Trad Gang

Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: PASQUINELL on July 13, 2023, 03:40:22 PM

Title: What do you use?
Post by: PASQUINELL on July 13, 2023, 03:40:22 PM
I'm sure if I scroll down I may find this topic but thought I would ask anyway. I was suprised to hear that my friends brother hunts with aluminum arrows and Stump or target shoots with wood arrows. He shoots a bunch of deer. When asked why he said that he has done it for over 25 years that way. I have never considered it for no other reason  but I just haven't considered it or thought about it.. He hunts with Robertsons and Bear bows.

Is this common amongst us traditional guys?  I have heard and read all about the "you ain't trad if you don't use wood arrows"  discussions and I want to avoid that in this thread .

I'm just wondering how many mix and match aluminum,  carbon, wood in their hunts or enjoyment shooting.

Again, this isn't a trad definition discussion.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Terry Green on July 13, 2023, 04:56:44 PM
"I have heard and read all about the "you ain't trad if you don't use wood arrows"  discussions and I want to avoid that in this thread ".

No worries.....  :campfire:
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Maclean on July 13, 2023, 05:17:56 PM
I agree with Terry. Don't worry about the "you ain't trad if you don't  ..." nonsense.

There's as many ways to do this as there are people who do it. That being said, lots of folks use different shaft materials for a multitude of reasons. And there's no good way to define all those reasons, it's really a personal choice.  :campfire:
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: PASQUINELL on July 13, 2023, 05:34:26 PM
I had gone to his house and we were flinging arrows in the back yard. I asked his brother about the arrows and he told me that he hunts with aluminum but love practicing with wood.

I just was wondering how common that was.

Fall is coming!!
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Maclean on July 13, 2023, 05:51:40 PM
I shoot wood shafts for everything. When hunting big game, specifically elk, I use hardwood footed shafts for extra durability. But, that's for me, at this point in time. I might switch to carbon shafts in the future, for their superior durability and versatility in achieving high FOC without ending up with an arrow that is excessively heavy. But now we're getting into the weeds.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: JohnnyBa on July 13, 2023, 06:23:56 PM
New archer here and, like most(I assume) I started out with carbon. Read about shooting wood and aluminum arrows so I just tried them both. I love the wooden and aluminum arrows but just can’t shake, like mentioned above, the high FOC u can get using carbons without chunking logs. I would do any shooting with any of them, love them all but long bows deserve to shoot woodies!
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: MnFn on July 14, 2023, 08:07:00 AM
I started out with wood arrows in the 60’s. Used aluminum in the 70s. Didn’t try carbons til in the 90’s.
Right now I have arrows from all three materials that I can and do shoot. I still have a soft spot for woodies, particularly Douglas Fir, but I recently got a set of POC in three different spines and they really shoot nice.

I also have some aluminum in 2016 that fly great. As do some Easton Carbon traditionals. Carbons are great as you can easily change inserts and tip weights. I used to shoot  Carbon Express Traditionals and still have a few 150s snd 250s but they quit making them I guess.

Right now it’s either 2016 aluminum or woodies in 55/60 or 60/65 with about 160 grain heads for around 50# bows. Although FMJ’s intrigued me too.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: MnFn on July 14, 2023, 08:13:45 AM
I do agree with Johnny about shooting longbows with woodies. I think it might have been Ron LaClair who said “ longbows and wood arrows go together like ham and eggs”.  I know Allen Boice felt that way too.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Orion on July 14, 2023, 10:40:39 AM
Hmmmm.  I've been at this about 70 years now, since before our form of archery was called traditional. Started with wood, of course. There wasn't anything else.  Shot fiberglass for a while when it became available.  Then toyed with aluminum, and more recently have incorporated carbon.  Now I mostly shoot wood and carbon, often carrying both in my quiver at the same time for targets and hunting. Arrow material doesn't define traditional.   :archer2:
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: kopfjaeger on July 14, 2023, 10:47:51 AM
I shoot and bow hunt with wood and aluminum arrows. I've actually had both in my quiver at the same time while bowhunting.  :biglaugh: Here are pictures of a small buck I've killed, and I have both wood and aluminum arrows in the quiver. I've included a picture of my wood (German Spruce) and aluminum arrows grouping together. X2 with Orion "Arrow material doesn't define traditional."
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: dnovo on July 14, 2023, 12:32:11 PM
So I started shooting at a very young age with a hickory bow my brother made. It was crude but it lit the fire that's still burning 60+ years later. Back then I shot wood. Then as a teen and young 20 year old went to aluminum with some fiberglass in there somewhere. Then I went to a longbow in 1980 and started making my own woodies, but I did have aluminum mixed in there. Since then it's been mostly wood but an occasional aluminum. I still have several sets of aluminum that I play with now and then, but all my hunting and 3D shooting is woods and has been for 20+ years.  I've never had a carbon arrow.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Wudstix on July 14, 2023, 12:32:29 PM
I hunt predominantly with tapered and footed wood arrows.  I do on occasion hunt hogs with aluminum, cause it I break one it doesn't hurt as much.  I also play with carbon when practicing or shooting in a string.  Recently, I made up a dozen Carbon Express Heritage 350's that I intend to shoot at pigs with one of my recurves.  So in answer to your question, Yes!!!!
 :campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire:
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: PASQUINELL on July 14, 2023, 01:19:19 PM
Ahhhhh, okay so it it somewhat common. I'm going to have to call him back and tell him he isn't as much a weirdo as I thought!  :biglaugh: :laughing:

Thank you all for the input.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: M60gunner on July 14, 2023, 01:49:05 PM
Let’s see, what day is it? I have multiple dozens of wood, aluminum, and carbon arrows. There for awhile I had one dozen of each tuned to each bow. I have no issue using any of them for hunting.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: SS Snuffer on July 14, 2023, 04:57:50 PM
Woodys in my Killum recurve, carbons in my Kanati and aluminium in my Black Hunter. That's how I keep everything straight!!
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: TKO on July 17, 2023, 05:53:19 PM
I used aluminum exclusively from 1986 to 1996 when I shot compounds. Then I switched to recurves stayed with aluminum until 2021 when I started shooting a longbow. I got my first woodies (Doug Fir) last year. I actually love shooting the wood arrows but, they are extremely heavy and slow. I just got a carbon test kit a couple weeks ago and I have to say, I am really, really liking the carbon arrows. I’m kinda wishing I had tried carbon sooner.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Bobby Sikes on July 17, 2023, 07:04:54 PM
I hear and see a lot of TALK.

Where are all the kills???

Where's the beef???
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Maclean on July 17, 2023, 09:32:17 PM
Sometimes you just have to trust the people you trust.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Kirkll on July 17, 2023, 09:48:42 PM
I used aluminum exclusively from 1986 to 1996 when I shot compounds. Then I switched to recurves stayed with aluminum until 2021 when I started shooting a longbow. I got my first woodies (Doug Fir) last year. I actually love shooting the wood arrows but, they are extremely heavy and slow. I just got a carbon test kit a couple weeks ago and I have to say, I am really, really liking the carbon arrows. I’m kinda wishing I had tried carbon sooner.

If you have built your own woodies, you understand the the grain rotation effecting the arrow spine a lot...

Well i gotta give you a heads up here on carbon shafts.... rotating them and testing them at 90 degree intervals will really surprise you.... all carbon arrows are not created equally, and some of the economy shafts you buy can have a HUGE difference in spine strength just rotating the shaft. But even the high end carbon shafts have a strong and a weak side to them....

If you are having issues tuning carbon shafts, i would match your spine on the arrows as closely as possible first thing.... It's an eye opener for sure....   

Aluminum shafts have the closest weight and spine tolerances of all shafts when new.... but.... they do bend when abused or even shot a bunch over time. I love them and hate them myself...longevity isn't there.

Woodies are..... Well... they are Woodies...Never seen an archer yet who doesn't love the looks of a freshly crested bunch of woodies... But...The natural material moves with moisture content levels changing, and require a bit more TLC .... They all do the job, and it's a personal choice....

 .02 worth...   Kirk
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: MnFn on July 17, 2023, 10:27:08 PM
Douglas Fir, 160 grain STOS two blade
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: M60gunner on July 17, 2023, 11:47:40 PM
I shoot all 3, wood, aluminum, and carbon. In fact I have for my hunting bows a dozen of each tuned and ready. Basically I like making arrows and each material has its own characteristics that may need attention.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: trad_bowhunter1965 on July 18, 2023, 09:42:11 AM
My setup are wood arrows shot both carbon and Aluminum. I like to tinker with diffecance arrow setup so my quiver has all three and I hunt with wood arrows not to be more Trad "because wood has soul   :laughing:" find what you like and have fun.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Eecho on July 18, 2023, 06:00:21 PM
Shoot ‘‘em all too. Mainly hunt with aluminum 1916 & 2016s. Shoot a few 500 carbons. Shoot woodies in flat bows and ASLs around the house. 
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Sean B on July 19, 2023, 08:20:34 AM
I hunt and shoot with all three. Have been for close to 35 years.
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Ben Maher on July 20, 2023, 02:15:22 AM
I shoot and enjoy all 3 - carbon, alloy and wood.I hunt with all 3 materials regularly

But if I had one hunt left , one day to fling arrows and rove , a quiver to put in my coffin with my fave bow before they burn me up into ashes , a bow and quiver full to take to the ‘other side ‘ it would a be a nice bunch of matched woodies ….

Nothing is lovelier from a longbow
Title: Re: What do you use?
Post by: Wudstix on July 20, 2023, 02:47:54 PM
AMEN!!!  Big River and Red Balau.
 :campfire: :coffee: :archer2: :campfire: