DO NOT BUY a 400 spine Fatboy.

I shoot 30" and about 48lbs, so at least 10lbs more than you, and a 400 spine Fatboy would be too stiff for me to shoot with any sensible point weight.

At your length and poundage, I can't recommend enough that you don't bother trying to get seriously fat arrows. You'll have to have them so long and with such heavy points to make them spine that they will be extremely slow and will punish badly any vague inconsistencies in your form.

Look seriously at whatever you're planning to shoot outdoors and just use that. There's only two months of indoor season left, and if nothing else you will learn to aim in the middle!

Originally Posted by Shirt

DO NOT BUY a 400 spine Fatboy.

I shoot 30" and about 48lbs, so at least 10lbs more than you, and a 400 spine Fatboy would be too stiff for me to shoot with any sensible point weight.

At your length and poundage, I can't recommend enough that you don't bother trying to get seriously fat arrows. You'll have to have them so long and with such heavy points to make them spine that they will be extremely slow and will punish badly any vague inconsistencies in your form.

Look seriously at whatever you're planning to shoot outdoors and just use that. There's only two months of indoor season left, and if nothing else you will learn to aim in the middle!

Wot he said.

O.K. - so I think I now have three diffeent options from those which I started out with. From the choice of X7 / Fatboy / X-buster I now have the options:

X-buster with 700 spine - should be o.k. stiffness wise, maximum line cutting potential but rather pricey

Gamegetter 500 spine - advantages of aluminium, sensible option at excellent price

ACC 3-04 spine - not a line cutter but will set me up for the outdoor season

I will talk to the coaches at my club and go from there

Many thanks for all your advice - greatly appreciated!

TJ

Originally Posted by darthTer

I'm currently using 31" 2315 (340 spine???) Gamegetters with 5" feathers & 300gr points.

They are impossible to tune, but they know where the gold is.

Gamegetters can be had for £26 per doz shafts!!!

I don't see the point is a relative novice shelling out £100+ on a set of shafts that will perform exactly the same as ones costing £26....

shhhhhh darthTer, we dont want everyone using them it will push up the price........ They are excellent though and cheap shot a 565 the other day with them.

I'd recommend the xx75 Platinum Plus. I got them as a cheap arrow to use indoors while I worked on technique with a lower poundage but have been very impressed with them. Have shot several 580+ Fita18's with them. I've been using (roughly) the right spine for my bow rather than massive ones with heavy points. They are very good arrows.

Last week I did a small test indoors at 20 yards. I shot 3 1916's and 3 2016's to see which performed better. The 1916's were a touch weak and the 2016's a bit stiff - I had the bow weight somewhere between the two. Unsurprisingly, they both grouped exactly the same. What was surprising was that they both hit the 10 ring with the same sightmark! So if you get the spine roughly right, exact tune isnt too critical for indoors atleast.

Originally Posted by mf78

I'd recommend the xx75 Platinum Plus. I got them as a cheap arrow to use indoors while I worked on technique with a lower poundage but have been very impressed with them. Have shot several 580+ Fita18's with them. I've been using (roughly) the right spine for my bow rather than massive ones with heavy points. They are very good arrows.

Last week I did a small test indoors at 20 yards. I shot 3 1916's and 3 2016's to see which performed better. The 1916's were a touch weak and the 2016's a bit stiff - I had the bow weight somewhere between the two. Unsurprisingly, they both grouped exactly the same. What was surprising was that they both hit the 10 ring with the same sightmark! So if you get the spine roughly right, exact tune isnt too critical for indoors atleast.

Do your xx75 arrows have 'standard' points/vanes or do you haver heavy pin points and shield feathers? The heavy points only seem to be available for the larger diameter shafts? Do you recommend feathers over vanes?

I guess that if you can score 580+ with these then they will probably be o.k. for a newb like me...

TJ

I use standard weight points in the arrows, and 4" feathers. Mainly because I already had a bag of feathers to use when i bought the arrows, but also because they are more forgiving of any slight clearance issues. I think they also help straighten the arrow up faster, and may have helped in that respect with the less than perfect tune. They also group well at distance down the field

Originally Posted by Shirt

DO NOT BUY a 400 spine Fatboy.

I shoot 30" and about 48lbs, so at least 10lbs more than you, and a 400 spine Fatboy would be too stiff for me to shoot with any sensible point weight.

I shoot 29 @ 47-49 400 with 150grn and they shoot great. Don't forget he is nearly 2 inches longer then you which makes arrow choice about the same.

just a note: as a newbie too, my arrows was chosen a little stiff for the "loosened" limbs so they could be used for the prolonged period of time as the limbs will got tightened... and I can save money meanwhile for the final investment

Originally Posted by Schme1440

I shoot 29 @ 47-49 400 with 150grn and they shoot great. Don't forget he is nearly 2 inches longer then you which makes arrow choice about the same.

Er. No.

Originally Posted by TJT

I am currently 30 inch drawlength with 32lbs poundage.

So 30" draw, about 36 pounds, no way is a 400 right.

Originally Posted by UltraFox

just a note: as a newbie too, my arrows was chosen a little stiff for the "loosened" limbs so they could be used for the prolonged period of time as the limbs will got tightened... and I can save money meanwhile for the final investment

"...Final investment" Oh I really doubt that!! This is archery, not bowls :-)

Originally Posted by Shirt

Er. No.



So 30" draw, about 36 pounds, no way is a 400 right.

Dont forget arrow charts are Arrow length and draw length is measured to the button. My draw is 27 3/4 and arrow length 29 1/4. If his draw is 30 then arrow is 31 1/2 to 32 inch. If he is wrong and he means his arrow length is 30inch then yes indeed I am wrong.

Thanks for all your input on this!

I spoke with some of my club members last night and think that I have come to some conclusions on the way forward.

It seems that the carbon linecutters - Fatboy and X-buster - would probably be a bit excessive for an archer of my ability level, irrespective of the ideal spine, and that I should probably be looking at aluminium arrows for the time being. Carbons can wait until I improve and am using heavier limbs.

The xx75 arrows are excellent, cheap and durable and would be a great option. The X7s seem to be considered to be slightly higher quality but slightly more delicate than the xx75.

Price wise, the xx75s gamegetters are about £4.00/arrow fully fletched, the platinum plus are £6.00/arrow and the X7s about £7.50. I will probably opt for the platinums or the X7s.

I will get my draw length measured again tomorrow, look at the spine charts and go from there.

Again, many thanks for you advice!

TJ

Why go for the two more expensive options? Gamegetters are cheaper and you can spec the slightly stiffer arrow and if you go for screw in points you can play with the point weight to get a good tune plus when you go up in poundage all you need to do is change the point weight rather than changing you arrows. If you are using them purely for indoors go for the fattest arrow with the heaviest point and feathers they have to go 20yrds and are likely to get damaged (either by you robin hooding or by someone else). Ive had to change my indoor arrows every year due to lost through arrow damage and it was getting expensive so I went for the gamegetters and im getting the same score as my old xx75s. Expensive is not always best