Traditional Arrows for Recurve and Longbow
Trad arrows are built by a different set of rules than modern compound arrows. Spine is weaker (because the bow drives less energy), point weight is heavier (because heavy heads paper tune better off the shelf), and feathers are non-negotiable. Cedar, Sitka spruce, and modern carbon all work.
Spine chart for recurve and longbow
| Bow weight at draw | 28 in arrow | 29 in arrow | 30 in arrow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 to 40 lb | 45-50 | 50-55 | 55-60 |
| 40 to 45 lb | 50-55 | 55-60 | 60-65 |
| 45 to 50 lb | 55-60 | 60-65 | 65-70 |
| 50 to 55 lb | 60-65 | 65-70 | 70-75 |
| 55 to 60 lb | 65-70 | 70-75 | 75-80 |
Wood shaft spine is quoted in pounds. For carbon substitutes, a 500 spine typically matches 45 to 55 lb bows, 400 spine matches 55 to 65 lb bows, and 340 spine matches 65 to 75 lb bows, all with 125 to 175 grain heads.
Three trad shafts worth naming
| Shaft | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rose City Archery Port Orford Cedar | Cedar wood | Hand spined 5 lb tolerance, 55/60, 60/65, etc. |
| Easton Axis Traditional | Carbon with wood grain wrap | Same shaft as modern 5mm Axis, dressed for trad |
| Gold Tip Traditional Classic Hunter | Carbon | 500 to 340 spine, 8.2 to 9.3 GPI |
Fletching for trad
Full length 5 inch feathers, three fletch, full helical, in shield or parabolic cut. Feathers grip air harder than vanes and recover the shaft faster off the shelf, which matters because trad bows use a shelf and finger release combination that fights vane arrows.
Point weight
Trad hunting rules of thumb: 125 grain minimum, 190 grain typical, 250 grain for heavy penetration builds. FOC in trad regularly runs 15 to 20 percent because heavy heads combined with weaker spine shafts are how the archer’s paradox is tamed.