arrows gone wild! please help

[Whitehawk23]

Ok well A) I'm new to shooting bows and all I shoot is my red oak self bow and B) I'm using $5 Wal-Mart arrows. so my question is why is it every time I shoot one of my arrows it goes all crazy like especially anything over 10 yards. so, is it the arrows my bow, a combination? All thoughts and critique welcome

[S.C. Hunter]

Probably because those $5 arrows are also a 5# spine. But they could also be overspined but I doubt it. How heavy is the draw weight on the bow? Are the arrows tipped with those cheap looking brass tips. Do the arrows have 2-3" plastic fletching. Just to many possible problems with no info to work with.

[McDave]

Why don't you post a video of you shooting your bow so we can get an idea of what's happening?

[Whitehawk23]

I have no idea what they're spined at. it says 35-50 and Idk what my draw weight is I don't have the proper tools to check that. like I said I'm really new to this. I'm on a tight budget (military doesn't pay so well lol) so that's why I have to kinda keep to the cheaper side of things. but ill try and post a video sometime this week

[reddogge]

Not knowing your equipment I'd say the WalMart arrows are spined much too high for your selfbow. The only arrows I see them sell are spined for 75# compounds. You probably need a much weaker shaft.

[Whitehawk23]

Well from the looks of the arrows they're spined at 35-50 could it be possible if they're too light?

[S.C. Hunter]

Does the bow indicate anywhere on the limbs or riser the weight at a given inches. 55#@28" anything like this on the bow?

[Whitehawk23]

No its one I built and I don't have a scale to check my draw weight. but S.C. Hunter thank you for your service in the marines. yall paved the way for us guys in the service now so I appreciate it

[S.C. Hunter]

Originally posted by Whitehawk23:
No its one I built and I don't have a scale to check my draw weight. but S.C. Hunter thank you for your service in the marines. yall paved the way for us guys in the service now so I appreciate it

Thank you for your service. If you have a archery shop around your area they can check the bow for you. They can check your draw and then check the bow at that draw length for the weight. Hope you get it worked out.

[Whitehawk23]

Ok ill try that thank you

[TSP]

If your arrows are spined ok and you have a shelf on your selfbow, check your string nock point.  You may have it too low...which would cause the arrow to 'bounce' off the shelf, bringing inconsistent arrow flight.  If you here a slight 'tick' when you release that may be the culprit.  If so, simply raise the nock a little higher on the string.

Good luck.

[Whitehawk23]

I use a floppy shelf but I will try that. thanks

[Echo62]

Do the walmart arrows have plastic vanes or feathers? If they have the plastic vanes that could be part of the problem. Also with that floppy shelf your bow is probably very spine sensitive.

[Whitehawk23]

So would a cut in shelf be better for the spine?

[gonefishing600]

If you don't have a shelf cut in, then that means once the arrow is released, the shaft has to bend around half the thickness of the riser undisturbed to achieve good arrow flight, and that would take a very weak shaft, depending on how thick your riser is. I would say, your way over spined, or need a lot more weight up front.

35-50 is a .500 spine, I would be looking at .600's. I made a self bow out of hickory several years ago, and ended up with full length GT 1535 with 145gr up front. But I had a shelf cut into the riser.

Good Luck, hope this helps!

[Arkansas Osage]

I used to have the same problem, the vanes just don't stabalize the arrow out of the selfbows riser like feathers do. Get some 5 inch feathers on there and you'll see an improvement.