WELL SAID.......I am new to crossbows but read a lot and shoot to find out WHY something does not work...Me and big pard had trouble with factory GT 425 arrows at .005 in 18 inch length in micros...I spents weeks reading here and shooting ,resquaring,turning vanes etc ..SEW wrote:Concerning spine indexing, I initially thought that with short, very stiff ( example: 18", zombies or STs), that spine indexing wasn't very critical as with longer arrows. It may not be for gentler launching xbows than my 380,400,405. My factory fletched STs which, of course, weren't spine indexed, don't compare to the same shafts, now spine indexed and helical Blazered. Even with these very stiff shafts there are significant stiff and weak sides. AND, with 260# and above, spine indexing makes quite a difference. I'd expect, as the launch force gets less, the benefits of spine indexing diminishes. But, the 380 and above , and the Micros, have a pretty harsh launch and spine indexing reduces group size.
From here on, I'll order either Zombies or double weave STs that are spine matched and indexed. Depending on cost, maybe even fletched. The arrows I've gotten from Boo, Big John and Jerry have all been class acts.
Then i took my 16.5 inch quills and shot and said why are they shooting better than the GT arrows?What you said is correct ....the Quills are stiffer than the gt arrows,you could take your hand and bend the gt 425 arrows you could not with quills..
power of micro may not like a 18 inch .005 arrow that flexes more than a stiffer arrow...I saw that with 16.5 Quill arrows that are .005 but stiffer ..
BORKHOLDER backs their arrows they have been very good to me and Big PARD .Most likely they do not know a .005 arrow at 18 inch MAY not shoot as well as a 16 inch arrow from MICRO which is stiffer quills ..My shooting proved that stiffer/shorter arrow shoots well at same .005 straightness.....
I called Loren at Borkholder about difference in shorter arrow..I noticed at club others were shooting crossbows with .005 arrows and longer arrows and good groups BUT none had a MICRO ...
I think you said it right on .........