Biconical arrows

[Michal]

Dear friends,

i would like to ask for your experiences with making biconical arrows.
My purpose is to make them for precise target shooting.
What are your recomendations for measurments for such a kind of arrows? I mean, where you start reducing to the point, and where to to reduce to the nock?
Then, how with the spine? Because, this kind of arrow shape, changes spine of the shaft. I used 30 lbs spined shafts, but the arrows looks to be too hard. Although i use 35 lbs hwarang bow. Of course, light weight point plays great role too. So, what is your opinion for selecting shafts?

I shot in the oriental manner, using the thumb release.


I made first series of them, using 5/16 cedar shafts. They have 5-6 mm in the point and 7 mm under the nock. I used very lightweight point - 36 grains Easton screw in, wich has 1 cm long, and very thin screw. It allows quite good aplication to the wood. Of course, the shaft is wrapped by sinew in the point part, as well as in the nock part (nocks are bakkam ones, made from two bamboo pieces). Arrows are not bad, quite precise, although they seems to be harder than should be, so they have contact with the bow during shoot, what is unwelcome.
Thank you very much!

Michal Goetz








Comparision with standard 5/16 arrow with 100 grains point.

[Bede]

Micahal,
They look like good arrows. I assume by hard, you mean stiff. When you reduce the mass of the point, the arrow behaves as if it was stiffer. However, slapping the side of the bow can be rectified by several approaches.

• Make sure that the index finger is not pushing too hard against the side of the nock.
  Change your manner of holding the bow by touching the tips of the index finger and the thumb together and use this as the arrow support. Make sure you do not tense these fingers or you will cut the skin.
  Look at the position of your shoulders. Sometimes tension in the shoulders can push the bow against the arrow on release.
  With Korean bows, putting some twist on the grip can help. The low brace height can be a problem sometimes.

There are other things that can affect the arrow passing the bow. However, I think that these might be the most likely.

[Michal]

Thanks Bede,

yes i ment that the arrows are stiff. Lets hope, that change of shooting style should solve the problem. I will inform you.

Michal