Home › Forums › Bows and Equipment › Making arrows out of dowels

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    • eric
        February 17, 2009 at 10:27 pm
        Post count: 17
        #5098

        I am 15 and new to archery, and I want to make my own arrows. Would a dowel from a hardware store work to make arrows for a 40# longbow? I am on a tight budget and don’t want to spend 30 bucks on shafts from an archery catalog.

        Eric

      • RAGMAN
        Member
          February 18, 2009 at 2:39 am
          Post count: 37
          #37383

          There are people that use dowels for shafts. I have no experience with them. The dowels are usualy very heavy and stiff in spine. You can sand them down with sandpaper and a drill, its alot of work. You might be better off cutting a few yards for some money and buy some decent arrows.

        • eric
            February 18, 2009 at 7:49 pm
            Post count: 17
            #38262

            Thanks for the advice:D. I used my birthday money and got some good shafts. Hopefully they work.

            Eric

          • donw
              February 20, 2009 at 7:43 am
              Post count: 38
              #40266

              if you REALLY wish to make your own from dowels, get/make a spine tester, shaft straightner and grain scale.

              most hardware and lumber businesses have doweling. be selective and get the straightest and most consistant in grain dowels you can find.

              “making your own” arrows can be very rewarding and a great deal of fun.

              over the years, i’ve made some really nice, durable, accurate wooden arrows by hand both from purchased doweling and cutting and shaping from billets of select wood. i wanted to get a Shaft Shooter, but it’s price tag was prohibiting.

            • tpbc_hunter
                March 26, 2009 at 9:08 pm
                Post count: 9
                #22575

                I make my own arrows out of oak and popar dowels from the hard ware store. I buy the 3/8 in and have to sort through them all to find the straght ones. most times only end up with 10 out of 100. They work great for me, but i shoot a 75 pound longbow. and the 23/64 points work on them. saves alot of money and they shoot great.

              • crittergitter
                  March 30, 2009 at 5:05 am
                  Post count: 42
                  #26388

                  do you live in wisconsin by any chance i am from louisiana but live in wis i am 15 and make dowell arrows for fun to usually shoot into oblivion at that impossible rabbit.

                • Van/TX
                    March 31, 2009 at 1:23 am
                    Post count: 34
                    #27252

                    You may be able to get the 5/16″ dowels to work for a 40# bow. Just be selective and good luck…:)…Van

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