Carbon or Aluminum

[SuperK]

Some very good points made (pro and cons) of each material.  For ME, aluminum is my choice.  Some of my reasons are:
 #1. I have the simple tools needed to work on them (tube cutter, small butane torch, hot melt,etc.)
 #2 Consistency.  I recently checked the spine on several 2016 shafts man. over a span of 40 years.  They all spined exactly the same; all around the shaft.
#3.  Tunability.  Very predictable when tuning.  Easy for me to dial them in. 
#4.  Good weight.  No problems for me to get to the weight I want. 
#5.  Cost.  I can buy new 2016 shafts for less than wood.  That offsets the fact that I will bend some while stumping.
#6.  Penetration.  I have discovered this year that I got better penetration with aluminum arrows over my wood arrows, even though they match in weight and tuned to my bow. 
I, like Roger and others, have used just about every kind of arrow material that has been around since the late '60s and I keep coming back to aluminum.

[Petrichor]

I dont mind aluminum and carbons. But they dont shoot quite like a wood arrow. Spruce are so durable that I have still have arrows I made 3 years ago and have survived thousands of shots for less than 4 bucks a finished arrow. Hit an arrow with another arrow causing a 6 inch crack down the shaft the other day. I simply glued and clamped it back together.

[Babbling Bob]

Don't have any prefernce and all shafts have their place around my house.

Only used carbons for about eight years now, but like how they last after errant shots and how light the shaft is for some low draw weight bows I have on my rack.  Have a bunch of inexpensive Predator II's with 3.5-inch feathers and the leading edge of those feathers are twine wrapped. They fly great with some good weight up front with all my mid 40lb'er bows.  After I tried Axis Trad 600's with those bows,  liked them even better with the smooth outside finish.  Use brass inserts with them and they shoot fantastic. Always keep at least a half dozen shafts for fletching in addition to 15 to 18 othes ready to go. Use Onestringer fancy wraps with them and as I have always done the past 50 years, fletch with two reds and a yellow for good luck.  Same colors my instructor had fletched when he gave my my first aluminums at a regional field archery event in '62.

However, I too will be buying some aluminums for my favorite bow I will be shooting at 3-D and other archery events.  A 1962 38lb Brazilian rosewood recurve, think some good ole 1714 X-7's shot off a feather rest will bring up my enjoyment of that bow just up one more notch.  Got plenty of hunting bows so need some good aluminums for my favorite everyday bow. Might make some woodies too later this year if I need them.   To me, they've always been work horse hunting arrows, which I used to solid dip and go small game hunting with.  Not into woodie art, but really enjoy looking at the arrow art work of others.

[tradarcher816]

prefer carbon myself, always had good luck with Easton axis, but cost may be pushing me to a couple other makes.

[Tradcat]

I like the durability of carbon but based on my own experiences, believe that aluminum is definitely more consistent in shaft weight and spine. Right now I’m shooting carbon but may go back and try aluminums. 2018’s are my all time favorite

[Holm-Made]

I can get a 2016 or 2018 aluminum cut to 29” with a 200 grain point to fly great out of every bow I own so that is what I use more often then not.  550-590 grains is about perfect for me. 

For wood, a 60-65 spine cut to 29” with a 160 grain point will do the same for me as a 2016.  Weighs about the same and flys about the same.

It seems with carbon I have to fiddle fart around a lot more.  Different set of arrows for each bow type of thing. 

[wapitishooter]

Ive shot all of them over the years. I like wood but just because of the nostalgia, I found them way to fragile for me. Aluminum shoots nice but tend to bend and yes you can restraighten but with carbon they are either straight or broke.I personaly have never had any issue with carbon tuning them or anything else, they are the toughest arrow material period. I still have some that I shoot from the early 2000s. Now you can shoot whatever you like but I don't know how you can deny that carbons are better material.

[9 Shocks]

I want to like aluminum and have tried it and killed deer with it but I come back to carbons.  I do like the specific spines deflections that aluminums come in and the simplicity of it but I also like shooting a high FOC arrow through game as well.

[Wudstix]

My limited experience with comparing aluminum and carbons has shown that with grain weight fairly close the carbons will group a tad better at a little longer distance. (5-7 yards)  This might be due to less "flex" out of the bow.
                      

[JDunlap]

I like woodies because they seem so much quieter..if I could get them tuned as easy as aluminum that's all I'd shoot; aluminums are easy to work with and seem easier to get perfect flight...; and yes carbons are tougher -- although I've broken more than my share! This year I used 2213's, 29.5" long, with 175gns up front--they really fly well out of my ilf rig.

[Overspined]

Wood or aluminum are my favorite. Carbons I REALLY REALLY want to like but struggle to find some that always do what they’re supposed to. Tons of fiddling around. I think a center or past center cut bow make that a whole lot easier for carbons. I have some victory Trad carbons that spine a lot softer than most and have had some more luck with them..still not as easy and true consistently like alum or wood

[Wudstix]

Add to that limited experimentation Woodies in the mix.  All arrows weighing about the same within 10-15 grains.  20-25 yards all the arrows shot in a clump.  25-30 yards Woodies started to scatter slighting, Aluminum and carbon still clumped.  30-40 yards Woodies are a bit low, aluminums are scattered a bit.  At 40+ the carbons were still pretty tight, aluminum was still within @6" group, Woodies still within 8-10" grouping.  Arrows were shoot at random not in material type groups.  Aluminum arrows where all 2215's.  Carbons Beman 400 ICS.
                      

[GCook]

I shoot carbon.  I shot aluminum for the first 15 years of my archery adventure.   When I bought my first Mathews I asked for a dozen arrows to go with it and they were carbons.  So when I took to single string that is the way I went. 
I agree a past center shelf cut makes shooting a stiffer arrow and tuning easier.
If I were still shooting with a compound and shooting tournament trails I'd probably go with aluminum as when they are right they are dead on consistent. 
Shooting barebow single string I'm not accurate enough to be able to tell if that variance at twenty yards is the equipment or me.
Most of the time I'd say it's me.

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