Arrow Diameter Question
Equipment
Inner diameter? Or outer diameter? You can use any insert you want for weight just buy the same weight….theres a ton of options.
That is good news Matt I was about to say to try to find someone who has the old arrows for sale which would be difficult to do! I have yet to have to switch arrows and retune and I hope I never have to!
Might just try to get a same-weight insert and see if you can shoot the smaller diameters. I have zero regrets about switching to a smaller diameter arrow, highly recommend
GG - at your age, if 18 lasted you a decade, wouldn’t the last 6 get you to the finish line?? lol
I went down a similar path awhile back. Only to find out that the gpi of the shafts had changed since the last time I bought.
You guys must shoot older bows or, shoot really good if the gpi, or difference in diameter would require a new tuning process.
Not knocking. I admire that kind of commitment on something I’ve found to be minuscule.
Good for you GG! Sticking with something that works is smart. And let's be honest, arrows are probably the most over-thought, money waster in archery. There, I said it! I'm just too ADHD to stick with something for long. I think I've changed arrow shafts 5 times in the last 15 or so years. Same thing with broadheads. I always want to try something different.
That’d be great Matt. I’d be interested in seeing the differences.
GG good job. But if the bow is tuned your BH and FP will hit the same spot out to about 55-60 yards then the drag of the BH will cause them to hit lower incrementally. Same weight arrows of the same spine regardless of diameter should see similar results. Shoot a big one now!
I went through a similar decision. Have never used aluminum, since 1970 started using glass and graduated to graflex and still have never looked back. Probably have me enough to to last me to100. Maybe have more graflex shafts than anyone. Still work, won.t bend and my hunting arrows with Eskimos weigh 600 grains. :} :} :}
Thanks Matt. When you said tuning I assumed the whole process. From bare shaft to fletched. Not just a poi difference.
I was aware there was going to be a different poi. I just went through that on my compound. But, I moved my whole housing to accommodate the poi difference, screwed a broadhead on it after resighting, it flies to the same poi as a field tip. I feel zero need to shoot it through paper.
I’m sure there are instances that may not be true. My bow has a 7” brace height for reference.
Were those arrows pictured above the same overall weight? Surprised they were that far apart at 40 if the shaft diameter was the only variable! I suppose I learned something new about archery today
The smaller diameter arrows MIGHT be heavier due to the requirement of thicker shaft walls required to achieve the same spine.
Gotcha, I figured if there was a significant difference in GPI that could play a big factor in the low point of impact compared to the OD alone. Looks like Maxima Reds have a 9.1GPI, whereas for example the 4mm FMJs have an 11GPI. For a 29” arrow that could be a difference of 55 grains. Not sure which exact Easton arrow you have, the FMJs would be the most drastic GPI shift but even a .5 GPI difference would be nearly 15 grains in your arrow length.
I do see what you’re saying about a smaller OD possibly giving you a slight knock high tune due to the arrows sitting closer to its center on the rest. This might be minimized if the nock was proportionally smaller/narrower as well and seated equally “low” on your nock point? Then the launch angle would be the same with the only difference being the overall arrow center of mass being ~1mm or so lower on the string?
Would be very interesting to see how two different OD’d arrows with the exact same spine, length, and overall weight shifts the POI. Would likely be difficult to get exact, though. Your pic above is likely as close as somebody could get unless they really searched for as close of a GPI match as possible in the different diameters. You’ve got my mind turning lol
I’m thinking the poi difference is why it’s low. Think about it. The “center” of the bow doesn’t change. Only the center of the shaft because the smaller diameter points it lower. Hence, the lower impact. I’m betting if you check your broadhead versus fp poi on the smaller shaft, they hit the same.
Not saying that’s the way to do it. Just saying you might find you don’t have to go through it all. If you enjoy all that, I understand. If I live to Saturday and good Lord willing, my bow hunting starts. It’s too late to do all that if it’s not needed.
I 100% agree that a different angle would change the POI, but wouldn’t a smaller (proportionate) nock “diameter” lower the nock point and therefore maintain the same angle? With a nock of proportional diameter decrease, wouldn’t the shaft’s center of mass at the rest drop by half the diameter decrease, and the center of mass at the nock also drop by the same amount, keeping the launch angle (and therefore the nock high/low tune) the same?
I don’t know what to call the nock measurement that I’m referring to as decreasing, maybe my “diameter” slang is confusing as it’s read. I’ll see if I can dig and find what “the industry” calls it.
Essentially, I think by decreasing the OD of the Bock proportionate to the decrease in OD of the arrow, launch angle stays the same.
I suppose it would depend on your nock point. If you had 2 nock buttons or an D Loop and still pressed arrow into the bottom of the space provided by the two nock buttons it would lower your nock point. If you nocked the arrow in the middle of the 2 nock buttons at the same center of mass then yes you’d have a different launch angle, same as if you had a single nock button and nocked under.
For two knock points or a D Loop with the arrow placed at the bottom of the nocking space I don’t think the launch angle would change.
FWIW, those old Maxima shafts were the worst arrow shafts I've ever used....
I broke 1/2 a dozen in just a few 3D shoots....when I've had Axis and other shafts go 3 years with little breakage.
Good grief, two dozen arrows don't last me but about three months.
I would think the skinnier shafts would absolutely shoot lower than the thicker shaft. It is sitting probably 1.5 mm lower in your rest. Would make a significant difference at 40 yards IMHO.
