LBR-Who are you getting the hickory through.  I use Milt at Wildcat Canyon Archery in Durango CO.  Just don't take all the heavy shafts  :D

Troy @ Sticks and Feathers is going to try and accomodate me by running some hickory shafts that are tapered to 21/64 (gain a little spine over the 5/16).  I really want to do this hunt with wood arrows, but I will use the ones that fly the best.  I have a lot of confidence in my bow, and believe if Monty's worked for him (straighter limbs, shorter draw), mine should do just fine.  I get speeds rivaling most recurves (my draw has a part to play in that I am sure) with it.  My 66@30.5 penetrates foam almost as well as a 62" (I think--it's short) 98@28 (110-115 at my draw, I figure--stacks like the devil past 27" or so) straight-limbed flatbow I have--I believe 85@30 should be good buffalo medicine.  Not that a deer is in any way comparable to a buffalo, but on the one I shot a couple weeks ago I got approximately 6" of penetration into the dirt (after the pass-through) with the 66#--arrow weighed in the 620-640 grain range.

Chad

Gary, LBR and Ric,

Week before last I reworked one of the cutting heads for my machine. Getting high spined heavy Hickory shouldn't be a problem anymore.    for enough material (not including the time and expence it takes to cut and run the material into shafting) to make a only a dozen shafts I feel most can understand why I said what I did. To get enough shafts so that I can properly match dozens calls for making a pretty large run. I'm finding that I have to run a minimal of 1000 shafts just to start out. Factor in the cost of making 1000 shaft at the above price and the fact that you never know what you are going to get when you make a run of shafting and I think everyone can understand why I'd rather not get into making Ipe shafting.

Take good care of the ones you have Ric......  

Ok Troy,

I will take you up on that offer.

You have Mail    


Gary

Troy, maybe I should have had you sign them as limited edition collectors items!    
As soon as I get some time I will wring out those hickories I have in a head to head test with my previous shafts. Rick

Rick,

Limited Edition Collectors Model!!!!!

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe!!!!  :D  

Now thats what I needed to hear this morning.

Best way to start out the day is with a good laugh!!!!!  

Interesting discussion. I shoot relatively heavy arrows 12-13 gr/lb but my everyday bows now only average 60#. Used to shoot 70-75 regularly but too much computer time and age has made me soft so dropped the weight. Working to get back into the 70's in the hope that I can make it to Oz for a try at buff.

I think the best heavy wood shafts I've had experience with is the forgewood from AFA. They are small dia, extremely durable, smooth finish, and well balanced. But, as Rick pointed out, difficult to get in quantity and are not available on a regular basis.

I liked maple fairly well, have tried some hickory but it did not have a very smooth finish which could retard penetration in this situation where that is the ultimate goal. They are heavy and tough. Have not tried any hickory from Troy and will be doing that soon.

Rick, your comment about getting arrows ready at the last minute hit home and I will be working on that well in advance. Panic mode just before a trip to Oz would take a lot of fun out of the trip.

Hey Chad,
I also used to have an issue with the finish of the hickory shafts, but I found that I could  use wood putty to fill in the voids and the sand them back down.  I had originally thought that getting them to weigh within 5 grains of each other was going to be tough (spine doesn't seem to be an issue), but found that I could adjust them by adding or subtracting an extra layer of Gasket Lacquer.  Occasionally I get a flyer, but that one then just gets put into the stumper box.  I do try to use the colored stain.  I dye the hickory to the color that I want (Hickory is pretty hard to color with the aniline dyes, but I still try   :D  ) and then go to home depot and find the putty that closely matches.  So far I have had some pretty good luck.

Take Care
Gary

Troy, have you had a chance to run any yet?  I'd like to get more info. on them when you get time.  At worst, bring them with you to some shoots this summer--I figure I'll see you at several and hopefully I'll have my bow by the time they start.

Chad

Has anyone tried square shafts?  Much higher spine, and 30% increse in weight.

Chad,

Did a quick try the day I reworked the cutter head. Can't really say how much increase they gained. Got called away from the shop before I was able to resand to normal 11/32" dia. Once I get achance to resand the shafts I'll be able to say how much increase in spine they had with the larger dia. Other than that they came out very nice.

Good deal--I don't even know when my bow will be ready, but I'm sure anxious to try out these shafts.  I'm guessing that it will take a spine of somewhere around 110-130#, depending on what weight broadhead I use.  Most likely it will be a 160 or 190 grain.

Chad

Chad, have you thought about some of the premium fish arrows. I understand some are aluminum with fiberglass inside and others are aluminum with carbon inside, etc. I would think you could get more than enough weight that way. Worth checking into.

WL, that might just work if they will spine out heavy enough, but it's doubtful.  Besides, I really want to do this hunt with wooden arrows--maybe I'm just nuts?  I've thought about upping my bow weight to 90 lbs, but I am confident that with my draw length, a very heavy arrow, sharp broadhead, and a longbow that performs as well or better than a lot of recurves on the market, I can get the job done.

The Forgewoods seemed ideal at first, until I talked with the owner.  I'm not putting myself in a situation where I might need some shafting on short notice and not be able to get any, or have to wait and wait and wait to even get started.  Right now I have two sources for a wood shaft that I believe will meet the requirements, and made by folks that I believe will be able to get them to me in a reasonable length of time.

I still have Grizzly Sticks and the carbon inside a carbon to fall back on if I have to.  The Grizzly sticks are tempting anyway--I'll just have to decide after I start shooting.

Chad

Chad have you thought about shoots?

I think Ocean Spray would probably fill your bill.

Natually tapered or could be barreled. Tough as tough can be. Once straightened they hold up well.

With a bit of care timber cruising they can be cut fairly straight.

Ocean Spray was used as nails in the old days.

=keith=

Gents- I want to bring this back to the top and inquire as to if any of you have had a chance to try out the GrizzlyStik Safari model that weights in at 15g/inch.I heard that at the SCI (who I don't know) there were some being shown that had a finished weight os about 1000g.Bob Butler.

Bob,

I've shot afew of the heavy ones and they didn't weigh near that much. More along the lines of 750. If they added something to them it would help. All I know is they are really stiff and it required something around a 250gr head to make them fly for me.

Yes, I just finnished making up a half dozen of the 15gr. per inch shafts.  They shoot great!

I believe there are three different weights now Alaskan, Safari, and the really heavy ones ?

I don't know if they have a seperate name or not.  I did have a chance to shoot them at Kazoo.  Nice arrows!

Give Ed a call I'm sure he'll fill ya in.

Jason

Maybe I had that wrong and that third shaft is called "Big Five" or somthing like that.I started adding adaptors, inserts,etc., and could get them on paper to 905 at the 15 g. and 30 inches.