scale and spine gauge (possibly easier said than done on the last one). Are the arrows straight and does the nock align? Assuming that all these things check out, then it is unlikely another set of arrows will improve your shooting much at this stage, except for the psychological boost of doing so.
Your local target archery club can be your best source of information. They are normally pretty clued in about such things.
Did you get your arrows from a reliable source? If not, my concern would be about how safe they are too shoot.
Going by the information you have provided, it seem that your arrow set is very close to being the correct spine, if perhaps only a very little over-spined. However, without knowing whether you are using dacron or fastflight for your string, and how centreshot the bow is, it is hard to be more accurate with that calculation. These may also be suitable for when you get a 35# bow, depending on centreshot and the string. If you are string walking, I think perhaps being a little overspined might be a good thing. I would imagine that you are shooting the bow quite vertically.
$80 is very cheap for a dozen arrows. What you may need to test for is whether the spine is consistant and also the weight (+/- 10gr [5 would be better]). You may need to find someone with a scale and spine gauge (possibly easier said than done on the last one). Are the arrows straight and does the nock align? Assuming that all these things check out, then it is unlikely another set of arrows will improve your shooting much at this stage, except for the psychological boost of doing so.
Your local target archery club can be your best source of information. They are normally pretty clued in about such things.
Did you get your arrows from a reliable source? If not, my concern would be about how safe they are too shoot.
Last edited by Kendaric on Mon Jan 08, 2024 8:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Looking for advice-Best Arrow for traditional target shooting
Hi Kendaric and thank you for your advice.
Yes, I do shoot vertical, and I anchor under the chin. This has been the only anchor I have been able to repeat consistently. The Arrows did come from a reputable dealer Adelaide Archery supplies. The owner Stephen talked me out of more expensive options at the time as I was new to archery, having moved over from shooting black powder rifles.
Currently the string I am using is the Bearpaw Whisper string 10 strands which I think is a Flemish twist with a thicker centre serving. I have only had this bow for about 4 months and not sure I am happy with the string performance as it appears to be showing significant wear. I do shoot on average of over 100 arrows a day though so perhaps this is to be expected. The brace height for this bow is 8”. The centre serving is unwinding near the nock, so I have to keep pushing it back in place to get a snug fit and not have the arrow respecting on the string alone. My two other bows didn’t come with this style of string.
Cheers Cathey
Yes, I do shoot vertical, and I anchor under the chin. This has been the only anchor I have been able to repeat consistently. The Arrows did come from a reputable dealer Adelaide Archery supplies. The owner Stephen talked me out of more expensive options at the time as I was new to archery, having moved over from shooting black powder rifles.
Currently the string I am using is the Bearpaw Whisper string 10 strands which I think is a Flemish twist with a thicker centre serving. I have only had this bow for about 4 months and not sure I am happy with the string performance as it appears to be showing significant wear. I do shoot on average of over 100 arrows a day though so perhaps this is to be expected. The brace height for this bow is 8”. The centre serving is unwinding near the nock, so I have to keep pushing it back in place to get a snug fit and not have the arrow respecting on the string alone. My two other bows didn’t come with this style of string.
Cheers Cathey
Re: Looking for advice-Best Arrow for traditional target shooting
It would appear that the Bearpaw string is made from fastflight. It is not uncommon for the center serving to become a little loose around the nocking point on a factory made string and when you are shooting so many arrows a day. Just get your centre serving re-done using a quality Spectra/Dyneema serving material and in a size that fits your nocks well - not loose and not too tight. I would think that string walking could place a little more stress on a nocking point when compared to the mediterranean draw. Under the chin (target) is an excellent consistent anchor. I would imagine that you would have to string walk a bit to get the arrow up to a point where you could use the arrow tip as a sight, through a bow that has a relatively short window. Indoor barebow target shooting in the States is very big. I believe that Simon Fairweather (Australian Recurve Olympic Gold Metalist) had indicated an interest in this particular division.
Whilst I am not familar with the bow you are shooting, it appears from the images I could find, that the bow is well centreshot. The spine chosen was a good choice. These I believe would work with your 35# bow, given a similar setup. Check with Stephen.
I too shoot black powder, though admittably it has been a little while. I have a Pedersoli Frontier percussion. Black powder is so much fun. I mould my own, cut and lubricate my own patches (found 20 thou calico best, with peanut oil). I tend to swab between each shot (using windex on a cleaning patch), something not common with the other black powder shooters at the club (who tended to use a vegetable oil and detergent mix on their patches [a type of moose snot?]), and whilst it was a little slower, loading was always easy, and in part due to this, accuracy was really good.
Whilst I am not familar with the bow you are shooting, it appears from the images I could find, that the bow is well centreshot. The spine chosen was a good choice. These I believe would work with your 35# bow, given a similar setup. Check with Stephen.
I too shoot black powder, though admittably it has been a little while. I have a Pedersoli Frontier percussion. Black powder is so much fun. I mould my own, cut and lubricate my own patches (found 20 thou calico best, with peanut oil). I tend to swab between each shot (using windex on a cleaning patch), something not common with the other black powder shooters at the club (who tended to use a vegetable oil and detergent mix on their patches [a type of moose snot?]), and whilst it was a little slower, loading was always easy, and in part due to this, accuracy was really good.
Re: Looking for advice-Best Arrow for traditional target shooting
Hi Cathey,
Perhaps it may pay to contact Bear Paw and find out if their one piece bows are suited to string walking.
Being a one piece bow it would most likely have a positive tiller.
It would appear that string walking archers prefer a three piece recurve bow so they can adjust the tiller to suit their particular style.
https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/til ... g.5623951/
https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/bar ... r.1631766/
https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/str ... h.5884985/
https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/str ... n.6071447/
Daryl.
Some years back I was into black powder using a 45 cal Kentucky rifle. Unfortunately it was stolen so I ended up replacing it with a 50 cal Pennsylvania long rifle.
Perhaps it may pay to contact Bear Paw and find out if their one piece bows are suited to string walking.
Being a one piece bow it would most likely have a positive tiller.
It would appear that string walking archers prefer a three piece recurve bow so they can adjust the tiller to suit their particular style.
https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/til ... g.5623951/
https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/bar ... r.1631766/
https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/str ... h.5884985/
https://www.archerytalk.com/threads/str ... n.6071447/
Daryl.
Some years back I was into black powder using a 45 cal Kentucky rifle. Unfortunately it was stolen so I ended up replacing it with a 50 cal Pennsylvania long rifle.
"And you must not stick for a groat or twelvepence more than another man would give, if it be a good bow.
For a good bow twice paid for, is better than an ill bow once broken. [Ascham]
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” [Einstein]
I am old enough to make my own decisions....Just not young enough to remember what I decided!....
For a good bow twice paid for, is better than an ill bow once broken. [Ascham]
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” [Einstein]
I am old enough to make my own decisions....Just not young enough to remember what I decided!....
Re: Looking for advice-Best Arrow for traditional target shooting
HI Kendaric
Thanks for all of your advice. I have made a time to catch up with Stephen Hann Archery Supplies this Friday to get a custom string with a halo serving and some coaching if possible. The string that came with my bow hasn’t had great reviews from what I can see and apart from the serving unwinding it has stretched an inch in the few months I have been shooting.
I made the mistake of shooting a friend’s 40# recurve bow purchased on Amazon with detachable limbs last Sunday after shooting my bow all morning at the club. I should have known better, the damn thing weighed heavy before you even try to draw it and after a few shots I have managed to pull something under my shoulder blade, so took three days off shooting which was very hard to do.
Rex and I gave up black powder due to all the cleaning and time making bullets etc, archery is certainly less time intensive from that perspective and I have found my time as a shooter has made the transition to archery pretty easy.
I notice there is a little concern among traditional archery enthusiasts about string walking, and the stress it might place on the bow. Rex does not like the feel of string walking but having persevered with it, I hardly notice I’m doing it now and it has improved my accuracy significantly. Particularly as I regularly shoot with other bare bow archers whose metal bows are far from traditional still having some weights etc. Practising at home over 10 metres does require a drop of around 9 cm from the knock, but the further the distance the less the drop. I currently shoot at the club over 20 metres.
Rex has tried what is referred to as instinctive and trust me we have a number of holes in the shed to testify to how successful this has been.
Cheers Cathey
Thanks for all of your advice. I have made a time to catch up with Stephen Hann Archery Supplies this Friday to get a custom string with a halo serving and some coaching if possible. The string that came with my bow hasn’t had great reviews from what I can see and apart from the serving unwinding it has stretched an inch in the few months I have been shooting.
I made the mistake of shooting a friend’s 40# recurve bow purchased on Amazon with detachable limbs last Sunday after shooting my bow all morning at the club. I should have known better, the damn thing weighed heavy before you even try to draw it and after a few shots I have managed to pull something under my shoulder blade, so took three days off shooting which was very hard to do.
Rex and I gave up black powder due to all the cleaning and time making bullets etc, archery is certainly less time intensive from that perspective and I have found my time as a shooter has made the transition to archery pretty easy.
I notice there is a little concern among traditional archery enthusiasts about string walking, and the stress it might place on the bow. Rex does not like the feel of string walking but having persevered with it, I hardly notice I’m doing it now and it has improved my accuracy significantly. Particularly as I regularly shoot with other bare bow archers whose metal bows are far from traditional still having some weights etc. Practising at home over 10 metres does require a drop of around 9 cm from the knock, but the further the distance the less the drop. I currently shoot at the club over 20 metres.
Rex has tried what is referred to as instinctive and trust me we have a number of holes in the shed to testify to how successful this has been.
Cheers Cathey
Re: Looking for advice-Best Arrow for traditional target shooting
Its pretty normal for the string to stretch when new, though fastflight stretches initially less than darcon. It is commonly referred to 'shooting a string in'. One just checks the brace height before shooting, and adds a few more twists in if needed. When really new, it wouldn't hurt to check the brace height after 50-60 shots. However, the reviews may have indicated a known issue.
Shooting 100 arrows a day might not be allowing your body to recover enough between shooting sessions. If you feel you have to shoot everyday, maybe limit it to 30 arrows, but make them 30 perfect arrows and take your time. It might also be a good idea try some shoulder strenghtening exercises and stretches so that your muscles don't become unbalanced if archey is the only physical thing you are doing. Yes, jumping up large draw weights can cause hurt. If your friend purchased their bow off Amazon, it may be far more than 40#. Amazon and ebay Chinese made bows were notoriously inaccurate with their draw weights indicated on the limb. It is my understanding that if olympic target archers want to vary something in their form, that they will actually reduce their draw weight as not to hurt themselves, then go back to their heavier draw once cemented.
I know what you are saying about cleaning blackpowder. I was never a fan of running water down my barrel at the end of the days shooting. Some recommend hot water, but I found this just caused flash rusting, so I used cold. If you didn't have a nipple tube attachment, then you would have to pull the barrel out of the stock before doing so, which causes wear and tear on your fitting. I changed over to a modified form of the Dutch Shultz Waterless Cleaning Method which saved heaps I time, and have never had a problem with rust since using it.
Shooting 100 arrows a day might not be allowing your body to recover enough between shooting sessions. If you feel you have to shoot everyday, maybe limit it to 30 arrows, but make them 30 perfect arrows and take your time. It might also be a good idea try some shoulder strenghtening exercises and stretches so that your muscles don't become unbalanced if archey is the only physical thing you are doing. Yes, jumping up large draw weights can cause hurt. If your friend purchased their bow off Amazon, it may be far more than 40#. Amazon and ebay Chinese made bows were notoriously inaccurate with their draw weights indicated on the limb. It is my understanding that if olympic target archers want to vary something in their form, that they will actually reduce their draw weight as not to hurt themselves, then go back to their heavier draw once cemented.
I know what you are saying about cleaning blackpowder. I was never a fan of running water down my barrel at the end of the days shooting. Some recommend hot water, but I found this just caused flash rusting, so I used cold. If you didn't have a nipple tube attachment, then you would have to pull the barrel out of the stock before doing so, which causes wear and tear on your fitting. I changed over to a modified form of the Dutch Shultz Waterless Cleaning Method which saved heaps I time, and have never had a problem with rust since using it.