What happens if your arrow is over-spined?

nphunter

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They will tune up just fine, will the correct spine fly better, probably slightly if your a good enough archer.

Arrow manufacturers make multiple spines for a reason, typically stiff spine arrows fly better at close ranges and weaker spine arrows at further distances. Indoors use super-stiff arrows because the reaction out of the bow is more consistent from a stiff arrow, field archers shoot arrows on the weaker side because they straighten out and shoot better at 70 meters.

Personally I try to start right at what the software recommends and build from there, I've seen better groups downrange with weaker arrows even with fixed broadheads, I don't tend to build weak arrows on purpose though if building a new set nor do I go buy the stiffest arrows in the shop.

I can shoot 250's - 330's just fine out of my 74lb bow, 28" draw bow
 

aaen

Lil-Rokslider
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Jul 23, 2020
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I just built a set of easton axis pros, 260 spine, with 200 grains up front (ethics archery kit) and a firenock in the back. Total weight is 552grains for the arrow.

I shoot a VXR 28, 28.5" DL, sweat at 76lbs. These fly amazingly well out fo the bow and I am getting 268-272fps ofrom the chrono I had access to. Arrow rest is definitely not set up for centre shot. The rest is setup slightly to the right of centre shot (instead of 13/16 more like 11/16) noticeable if you put it in a vice ad swear the bow up/etc.

Anyways, some walkback tuning, and multiple shots at the range, tested it on the paper tuner and bullet holes, nothing was needed to change. I was kind of shocked as i was worried my accuracy would be horrible, but i am able to softball size groups at 80-90yds., until I start getting tired. Now to start on the broadhead tuning, hopefully I don't need to do to much, but i suspect I will need to do some to get the broadheads/fp's flying close out to 60yds.
 

Zac

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I just built a set of easton axis pros, 260 spine, with 200 grains up front (ethics archery kit) and a firenock in the back. Total weight is 552grains for the arrow.

I shoot a VXR 28, 28.5" DL, sweat at 76lbs. These fly amazingly well out fo the bow and I am getting 268-272fps ofrom the chrono I had access to. Arrow rest is definitely not set up for centre shot. The rest is setup slightly to the right of centre shot (instead of 13/16 more like 11/16) noticeable if you put it in a vice ad swear the bow up/etc.

Anyways, some walkback tuning, and multiple shots at the range, tested it on the paper tuner and bullet holes, nothing was needed to change. I was kind of shocked as i was worried my accuracy would be horrible, but i am able to softball size groups at 80-90yds., until I start getting tired. Now to start on the broadhead tuning, hopefully I don't need to do to much, but i suspect I will need to do some to get the broadheads/fp's flying close out to 60yds.
You may want to put your test to center then retune. This will give you some room when it comes to broadheads. I suppose you could shoot the broadheads and see if they are hitting left. Then you may be able to work yourself back into spec without starting all over again. If your broadheads hit to the right your pretty much screwed.
 

aaen

Lil-Rokslider
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Jul 23, 2020
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Yeah I am thinking of doing that, but I am leaning more towards picking up 300 spined arrows and replacing these I have 12 additional shafts I picked up I may send back/exhange for 300s. My bow is fairly well tuned with 300 spined arrows and I do not want to get into tuning with cables/yoke/etc again as the bow literally fires bullets with bare shafts on 300 spine arrows.

I'm pretty sure i made a mistake with the 260's and when I went thru my arrow build/thought process. I neglected to factor in the ethics archery insert goes quite aways into the arrow, that coupled with a 28"arrow (carbon to carbon), the arrow is probably significantly stiffer then a 260 spine, which explains why I have to have the rest adjusted so far off centre shot. If I just put 200 grains up front (heavy field tip/broadhead/brass Hit inserts)without the ethics archery kit, they would probably not be as stiff and centre shot would work, that is an option as well I may try out.

Oh well lesson learned, before I make the decision to go to 300 or start retuning the bow, I will toss on the old broadheads tonight and give the arrows a fair shot. It may require very little tuning, if so I will leave it be.
 

aaen

Lil-Rokslider
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Jul 23, 2020
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well well I feel like a complete idiot. Turns out when I was tuning the bow/etc, I tuned it to my old sight site and forget to take it off at ctr shot to make sure the darn arrows were paper tuning.

Reset it today while at work, slow day in construction, shh. Anyways its firing damn straight for just doing the walk back method. I will need to get it into a shop or a place with little to now wind to paper tune/bareshaft then walk back, but I fully expect it to be firing bullets again here once i get back. Then I will retune for th broadhead and voila she will be dialled in for the hunting season coming up here in northern AB really soon.
 

dkime

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Feb 25, 2015
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Stiff spine will create Horizontal dispersion at much longer distances than what most hunting shots occur. How much horizontal? Very minimal for a hunting setup.


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I always shoot overly stiff arrows. I find they work fine. I wonder if the groups would get tighter with an optimal spine??

But I always go too stiff arrow. But they shoot pretty good I think and work well with fixed blades.

Here is 100 yards the other day with a super stiff spined arrow
 

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To answer your question, being over spined will affect the forgiveness of the bow, but it can still be tuned. You should seek to make your bow as forgiving as possible. You should also take into account dynamic spine which will account for weight on the nock end of your arrow. There are a lot of things mentioned that you can do to weaken the dynamic spine but I suggest just getting new arrows and skipping the head ache. For me, Victory’s dynamic spine calculator has been the most accurate.
 
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If all your shots are breaking crisp, you have no torque in your bow hand, and bubble level is perfect every shot, you may not notice a big difference
 

Hoot

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spine definitely has an effect on forgiveness…

most people, myself included, can’t shoot well enough to tell a difference.

my prime centergy liked a weak spine. .330-.340 with 175 up front.

my rx5 ultra I have a .260 with 200 up front. I can definitely tell when I don’t execute correctly (forgiveness) but it’s still not bad.

this was at 40 yards yesterday…
2392959E-BBB8-4480-9AD7-76DAF300249E.jpeg
 

aaen

Lil-Rokslider
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Spine has a huge input on tuning as well. I knew iwas borderline underspined with my day six 250 out of my 90lb bow. Was having an issue with some arrows at 50yds where they just wouldn't track well out of the bow. Caved and dialed it back 1/4 turn on each of the bolts as I wasn't buying 200 spine arrows and having multiple arrows again. Dropped a sight tape, checked my bareshaft, made a slight adjustment shot 30yds and nailed my bareshaft :(. Moved target back to 50 and baam good groupings.

The on to the left is an arrow that just doesn't play nice, never has, nock tuned, dynamic spine check, squared/etc. Just that one outlier that won't come.into.the group, should see broad head flight out of it. The high arrow was me I pulled back slightly releasing. Before my arrows would be like a 12" group which wasn't acceptable to me. I can finally now start to tune the bow to broadheads.
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I’m shooting a Halon X 60/29 with Gold Tip 400. Just border line to weak of a spine according to the chart. Wondering if that will really cause a noticeable difference and if it’s worth going to the 340s?
Thanks
 

Tilzbow

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Dec 25, 2012
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I’m surprised no one has mentiones arrow rests… I guess everyone shoots drop-aways and with those you can get away with a stiff arrow the majority of the time. With older style plunger and flipper rests on compounds and recurves you definitely had to have the right spine and it was easy to be too stiff. With those rests and also shooting a trad bow off the shelf, it was always better to be slightly weak than a little too stiff and the slightly weak would make the bow more forgiving. So to that end, all three of the guys the OP talked to were right and the above might help explain why there are so many diffrent opinions since spine requiremenus have changed throughout the years as our equipment has evolved and changed.
 

SDHNTR

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With a mechanical release, drop away rest and level/true nock travel? Nothing.
 
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