Early in my journey

[TSCHMED]

#145893

Feel free to give input.

A little background info…

I’ve shot 28″ Alaska Sitka shafts for several years with 150 grain single bevels, brass inserts. Specs are 550 grain, 18.5% FOC, 5″ helical. Bow is a 60″, 52# @ my 27.5″ draw, Allegheny Mountain Recurve, Dacron string. I’m probably in the middle of the pack when it comes to shooting skills. I’m decent on killing whitetails out to 18 yards, 20 yards is getting on the longer end of my comfort zone on a live critter.

 

I’ve decided to attempt to go “full Ashby”.

I’ve watched pretty much every video and read every report. Haha, the one with all the trigonometry and other terms made my head ache, but I got the gist.

I bought a test pack of 400 Victory Momentum shafts, Ethics inserts, and 200 grain Samurai heads.

So, I started my journey by cutting off one post of the Ethics insert and started trimming the shaft. I then did some bare shaft shooting, but I don’t understand how impact tuning is better than paper tuning for an instinctive shooter? Like I said, I’m a decent shot but how does an instinctive shooter really depend on impact tuning? Seems to me that paper tuning would remove “aiming error” and would show the true consistency of the attitude of the arrow as in leaves the bow.

Here is where I am right now…

29.5″ bareshaft Momentum, 200 grain head, 206 grain insert (including the outsert). I think TAW is around 680gr and ~28% FOC.

Nock tightness has been adjusted and I have not fletched yet, but I was thinking 3, 4″ straight.

I shot thru paper today for the 1st time…consistent 1.5″ nock to the right tear. (right hand shooter). So, that means stiff, right?

What is my next move? I can try a full insert which would add ~15 grains (and improve FOC). I really don’t want to buy new broad heads.

Fast flight string is not an option.

Lower brace height??

Thinner window pad?? But I don’t have much pad to remove. I might be able to lose  1/64″ to 1/32″ at the very most.

Buy a crossbow? SORRY JUST KIDDING!!

And I have to keep in mind that after I fletch, then the arrows will act  even more “stiff”.

Did I cut too much off the shaft and is this shaft trash?

Advice is welcomed.

Thanks!

Tom

 

 

 

 

[Raymond Coffman]

#145913

Hi TSHMED

Looks like you have developed a great Ashby arrow.

Above 650 in weight – good FOC. Yes it’s a little stiff. You can try increasing the brace height and / or adding the full insert. Try this and see what happens. Or make another arrow/s and leave it a little longer.

Scout aka Ray

[TSCHMED]

#146084

Thanks Ray.

I have to say that I was getting frustrated with that last arrow.

It was flying stiff and I just couldn’t seem to correct it even with more point weight.

But I bit the bullet today and built a new arrow.

I started with full length, full Ethics inserts, I shot paper and I assumed it would fly weak. It did. I started cutting.

With each of the 1st couple 1/2″ cuts, the paper tear got better. The last couple cuts were 1/4″ and I’m almost shooting bullet holes. This shaft is only about 5/8″ longer than the troublesome shaft. 5/8″ really seems to make a difference for me.

I’m going to shoot this arrow a couple more days before I decide its correct, then I will order more shafts.

As for the original arrow, I think if I add another 25-50 grains to the tip, it will fly okay…it will become a stump shaft.

[Raymond Coffman]

#146095

T

You bet, glad you got it sorted out. What I have found to be true for me, is when you get close, I cut as small a piece off as I can 1/8″ —. This is often difficult to do because most of us are starting to lose patience with the process ( at the time it is most important). First couple of times can seem very tedious – the more you do it the better you can judge where you will end up, thus streamlining the journey—

Scout aka Ray

[Author]

Posts