wooden shaft users?

[stringstretcher]

I have lots of cedar and other wood shaft that are just way to heavy for me to use. How many of you shoot just parrallel shafts,how many shoot nock tapered shafts, and how many of you shoot a barrell tapered shaft. Of the two tapered shafts which one works best and why?

[Justin Snyder]

Most of my arrows are parallel shafts.  I do have a few cane and a shoot shafts.  I believe the weight forward of tapered shafts are probably better, just never made any.  Justin

[Pappy]

I shoot mostly parellel shafts also,but I am working on some nock tappered shafts and if I ever get them finished I will let you know,I think they will work good.
   Pappy

[Pat B]

I use hardwood shoots and cane for arrows and both are naturally tapered. This taper makes then less spine sensitive. With the naturally tapered shafts you can reduce the spine by as much as 10#. Barrel tapering reduces physical weight but allows spine weight to remain high.        Pat

[1/2primitive]

Same as Pat, I use shoots and cane/bamboo.
Now that I come to think of it, I haven't had a whole lot of trouble with the spine on my bamboo shafts, only on the arrows I made from dowels. I guess the tapering from point to nock does help.
     Sean

[The Singing Bowyer]

I taper the nock end, and have found I get a more consistent group and better flight---on the days when i can shoot, anyway....

[Glenn R.]

I use nock taper shafts when hunting and most of my shooting. The latest issue of TBM had a great article on just such subject----I believe it was said nock tapered shafts had 8  or 9 ? percent better penetration than parallels and that nock taper had 18 ? percent better penetration than barrel tapered----something like that--don't have my mag. handy.  I have always found nock taper to fly better/ cleaner and quieter off the longbow handle.

[BigWapiti]

Sorry, but nock taper? - Does this mean it tapers from the nock to the point, or vice versa?

[DanaM]

Sorry, but nock taper? - Does this mean it tapers from the nock to the point, or vice versa?

YUP, like a shoot shaft or cane does naturally

[BigWapiti]

Thanks DanaM - just only had my first sip of coffee - so bear w/ me...   So the thick end is at the nock, right?

Trying to remember back to what I have read, do a lot of folks also suggest thick end at the tip too?  OR, is it that they use the "bottom" end (closest to ground) for the tip, and taper it appropriately (nock taper, etc)?  Is the ground end more dense so adds punch power to the arrow?

[DanaM]

Thick end is point, narrow end is nock. So you get a tapered shaft that is weight forward.

[Glenn R.]

On most nock taper cedar shafts the taper begins about 10" forward of the nock, lets say on a 11/32 shaft--then gradually tapers down to the nock itself allowing the use of a 5/32 nock----instead of 11/32.     Same situation with 23/64 shaft, 10" forward of nock and gradually tapered down to a 11/32 nock.  The 'grizzly' carbon wrapped arrows are made with a full length taper from point(lrg.) to nock(sml.)     What I've been told over the years is that you will see more of an advantage shooting tapered arrows off of a longbow because of its lack of cut-out(centershot) whereas less advantage will be seen by a recurve because of the deep cut-out/shelf (closer to centershot).  Less that the arrow has to bend to clear the riser. At least thats the wat its suppose to work

[PeteC]

I make a lot of shoot arrows from privet hedge .It's very common ,and downright tough.But it's very heavy.So I will nock taper most shafts with a sharp piece of flint,or if I have one that needs to be lightened a tad more,I'll barrel taper it.That way I can usually get the shafts around 11-12 grains per pound draw weight,(total arrow weight),and they're easy to make . God Bless ,  PeteC

[PeteC]

Stringstretcher,did you get my e-mail? With this contraption I never know if what I send goes where it's suppose to. God Bless, PeteC

[stringstretcher]

No Pete I sure did not.  Sent you a pm.  Bowjock@verizon.net