# Carbon arrows and a longbow



## Dman23 (Jul 2, 2005)

Okay so i want to start out by saying i understand carbons are probably not optimal for traditional archery. I am big into compounds and i recently picked up a 48 lb Sarrels custom made longbow (longbow but slightly recurved limbs) and got a crazy good price on it. I am not looking to get real deep in the traditional stuff but id like to play around with it and hopefully get reapectable groups in the future for my own satisfaction. 

I just want some general thoughts on carbon. Regardless of what is said i already have a doz GT traditional 35-55s on the way that im going to do up with 125 gr tips and 4 inch fethers. I just want to see what others have to say as i did a quick search and didnt find what i was looking for. 

I chose these, one because i get a great price on them, but since this is going to be more of a fun past time, the durability will be a major plus, even if some arrow flight is sacrificed.


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## rsarns (Sep 23, 2008)

35-55 or 500 spine will work fine for you. In my longbow at 52 I shoot 500 spines full length with 125 gr tips. I have also shot the same arrow in my 45# longbow and they flew great. Its a good starting point, however I will say I use 5 inch shield cut feathers.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

I shoot full length GT 35/55s with 125gn FPs out of a 45lbs recurve.
They may be slightly overspined full length, but you can always go up a little on point weight or play around with brace height.

I'd leave one unfletched for bare-shaft tuning once you start putting them all into a recognizable group.

You will find three things:
1) your going to like shooting a trad bow a lot.
2) its harder then it looks.
3)48lbs is much heavier then you think.

-Grant


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## casterpollox (Apr 7, 2010)

MY 45 pound bear recurve seems to love the 500 spine Easton Powerflights that I chose. 30inch with a 125 tip and 4 inch feathers.


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## trapperDave (Mar 12, 2005)

what arrow flight do you think you are sacrificing shooting carbons?

the 500's should do the trick, may need to up the point wgt a bit


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## Eldermike (Mar 24, 2009)

Great choice in arrows, just don't cut them down in length and you will do just fine.


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## basilbakerst (Apr 6, 2011)

I am currently shooting 400 spine with 100 grain tips with my 50# traditional English longbow. My concern was ensuring that the arrows were not too light, and that there would not be leftover kinetic energy when shooting simulating a dry fire, which I obviously want to avoid like the plague. I used the table on the back of the box of the Easton Carbon Raiders I bought to help me make the decision. I've only been shooting them for about two weeks, but they've been pretty good so far.

Of course, it's nothing like shooting my wood arrows of which I have six I bought from a gentleman named Chris Stanley (Saxonfox Archery for those who dealt with him in the past). My concern with those is breakage, and since they are handmade arrows that meet the BLBS standards, I shoot them sparingly.


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## HEDWARDS0006 (Apr 4, 2011)

500 gr should be fine for a 50# and I hear ya on the sparing handmade arrows, but its like cigars I guess. If I'm gonna smoke em it's gonna be the ones I like. LoL My wallet doesn't like that philosophy much though.


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## Eldermike (Mar 24, 2009)

Basil, I think the reason you like those wood arrows is based on them being proper spine and point weight, just a guess. Your 400 spine is to stiff and the 100 grain points to light. 500 spine with at least 125 - 145 up front would make them fly like your woods. Welcome to the forum. BTW, I am in Clayton and glad to help you any way I can.


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## basilbakerst (Apr 6, 2011)

Eldermike

Thanks for the advice. I'm technically in Raleigh, but it's really more Garner where 42 and 50 meet in Johnston County. I went on the advice of the guy at the Dick's at White Oak for using carbon arrows along with the table I mentioned. Although as I mentioned, I erred on the side of caution with the spine size. The only 125 grain tips I found there were either 5/16 or 11/32. Eyeballing it, they appear to be pretty darn close to being too wide in diameter for the shafts, which can cause issues with pulling them out of my target. I'll take a look into different tips, but I'm going to have to settle with the shaft size for now as my wife would not be too happy with me dishing out another $60 on arrows so soon after buying these.

Where in the area do you shoot? I have a decent size backyard with woods behind my house so I shoot at around 20 yards into a foam target that I set up on a wood pile with the woods as a backdrop for when I miss the thing completely, which has been known to happen from time to time. 

basilbakerst


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

with an ELB your probably going to want more than 145gn tips, possibly 175gn or higher. Spine is very, very critical when shooting a bow with no centercut whatsoever.
I'm hoping you left them full length?

-Grant



basilbakerst said:


> Eldermike
> 
> Thanks for the advice. I'm technically in Raleigh, but it's really more Garner where 42 and 50 meet in Johnston County. I went on the advice of the guy at the Dick's at White Oak for using carbon arrows along with the table I mentioned. Although as I mentioned, I erred on the side of caution with the spine size. The only 125 grain tips I found there were either 5/16 or 11/32. Eyeballing it, they appear to be pretty darn close to being too wide in diameter for the shafts, which can cause issues with pulling them out of my target. I'll take a look into different tips, but I'm going to have to settle with the shaft size for now as my wife would not be too happy with me dishing out another $60 on arrows so soon after buying these.
> 
> ...


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## basilbakerst (Apr 6, 2011)

grantmac

They are 29.5 inches long so they were cut a bit as my draw length is right at about 28 inches, and I didn't want an excessive amount of the shaft protruding. My wood arrows use 125 grain tips and are of the exact length. They were made to work in conjunction with my longbow by the guy I bought it from. At the time, he was working as an American carrier of Steve Ralphs bows, which is what I have. I don't notice a huge difference from one to the other at 20 yards; it's just that the modern carbon feels weird with a traditional wooden bow. Next arrow purchase I am going to go elsewhere to get arrows that support at least 125 grain tips as the Carbon Raiders I bought will not support a tip wider in diameter than 9/32. I'll admit I bought them in a rush without doing my due diligence. There's a place up in Raleigh, Carolina Outdoor Sportsman, that I'll check out to become better versed with how to translate carbon arrows to traditional archery. Cheers.

basilbakerst


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## whitewolf1 (Jun 28, 2006)

Have you check on adding washers behind the points you have to up you tip weight. I am not familiar with the dia. of them so I dont know if you would run into the same issue as the other points you looked at.

Might check 3 rivers or Lancaster for the washers.


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## Eldermike (Mar 24, 2009)

Basil,

I am on Guy Road, not far from you. I have a nice setup for shooting with several targets and backstops. I know those guys at Carolina Outdoor Sportsman, you need to ask for John as he's the guy who knows traditional, and he knows it very well. He does al the certs and training for archery instructors in this area. And he's a great coach. I am working with (long story, no pay, staff shooter type of thing) another outfitter in Wilson county, they ask me to help them get a traditional program started. They will be building a new store on 95 in Johnston County this year. And they will have traditional archery and instructor/s and gear.

I'll send you a cell number.


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## grantmac (May 31, 2007)

I'd get some 5/16" points and lightly chamfer the backs with a drill, drill press and file. Get some 200-250gn ones if you can find them.
I've played around with trying to shoot lightweight arrows out of ELBs and they just don't perform. 11-13gpp just shoots much nicer and nearly as fast.

Depending on how wide your handle section is the bow might require a much lighter spine then you'd think.

-Grant


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## Dman23 (Jul 2, 2005)

Grantmac,

Yeah i know i will enjoy it. Ive been shooting the better part of my life and have tried just about every style. Been working at a shop the past two years as well. Ive wanted a longbow for quite some time but my money and heart is with compounds, just been waiting for a really nice one to come my way cheap. When this one came in literally like new and hardly shot, with a new price of about $700, for just a couple hundred i couldnt pass it up. I would have prefered less lbs but it draws very smooth and is managable. Excited to add it to my archery collection and give me a chance to play around with it!


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## Dman23 (Jul 2, 2005)

Oh and also i shot olympic recurve for a while and yes, i am very well aware of how hard it is. Man i didnt have a clue how hard it was to shoot one of those haha.


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## rraming (Aug 5, 2006)

It is illegal to shoot carbons from a longbow!


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## cotton22 (Oct 26, 2010)

MY 45 pound bear recurve seems to love the 500 spine Easton Powerflights that I chose. 30inch with a 125 tip and 4 inch feathers


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