# Recurve advice



## Jsw (Dec 5, 2010)

Hey guys I just got a new to me recurve, it was my grandfathers that me dad gave to me. It's a bear kodiac hunter from the early 70's, it's in really good condition. I learned how to shoot on an old kids recurve and shot long bows and recurves most of my life with my dad. I know there is a few guys in here that are avid guys with traditional archery, I'm looking to talk to someone that can give it a look and point me in the direction of what arrows would be the best to use. The string looks to be in good condition might just need a waxing but I'm not sure. My dad shot only recurves for hunting and tournaments for most of his life growing up but moved to compounds about when I started to shoot, age is getting the best of him and he isn't sure what arrows to use and a few other questions I have. I have the arrows that he and my grandpa used but they are old fiberglass so I don't to even shoot those. Any advice you guys can give would be much helpful I'm really exited to start shooting it. Thanks 

Jason,


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## Old Fudd (Nov 24, 2007)

Don't know the weight of your Bow. I myself shoot a 60" 51# Fedora Takedown. One of 14 recurves that I have collected over 50 years. I shoot Goldtip wood gran carbons 35 to 55
4 inch feather fletching they scream out of my bows. Big Jim Archery has a great price on his Wood Grain Carbons, They are BLEMS.. The blemish is in the the wood grain or camo pattern does not affect the flight or performance of the arrows, have shot them for years.I've put old style crest wraps on them and they look great. send me a pm with your e mail can sed you some pictures if youdlike.


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## Jsw (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks guys, it's a 50# pull, I think I'm just going to go with carbon arrows wood ones would be fun but I'd like something that will be durable and last a while. I've never shot wood so I'm not sure how long they last.


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## Old Fudd (Nov 24, 2007)

Love Shooting Woods.Have some. But if you don't make your own. they can get very expensive..


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

To me woodies are the only way. But, if you don't have the skills to make them and want good matched arrows, they can get really spendy in a hurry. For example, a dozen matched arrows like these with custom cresting and real barred turkey feathers, would run you about $300

But DANG!!! Aint nuthin sexier in a quiver!


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## Jsw (Dec 5, 2010)

Those arrows do look nice, I would love to make some. Are they very expensive to build them? I really enjoy making things on my own, I started building my own landing nets for fly fishing and they look awesome, i can build most anything from wood so I Really don't have any questions about my ability to make them once I got some direction, instruction and if there are any special tools needed. 

I would be very interested to look into building my own, what is the best place to get some step by step instruction for starting out?


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Jsw said:


> Those arrows do look nice, I would love to make some. Are they very expensive to build them? I really enjoy making things on my own, I started building my own landing nets for fly fishing and they look awesome, i can build most anything from wood so I Really don't have any questions about my ability to make them once I got some direction, instruction and if there are any special tools needed.
> 
> I would be very interested to look into building my own, what is the best place to get some step by step instruction for starting out?


Same place I sent you to buy your strings and other stuff, 3Rivers Archery. Also, you can watch a video on just about anything on youtube these days. Getting set up with the tools and supplies is a bit expensive, but once you're tooled up you're on your way. It's cheaper to buy carbons, but who wants to shoot that crap...  Come over some time and I'll show you all the stuff you'll need to build woodies. :smile: You'll only be about the ninth guy who's looked me up on this forum for the same reason... :shock:


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## fur-fins & feathers (Sep 21, 2013)

Tex-O-Bob's right--woody's are fun to shoot, but they don't have to be as fancy as his. Those are too pretty to shoot anyway! 

A simple clear hardwood floor finish and some pre-cut feathers and fletching glue or tape, an Arizona fletcher, a point and nock tapering tool, are about all you need to get going. Oh, and some hot melt glue for your 125 grain field points. That's how I started, anyway.

But if you want to start shooting right away, you might consider getting some Gold Tip traditional (looking) carbons. Bingham Projects in Ogden has good prices on those. The 35-55's with the .006 straightness tolerance (you can also buy .003 but are more $$) should work well for you. 

No, the GT's won't withstand direct shots into brick walls, but they'll take rough landing conditions better than T-O-B's custom woods, I bet... But dang his are sure nice! I'd be bummed if I lost or broke one of those $25 arrows, though.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Some great looking stickers there Tex. Sheesh man. Those are freaky cool.


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## fur-fins & feathers (Sep 21, 2013)

JSW, 

Another relative inexpensive and easy-to-use fletching tool is the JoJan fletcher. I switched to one after starting out with the plastic, 3-feathers-at-once Arizona fletcher.

You can buy Jo Jan fletchers from a number of places, including Cabelas. (I found both the Arizona and Jo Jan in the bargain cave.) Bingham Projects sells them, as well as wood shafts, nocks, and points. Another source of traditional archery supplies in Utah is Jake's Archery in Orem.


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## bow_dude (Aug 20, 2009)

You can make any shaft look good. All you need is a can of spray paint, tape and a crester. I used to dip my shafts until I discovered how easy, inexpensive and how good spray paint works. I've been wanting to get an air brush. I have seen some really fantastic shafts painnted with one. Cresting takes no skill, just an imagination. You can really personalize your shafts with cresting. The only other tool needed is a fletching jig. BPE makes a really good one. I had a Jo-Jan many years ago, but never used it after purchasing my BPE and gave it away to a friend. Personally, I would never go back to wood. They are so inconsistant in weight, straightness and spine. I do like feathers when it comes to fletching however. To each his own I suppose.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> I would never go back to wood. They are so inconsistant in weight, straightness and spine.


Not my woodies! They are all spined at exactly the same spine weight, they all weigh within ten grains of each other, and they spin as straight as most carbons. Now, I wont tell you how many hours it takes to get em that way...:shock: But, you CAN have nice matched wood arrows if you're willing to put the time into them. I'm WAAAAAAY to anal about my arrows to shoot unmatched crooked crap... As mentioned before by a few guys, if you don't have the time or craftiness to build wood arrows, just shoot carbons. Those Gold Tips are hard to beat. Also the Byron Ferguson heavy hunter arrows by Gold Tip are really sweet, for carbons... ;-)


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## Jsw (Dec 5, 2010)

I really appreciate the advice guys, I'm really getting into the idea of building wood arrows. I may buy some carbon arrows just so I can get shooting, but I plan on getting a taper tool and a fletching jig. I have a motor that I use for building fly rods that is variable speed and has roller for the rod to roll in, I think it will work great for the cresting.


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## bow_dude (Aug 20, 2009)

Tex,
to me, 10 grains variance is not acceptable. I just finished building a dozen arrows a couple of weeks ago. My finished arrows vary .2 of a grain. Now that is anal. I had one shaft that was 10 grains lighter than the rest. I considered turning it into a "can" arrow. You know, one that is good only for shooting cans. I ended up adding some weight to the tip and the finished product was within the .2 tolerance I had established. For straightness, I generally buy the shafts that are .001 straightness, but have found that the .003 shoot just as well for me and are less expensive. When you shoot at a high rate of speed, it is paramount that the arrows are close tolerances with one another or you get some real erratic groups. As far as spine goes, manufacturers are finally realizing that spine consistancy is more important than straightness. I've never been one to "float" my shafts... yet... but who knows, I may yet become more "anal".


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> When you shoot at a high rate of speed, it is paramount that the arrows are close tolerances with one another or you get some real erratic groups.


So like a group where one arrow isn't touching the other three? :mrgreen:

I hear ya, and if I was shooting a super whammy speed bow I'd prolly be doing the same things to my arrows. But, my recurve shoots a 650 grain arrow at a blistering 186 fps. So, I'm not to worried about ten grains... Hell, some field tips vary by as much as 20 grains! But, like you said, spine is WAY more important. That's why all my shafts are dead nuts on the same spine. Very important. I don't quite get them to .003 straightness, but they're pretty darn close. May be in the .005 range. With my set-up that's plenty straight. ;-)


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## fur-fins & feathers (Sep 21, 2013)

In the 3Rivers catalog, I didn't see a single carbon shaft that In was straighter than .003"--most were .005. Aluminums were .002. 

I have never seen a wood shaft that would match carbon's for straighteness, even the .006" GT's I buy. And woodies probably change that much with weather, humidity, etc., and need to be hand-straightened occasionally--all part of the lore, like waxing the bow string. 

Even .006" GT's are still way better than I need, but I'm not going for dime-sized groups at 30 yards.

A 650 grain arrow at 186 fps is screaming fast...for a recurve! Is that from a 65# bow?


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

> A 650 grain arrow at 186 fps is screaming fast...for a recurve! Is that from a 65# bow?


55# BUT, I do some special things to "soup' it up. I'm only shooting a 12 strand 452X fast flight string, and very light weight silencers. Shooting that thin 12 strand string gives me a 25 fps boost in speed over an 18 strand string. Plus, it's a Black Widow recurve and they are known for their speed.

My woods are pertty darn straight. I spend literally weeks going over a batch hand straightening them and spinning them before I seal em up with lacquer and paint. Ask any of my friends who've built arrows with me. It's by far the most time consuming part of the process. They do loose their starightness over time... sometimes... and heat/cold/humidity can effect them but if you make a good tight arrow, the effects are minimal.


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## bow_dude (Aug 20, 2009)

Tex.. Dime size groups at 30 yards would be great and a good goal to shoot for, but way beyond my ability. There are a few that can do it at 18 meters, but I am not one of those either. I am happy to hit the barn wall at any range.

I have never tried straightening a wood arrow, although I know it is done, but I don't know the process. I have always thought a good recurve would shoot an arrow around the 190 mark and if really really lucky, 200. Your speed you quoted surprizes me. Back in the day when I shot a recurve, I never chrono'd it. Back then, we didn't know what a chrono was or even cared about speed of an arrow. In fact, I remember Browning had just come out with a sight. That was a new idea to most. String walking was how you compensated for distance. 

I have to give you curve guys credit. I shot a 56 lb Browning Wasp back in 75 for about 10 years. It was a short bow and really stacked. It hurt to shoot. I couldn't get the arrow off the string fast enough and learned to "snap" shoot. I then went to a 70 lb coumpound for a long time and just recently dropped poundage to 60 on my "goof off" (3-d) bow and 64 on the hunting bow. If I ever pickup a curve again, it will be 45 lbs max at 28 inches. With my 30 inch draw, I figure it ought to get me to about 50 lbs.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Lol! I hear ya. I'm allergic to heavy bows in my old age. 55# is my heaviest bow right now. I shoot that primarily at deer and elk. But my favorite bows are all in the 45-50 pound range with my very favorite one at 47#. It shoots a 510 grain arrow right at 170 fps and zipps it through a deer like they're made of paper.


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## fur-fins & feathers (Sep 21, 2013)

For pure shooting pleasure, there's nothing like a set of well-matched (in weight), properly spined wood arrows. And if they're really straight, that's even better. I agree that spine is way more important, though. Yet even with close tolerances, I'm still not capable of the accuracy such arrows can achieve. 

But if I want to rule out the arrow as a factor in my accuracy, I shoot carbon... and to work on form at close range, aluminum. There's a place for each and I like them all.

I have only shot a Widow a couple of times. They don't stack.


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## Old Fudd (Nov 24, 2007)

I Shoot a Fedora Takedown 60inch at 51 Lbs 30 inch Goldtip Trads 35 to 55 .4 inch feather fletched Wilde Arrow graph speed 100 grain target tip 186.8 fps.. woods or carbons. just get close enough to make a good clean kill.. I to have only shot one Widow. Loved it. Maybe one day when the money comes back..


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