Takedown Recurve Bow Advice Please

Kootaga13 said:
Dang. My pull is 29" so the dude said I wouldn't have to cut anything off the shaft if I didn't want to? So they come 31"...right? Does that mean I'd have 2" sticking out PLUS the broadhead? Is that cool?
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Is it 29inch true draw length or did he measure AMO drawlength?
An arrow which is too short would be an issue, a bit longer is normally not a problem from what I have seen.
I think my last uncut batch was delivered with 32 inch but am not 100% sure. If that's too long for you its nothing a dremel with a cutoff disc couldn't solve (don't try a handsaw).
 
Technically, I never got them cut at the place I bought them. The dude said I could bring them back anytime, with my receipt and either get them cut and have the inserts glued in or just simply have the inserts glued in. Knowing my specs, what would you all do? Cut a tad or not? Let's say 29" was dead on. I don't know what AMO draw length means.
 
AMO ---Archery Manufacturers Organization.

just leave them full length. longer shafts fly better and add weight, since you're shooting light aluminum shafts you'll need all the weight you can get.

Go to a 3-D shoot this spring that has some trad guys shooting and ask questions, they'll help you out, and it will be hands on, not internet Wikipedia instruction.

there has been some good advice in this thread, not saying there hasn't, but reading, or some body telling you how to shoot a bow is like reading about sex, sounds good but the actual hands on is a bit different.

Good luck.

JMO, look into wood arrows, aluminum shafts just never felt right on a recurve or longbow to me, YMMV.
 
Thank you Jens and HTD. I'll check into this. You guys are a plethora of info!

HTD, there's been a bit of a misunderstanding, I went with carbon. I was told they'd hold up better in the long run. I originally asked that question somewhere else and was told the aluminum will bend very easy when you miss and are lucky enough to find the arrow. What are your thoughts on the matter. If you wanted this bow to fart around with and then basically just know you have it if you ever need it, and you want to keep around 18 - 24 arrows on hand, which shaft material would you go with?

Anybody can chime in here.
 
I have shot carbon and aluminum and prefer carbon. It's basically straight or breaks completely. Aluminum bends but could still be used. Also Aluminum bends faster than carbon breaks. The only carbon I saw break was when a guy shot it right into a rock.

I'd like to try wood some day. How does it do when I leave it outside overnight or gets wet on grass for example?
 
OK, here goes.

Odds are you wont be making arrows, but you may end up assembling them. Wood arrow are a bit easier, to me, than aluminum. not as many parts needed. You don't have to have inserts, just a nock cutter. You don't need a cut off wheel, just a knife, guessing you have one of those.

Actual feather fletches do after a awhile go bad, by drying out, or getting eaten by mites. I've got arrows I built 25 years ago that are fine, still usable, finish is good, fletches are good.

There's a lot of companies that sell shaft material, or if all your shooting is 45#, 5/16 ramen wood dowels from a hardware shop will work. A lot of places may get a bit pissed about you standing there going through a box of shafts for an hour or so to find all the straight ones, not just straight but grain running from one end to the other, tip to tip.

I'm not sure what your actual plans are for this bow, but if all you plan on doing is throwing it in a closet after you get it shootable, then its not really going to matter. Shooting in the traditional way isn't as hard as you think, but it is a perishable skill. doesn't take that long to get back into the swing of it as you would think. As long as you get your technique and skills down before you give it up or put it away in the closet.

Shooting a few times a month is enough to keep your basic skills up. Not going to be slinging arrows 50 yards and hitting anything but 10 to 15 is doable, and more than enough distance for hunting.

as far as how wood lasts when left outside, or getting wet in the grass. It depends on the finish, I've found arrows after a year in the woods that were trashed, but I have found a few that were in pretty good usable shape.

defthane spar varnish thinned out with paint thinner is what I use. Thin it out to about alcohol thin and dip them nock down and let them hang dry. I use 0000 steel wool in between dips and usually do 5/Five dips. Let them dry between dips, and dip them in and pull them out, don't let them stand in the finish.

Get a fletching jig and some plastic nocks, and a nock cutting tool, and a tube of duco cement and some ferril tight hot melt glue and your set.

BUT, if all you want is consistent shafts that you can just buy online, and all you want is shafts that will hang there in a quiver, then as much as I don't want to admit it, carbons the way to go.

If you're into archery, it doesn't feel like practice when you're shooting a couple times a week. Who knows, try it you may find that you're into it, and not just hang it in a closet.

Good luck.
 
OK HTD, now it's my turn. I want to thank you from the bottom of my hillbilly heart for that bit of info. That's the kind of info that can only come from somebody who has honed their skills after years of doing something they dearly love. Once again, thank you for the insight.

I really don't think I'll park this bow in the closet. After having the Jennings 4 pulley since the 70's, I've really always wanted a recurve. I learned how to shoot on a 25lb (I think) fiberglass recurve as a teenager. Now that I'm getting older (60) it's now or never. And who knows, I may want to make my own arrows someday. Just not today. I have too many irons in the fire. But it never hurts to have the knowledge.

Now, I understand I'm supposed to strip the 2" plastic vanes from my carbon arrows and replace them with either feathers, which could get wet in the rain, or more plastic, but either way, 4-5" in length.(I'm not 100% sure I understand why) I've gone to Amazon and YouTube and seen the sought after fletching jig that everybody brags about. My question is, do the vanes go on straight or on a slight angle so the arrow spins like a bullet?
 
Spin is great unless you shoot through whisker biscuits.
Some people say the direction of the fletching's spin should take into account if you are left handed or right handed.
 
If your not going to build arrows and just buy them, no need to buy a jig.

you can have them made however you want. three rivers archery, will put them together for you.

as far as feathers or plastic, I like feathers. they have a natural bend to them, even if you put them on straight they have a helical slant to them depending on what wing they come from.

Longer fletches stabilize an arrow faster than the short plastic fletches. with recurve and longbow speeds theres more paradox off shelf, the arrow needs the longer fletches to catch more air and drag it back straight. Without fletches if the arrow is true, and you have enough weight forward the arrow will fly true, just not as fast--(not arrow speed, actually you gain a few FPS without fletches, but with fletch the arrow straightens out faster).

I don't like to think about it as deep as others do, it feels like thinking about time travel, or explaining how to aim with primitive or trad bows.

read "Witchery of Archery", old book but still relevant.

Not sure where you're from but I'll go out on a limb and say they have birds there, probably ducks and geese, all the birds here stay outside in the rain. My point is, most natural feathers have some water resistance to them, goose feathers have more than average. You can also get a powder treatment for them that will make them pretty much water proof.

Feathers shoot off the shelf better than plastic but there are plastic fletches designed to be shot off shelf, and like before even straight fletched they have a helical slant or turn.

the guy on the second page was using carbons, I'm guessing he could tell you more about the carbons. I've shot them but never owned them, mostly because I cant make carbon into an arrow, and I don't like having to depend on having to buy shaft material. When I started shooting it was wood, fiberglass or some really crappy aluminum. Carbons were pretty bad and expensive when they first came out, thin, light and usually short so they could be shot on fast,(for the time) compounds with an over draw.

now, (ten years or more) you can get carbons that weigh in at 400 to 500 grains, (without point) so they shoot better off of trad equipment.

I'm gonna say it again, find a 3D shoot in your area, or a trad club and go. see what they are using, even if you don't shoot through the course, but take your equipment and ask questions. Pay attention to the people you see shooting, you should be able to pick out the ones that have a clue.

If you choose to put some kind of sight on that bow, just know that you will have to start shooting in a different technique and not with a canted stance or traditional stance. IMO It works standing on a line but limits you as to where or how you can shoot with a longer bow.

have fun,
 
Jens Schuetz said:
Spin is great unless you shoot through whisker biscuits.
Some people say the direction of the fletching's spin should take into account if you are left handed or right handed.
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25-30 years ago when I first started building arrows I was told this, took as gospel. Then I tried it out, didn't seem to make a difference with field points. I've even went as far as left wing and right wing primary and secondary fletches on the same arrow, 3/Three and 4/Four fletches and other than a buzzing when they were shot didn't make any difference that I could see.

I will add that with broadheads its either left wing or right wing, it does make it easier to get them tuned.

I did like the way they sounded though. They made that cool wooshing sound like in the movies. when I'd go to shoots I always kept one in my quiver just to make noise on longer shots. Thought it was cool.

YMMV
 
heresthedeal said:
25-30 years ago when I first started building arrows I was told this, took as gospel. Then I tried it out, didn't seem to make a difference with field points. I've even went as far as left wing and right wing primary and secondary fletches on the same arrow, 3/Three and 4/Four fletches and other than a buzzing when they were shot didn't make any difference that I could see.

I will add that with broadheads its either left wing or right wing, it does make it easier to get them tuned.

I did like the way they sounded though. They made that cool wooshing sound like in the movies. when I'd go to shoots I always kept one in my quiver just to make noise on longer shots. Thought it was cool.

YMMV
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Sweet. You are probably correct. I also read in many places that it shouldn't make a difference. since I use the whiskers anyways I went with straight.
What do you think of getting a whistle head? Can't deny that it crossed my mind a few times.
 
HTD, once again, thank you and I love the sarcasm thrown in from time to time. You remind me of myself when I'm talking about something I know something about. You're idea of going to a 3D meet and at least observing is an excellent one.

And one more thing, I think we have enough plastic in the world without putting some on my arrows. If I'm going somewhat traditional, no, I'm not getting a longbow, I might as well go all the way and get feathers. Jens, thank you also.
 
Kootaga13 said:
HTD, once again, thank you and I love the sarcasm thrown in from time to time. You remind me of myself when I'm talking about something I know something about. You're idea of going to a 3D meet and at least observing is an excellent one.

And one more thing, I think we have enough plastic in the world without putting some on my arrows. If I'm going somewhat traditional, no, I'm not getting a longbow, I might as well go all the way and get feathers. Jens, thank you also.
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had to reread it for the sarcasm, I don't even notice when I do it.

Traditional isn't as much about equipment as it is about technique, you can shoot a compound in a traditional manner. Canted stance, bent elbow, fingers and off the shelf. You can even shoot wood arrows off of them, with the right spine weight. Center shot bows can go 15 to 20 pounds over on spine if the arrow is set up right.

What I always do is try not to make it complicated, its just a bow, have fun with it.

Glad I could help.
 
Yup. I remember sometimes, I'd put Band-Aids on my fingers if they got too tender or raw. Those were the plastic ones. I'll bet the fabric ones are better.
 
When i said fingers, i meant with a glove or a tab. You end up with blisters you have to take off for a week or so, thats no fun.

I use a damascus glove, but making a tab is pretty easy, but 3M paper tape does work.
 
I've never used any kind of a glove or mechanical device. Where I was born back in the holler of WV, we'd eat sawdust and poop 2x4's :)

No kidding. about not using a glove or nothing. But at age 60, I think it might be time. Especially since this takedown doesn't have a relaxation point. What's a good, bare bones approach? Leather glove? I don't want a mechanical one, I feel I'd lose touch with the string/bow.
 
Thanks again Mr. Deal. They look like winners and you can't beat a personal referral.

BTW just for the heck of it, I'm going to try to put a pic of my old Jennings 4 pulley on here.
 
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