alumimum vs carbon

[bayhunter]

can someone please explain the advantages and disadvantages of each, i dont want to know which ones better i just want to know how their different. Thanks in advance

[Recurve50 LBS]

Carbons are in my experiance and I think most may agree with me are alot more durable than aluminum and wood arrows. Carbons are also cost more than aluminum arrows. I have shot all 3 types of arrows over the years and my favorite arrows to shoot are wood, then carbon and last aluminum. That being said it also depends on what I'm shooting at. I've been using wood arrows for deer hunting the past several seasons. But for small game,ie "tree rats" and rabbits I prefer carbons because they are more durable.

[chris fleming]

To me, aluminum is easier to tune. Mainly because aluminum is offered in a variety of spines. Carbon is tougher and experienced shooters say they are just as easy to tune.  I still prefer aluminum, because I have more experience with it.

[JimB]

Easton aluminums are extremely well made and consistent shafts.Price isn't bad but there will be some loss due to bent shafts.

Carbons,I'm told,vary in spine consistency depending on brand and also strength.I don't have a spine tester but several brands of carbon have shot well for me.Footed front and back with a small piece of aluminum shaft or carbon collars,they can be nearly indestructible,making them very economical,despite the initial cost.

Get GT blems from Big Jim,and your carbons won't cost more than aluminums.

[Shakes.602]

Use Wood for the  Real  Arrow Material!!    Never did trust Carbons, and Cried everytime I trashed an Aluminum!! Call Me Frugal, and a "Much Rather do it Myself-er".     Just My Opinion Of Course. If I hadda Choose - Aluminums would be My Choice.  

[Mitch-In-NJ]

I use aluminum because they are cheap, consistent and easy.

As for durability, I tend to lose 'em before I break 'em.

Wood is, from my experience, quieter but it also involves more work... finishing them, spining and tuning them, etc.  But I do like them and one day I will likely make the switch.

Carbon is expensive, harder to work with and does occasionally blow up.  The shafts are very consistent though but they are also light which often means more weight needs to be added.

Just my observations.

[TxAg]

I started with aluminum. Don't like them AT ALL. Might just be my bad shooting though. I bent more than I care to remember.

I've got carbon figured out and love 'em. I stump shoot just about any tree, rock, bush, etc. and not worry about messing them up. You do have to check them, though,...the "blowing up" is a legit concern.

[Rob W.]

I think carbon is quieter and more durable than aluminum by far. The sizes of components that go into carbons are more interchangable also.

My stump shooting and squirrel hunting got less expensive when I switched.


Rob

[wtpops]

I would love to shoot wood but my anal little brain won’t let me but there is a lot to be said about building one from scratch and taking game with it. I’ve tried a lot of carbons in the past and to inconsistent for me, spine and weight from arrow to arrow and batch to batch but I have heard they are getting better at that, they are the most durable but when I did lose one or mushroom the end of one it would make me cringe because of cost. Aluminum IMO are the most contestant and easy to build and have been my go to material for years.

With all that said I just started using carbon again and found them to be a lot better in the regards to what I stated above. Once you learn the ins and outs of tuning them it’s not hard just different. I started footing them and center punched a steal fence post and no damage to the arrow at all. If I can keep from losing them I may have found a new go to arrow.

[Jake Diebolt]

Aluminum also tends to be heavier than carbon. That's good for hunting arrows.

[Lincoln Ribeiro]

I like Easton aluminum, cause it's heavier, cheaper, easier to cut, setup, and tune than carbon. I think trad bows need heavier arrows, like aluminum or wood.

[Bow Bum]

Aluminum. To me, its easier to cut and manipulate than carbon. Its heavier than carbon, its cheaper than carbon, its nearly as tough as carbon for the money.

Now wood has me intrigued, but I'm pretty pressed for time to make wood arrows for this season anyway.

B

[BigJim]

Aluminum is the best material I have found to hold my beer. A garbage can full of glass bottles is too heavy for the plastic bag and a pain to carry to the dumpster. On top of that, you can recycle aluminum.

All joking aside, I believe that the aluminums are a dying comodity. Yes they are consistent, but have no nastalgic value. Carbons are far more consistant than the shooter could ever be and they can be made to be as heavy as you could ever imagine. I personally shoot a 800 g carbon. You can't look at them with the same eye as you do with the wood and aluminum. The carbons get most of there weight up front and this also makes them fly a lot better than distributing the weight througout the entire shaft. The other arrows carry there weight from end to end with a minimal amount of extra weith in ther front.

Wood arrows will always be available due to there nastalgic value and have a great feel to them when shot, but they are certainly not consistent or as durable.
BigJim

[bolong]

I have used all three and mostly use wood and aluninum now. I've got a lot of old easton xx75's that I bought in the 70's and still shooting them. They are tough and I straighten the ones that can be straightened and use them for squirrel and armadillo arrows. Footed carbons are extremely tough also. I love wood though for deer and hogs.

[kibok&ko]

i love 20/18 and 20/20 but for durability and silence i mostly shoot on carbon now ...

[bayhunter]

Originally posted by BigJim:
Aluminum is the best material I have found to hold my beer. A garbage can full of glass bottles is too heavy for the plastic bag and a pain to carry to the dumpster. On top of that, you can recycle aluminum.

All joking aside, I believe that the aluminums are a dying comodity. Yes they are consistent, but have no nastalgic value. Carbons are far more consistant than the shooter could ever be and they can be made to be as heavy as you could ever imagine. I personally shoot a 800 g carbon. You can't look at them with the same eye as you do with the wood and aluminum. The carbons get most of there weight up front and this also makes them fly a lot better than distributing the weight througout the entire shaft. The other arrows carry there weight from end to end with a minimal amount of extra weith in ther front.

Wood arrows will always be available due to there nastalgic value and have a great feel to them when shot, but they are certainly not consistent or as durable.
BigJim

[bayhunter]

thanks for a great answer bigjim!

[Bow Bum]

I never understood how carbons are more consistent than aluminum?

Straightness and weight wise, they spec out as more consistent when comparing the tolerance.

I agree the aluminum arrow is a dying commodity, which is not favorable for me anyway.

Regards,

B

[JimB]

I hit rocks with these yesterday.The grizzly is bent so bad it probably isn't worth saving.the Judo is bent but salvageable.Both arrows are good.Ironically,the 1" aluminum footing saved both arrows.I've been shooting carbons set up this way for three years and they are the toughest arrows I've ever used.