Reloading Arrows?

24 July 2003, 15:17

Boss Kongoni

If you intend to stay in archery, yes you will save some money......eventually.

Just like people with their favorite hand loads, archers get a bit fussy about arrows. You soon come to the conculsion that you are the only one in the universe that can make a proper arrow for your bow.

25 July 2003, 08:22

<DOATargets>

When you build your own arrows ( not bolts [Mad]

) you can very the types to fit you best. I shoot very light carbons to very heavy fiberglass. You can mess with Fletcher or feather. You can very the size of these from 1.5 to 6 inches to see what happens to your flight at distance. You can tune exactly to the FOC that best fits your style. By all means you should make your own. It also gives you great satisfaction when you do something on your own.
Have fun!
DOA

25 July 2003, 08:55

eshell

quote:
Originally posted by Boss Kongoni:
If you intend to stay in archery, yes you will save some money......eventually.

"Eventually" is right.
Used to be easy to save cash doing your own, now it seems components cost as much as the finished product, not to mention the fletching jig, shaft cutter and dozen other little tools you'll need. I have 6 Bitzenberger jigs, with all the clamps and nock receivers to set them all up the same, right, left, straight, helical, a power shaft trimmer, burring tools, torches, insert tools, hundreds of nocks, in three or four sizes. Feather fletches in several sizes and colors, plastic vanes in several sizes and colors . . .
Now, how many arrows will you make a week?
Do you plan to crest them?
How much is your time worth?
You get the picture.

quote:
Just like people with their favorite hand loads, archers get a bit fussy about arrows. You soon come to the conculsion that you are the only one in the universe that can make a proper arrow for your bow.

IMHO, this is the only real reason to start doing it yourself. Unless you habitually ruin or lose a slew of arrows, or you are feeding a bunch of different bows, it would be difficult to justify getting set up if you can get happy with commercially produced arrows. Even if you can't, a pro-shop could likely product custom jobs more efficiently.

21 August 2003, 23:02

Bug

Speaking of which, Does anyone have an Arizona
E-Z fletcher they might part with? Maybe one you no longer use? I can use either size, but would like the small. Maybe we can work up a trade?

24 August 2003, 02:47

Boss Kongoni

eshell- Thought of another reason to build your own. Your shooting improves immediately.

I have a young nephew that is learning to shoot. When he started it was Dad or Uncle Frank I need some new arrows. All that stopped the minute we taught him how to build his own. Now, every shot is thought out & calculated, he'll be fine hunter in a few years.

It's true there is inital cost. There are way to be sensible. I bought my jo-jan multi-fletch a few years ago off e-bay. I can fletch-up a dozen in an hour or so. I buy my rare shafts cut to lenght for a few extra $$$ vs. buying a cut off saw. I buy my feathers in bulk. I use one color so a bag of 100 is good for 3 doz. Ishoot carbon arrows crowned with spray paint, so no dipping tubes & all that mess.