Help for a friend...
Equipment
Contributors to this thread:
So a friend of mine just bought his son a new bow for Christmas, I will not disclose which one because I don’t want this thread to get off track, but long story short he’d like to start shooting his recurve again and asked me for some advice. Going to introduce him to bowsite. Me being a compound guy, I’m afraid I can’t be much help as I don’t have any experience shooting a recurve so I’m seeking some help from you guys. He’s in his 60s, his son in his 30s and if I can help them build some lasting memories through bowhunting, that’d be awesome. This was his message...
Question, Can you find out for me what would be the best arrow to use with my 50lb pull Bear Kodiak Magnum Recurve Bow? I used to use aluminum shaft arrows. I was wondering if there were newer ones out today that would be better?
Ace's Link
Refer him over to the Leatherwall part of Bowsite. It’s where the Trad guys hang out. Some incredibly knowledgeable and helpful people there.
Tell him to visit RMSG. They will get him set up and on his way.
It depends on his draw length, tip weight, how long his arrow will be, string type, and his release.
Assuming he draws 27-28 inches, with an inch of trim left on his arrow, and intends to shoot a little more foc then a compound set up, he will shoot a 400 spined carbon like a dart if he uses a fast flight type string. Fletched they will fly well. After he gets accustomed to his release, he can bare fletch for the perfect tune. However, Don't be surprised if the recommendation above isn't the perfect setup. Not because I am so good. But, because Carbon on a center shot or past center bow is one easy to shoot shaft out of a trad bow.
As my last advice, I'd shoot 200 grain tips if I stuck with carbon. If not, the other shafting material will have enough weight to allow a 125 grain tip and still do great. And, tell him to watch everything Tom Clum from RMS gear produces.
Good luck and God Bless
There are to many variables involved. Try to get some help from a local pro shop or club. If you go the internet route, you will get 100 answers,99 of them being different. And a high percentage will be wrong anyway. Wood,aluminum,and carbon are all good choices. Boils down to personal preference.
Carbons have a much wider spine tolerance than woods or aluminum. And they are tough and always straight. Either a full length 400 or a 500 cut to his draw length will work peachy. I'd start with a half dozen .500 with 125 grain tips, and +++ on going down to meet and get guidance from the Clums. He can shoot different spines there and figure out what works best for his drae length, etc..
Thanks for the response guys. I shoot Gold Tip Hunter Pro 400s through my compound. Thought I’d recommend him those but I have no experience with a recurve to speak of really so thought you trad guys would be the ones to know.
400's would be too stiff for a 50# recurve. Depends on draw length but maybe 500 or 600 with the right setup (length/tip weight). Stu Miller has a calculator, so does 3rivers archery that helps with spine on arrows. Bill
Aluminums still work well and are way cheaper than carbon. Nothing wrong with still using them. Especially on trad bows where they won’t bend as easy hitting stuff at slower speeds. My brother put me back on em and I like them.
If he draws 28"s and a true 50#s a 29" .500 spine carbon with 225 grains of point weight will have him right in the ball park. A 100 grain brass insert and 125 grain point get the point weight there. Those K-mags are not cut past center by much and he can experiment a bit but If his specs are as I said he will be balls on with that arrow set up. .400 spine would be way overspined unless he kept them full length like 33"s and shot upwards of 250 of point weight or more. Shawn
I shoot full length .400s with a 125 grain tips out of my 53# recurves and they fly like rockets with field points and broadheads.
If he is a friend, I'd tell him to piss onto an electrical outlet before I'd send him to the Leatherwall. ;-)
Personally, I’ve found Stu’s spine calculator (the Excel version, downloadable for free) to be spot on. Shawn says it always recommends much too stiff and what Lou just described, I’d need at least #63 of draw weight to make work.
So right there you have three widely varying opinions, anyone of which could be absolutely correct FOR YOU. Or your body, as the case may be. If I had access to RMS gear live and in person, that’s where I would go.
Otherwise, I would start with a half dozen 2016 Tributes with feather fletchings and 125 grain points. Those are .500 spine equivalent.
I have always tuned on the week side. I have a 26" draw & i'd be shooting 28" 600s with 145 grain points from that bow
MATT
Lmao!! So very true:)
Come on now those L.W. plad wearing do it the hard way real bow hunters are people to
I shoot 29" 400's out of my 50# Bear with 100 gr insert and 225 gr up front. I would rather a 500 but I shoot those arrows out of my primary hunting bow, so it's easier to just swap heads.
Get some 2016s and start tuning.
^^^^What he said^^^^ Don't over think it!