Carbon or Aluminum arrows

[Kinsleyc]

I just bought my first traditional archery bow. I purchased a Hummingbird Kingfisher 60" 48# 27" with a bocote riser. My draw is 28" so i will be pulling 51# I think. My question is what would be the best arrows for me to start with. Brand, tip weight, shaft stifness, type feathers, etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[maxwell]

I'll start -  I would use Alum.  2018's with 145 or 175 grain tips cut the arrows at 28.5-29".  Alum. are easier to tune for me.
Arrows would weigh some where in the 510-525 grains.

[str8jct]

for my money, carbon, no bending or warping.  I'd go with a 500 Beman ICS Hunter, my fav for the $ spent.  3 four inch feathers w/125 gr points.  Depending on what you'll be hunting and how heavy you want your arrows, you might go with 400s. and add weight up front.  whatever you decide, any suggestion you are given will only be a starting point.  Each bow is diff. and will depend on how they shoot out of your bow.

[Schafer]

Gold Tip blems from Big Jim Bowhunting Co. has them for 42$. 3555 should work.

[LimbLover]

I second the 2018s.

When you start having fun, you are going to bust arrows or lose them on occasion.

You will feel less bad about losing a $5.00 2018 then a $9.00 Carbon.

Blems are okay but I started with GT 3555 and broke 3 right away on 3D stakes and what not. They are brittle and not as tough as the Carbon Express or Beman ICS in my opinion.

I do like to shoot a Carbon arrows. My dad prefers them too and he just got started. The 2018 has the 5/16" shaft diameter so it still has that feel.

Those arrows are tanks.

Ultimately, yes aluminums bend, but you are just as likely to shatter a carbon on a shot that will bend an aluminum. I've shattered just as many Carbons as I have bent aluminums in my newbness.

[rraming]

When starting I would by inexspensive aluminum - low end easton stuff - 2018 with 125 up front should work. Carbons are great BUT, tubes, inserts etc and tuning to a new archer is no easy task and when your draw increases your done with those. Shoot for a while and then get something good - you'll know what you want later - go shoot and have some fun!

[Kinsleyc]

Sounds like Easton 2018's to start with! Thanks for the suggestions.

[BigJim]

I shot aluminum arrows for 20+ years when I shot compounds. I was so excited that they finaly came out with a descent alternative.
A good carbon arrow is so much stronger than aluminum it is silly. Not only that, if its not broke, its straight. Unfortunatley, I have driven carbons into trees, stumps, steel sawblades, dimondtread plates and yeah I have broke a few, very few, but I have never bent one.
Sunday, I hit the edge of a hole on a steel iron man target. I bent the 300 grain point to where I had a hard time getting it out of the insert and didn't damage the shaft at all!!
Go to any shoot, and you'll find that aluminum components are scarce. Wood is still common becuase of the traditional nature, but carbons are everywhere. We can't all be wrong.

BigJim

[mrpenguin]

Carbon all the way.  Easier to tune, more forgiving, and better penetrating if you use microdiamter axis or mfx arrows.  Its all I will shoot!

[Lost Creek Bows]

I like carbon's myself, heritage express 150's, you will love them. No such thing as shooting a bent arrow anymore. Just my thoughts do what you're most comfortable with. Chad

[BigJim]

Kinsleyc- Depending on how much weight you want to shoot up front, you can get by with either a 3555 or a 5575. That is .500 spine or .400 spine. If you would like to shoot a descent (heaivier) weight which not only works great for hunting, but works fine on targets too. I would suggest the heavier spine (.400) with a  200 g point or a 50g insert and a 145g point. With a 30" arrow, that should give you about a 520g overall arrow weight. That will make your bow super smooth and quiet and also penetrat deep into just about any critter. Cx 150's will also work well. All you should have to do to make them fly perfect is adjust shaft length and or tip weight.
BigJim

[George D. Stout]

Carbons are not easier to tune, are not more forgiving...whatever that means.  And the jury is still out on better penetration.  Aluminum is more concentric, and spines the same around the shaft.  Try spining some of those carbons around the circumference of the shaft and see what happens.  They are great arrows, but they have a long way to go yet.  

Both are good choices, but the aluminum has more spine choices, and historically is easier to setup due to the size variations and ability to choose several sizes that will work well...over a history of sixty or more years.  And you don't have to load up a huge front of center.  And best yet, they are cheaper to start with.  

By the way, I'm still shooting a dozen Legacy 2016 that I bought three months ago, and I stump shoot a lot.  They are not as fragile as some folks would want you to believe either.

[hardtimes]

I would use the 2018's. I have used the same dozen arrows for years. Just throw on some new fletching and you are good to go. I have killed 3 deer and 2 squrriels with the same shaft from my Browning Explorer. Trashed two Bear Razor heads in the process but the shatf is fine. I am currently shooting 2018's from my longbow and 2117's from my recurves.

[Mike Byrge]

I'm partial to aluminum shafts myself pretty much for the reasons that George listed.

I also like the fact that I can cut them easily and not worry about the "carbon dust".

Either carbon or alum. will work fine though so don't spend too much time fretting over it.

I will suggest that you try a 2016 in addition to a 2018.  At your stated draw length and weight you are kind of on the edge.  Another shaft to consider is a 2114...probably my favorite alum shaft in 45-50# bows.

[RC]

I recently started shooting carbons. They shoot good but I can`t say I like them better than my 2018`s. I have broke three already stump shooting. Like George said ,I can shoot a stumping 2018 for a long time and usually wear the feathers out and replace them and go some more.We`ll see how the carbon does on critters in a week or so.RC

[J. Cook]

I have both as certain bows of mine are set up for one or the other.  I must say aluminums are all around tougher in my opinion.  Don't get me wrong, I like and will continue to use the carbons.  I like the size of them (diameter) and they are tough, but they are pittiful for stumping unless you foot them with an aluminum tip (so why not just start with an aluminum arrow).  The other plus for aluminums...is they can be straightened...carbons break - final.  

But I like them both and will continue to use both.  I'm sure that didn't help at all.  Hahaha