G'day to all and Arrow question

[newarcher]

Hello all, I have just signed up here, hope all is well.
I have loved archery ever since I was a small boy. I used to make a lot of selfbows back on the farm out of branches, with bullrushes as arrows.

Anyway, the point is I have never actually picked up a proper bow in my life, so I have been looking to buy something for awhile.
I just bought a Samick Mind 50, 50# bow, simply because it was cheap and appealed to me.

I know I should get involved with the local club, and will in time, but due to distance this won't happen for awhile.
I am wondering what arrows to buy? I have been looking at a few shaft selection calculators online but it's all a bit vague.
I realize I'm in for trial and error with arrow length, tip weight etc but where should I start?

I've got the Samick Mind 50 marked 50# (have read they might be light), my drawlength is 28.5".

Can anyone reccommend what arrows to buy for this carbon recurve to start out with?

cheers, D

[Stickbow Hunter]

Welcome to the site mate. It might help if you filled out your profile a bit so we at least know what part of the country you live in. There maybe one of us living nearby that could give you more of a helping hand. I would suggest meeting some other Trad archers and getting the basics of what gear to use and how to use it correctly - best to do this then start bad habits in form right the word go.

I would contact one of the suppliers on the front page of the site and give them your info above and they should be able to supply you with some arras as a starting point for you. If going woods I would suggest 11/32" and spined 55# - 60# and 125 graind field points as a starter.

Keep us up to date with how it all goes and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Jeff

[Gringa Bows]

Welcome toi the site mate,a couple of years ago i had a 55lb Samick talon and it loved the 65-70lb sitca spruce 11-32's

[newarcher]

Jeff, Thanks mate. I'm near Rockhampton, Q. I think there is a bit of a bowhunters and also archery club based in the area. I will certainly be organising something soon.

I was thinking of going for carbon arras, as they should remain consistent for longer?
Although I would prefer all natural materials, that went out the window when I bought a carbon bow

[newarcher]

Thanks Rod, I'm thinking they might need a bit less spine to bend around the handle, as there is no shelf at all.

[Gringa Bows]

oh ok ,i thought it was a recurve

[newarcher]

it's one of those recurved korean 'horse' bows, totally symmetrical, can be shot left or right handed. will be interesting...... and heaps of fun compared to my bloodwood selfbow

[Gringa Bows]

Ok mate have fun.

[Stickbow Hunter]

I didn't realize it had no shelf either or I would have suggested a lighter spine arra. I can't help ya with what carbons to use as I know very little about them except that I don't like them. I'm sure someone else will be able to help you though, just be patient as things can be a bit quiet on here on weekends.

Jeff

[newarcher]

No worries, thanks Jeff. I have just been doing some forum searching and others have reported carbon arrows being hard to tune ie unresponsive to point weight changes. Is this one of the reasons you don't like carbon arras?

If wood arras are the easiest to tune I will be going that way for sure? If it's just a case of getting some 11/32" arrows a bit over length and going from there it sounds good. I think I have been reading too much into it, thinking things have to be perfectly matched. In all the shooting I've done I have no idea of bow weight or arrow spine except rough guessing

So now I'm thinking of just getting the 11/32" spruce arrows at 32" long at 45-50# spine. Or do I need less spine than that? all comments are appreciated.

[Stickbow Hunter]

No worries, thanks Jeff. I have just been doing some forum searching and others have reported carbon arrows being hard to tune ie unresponsive to point weight changes. Is this one of the reasons you don't like carbon arras?

Nah, I just like wood arras as they have a character that the synthetics just don't have. I don't like carbon arras simply because of the safety factor if one breaks and pierces your arm - carbon is not easily detectable and can cause horrible health complications.

Jeff

[dmm]

So now I'm thinking of just getting the 11/32" spruce arrows at 32" long at 45-50# spine. Or do I need less spine than that? all comments are appreciated.

Have a look at this spreadsheet.
http://heilakka.com/stumiller/

Pretty much everything you need to know, about spine weights.
I had a poor experience with some cheap carbon arrows, but everyone I speak with assures me they are terrific.

Personally I'm using aluminum, because it seems cheap at ~$4 shaft, but I have two bent shafts at present, that might still be ok if they had been carbon. So is it really a saving?

I'd say wood is the way to go, if you enjoy working with it, as many people on this site do, and are prepare to accept it does not have the same charateristics as modern materials. If you are simply going to order components and assemble them, I'd choose Carbon or Aluminum. Probably the former if you are a good shot, and the later if you anticipate a little arrow damage.

[GrahameA]

Morning All.

I had a poor experience with some cheap carbon arrows, but everyone I speak with assures me they are terrific.

Personally I'm using aluminum, because it seems cheap at ~$4 shaft, but I have two bent shafts at present, that might still be ok if they had been carbon. So is it really a saving?

I'd say wood is the way to go, if you enjoy working with it, as many people on this site do, and are prepare to accept it does not have the same charateristics as modern materials. If you are simply going to order components and assemble them, I'd choose Carbon or Aluminum. Probably the former if you are a good shot, and the later if you anticipate a little arrow damage.

My $0.02 worth. Like Jeff I have a personal issue with Carbon close to my skin. Happy to shoot them of other bows but not bows where the shelf is close to the skin or directly off my hand. A issue of Carbons is that they may be too light and you may need to weight. Low mass arrows may result in a drop in bow efficiency and resulting noise and perhaps "bow shock" in some bows.

Aluminium is good and if you are shooting competition( and they are allowed) they are probably the shaft of chioce - X7's are extremely good. Good Aluminium's will cost a bit however, cheap aluminium's still can perform exceptionally well - just depends on the individual manufacture..

Good Woods - e.g. Wallace Woods - are not cheap however when you amortise the cost out over a period of time they are no worse than anything else and probably are cheaper than buying top end Alloy (or Carbon) arrows plus they do not bend. If you make your own the cost even drops further.

The downside of wood arrows is getting matched set. You either make your own or you buy Wallace Woods (I am not aware of anyone else making matched shafts in this country.) Making matched arrow shafts is not hard - it is just a time consuming process. If you start off with good shafts - e.g. best quality shafts from your supplier (John McDonald or Trad Bits) and then carefully sand them to a common value you can get close matched shafts.

[newarcher]

Thanks for that info dmm and GrahameA, being new to all this I have been thinking long and hard, and also researching. What a great asset this forum is!
So, I won't consider carbon because shooting off knuckle, I won't have the time (yet) to sort out a set of wood arrows, so I have decided that alloy is the way for me.

Does anyone know what the strike plate position (distance) of the Mind 50 is?? It's still in the mail.
I'm guessing it could be up around the half inch?

I no doubt sound like an idiot, but what makes an Al arrow more durable, the wall thickness or the OD??
without knowing the distance from centreshot, I probably can't make an informed decision on Al arrow size?

Thanks for your help.

[newarcher]

I have had a very generous offer to try out some woods that I can play around with, so now patience I suppose.
If anyone knows the centreshot distance of the Mind 50? cheers,