wood arrows and cold weather

[gordydog]

Do you notice changes in your wood arrows when shooting in temperatures below 10 degrees?

[ChuckC]

Well, other than snow stuck to them after a shot... I haven't. but now that you ask, I will start looking more carefully.  What's up ?
CHuckC

[gordydog]

I've felt that over the last 27 years of hunting late season and shooting woodies and comparing them to aluminum and carbon in extreme cold temperatures, that a my wood arrows do not shoot as well and they did in moderate temperatures. I am taking into account cold shooting gloves, cloths bulk and the issues of the cold.  I think spine or something is affected in wood that does not affect carbon or aluminum in these cold temperatures.

[toddster]

I really haven't seen that big of difference, I believe as long as they are sealed correctly.

[gordydog]

Has anyone out there ever spine tested a woody at say 10 degrees versus 75 degrees?

[Sam McMichael]

I never have had, nor will I ever have, an issue with wood , or any other arrows, in weather that cold. I just can't handle that kind of cold.

[gordydog]

Has anyone micrometered OD of woodies at 10 degrees versus 75 degrees.  I assume this would be too small of a change to affect your shooting accuracy.

[ChuckC]

Since wood is organic and composed of cells, I am going to assume that at some point well before the carbon and aluminum models, the cells will freeze and affect its structure.  Probably get a bit stiffer, more prone to breaking.  Not certain that the diameter will change noticeably.  But... I guess that is just the rules of the game.

Pretty certain I myself am not good enough to notice.  I have killed bunnies with them in way colder temps than +10 degrees.  Course, those just MIGHT have been accidents too !
ChuckC

[Red Beastmaster]

If I ever leave my nice warm house to go out shooting in below 10 degree temps I'll let you know how they fly.  

One thing to consider. Your bow is also cold. That could affect flight as well.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Nope, they kill just the same. I've killed half a dozen deer around the 10 degree mark and see no difference in flight or strength or performance. My average shot is only 10yds though and most shots are complete pass through's.

I shoot nothing but dougfir and don't care for cedar arrows, I gave up on them a long time ago.

What kind of shots are you talking about distance wise?

Tracy

[Sawpilot 75]

Originally posted by K.S.TRAPPER:
Nope, they kill just the same. I've killed half a dozen deer around the 10 degree mark and see no difference in flight or strength or performance. My average shot is only 10yds though and most shots are complete pass through's.

I shoot nothing but dougfir and don't care for cedar arrows, I gave up on them a long time ago.

What kind of shots are you talking about distance wise?

Tracy

I agree with Tracy. I have shot wood since the late 80's. I have hunted with Doug Fir in Alberta with temps down to -15f. No change in flight. The only thing I noticed was the build up of frost on the shaft with sitting in the stand all day. I always rub my #1 arrow with corn oil to help with that. I think we are splitting hairs with all the overthinking on wood.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Seems like a bunch of over thinking anymore on here instead of hunting and shooting stuff. I agree Sawpilot      

Keep it simple guys that's why trad hunting is so much fun in the first place. Wood arrows have been getting in done for a long, long time!

Tracy

When it is consistently below freezing I switch to all wood arrows.  Aluminum is most definitely colder on the finger that is over the arrow,  I also hate it how aluminum gets ice built up on it every time it gets in contact with snow.   I have never noticed that they behave any differently, although I read once about 50 years ago that aluminum does not get stiffer in cold weather like wood can.  But then I also read that a compound shot twice as fast as a recurve about that many years ago as well.

[Dave Pagel]

I have spined woodies in cold weather because my tester is in my barn.  They definitely spine stiffer in the cold.  Whether it is enough to change you set up, I doubt it.

D.P.

[Orion]

Don't hunt in the cold as much as I used to, and now mostly shoot carbons, but never noticed a difference in POC arrow performance between temperate and cold temperatures.  

In really cold temps, my clothes were more bulky, and there's a good possibility I didn't draw as long as I normally would, but the arrows always seemed to go where they were supposed to if I did my part.  

A few self-bows I shot during cold weather did loose some cast.  Got the feeling that might have occurred as well with glass laminated bows, but not really sure that wasn't a figment of my imagination.  No way for me to test it.

[FlintNSteel]

As a young man my "20 yard indoor range" was in my Dad's old barn and I shot many times per week regardless of the temperature.  I spent many hours in there shooting in very, very cold temps.  Never noticed any difference in the flight of my wood arrows in cold vs heat.  I've also done a lot of stump shooting in cold weather and no real difference there either.

Not saying there couldn't be for some folks, I just never noticed it myself.

Aluminum, being metal, is going to expand and contract with temperature changes.  I'm not saying it affects flight materially, just that metal expands and contracts with temperature changes.  So Aluminum is not going to be immune to temperature changes either.

[gordydog]

Thanks Dave Pagel on your comment that" wood definitely spine stiffer in cold weather"  I' ve always suspected that and testing with some my woody broadhead setups outside in the cold seem to confirm that. Some of my woodies with broadheads that shot great in summer may not shoot the same in the extreme cold for me. Narrowing down my hunting woodies a bit more. These  arrows may be right on the fence for spine to start with. Cold bow, cold glove, cloths bulk probably come into play too. My aluminum and carbon don't seem to be affected. I really like to get perfect arrow flight with my broadheads and constantly analyze flight.  I will order some doug fir to add to my POC.  Thanks for all your input.