Tapered 11/32 vs 23/64 POC or Douglas Fir

[Wudstix]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of 11/32 over 23/64, and POC vs Douglas Fir? Fairly standard 29" arrows.

[wytex]

I prefer Doug Fir, what poundage are you drawing?
I shoot 11/32 tapered to 5/16 Doug fir footed shafts and before the footed shot tapered Doug fir.
They fly great out of my 50# bow and get good penetration on the few big game animal I have taken.
Doug fir is a little heavier than POC and I think more durable.
My arrows are about 29" to back of point from nock.

[Draco]

I shoot sitka spruce tapered shafts in 11/32" These are the lightest wood arrows you can get and tougher than cedar by a bunch. My thinking is I want the most weight at the front. A steel blade with a string on it would be the best arrow you could get and would easily fly the best and have the best penetration. That is the main advantage of carbon, the least weight for the spine. You get to add more front weight that way. The closest I can get in wood is the sitka spruce. That is why the largest plane ever built, the Spruce Goose, was made from sitka spruce, strong and light.

As to the 11/32 over the 23/64, the 23 size is bigger than the center of the broadhead and would cause more drag and get less penetration. At least it seems that way to me.

[Wudstix]

I shoot 63-67# from recurve and longbow. Have one each at 70/71# but haven't hunted these bows. Broadheads from 160-250 grains mostly 3 blade, but a couple two blade options. Not real worried about weight, but wondering about the relationship between POC spine and Douglas Fir spine. Have heard DF would need more. Not real concerned about reduced penetration, don't think that will be an issue.

[DRT]

I shoot both. But from different weight bows. I think the DF are slightly tougher and hold their straightness better. Both are 11/32nds. I have no experience with 23/64.

[Wudstix]

I might just get a dozen and try them out. Also, wondering if tapering reduces spine. Don't want to go to far down the rabbit hole. What I'm shooting right now seems to fly well. Just wondering about DF needing more spine.

[wytex]

My arrows are all spined the same regardless of species. Tapered DF is exactly the same spine as my other woodies and I have footed arrows with purple heart, bubinga, and wenge along with my bois d'arc footed arrows, all spined the same.
I like spruce as well but wanted more weight for my moose hunt and thus tried DF and never went back.

There are some nice jigs out now for making your own footed arrows, if you're so inclined and have some wood working experience.

[Wudstix]

While rummaging through my wood shaft stockpile this afternoon I came across some tapered Ash (529 gr 32") that I knew I had, some Hemlock (452 gr 32") that I must have traded for, some tapered Red Balau (642 gr 29 1/2"). and 7 Douglas Fir shafts, (480-505 gr 31") 3 spined 70-74# and 4 spined 75-77# that should be stained, sealed and fletched by the time I heal up enough to shoot.