Arrow flight factors

[SouthShoreRat]

When arrows are sorted to a straightness tolerance, that is the maximum variation allowed. Black Eagle has assured their dealers that the Zombie Slayer's are the premium crossbow arrows, and they would not make a special line for any individual supplier. The graphics are the only exception.

I dont know who you talked to at black eagle but this is not correct. It is true that the spynal tapp shafts is the same carbon composite as the zombies but again its the only 26.5 in arrow on the market. It also has tighter specs because we make them that way though our testing and sorting process.

MY shop can produce Spynal Tapps and Tactical Tapps that are guaranteed to be +/- .001 or better, +/- .0025 on spine deflection and +/- 1/4 grain on weight variance.

Tactical tapps are a completely different and unique arrow unlike any other arrow black eagle makes for anyone. It is our proprietary arrow made to our specifications just for South Shore Archery Supply. So no the graphics are not the only difference.

We have tested every arrow that has hit our shop for the last 12 years. So I can tell you with very high authority and backed by the knowledge gained testing 100s of thousands of arrow shafts there is not a more consistent shaft on the market then Tactical Tapps. To date we have only had to throw away maybe two or three out of a couple of hundred Tactical Shafts we have tested. Black Eagle is doing an exceptional job for us in building this shaft.

So well that I am considering having them build a completely different shaft to replace our standard spynal tapps.

The Tactical Shaft is slightly stiffer then Spynal Tapps/Zombie Slayers and the REAL carbon over layer adds an additional level of consistency.

I will at any time put Tactical Tapps up against any arrow on the planet for long range shooting. Fact is our custom Spine and Weight matched arrows are the only arrows on the market that are guaranteed accurate at 100 yards or we replace them.

There isnt another builder in the world that is able to make this guarantee!

[xcaliber]

Thanks for the information. Sounds like a great arrow. I will be looking into more of the spec's, and might consider some.

[mmc]

Same $$ as ST/Zs only more gooder! Thanks for all that tech info and background Jerry. i know they are good straight shafts because my dial indicator says so, no matter how/where I measure. I even chucked them in the lathe and turned them slowly by hand trying to find a wobble on the indicator dial.

All four arrows are dead nuts precision built. And purdy too! I'm gonna shoot some 200 grain VPAs soon and my guess is that I still won't flex 'em on launch, so I'll probably order up some longer ones to test.

[SEW]

An arrows trajectory is based on overall weight of the arrows, the bows energy and the drag on the arrow.

If we were to build two test arrows, one with a 100 grain point and 300 grain shaft. The second has a 200 grain point and a 200 grain shafts. Both use the same fletching and nocks. Both arrows will have very similar points of impact.

What I am saying here is FOC does not dramatically effect trajectory in itself. It has more to do with the weight, bows available energy and the drag the shafts has to endure.

Jerry,
I use your arrows/shafts and am in awe of your quality of construction. I've never done an experiment (but would like to) such as you described. What I have found though is that my greater foc arrows tend, or appear to , to start hitting much lower out past 50-60 yds. I do not have any analytical data to support this though.
But I may in time. Have you actually tested high foc arrows out to 100 yds to see if this makes any difference?

[galamb]

What I am saying here is FOC does not dramatically effect trajectory in itself. It has more to do with the weight, bows available energy and the drag the shafts has to endure.

[/quote]

I am not trying to disagree here, but that doesn't appear to hold true at least in one case.

When Horton went bankrupt I could no longer get the bolts I was shooting - 20" Bone Collectors. Basically a 20" carbon with a 110 grain brass insert/plastic nock with a total weight of 419 grains (including 100 grain broadhead).

I was looking for something "close" but at least over 400 grains (which left out C2's, Firebolts etc). One of the bolts I tried was Carbon Express "Surge" (re-marketed and sold today as the Piledriver line).

The Surge was likewise a 20" carbon with a more typical aluminum insert/plastic nock with a total weight of 442 grains (23 grains "heavier" than my bone collectors with the same broadhead).

The Bone Collectors had an FOC of 19.3% and the Surge/Pile Drivers only 10.8%.

The one variable that may have made a difference (that I didn't try and compensate for) was the fact that the Bone Collectors were fletched with 3" Quik-Spin vanes, the Surge with 4" Duravanes.

All else being equal, the "heavier" Surge's impacted a full 5" "higher" than the Bone Collectors @ 25 yards, shot one after another on an outdoor target from the same bow.

Ultimately I settled on GT Laser II's at just under 400 grains with an FOC of 22.5% - they required less than 1" of adjustment on the scope to impact at the same point as the Bone Collectors did.

When shooting arrows with an FOC in the 10-14% range they "visually" shoot on a straight line. When I shoot the high FOC arrows that I favour it's almost like watching a "lob ball" - I really can see them "drop in".

(this may be because I shoot a "slow bow" - Vix II - and may not be a factor due to retained speed from a faster bow, at least at typical hunting distance)

But the greatest difference I have noticed is the ability of the high FOC arrows to "group tighter" in "outdoor" conditions - which is where you should test your hunting arrows - not many deer are shot at an indoor range.