Is arrow straightness important?

[RangerClay]

I don't want any gay arrows in my quiver. :taped:

All jokes aside. I've been asking around about the new CX Mayhem arrows. One response got me thinking. A fellow said "I would never pay that much for an arrow with a .0035 arrow straightness." So would you please school this rookie on how important arrow straightness is?

Thanks

[TN Bucknasty]

It all depends. If you are hunting out west and taking really long shots, maybe its important. For folks like me here in the South taking 40 yard max shots at moderate speeds, it doesn't matter that much when it comes down to margins as small as what you're talking about. Arrows don't stay straight when you shoot them anyway. They bend and flex during flight.

A few of my friends don't agree with what I just said, but I know what my trophy room looks like, and I also know what theirs look like so I don't pay much attention.

[Guest bowhunter56]

Arrows are expensive, I have shot the redhead brand sold at basspro and made by carbon express for a long time .003, i have shot many deer with them with no problems, i also shoot blackhawk vapors now owned by goldtip, also a very good arrow.

Luckily you can buy arrows by the half dozen, I don't buy a product because some tv personality endorses it. Buy what you like or can afford.

[bluelund79]

Straightness does make an importance. However, when buying those with higher tolerances, you can have equal amounts cut off both ends to get the best tolerances. That is how I have all of mine cut since that last dozen when only 4 of 12 spun well. Instead of having a wobble on either end, now there are none. I got a doz Blackhawk Vapor Hunters (.006 tolerance) and cut 1.75" from each end to get a 26.5" shaft. Zero wobble on either end....Try it, it works.

[Hoytguy]

Weight consistancy throughout the shaft should be looked at first and foremost. Some of the best archers in the world couldn't tell the difference between .006 and .001 straightness.

[Doc]

I have never known anyone (including professional archers) who could quantify how much inaccuracy at the target you get for every one thousandth of an inch of out-of-straightness. So your question is very hard to answer in a very scientific way. The only thing I can say is that a shaft that looks like a hockey stick probably won't fly very good. If it's a few thousandths of an inch out of straight, it probably will go right in with the rest of the group. I don't think I would pay a whole lot of money just to improve straightness by a thousandth or two.

Doc

[dbHunterNY]

i'm not an olympic archer or anything, but i've always been under the understanding that spine consistency, weight consistency, and then straightness have an importance, in that order.

[SonnyThomas]

Is arrow straightness important?

Some of the best archers in the world couldn't tell the difference between .006 and .001 straightness.

I agree here and with dbHunter. Weight is one my pet peeves. I want weight close, no more than 3 grs. My targets arrows I want closer, less than 1/2 gr.

Weight forward technology. Sorry, I don't like the new CX Maxima line. I know how to build the arrow I want. More than anything Carbon Express added weight to their old CX line of arrows.

I've read of tests through shooting machines. Seems that overly stiff and overly weak arrows shot out to 60 yards grouped and had accuracy as well as those with perfect spine. So if this is true, then why not arrows with run out of up to .006"? Some of the old shooters would have to speak up, but way back when aluminum wasn't all that super straight and accuracy was superb. Probably the least straightest I've seen used in competition is the CX Lite Hunter, .0035". This particular shooter pounds Xs to no end in indoor 5 spot events. Bob, my co-worker at the archery shop, does some awfully good shooting with his CX Rebels, .005" and then he is also over spined.

Me, I've used CX arrows of .0025" for years in competition. I couldn't tell the difference between .001" Selects and the CXs of.0025".

[hunter109]

i shoot a arrow that is .005 it is a good shooting arrow but i bought them at a pse dealer well latter man it is really up to you in what you want to shoot man

[m gardner]

I've always been told spine was the most important consideration and it seems to be true. The companies lie about straightness anyways. They call it +/- .0025 when the industry standards for GD&T call it as .005. It's always a unilateral dimension. I guess if you halve it, it looks better. Then there is the consideration of how to actually measure it anyhow. I guess you measure it to the outside of the shaft giving no consideration to where the inside wall lies because you really can't access it anyways. I was a quality guru at an aerospace plant for too long I guess. This stuff really annoys me. Shoot your arrows and be happy. Just make sure they are quality shafts and someone took some consideration and care assmbling them. You can't go wrong with Carbon Express.

Mark

[Tony]

its simply going to come down to what you want to shoot. i prefer consisnt spine and a .001 straightness and a .5 gr weight tolerance per dozen. i find by starting with a tight tolerance arrow i dont have to work as hard to get them to shoot good with broadheads.

i once spun a raw shaft .006 arrow on and arrow spinner. it wobbled so bad that it almost came off the spinner. sure you can cut off a little on both ends to get a straighter tolerance, but how much do you cut and what if you need a inch on one end a inch and half on the other.

i find its a whole lot easier to deal with tight tolerances right off the bat and spend less time being frustrated later on.

Tony