Breaking a lot of arrows

[buckyllama]

I am new to this whole trad thing and so far I'm really liking it, but one thing is driving me mad.  I am breaking arrows like crazy.
 
I am shooting well tuned ICS bowhunter 500s into reasonably soft backstops and targets and still have broken half a dozen in a month.  I just can't afford this hobby at this rate.  It's causing enough target panic that I am actually getting worse each time I shoot.  

I figure my options are footing the carbons and hoping for the best, or making my own woodies cheaply and just not worrying about it.

What would you do?

[dave19113]

What is the weight of your bow?.... What field point weight do you have? Where are the arrows breaking?

[bentpole]

Because your Missing? If you buy a dozen arrows use 2 maybe 3 just for target shooting.Until all your muscles know what they are supposed to be doing. Save 6 with broadheads JUST for hunting. Now concentrate on those 2 or 3 target arrows. Put a dot or something to shoot at at that target. Lock your eyes on the spot. Draw,[make sure same length everytime!] consistant anchor, quick clean release,watch the arrow hit the spot[very important] "follow threw". If you shoot Carbons buy Gold Tip Blems you'll save some money. I could never tell the differance. By the way what length arrows  and draw weight are you shooting?

[LookMomNoSights]

:rolleyes:  Ok Im interested.....but you have to understand this sounds like something from out of the twilight zone!?  Those shafts arent the greatest,  but not half bad either....and unless your soft target is 2 inches thick with a brick wall behind it,   you should not be breaking shafts.   So please....be more descriptive and give us some more info.  Better describe the target you shoot at.    What are you shooing for a bow and what are its specs?  
Are your arrows passing through the target?  Where are the arrows breaking (what part?)  Your carbons should be tuff and take more of a beating than any other shafting.....thats my experience,  and I shoot carbon AND wood.

[Jasper2]

Where exactly are they breaking? I don't know about the durability of the ICS bowhunters but if you're interested in switching arrows, I can tell you that Carbon Express arrows are some of the toughest arrows that I've ever used.  I've shot them at nearly 300 fps(with my cheater bow :-)into plywood, concrete, gravel and even metal and they've come out with no damage more often than not.  

Jasper2

[jhg]

Granted these are 400 and 340 spine but I think its relative considering the bows weight (power).

The only time I have broken an ICS bowhunter is when it glances off something and then meets something else across its shaft someplace.
 It breaks at that spot. Only one other ICS has broken on me when I shot a piece of angle iron at 15 yards with my 60# HP longbow. Even with a footing, which was blown off the end by the expansive forces, it drove the insert into the shaft, splintering it at the end and bending the brass insert for good measure.

You must add footings to your carbons though to make them hardy.

[buckyllama]

50lb Samick Sage drawn to just a hair over 27"  Arrows have a 50gr insert with 125gr tips. Total length is 28.25" (IIRC, I don't have a ruler handy) Tuning seems good as bareshafts and fletched group together out to any distance I am willing to shoot.  My aim still leaves something to be desired, but the groups are decent.  

The first arrow break was legit.  Sideways (early bow tuning) into a wooden post... oops.  

2 were low shots into the ground.  Soft ground with grass.  Might have hit a stick, no rocks in the yard to speak of. Both mid shaft breaks, probably front third, but not the tip.  

2 were pass throughs the backstop (4 layers of carpet) and hitting the wall behind. One splintered the nock oddly enough. Point wasn't even marked from hitting concrete so the backstop slowed it down most of the way.  The other hit a wood fence at an angle.  Again not much energy left as the fence was only lightly scratched but it broke mid shaft.  

1 was a shot into the target (bag target) nock end cracked and nock went flying.  It was in the middle of an uncharacteristically tight group (4 arrows within a 1" circle) and I can only guess it slapped one of the other arrows.  

The thing is I've done much nastier things to similar arrows out of my wheelie bow and rarely broken them.

[metsastaja]

Very strange. Wonder if you got a bad batch or arrows. I have done much worse with my CX arrows and never experienced what you are.

 Nock problems yes. I throw away all the nocks that come with CX shafts and use "Signature Nocks".  The Cx nocks had a tendency to pop out or crack. I have found the signature nocks take a lot more abuse.

[Bill Carlsen]

I've broken shafts on soft bag targets, especially if they are hanging loose. I don't think the problem is the arrows...I think you need a good target that is held solidly in place so the arrows don't whip when they hit.  Footing helps a great deal but it sounds like your breakage is not related to stump shooting or the like.

[stujay]

Does seem puzzling. I have to believe you are hitting something hard. I use ICS hunters 500's and the only arrow breakage I've had is rare even when hitting plywood. The arrow have to be hitting something that isn't giving. I think you can see from the posts it's not normal. I get hundreds of shots from arrows some of which I've used for years. Continue looking and see if there isn't something that your hitting that doesn't give. Hint, if the arrow also spits the nock out indeed your hitting something too hard.

[TDHunter]

My first couple doz carbons were ics 400's it took me about 10 years to kill those arrows. Either bad batch of arrows or just bad luck!!!

[Hit-or-Miss]

The only 2 carbons I ever broke, were ones that hit a deer and a hog, and I didn't mind! Now wood and alum., and me,... well, lets not go there...LOL!

[fivebears]

I miss alot and have done a lot worse than what you dicribe and not broke my carbons.I have only had one "break",that was the next shot after hitting a 4x4 post.Always bend or flex your arrow after hitting something hard and listen for cracking,an arrow blowing up on the shot is no fun.I destroy most of my arrows by driving the insert up into the shaft or the nock end splitting.I would try different arrows if I were you.Good luck,Ken

[J.Williams]

buckyllama,I got my son a couple dozen of those same shafts a few moths ago and experienced the same thing...couldn't believe how easily they would break.Got him some CX Heritage 90's and the problem was solved.I've been shooting the 150's myself for years and have really been impressed with the durability of the Heritage.Sounds like you are right on the fence between the 90 and 150 depending on how much weight you want up front,length of arrow you'll accept etc. but you might want to give them a try.

[Shawn Leonard]

First I believe you are quite stiff with those shafts, second you should foot them with 1 to 1.25" footing. You should be shooting more point weight, at least 275 grains of point weight. I have shot that same bow and drawn to 29"s and 52#s I needed a 30" .500 spine and 225 grains up front. I dare say you need to go to a 29" arrow bop and as much as 275 grains of point weight  or a tad more. The loose layer target is not helping either. You could get away with .600 spine and 28.25" arrow bop with 175-190 grains up front! Shawn

[Shawn Leonard]

I have the bowhunters and have had good luck with them and footings! I love the 150s but you would need a ton of weight up front and the 90s take different components, which sucks! Shawn

[LeeBishop]

buy wooden arrows. im surprised at how resilient they are.

[buckyllama]

Thanks for all the replies. Seems the consensus is, no this isn't normal, which is good to hear.

I went ahead and put some footings and nock collars on the remaining 1/2 dozen arrows I have.  I shot some this evening and they shot well.

For now I have to assume that I just got unlucky and hit sticks/other arrows/rocks/hard stuff in non-obvious ways.  Time will tell.

As far as the weight of these I have to say I was expecting to need a bit more weight upfront, but they paper and bare shaft tuned perfectly with what I have so I'm not gonna argue   .  

I may still make up some woodies at some point over the winter when cold and darkness make going out to shoot a bit less attractive.