An arrow as good as it's feathers

Wood Arrow, as good as it's Feathers

the arrows I use day to day

Primitive Archery by: NORTH WOOD TRADITIONAL ARCHERY

www.northwoodtraditionalarchery.com

northwoodbows@gmail.com

(475) 235-7421

Many traditional archers use wooden arrows with specified spine weights tailored to their bows, but few have had the experience of shooting a custom set of tapered arrows with primitive nocks and real feathers...

arrows with wood nocks and turkey feathers

A bob-tailed (or tapered) arrow shaft has a smooth clearance from the bow, as the diameter is shrinking as the arrow passes the bow's handle. Feathers provide ultimate clearance, and to me plastic vanes have no place in traditional or primitive archery.

making arrows using a fletching jig to affix feathers.

In tapering the arrow shafts, I leave a wooden bulb that will be later shaped into a nock for the bow string. These were very commonly used in places where pinch grips were employed, however, I use a Mediterranean finger hold (one finger above, two below) and find them to be very useful for this style as well.

hard wood arrows surviving strenuous testing against metal potlids.

In making wooden arrows for specific draw weights, I have been a proponent of making heavier than standard arrows for bows, as I prefer the durability, penetration and longevity of a heavy arrow.

The standard weight of an arrow to a bow is 10 grains of arrow weight to one pound of draw weight, for example: a 50 lb bow would have a base line standard weight of 500 grains in traditional archery.

Custom arrows after the feathers go on, note the ends of the quills are wrapped with deer tendon (real sinew)

A lighter arrow will have a flatter trajectory, and a faster arrow speed, however, there are many benefits that I enjoy in using hard wood arrow shafts, which were also used by native people in conjunction with lighter ones.

wood arrows in the making

One benefit is lowered handshock, which makes shooting more enjoyable. This is because the bow puts more of it's energy into the arrow, and less into your hand.

The other main factor I've noticed, is that I get used to the lob of my arrows, as I have a long time to use them. It's like all things, once they are familiar, they become instinctive. If you find yourself breaking arrows constantly, try them out and see what you think.

Many different styles of arrow heads have come and go, but the basic three categories fall into target points, blunt hunting(stumpshooting) tips, and broad heads... this is aside from the large array of brutal war heads used for specific purposes such as exploding, armor piercing, and whistling arrow heads.

hunting arrow with a zwickey eskimo broadhead

arrow with a typical field tip, for shooting hay bails

I use zwickey points almost exclusively, but they're most outstanding contribution to archery has got to be the judo point, which is specifically designed with spring loaded prongs spreading from a blunt point...

Custom arrow with a zwickey judo point, for small game and stumps...

Not only can these be used for hunting small game such as rabbit and squirrel, but is excellent for stumpshooting practices, which is far and away my favorite day to day activity. The prongs prevent the arrow from burying itself under leaves like a torpedo, and becoming lost forever.

arrow shafts with painted cresting and tapered before the feathers go on

Cresting is the most personalized attribute of the arrow, and can help the archer identify arrows that belong to them amidst a heap, or to identify different sets that go with different bows. It's also handy if your quiver has multiple arrow types in it, so you can grab them easily.