Stickbow Target Archery Forums

Over the past couple months, I've been trying to find a good wood shaft to make arrows for my new Whippen Stick.

Last year, I got 2 dozen from Elite Archery, and they were gorgeous, and straight and well-matched. The problem was, he sent the wrong spine, but I made do. But I didn't want to take that chance this year.

So this year, I bought 2 dozen cedar shafts from what I thought was supposed to be the best supplier quality-wise, Rose City. I bought the premium shafts. Out of the 2 dozen, only 11 were close enough in spine and weight to be considered a matching set. They were also quite crooked, which I can remedy, but I hate, since I believe they have a tendency to return to their crookedness no matter what.

I followed Rob's suggestion and bought a dozen Douglas Fir from Braveheart. These were much better matched, all withing 5# spine and 10gr weight, and they were very striaght. However, at the stiffer spines which I need (75ish) they were quite heavy. So I thought I'd keep looking.

A friend of mine recommended Hildebrand tapered shafts made from Sitka Spruce () so I ordered a dozen tapered. I must say, I am very impressed! Straight as can be, all within 5# spine, and 10 gr weight. And they are quite light, surprisingly! A finished arrow with 100gr tip, 5 inch feathers at 29 inches is 515 grains.

I also think they are a gorgeous pale cream color, so I left them unstained. They fly and group great. My only complaint is that it took two weeks to get them.

I think my quest has finally ended!

good to hear, todd.

yeah, the real bugaboo for lower weight stickbows that need stiff by really lightweight arrows is finding good wood. i'll tell ya, that was never a problem back in the 60's! but today? like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

my way around this, to a fair degree, is using a longbow with a shelf that's cut close to center, with longer and more 'stable' limbs, so that arrow spine is less of an issue.

the 11/32" surewood fir shafts i'm using now were ordered out at 55-60# spine and average 370 grains weight at full length. after tapering a good 9" of the tail to 5/16", using a waterbased stain and only 3 light wipes of buffed minwax polyu, the resulting 29" arrows, at 14% foc, weigh in at an average of 525 grains ... with 4" banana 4-fletch, 135 grain judo points, the front ends have been drilled 3" with 1/8" oak footing dowels epoxied in for reinforcement. these are for roving and muzzy type events with a 50# mohawk longbow.

still, carbons are SO much easier/better - but woodies are, well, aesthetically TRAD!

todd, what's the spex on yer whippenstick?

50@28", 65" . I use 8 strands of UltraCam, flemish twist, and double served for thickness. Before switching to woodies, the arrow that flew best from it was carbonexpress linejammers that spine 80#, and were cut to 31".

are you holding 50# at full draw?

i've commissioned vince to build me a 'last of the mohawks', for both 'target' and hunting hogs, 66", t/d, 48# @ 29". the cores will be actionboo and the veneers dirty tonkin cane, dark bocote for all wood. i'm trying to narrow down to one bow that'll do it all ... hah!

i've got a stash of old kelly 5/16" poc spined 45-50 (rare!) that i'm gonna try with the 68" 45# mohawk classic ... i'm pretty sure i can get arrows down to 450 grains or less.

I draw 27.5, so I'm probably a pound or so shy of 50.

I have had very good success with Sitka Spruce shafts, very straight and spined pretty consitently.