Stickbow Target Archery Forums

I am currently shooting a, 31# 72" longbow.

I am using 5/16 birch dowel to make my arrows from and they finish at 30.75" and have 5" feather fletching, and a 125 grain field point.

They seem to work fine and I've used them considerably for target shooting from 15, 20 & 25 yards.

I would like to know if this is about right, or should I be using a heavier field point? I did try 100 grain tips at one time and found they did not do as well as the 125 grain tips.
Does anyone think I could go up to say a 145 grain tip, and if so, should I use 11/32nd shafts?n
Or, maybe I should stay where I'm at with the 31# longbow?n
Just trying to get a picture of a good arrow combination to use with this bow. I also have a 35# bow on order, so any info on arrows for this is welcome also.

Thanks in advance!

Personally, my sincere advice is for you to get better arrow shaft material. Arrows are by far THE most important part of your archery tackle.
If yer using birch dowels of unknown spine and weight (not to mention unknown grain run off that could easily blow up the shaft on release) they will be VASTLY inferior in terms of consistency and durability compared to a decent set of well matched woodies, alums or carbons - preferably carbons, even cheap ones will increase your accuracy dramatically. Archery is a total game of consistency and arrows are the cornerstone of that consistency. YMMV, but it really shouldn't.

Thanks Rob... I have some 2117 & 2219 Aluminum Easton feather fletched arrows, 100 & 125 grain tips, that I use to use with my compound bows that I haven't used in years. I will give them a try tomorrow.

It was always my understanding that a person shouldn't use anything but wood arrows (and yes all say cedar arrows) with a longbow. I have read where many are using the Carbon and Aluminum arrows with their longbows but have always wondered about this?n
Again, my thanks!

Aesthetics and nostalgia is one thing, and functionality and consistency is yet another.
I love wooden arrows. I love the smell of cedar. I still build woodies, I shoot them, I break and lose them during roving. I have painstakingly built extremely well matched six and twelve arrow sets for tournament use. And yet not one can compare with a cheap XX75 alum shafted arrow in terms of shot-to-shot consistency and durability.

To add to the wooden arrow issues, it is VERY difficult if not impossible to find superb wooden shafts these dayze. That's a fact, pure and simple. Long gone, and never to return, is the era of Acme and dead straight grained POC's.

Yes, wooden arrows are archaic. They're all about nostalgia of by-gone dazye, of Crusades and Indians and the Thompsons and Howard Hill.
Archery is a game of consistency, first and foremost.
Alums and carbons offer the consistency we archers need to allow our shooting talent to win or lose tournaments - not inconsistent gear.n
YMMV, but it shouldn't.

I hate to throw another wrench into the works, but I'd be very surprised if a 31" arrow with a .500 spine is going to work out of a 30# longbow. With a 145gr point a full length 1916 would be much better. That Easton spine chart is designed for shooting off an elevated rest with a pressure button on a bow cut considerably past center, not a longbow probably cut before center and shot off the shelf. JMHO

Light arrows with light points fly best from light bows. I use 70 and 100 grain points and small fletching from light bows. Even 1916 aluminum might be too stiff with light points. I'd try 1816. And four inch fletching.

But I also find 5/16" cedars to be a good match and that it is not hard to get pretty good ones from the better suppliers. These are fine for general archery. Match grade cedars take more effort but I am able to make them with tapered shafts from Wapiti Archery, the successor to Rogue River Archery, supplier to many longbow champions.

For me, it's not directly about the point weight per se ... I want an arrow that's right around 10gpp and has as high an FOC as possible and whatever point weight achieves those parameters is what I'll use.

LBG, I agree with the premise of light arrows for light bows. But Joe indicated he needed 30.75" arrows. 1716s would be my preferred arrow from a 31# bow, but they only come 29" long and 1816s only come 30" long. To get a 31" arrow Joe has to go with 1916, which in turn necessitates 145gr points.