Perhaps yes, perhaps no.

Firstly what draw weight are you starting with, and what is your planned/desired peak? Also what type of arrow do you shoot, woodies, aluminum, or carbon?

I have several 1 piece bows, all in the 35# to 45# pound range. All these bows are centershot and shoot 40/45# spine Cedars very well, so its possible to shoot the same arrows well from different bows.

When I just started traditional archery I did the same as you, and just manipulated the tip weight of my aluminums to create the spine I desired.

Or you could get a set of 45/50# spined woodies as well. The Sage is center shot if I remember correctly and very well could handle this spine of arrows throughout that weight range. Perhaps you know someone who would already owns a set who would let you try them out. Or you could go to 3 Rivers and order their test kits which include arrows of different spine sold in groups. It says on their website that KIT A comes with two of each spine 35-40#, 40-45#, 45-50#, and 50-55# – 8 arrows total. Buy two sets of these and you would cover all the bases.

Here’s my 2 cents, I shoot a 40#@28″ recurve and draw 30.5 inches. Real draw weight around 46/47#. I shoot Carbon Maxx 3000 arrows with 145 grains up front. They fly great and work well for me. Oddly enough, I also have an older compound that draws around 57/58# and I shoot they same arrow from both. By stepping down to 100 grain points, the arrow reacts stiffer for the compound @57# and softer for the recurve with 145 grain points. Same arrow ,different point weights.

You might also try leaving your arrows a bit long for the lower draw weight and trim them back as you gain draw weight as the longer arrow will react softer and as you shorten it, it will react stiffer.

Good luck, hope it helps !!

Carbons are a good place to start. You need to know how long the shaft will be, then using a spine chart you’ll probably be able to pick a shaft that will see you through that 10-15 pound limb range.

For instance, according to the 3rivers spine chart (http://www.3riversarchery.com/pdf/ArrowCharts.pdf), an uncut (32 inch) 340spine shaft will suit bows of 40-56 pounds using different head weights, as the guys have suggested above. Then when you’re set with your heavier (55#) limbs you could get those shafts cut down to stiffen them up for heavier heads.

I reckon you’re better off starting out with carbons/alum and getting very confident with your form before you start trying to set yourself up with woods. There’s not a lot of value in buying woody test kits if you’re not confident you’ve got a consistent shot. Just in my little opinion.

However you go, you’re about to have a whole lot of fun 😀

Jim

Carbons tend to be quite tolerant across a spectrum of point weights and poundages, in my experience. The three bows I shoot most often are all between #50 – #54 lbs, all are cut 3/16″ past center, and they will all shoot a 5575 shaft with anywhere from 300 – 360 grains of point weight (600 – 650 overall) just fine within my average hunting distance of 20 yards or less.

Wood and aluminum seem to be a little more finicky than carbons when it comes to changes in bow poundage and/or arrow weight. Not that one is any better – but just that you may need to spine your arrows a little more specifically with the latter than the former.

Good luck to ya, Ashford, and enjoy the process. Traditional archery is so much fun.

Goraidh wrote: Good luck to ya, Ashford, and enjoy the process. Traditional archery is so much fun.

My dad just gave me an old Ben Pearson bow which is only 40#. I use teak and mohagany in 11/32 as well as 5/16 maples. For my sons recurve at 50#, I use leopardwood ‘lights’, and for my 58# longbow I go with red balau in 5/16 spined 60-65#, bigger teaks and Brazilian cherry.

Kevin

Every bow is different. I have a 50lb howatt, a 55lb sammick, and a 57lb black widow. The first two will shoot beautifully with a 3555 carbon and 200 gr up front. It took a ton of tuning to find what my widow would shoot. It required a 28″ 5575 with the same up front to shoot well. It just depends on the riser cut and the effective energy transfered from the limbs.

If you’re in a 45-55lb sammick, I would say that a 3555 carbon left at full length with 150-200 up front will be fine.

I shoot the same arrows a lot of the time mine are spined 60#@28″ and i shoot them out of everything i havent scaled my Schulz but its pretty stout and shoots the 60# cedar arrows just fine. i have some old arrows i made for my 80# longbow years ago and they shoot fine from it also. the 60’s suprised me but the bamboo shoots really smoothly so im thinking that may be why they shoot well from this bow. it really seems if you really work on your shooting skills abd use really good form it helps the arrorws get off the bow better when under spined.