Match shaft stiffness to draw weight, arrow length, and point weight for a cleaner tune and tighter group behavior.
| Bow Style | Draw Range | Typical Spine | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recurve | 24-30 lb | 700-450 | Balanced |
| Barebow | 34-42 lb | 600-400 | Longer shafts |
| Compound | 50-70 lb | 500-250 | Runs stiffer |
| Longbow | 28-36 lb | 900-700 | Traditional |
| Point Weight | Effect | Gap Shift | Use When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 gr | Stiffer | -25 | Weak shafts |
| 100 gr | Neutral | 0 | Bench setup |
| 125 gr | Weaker | +25 | Stiff shafts |
| 150 gr | Much weaker | +50 | Heavy tune |
| Material | Behavior | Weight | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon | Fast | Light | Target |
| Hybrid | Stable | Mid | 3D |
| Aluminum | Forgiving | Mid | Indoor |
| Wood | Traditional | Heavy | Recurve |
| Symptom | What It Means | Calculator Fix | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left tear | Weak feel | Lower spine | Shorten shaft |
| Right tear | Stiff feel | Higher spine | Add point wt |
| High group | Too stiff | Weaker shaft | Heavier tip |
| Low group | Too weak | Stiffer shaft | Trim less |
Arrow spine are a measurement of how much an arrow shaft bend when the bow push the arrow forward. Arrow spine is an important factor in archery because the spine of the arrow determine how the arrow fly through the air. If the arrow spine are incorrect, the arrow will not fly straightly.
However, if the arrow spine is correct, the arrow will fly straight. There is two different ways to understand arrow spine. Static spine is a measurement of how much the arrow shaft bend on a jig under pressure.
The lower the static spine number on an arrow shaft, the more rigid the arrow shaft will be. Conversely, the higher the static spine number, the more flexible the shaft will be. However, the flex of the arrow can change based off a type of bow being used.
For example, a compound bow use cams to apply force to the arrow shafts, creating more force than a recurve bow, which will make the shafts appear stiffer than the static spine number would indicate. A recurve bow has a different draw weight than a compound bow, so the recurve bow require a different arrow spine balance. Several component affect the way the arrow shaft bend.
One of these components is the length of the arrow shaft. The longer the shaft, the more the arrow will bend. To measure the length of the arrow, measure from point to nock.
Another component that can change the way the arrow shaft bend is the weight of the arrow point. The more grains the arrow point weigh, the more easy the arrow shaft will bend. Adding more weight to the arrow point will soften the spine of the shaft.
Other component that affect the arrow are nocks and fletching, but these have a smaller effect on the spine of the arrow. The type of bow that an archer use will determine the arrow spine that is required for that bow. Compound bow have a higher peak load than recurve bows or longbows.
Therefore, compound bows will require arrows with lower spine number. Recurve bows and longbows will have higher spine arrow shafts since the draw weight of a longbow is more progressive than a compound bow. Arrow calculators can help archers to find the target spine for arrows used in there bows.
For instance, using a spine calculator for a compound bow that is set to 60 pound will reveal that the arrow spine should be between 350 and 400. Archers must tune there arrows to find the proper arrow shaft. A common tool to check the tune of an arrow is to see how the arrow pass through paper.
For arrows with a left tear on paper, the arrow shaft is too weak and modification should be made to the arrow to strengthen it. Arrows with a tear to the right indicate that the arrow shaft is too stiff; adding more weight to the arrow point will help to even out the arrows spin. To make any modification to arrows, archers should always use math and calculators to determine the correct spine for the arrows.
This is because any trimming of arrows is permanent. If the arrow spine is correct, the energy from the bow will be transfer into the arrow flight. Additionally, if the archer measured the arrow spine correct, the arrows will stabilize quickly.
This will cause the arrow group to become tighter. If the spine is incorrect, the arrow will lose energy to bending of the shaft. The arrow will also not bend accurately.
To ensure that arrows function as they are intended, the archer should match the spine of the arrows to the specification of the bow being used.
