Need a little arrow configuration help

[Band]

I'm using 400 spine arrow with straight Blazer vanes and think its time for an arrow configuration change to try to improve arrow flight.  If any experts want to chime in, I'd appreciate the help.

My setup is as follows:
Diamond Outlaw bow (fast bow - IBO rated 330fps)
29" draw length, set at 60#
Drop away rest. (Trophy Ridge Revolution)
Standard Muzzy 3-blade broadheads, 100 grain (sticking with these since I have lots of them)
Mechanical release

I believe Those numbers put me squarely between 340 and 400 spine but I suspect that the IBO rating probably should bump me up to the 340's?

With the drop away rest I suspect that I ought to stay away from 4" vanes so I'm leaning toward sticking with the Blazers.  The question is whether I should go with offset or helical.  Helical might be best for arrow flight but the vanes come so close to he string on this bow that I'm wondering whether helical will give me string contact regardless of nock position.

If it matters, I practice out to 70 yards on a regular basis and under perfect conditions I would be comfortable shooting an animal at up to 60 yards.

[Wazukie]

I run a what is equal to a 400 spine arrow on my compound,  Now mine is no where near as fast as yours, its a 2002 hoyt.  I run the original trophy taker on both my hunting and target compounds.  My hunting arrows are fletched with four 4" vanes with as much helical as my flethcher will allow and I am quite happy with the results.  When I shot all the time, I practiced out to 100 yards.  This was at Skookum in Puyallup.  Not sure this answers any questions, but I know today that If I purchased a new bow, I would probably go with the same setup on my arrows.

Fletch a couple up and see what happens, always easy to re-configure if needed.

[buckfvr]

How long are your shafts and have you put the completed arrow on a spin tester ??

Are you experiencing bad Flight

Is your cable guard adjustable to change clearance ??

If not, if you fear fletch contact, try one of the new Arizona lower profile fletch and run 2  degree off set.

Its usually better to be somewhat over spined versus under, but I dont think you are on the edge at 60lb and 29 inch draw..........

[Old Dog]

I think you should be using something in a 340 spine.  Stop by the store with your bow and release, and we will try a couple different arrow spines through the paper.  I'll be there 'till 7 the next couple of evenings.

[nw_bowhunter]

Having the wrong spined arrow will create a lot of issues and may not be noticed as much till you start shooting extended distances (60+ yards) I agree better to be over spined than under. 340 spine is fine IMO.

Are you noticing fletch contact now? Some helical will help with the broadhead flight and depending on the broadhead having a longer vane can be beneficial. Blazers are pretty popular and I have found them to work great.  I know your set on thunderheads but that's an old style broadhead. I own them and love them but with some of these new bows they don't perform as well. You might want to consider trying some of the newer style broadheads.

[Band]

How long are your shafts and have you put the completed arrow on a spin tester ??

27".  Have never tried a spin tester but I can tell you that I have never had grouping or broadhead tuning problems with my 340 OR 400 spine arrows on this bow (until now).  The change I've made that seems to have brought on this situation is switching from a Whisker Biscuit to the drop away rest.  I don't want to go back to the Biscuit so I'm trying to make this work with the new rest.

Are you experiencing bad Flight

You could say that.  Although I can get my arrows to fly like darts with the new rest, I am having lots and lots of trouble broadhead tuning with it.  After weeks of trial and error I have found that I can get my broadheads to fly within 3-4" of my field points out to 60 yards but in order to get that close I am having to adjust my rest in such a way that I'm getting a noticeable amount of fish tailing.

Is your cable guard adjustable to change clearance ??

It doesn't appear to be adjustable

This certainly has me baffled.  The other thing I have been unable to figure out is that my arrows used to line up exactly with the the string travel, the sight pins and the bullseye.  Now, in order to hit the bullseye I have to line up my sights quite a ways to the right.

I think I've done what I need to eliminate spine as the problem.  There is some other problem I can't identify the root cause of, but if nothing else, I'm thinking that adding some amount of offset to my vanes should at least improve the situation.  If my arrows are not going to fly straight, I at least want to get them stabilized in the air sooner, so I know the straight vanes need to go.

[Band]

Are you noticing fletch contact now? Some helical will help with the broadhead flight and depending on the broadhead having a longer vane can be beneficial. Blazers are pretty popular and I have found them to work great.  I know your set on thunderheads but that's an old style broadhead. I own them and love them but with some of these new bows they don't perform as well. You might want to consider trying some of the newer style broadheads.

No fletch contact.  I smeared them with lipstick and shot several times to verify.  The bow shop recommended staying away from longer vanes with the drop away rest which is why I'm thinking I ought to stay with Blazers.  I think you read my initial post wrong - I have Muzzy's, not Thunderheads.  And as I have mentioned, I have not had significant grouping problems with these heads in the past.

[nw_bowhunter]

Are you noticing fletch contact now? Some helical will help with the broadhead flight and depending on the broadhead having a longer vane can be beneficial. Blazers are pretty popular and I have found them to work great.  I know your set on thunderheads but that's an old style broadhead. I own them and love them but with some of these new bows they don't perform as well. You might want to consider trying some of the newer style broadheads.

No fletch contact.  I smeared them with lipstick and shot several times to verify.  The bow shop recommended staying away from longer vanes with the drop away rest which is why I'm thinking I ought to stay with Blazers.  I think you read my initial post wrong - I have Muzzy's, not Thunderheads.  And as I have mentioned, I have not had significant grouping problems with these heads in the past.

woops I did miss read the broadhead part.

[sakoshooter]

Sounds like you need to step up to some 340's.
Broadheads will greatly exagerate anything and everything and long distance will show it even more.

[barracuda163]

My outlaw, which is setup very similar only shoots 228-229 through a chrony. I'm shooting 28.5 350 mutiny. Helical blazers .100 gr. G5 montecs. Only broadhead that shoots consistantly with my setup.  I do notice arrows traveling in the same manner you explain, fishtailing, but accuracy is not affected even out to 60-70 yds. Shouldn't the goal be accuracy, not how the arrow looks getting there?

[Band]

**Update**

I sent several pics showing different angles of a nocked arrow to Trophy Ridge as they requested and they agreed that my new rest appears to be warped.  They're sending me a replacement which I hope resolves the problem.  Can't wait so I can get back to shooting practice!

[Stick em]

I shoot a 2013 Outlaw, 55lbs, 27.5 draw, Muzzy X3 100 gr. and a Diamond Back Dropaway with 400 spine Easton arrows. I have never put it through a chrono but it shoots fast and straight. Besides your rest being messed up you may need to check your cams and make sure they are synced. You can do this by cranking your bow up to the full draw weight, then backing it off equally on both limbs. I know it is a single cam setup but if your limbs are cranked up out of sync you will have crazy torque. I have never had a problem going from field tips to broadheads on that bow and if it is tuned right you shouldn't. Looking at Easton's arrow chart you will probably not need anything beyond a 400 spine unless your draw is longer than 29" & you get closer to 70lbs. You should get some better speed out of it when you have the right spine too. Too stiff is just as bad as too soft IMO. The only real advice I can give you about that bow is that it is a little light and if you add some weight to the riser (stabilizer and quiver with a few arrows) you might improve your accuracy beyond 40 yards.

[Band]

I think the replacement rest they're sending me will resolve my problem.  I took the rest off the bow last night to get it ready to send back and the rest arm that bolts to the bow did not line up with the direction of the containment prongs.  Definitely a defective rest.  I hope it gets here soon but they told me they were going to send it after they received mine back so it looks like I have to wait a few more days.