Arrow length

[Shooter]

So what goes into figuring out arrow length? At the shop where my son works he says the just draw a bow and with a wet finger on the bow hand the reach up and touch the arrow shaft and thats where they cut it. Should there be any more thought to it than this or is this pretty much what everyone does?

[Sofa King]

i don't truly know.
but, my set of arrows i have now, i feel like they cut them way too short.
i would think there's an average distance out from the bow that they should reach.
i swear, mine almost comes off the rest if i draw back too hard.

[Bc Deer Hunter]

i don't truly know.
but, my set of arrows i have now, i feel like they cut them way too short.
i would think there's an average distance out from the bow that they should reach.
i swear, mine almost comes off the rest if i draw back too hard.
Your arrow is supposed to be 1 inch past the arrow rest. (with broadhead/feildpiont)

[donny.brooke]

Arrow length should be determened by your bow poundage, type of bow, and arrow spine. You need it to spine properly when cut to your particular length. Carbon express arrow spine chart seems to work really well for me. My buddy uses thearchery advantage program with g.reat results

[Fozzie]

Just like Bc Deer Hunter stated, one inch past rest!

[Jonas111]

Every arrow should have a proper spine for the particular draw length you will be shooting. I was also told one inch past rest when I first got into archery and let me tell you that is very wrong. Like Donny said there are programs that help you get the proper length and spine for your bow. Or you can use the charts and get close.

All my arrows are more then one inch past my rest. I use archers advantage software and my arrows are 100% fit to my set up.

I let a shop cut my arrows one inch past my rest when I first started. When I upgraded my bow those arrows were too short and I couldn't use them.

[Jonas111]

Won't let me edit my post for some reason.

The proper information needed to get proper arrows length is DL, pounds pulled, BH, and type of bow (determines how aggressive cams are). It then gives me a scale of optimum spine at different lengths. I then lengthen or shorten where I cut from that chart.

Sometimes if you are a 400 spine and you cut your arrow down to 27" it makes it too stiff for you. So maybe you would need a 500 spine cut down would be perfect.

I made many mistakes with arrows and it cost me a small fortune before I started to use this software. Now my arrows have never been better.

[jrjonesy]

You can really use whatever length arrow you want within reason as long as it is spined correctly. Most, for speed reasons want a shorter arrow to cut down on weight. As mentioned above most shops will recommend 1" past your arrow rest.

[Wild one]

Draw back your bow with a full length shaft mark shaft giving enough length for broadhead to clear the rest. 1 inch past the rest is common but some like a little more clearance some a little less.

In the end as long as you leave the shaft long enough to clear the rest without it being crazy long your good. Just cut all your arrows the same length.

As posted above spine is more important

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Its actually 1" past the riser is what old school reccomends ... but whatever

depends upon a number of things actually ... Spine being a big one .. BH clearance being another ... I cut my arrows according to Node Tuneing. what node tuning is looking for the dead spot in the harmonic resonince(sp) in your arrow .. There are 2 nodes in all arrows. Where your nodes are is dependant on the spine of the shaft, the length of the shaft and the weight of the point. The node that some say is important in relation to the arrow rest is the front node.

The simplist method for finding the front node is to lay your arrow shaft on an edge of something, say the rim of a metal garbage can, and pluck your arrow downward so that it bounces. You will feel the arrow vibrate as it bounces. Keep moving the edge closer or farther away from the point end and plucking it each time until you find a spot where the arrow doesn't bounce or vibrate. That spot that produces no vibration or bounce is the node. It will be readily apparent when you hit that sweet spot. Where that sweet spot is in relation to the front tip is the bare minimum distance I will cut my arrow from the rest contact point. Some say that because I have a drop away rest, Nodes dont mean anything ...Not true!.. even with drop away rests your arrow still is in contact with the rest for the first inch or more of forward travel therefore the Vibes will resonate and throw off ones accuracy a bit.
It boills down to how accurate you want to be as to whether one goes this extra step ... do you wanna hit a pie plate , tim hortons cup lid, a dime or a pin point???

Either way here is a great Tuning guide that everyone .. should know ... I suggest bookmarking this link or Printing off this PDF to put into your Archery tackle box
http://www.eastonarchery.com/img/downloads/software/tuning_guide.pdf

[Striksfromabove]

Another thing to consider is individual shooter styles which include little things that archers do almost subconsciously when they are drawing there bow back and at full draw. It always surprises me when I see the odd guy instinctively raise his pointing finger up on his bow had while drawing back to "help" the arrow stay on the rest. I'm sure it's a bad habit developed years earliers when they shot a stick bow with a shelf instead of a mechanical rest that cradles the arrow. I've winced a few times as I watched guys draw back a broadhead tipped arrow and their finger wanders up perilously close to the broadhead blades. If you're not sure have a friend watch you shoot eventually if you have the habit eventually the finger will raise up into the arrow. If you have this habit you should definitely shoot longer arrows preferably longer than you outstretched bow hand pointing finger as mentioned earlier or work on refraining from lifting your finger off the riser.

[dingdongdenny]

thank you, great link mike.

[Shooter]

I am shooting an Elite Hunter with a DW dialed down to about 55# but will be hunting at 60#. I have a short DL at 27.5 inches and I am shooting radial X-Weave 200's.

MY arrows right now are cut from the end of the nock to the end of the insert at 30" It seems a little long to me now.

[donny.brooke]

Your 200 xweave are a 424 spine and way to weak at 30 inches.I would shoot a xweave 300 cut to 28.5 or 29 in your setup if it were mine if you use a 100 grain tip. I have had a couple hunters so i bet im pretty close on this one. Pm me if you need any help. I am basing this on you shooting your bow at 60lbs

[donny.brooke]

Your 200 xweave are a 424 spine and way to weak at 30 inches.I would shoot a xweave 300 cut to 28.5 or 29 in your setup if it were mine if you use a 100 grain tip. I have had a couple hunters so i bet im pretty close on this one. Pm me if you need any help. I am basing this on you shooting your bow at 60lbs

Forgot to mention a 300 xweave has a .359 spine

[Bowzone_Mikey]

out of my Pure I shoot a 400 spine arrow cut at 27.25" at 62 pounds at 29" draw ... I am in the process of changing target arrows to ACC 3-39s with a 440 spine

In all honesty Shooter ... you could probally get away with a 500 spine arrow cut at 26 with a 100 grain point at 60 pounds ... but I think your Xweave 200s will work knocked down to about 26.75 to 27.5" at 60 pounds

[Sofa King]

holy crap.
i knew something seemed wrong.

i just measured my arrows.
my bow is an AR-34, with a 29" draw length.
my arrows are radial weave stl hunter 300's.
they cut them down to 24.5 inches.
they are barely ahead of my arrow rest.

someone mentioned the whole raise your finger and touch the arrow thing.
my arrow is back by my wrist.
surely this has to be wrong.
i can't believe a bow shop would have done this.
although, given who it was, i can actually believe it now.

[donny.brooke]

holy crap.
i knew something seemed wrong.

i just measured my arrows.
my bow is an AR-34, with a 29" draw length.
my arrows are radial weave stl hunter 300's.
they cut them down to 24.5 inches.
they are barely ahead of my arrow rest.

someone mentioned the whole raise your finger and touch the arrow thing.
my arrow is back by my wrist.
surely this has to be wrong.
i can't believe a bow shop would have done this.
although, given who it was, i can actually believe it now.
A bit stiff i bet. Crank your bow up to 90lbs and all will be good lol.

[jw10112]

Like most guys are sayin, one inch past your riser(not including your broadhead or field tip)

[Jonas111]

Sorry but I don't agree with the one inch past the rest idea. Some people may get lucky with that theory but you will be using arrows too stiff or too flimsy for your bow if you don't do it properly.

Bowzone uses the arrow node theory which works too but usually the node will put it way past the rest. My target arrows were cut to the node and they are 30.5" long and I am a 27"DL.

If you want to know what length is optimal for your particular bow and DL then PM me and I will run your numbers. I am away for a week on holidays but will do it when I return.

[Sofa King]

Sorry but I don't agree with the one inch past the rest idea. Some people may get lucky with that theory but you will be using arrows too stiff or too flimsy for your bow if you don't do it properly.

Bowzone uses the arrow node theory which works too but usually the node will put it way past the rest. My target arrows were cut to the node and they are 30.5" long and I am a 27"DL.

If you want to know what length is optimal for your particular bow and DL then PM me and I will run your numbers. I am away for a week on holidays but will do it when I return.

i like your thoughts on it.
i'll definitely be pm'ing you.
thanks.

[Sofa King]

Like most guys are sayin, one inch past your riser(not including your broadhead or field tip)


one inch past the "riser" sounds better, but some are saying one inch past the rest.
that seems way too short.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Sorry but I don't agree with the one inch past the rest idea. Some people may get lucky with that theory but you will be using arrows too stiff or too flimsy for your bow if you don't do it properly.

Bowzone uses the arrow node theory which works too but usually the node will put it way past the rest. My target arrows were cut to the node and they are 30.5" long and I am a 27"DL.

If you want to know what length is optimal for your particular bow and DL then PM me and I will run your numbers. I am away for a week on holidays but will do it when I return.


Really?
I just cut my ACC 3-39s to 28 ish" and my rest is right on its Node .... my lightspeed 400s were a little longer to get the Node


I shot a couple of Vegas rounds with those ACCs yesterday after building them on Saturday, ... as long as I did my part they were in the X ...


New arrows and rig specs
ACC 3-39 cut at 28"
70 grain parabolic points
FF187 vanes
total weight 324.6-324.9 grains across the dozen
shot from an Elite Pure at 29" draw at 61# pounds
322 fps

Now Granted those measurements are according to my Arrow saws tape .. witch may not be that accurate as I didnt install it ... but my arrows are way shorter than 30 " is my point ... I know I cut off little more than 4" off the 32" stock shaft

[Ruger4]

Sorry but I don't agree with the one inch past the rest idea.

agree with Jonas here and as Bowzone mentioned as well this is old school but if your going to go that route, like BZ mentioned 1'' past riser not rest.......if you ever change your rest from say a Hogg Premier to a Phantom drop away (or many others) you'll now be to short to draw your arrow if you have gone the 1'' past rest method...........

arrow node works for me as well but I prefer the archer advantage method best, it's a great program with endless data suited for most applications, as also mentioned most just cut for speed which may mess up proper spine for "your" setup...........