Bamboo Arrows

[Pine]

So my brother-in-law brought me some bamboo that he grew in his garden.
He shoots trad too and asked me to make some bamboo arrows.
So I had seen where you want about 3/8" diameter for the arrows, so I cut a few and got started.
Sanded down the lumps at each section and with a torch, I heated and bent as straight as my eye ball could see.
Filled the ends so I could taper for points and cut self nocks.
Then using a dab of pine pitch glue to start the feathers, I took some artificial sinew and separated small diameter strands and carefully wrapped around the feathers to the end finishing off with like serving a string.
KO, they look cool and that's all I was after.
Then my brother-in-law asked me to shoot them. What a surprise, they shot great.
But the biggest surprise was, they shot good out of a 45#, 36#and a 50# bow. ???
I'm seriously thinking of making myself some to deer hunt with.
Probably some of you already know how good bamboo shoots but I was stunned.
They are not even very straight, they look like a stretched out bunch of Zs.
I have heard they are called natures carbon but WOW!

[Roy from Pa]

I've made a bunch of them over the years and they fly as well as carbons.

[Pat B]

Cane arrows are like primitive carbons. Their natural taper and quick recovery make allow them to handle multiple draw weights.
 You don't have to sand the nodes flat but some folks do. I heat and compress the nodes by rolling them between a hardwood block and a flat surface once heated then remove the thin corky protrusion around the node. Also you don't have to fill the center hole if you use a sander type tapering. I haft stone and trade points and use commercial glue on points and use self nocks but I do add a sinew wrap at each. Thin, strong thread like silk set in glue also works.
 As far as straightness as long as the point and nock line up and the arrow spins true it will shoot as well as any arrow. I spin the broadhead point on the tip of my finger to be sure they spin true. You can feel any wobble through your finger. Cane is excellent arrow shafting. A little more work than traditional wood arrows but IMO very much worth it.

[KentuckyWolf]

Very nicely done. One of these days when I have more time....making boo/cane arrows from scratch is on the list of things to do.

[BuckeyeGuy]

Roy are my eyes deceiving me or are those inserts in your top set of bamboo with field points?  3rd photo from top.

[Pat B]

Looks like self nocks with a thread wrap.

[Roy from Pa]

Mike, you are not the first to ask that question:)

Not inserts, I have a buffing wheel and I buff the back end of the field point to round over the sharp edge.

Makes it easier pulling the arrow out of targets.

[BuckeyeGuy]

Smart Roy! 

[wayne rollinson]

I really like those, they look really nice, thanks for sharing,wayne

[Roy from Pa]

[Sam McMichael]

I have made a few cane arrows, and it was a lot of fun. However, I have not found them to be as forgiving in spine as others have described. I do have some that shoot very well off one of my all wood bows, though. They have stone points, so I am hoping for something special this year. I took them to the woods a few times before but have not yet gotten a shot. Mine don't look as pretty as the ones pictured here.

[Pat B]

Eastern Woodland Style 2 fletch on a hill cane arrow with stone point. Point hafted with pitch glue and sinew wrapped, self nock and fletching sinew wrapped. Sinew wraps sealed with pitch varnish.