Spine Testing

NugeForPres

Senior Member
How critical is spine testing prior to building arrows? I am completely new to the concept.
 

bronco611

Senior Member
you must match the arrow to the bow for length and spine, otherwise you will get poor arrow flight and if the spine is to weak could cause the arrow to fail which usually is a very bad thing for the bow and the shooter.
 

NugeForPres

Senior Member
you must match the arrow to the bow for length and spine, otherwise you will get poor arrow flight and if the spine is to weak could cause the arrow to fail which usually is a very bad thing for the bow and the shooter.

I do understand making sure the arrow is the correct spine for the bow setup that I use, but what I am referring to is finding the stiffest part of the arrow prior to fletching. I have seen some videos where people have used some sort of a jig, a specific weight that is hung from the arrow shaft, and a dial indicator to measure how much the arrow flexes as it is rotated in the jig. I have also seen another method where a bare arrow shaft with nocks put in both ends is placed in a tub of soapy water, and the shaft naturally settles toward the heavier side (for lack of a better term). Supposedly this shows you where your cock fletching should go on your arrows.
 

bronco611

Senior Member
from what I have seen you are right. I saw the same you tube video, but my thought is that it really does not matter with carbon or graphite shafts as they are shot in multiple positions from bows depending upon the arrow rest used. I really think it is more important with trad equipment where the arrow must flex to clear the sight window when shooting to prevent it from making contact with the bow causing it to fish tail while shooting.
 

Kris87

Senior Member
I don't worry with it. For field archery at long, long distances, sure it would be worth it. But for regular hunting shafts, with vanes that produce good drag, its not worth it. You can typically find the stiff side when bareshaft tuning as well by turning the nock all the way around the arrow and repeatedly shooting it.
 

Ihunt

Senior Member
The spine chart will usually be correct if you are using either 100 or 125 grain heads. Heavier than that and you have to start making assumptions. If in doubt, go stiffer. It should shoot fine and will not be dangerous.
 
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denbow

Senior Member
I am black Eagle dealer and build custom arrows, I spine index all the arrows I build and sell. The machine you are referring to is a Ram spine indexer.
 
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