Arrow Spine

Arrows do flex and oscillate when shot with a thumb ring, but not as much as when shot with three fingers. Since the nock end of the arrow is closer to your ear rather than being under your eye, aiming is different. With light bows it is easy to aim along the arrow. With heavy bows, it is best to have arrows of similar stiffness (in the old days checked by the diameter of the shaft) so that they all fall in the same area.

The smoother the thumb release is, the less effect it has on the flight of the arrow. People who have shot three fingered in the Western tradition have problems for a while when aiming when they change to a thumb release.

So here id my question now. If I have a composite bow that draws 75# ( I have one coming) I could shoot arrows that spine from 50# out 90 pound(using only as reference) and being of the some grain weight, they would all shoot the same?

I don't think that they would shoot the same. However, each spine group should shoot consistently within its group. You pick the one that shoots where you want it with your shooting style.

It is my experience that the lighter-spined arrows require a smoother, better release to perform well. Heavier-spined arrows are usually safer for the beginning thumb ring shooter.

Ok wait a minute. I know when spine weight reaches 100#, Spine is no longer necessary. But if I shoot 40# bow with 80# spine my arrow is going to travel off in a angular direction away from its intended mark. So by adjusting the spine it will fly straight ahead,correct? So how does a non-center-shoot bow(of the side of the bow) with a thumbring, counter the archers paradox enough, with any spine. That all you have to do is adjust your sight picture slightly? My concern is, of course you can shoot any arrow with reasonable margine of error, By seeing where it went then simbly adjusting for it. But what about shooting at 50 yards or meters, then with the next round shoot at 100. If your arrows are not traveling with the string travel would not the next longer shoot couse the arrows to travel off even in more of an angle.

If your arrows are traveling in the direction they are pointing, then there is no appreciable lateral deviation to worry about. The tendency with a good thumb release is for the arrow to follow a straight path that lies somewhere between its initial angle (from the mid-line of the bow to the axis of the arrow) and the side of the bow. Very soft arrows will go to the other side of the mid-line of the bow, but it starts to get a bit dangerous when they are that soft.

Turkish and Indo-Persian bows are quite narrow at the arrow pass, narrower than longbows. Korean bows are just narrower in general and Chinese bows have a less pronounced narrowing.

The most difficulty I have is the difference between very close range and all other ranges.

I prefer to have the arrows a little stiffer so that I can aim on the inside of the bow (the side I see between the string and the edge of the bow). As with all non-centre shot bows, there is a problem of obscuring the target with the body of the bow if the arrow flies to close to the mid-line. Since I also shot with a siper and with a majra, aim inside the bow works with all kinds of shooting.

Alright this has been a working theory of mine for sometime. You have convinced me. But I will still do somemore spine test on it. Becouse I have an Ill-regularity. But that just might be my thumb release, Or the type of ring I am using. Thanks Matt

Can you have a spine that is too stiff?, for example would 85 spine be alright for a 55lb bow at 32 inches?

Mike

Okay, I'll bite. Help the ignorant here... why is spine a non-issue over 100 pounds?

:?: :?: :?:

the amount of spine deflextion, becomes so small at that point,That many spine scales will not even read it, most stop at 100 or 110. The reason is the shaft is so stiff archers paradox and deflextion are no longer a concern. actually, I quite counting in the 90# range, I have shoot them with 100# + spine with no difference. But their still might be a noticable difference if I was shooting a 100 Yard range.

M Hardman wrote:

Can you have a spine that is too stiff?, for example would 85 spine be alright for a 55lb bow at 32 inches?

Mike

Shooting my Grozer Mongolian (sorry folks) I get best results with stiffer arrows than usually quoted. I shoot about 50lb at 31 inches, but use shafts nominally spined for 70-75 lb.

I am new to this style, but from what I have seen so far, it is the same as any other form of archery in this respect. Within reason, stiff shafts will group well, but weak shafts are a disaster. It is not just the direction in which they fly, it is the fact that they are horrendously inconsistent. so if in doubt go for a stiff shaft and a heavy point, you may loose a little cast, but you will gain a lot of accuracy.

Hope this helps.

I have bought some 125 grain heads and 23/64 inche diameter shafts at 75/80 spine....I have yet to see if this is overkill or not for my 55lb bow. I'll post back to tell my results

mike

sorry double post

mike

Quadratus wrote:

Within reason, stiff shafts will group well, but weak shafts are a disaster. It is not just the direction in which they fly, it is the fact that they are horrendously inconsistent.

Or explode as they leave the bow.... :shock: Have had that happen more than once. :shock: :shock:

M Hardman wrote:

I have bought some 125 grain heads and 23/64 inche diameter shafts at 75/80 spine....I have yet to see if this is overkill or not for my 55lb bow. I'll post back to tell my results

mike

I'd have gone with 55lb

I dont know which technique you use to shoot with, but as I am a begginer in the thumbring school of technique its generally wise to have overspined arrows, and either way these new arrows shoot fine.

Mike

Hi! I shot with two bows, a hwarang from Thomas, 69 lbs@28" and a mongolian with fiberglass limbs - 85 lbs@28". I shot with thumbring, 34" draw, with 9,5-10 mm spruce arrows, over than 90 lbs spine. The stiffer work better. With one 115 spine arrow I never miss.

Shoting with low spine arrow I think is dangereous, I broke one (80 lbs spine) when I have shot and the back of the broken shaft have pop my left forearm; I was lucky to not be hurt.

I have more spine problems with the mongolian bow than the hwarang. The hwarang seems to be more tolerant, still it shot 60 meter over the mongolian.

Sorry for my bad english!

ginni

What was the whole distance they shot?

aprox 270 meters with the hwarang and 220 with the mongolian.

I have shot with spruce arow, about 10 mm thick. I dont know the weight. Cannot found bamboo shafts or arrows :(

If the spine of arrows was measured in relation to the standard 28in, for a longer draw one should add about #5 per each additional inch of draw. It means for 34in, the best arrows is #5x(34-28)=#30 more spine. So it makes sense to use very stiff, high spined arrows for such draw lengths.

Adam