Wood vs. other materials. Accuracy.

[yankeevol]

It would be nice if someone would design an "Ashby-like" controlled experiment to see if we could develop a better understanding of this issue. We all have anecdotal evidence from which we develop our opinions - me included. (I just switched from wood to carbon and "feel" that my accuracy improved.)

There are just too many variables to make blanket statements:

Quality of the shafts
Tuning issues
Form, etc.

[gringol]

I think yankee summed it up well.  I theory carbon is more consistent than wood, but how many of us have consistent enough form to tell the difference?  Some might be able to tell, but I bet the vast majority can't.  

The AVERAGE carbon shaft is straighter than the AVERAGE wood shaft, causing a lot of people to believe that carbon is more accurate.  However, given equal straightness, I doubt there is any difference.  A good set of woodies or carbons are as accurate as I am.

[snag]

I guess what I see is that you can't buy your way into shooting a lot better by going with one shaft type or another. Yes, carbon and aluminums are consistantly straighter, no doubt about it. But can most guys see a big difference in performance...?  It's like golfers who go out and buy the latest and greatest driver. Will they perform better...NO. They think they can buy a better swing. It's more beneficial to have them work on the swing than just change clubs. Now if it is a professional golfer, then yes they can tweek that driver and benefit from it. But you and I should work on the swing...or shooting form. It's like a guy once told me "this bow will shoot a lot better than I will ever be able to".

But no matter your choice it's just nice to live in America where we do have the freedom to choose.

[eflanders]

There is likely someone here that can prove that one shoots more accurately than another but in my humble opinion, it is all in what you believe is more accurate for you.  Shooting is very much a mental thing and you will shoot what you believe to be the best the very best you can.

[gringol]

Amen, Snag.

[Bjorn]

It likely depends on how patient you are and your skills at making wood arrows and how much you keep after them. I only shoot wood and my arrows are way accurate enough for me. It also depends on your definition of accuracy, target archery is way different from double lung at 15-20.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by JamesKerr:
A quality set of wooden arrows will shoot every bit as good as carbon or alluminum.

That is 100% correct.

[RC]

They all shoot the same to me but wood is far more quieter to me.RC

[Orion]

I never stopped using wood.  Been working well for me for more than 50 years.  Of course, it's important to have well made, well matched wood.  That's why I hand select the shafts and make my own arrows. Also agree with RC, wood is quieter.  Can't beat it for looks either.

[Widow's Son]

I read somewhere that carbon arrows recover from paradox quicker than wood and I believe they are more consistent than wood. I shoot Bemans out of my BW and wood out of everything else. A vintage Bear recurve or a longbow just begs to be shoot with wood arrows. I like both so please don't ask me to choose, however if I did the choice would be wood.

Ross

[Capt]

I love woodies they seem to be quieter and easier to tune with my shooting style.  I don't notice much difference in accuracy but than again I am not what you want to call Hill like.

[ron w]

I guess when I read stories by Fred Asbell, T.J. Conrads and a host of others who have been around for a long time, and very successful and they still shoot wood!!! I guess wood is good enough for an old hunter like me who still tries to have a good season and always seems to come up short!  

[Mike Vines]

In my 20's, all the "traditional" shoots pretty much required wood arrows.  Well, being bull headed, I told myself "ain't nobody going to tell me what type of arrow material I have to shoot", and just stayed away from the shoots I would grow to love.  (I shot carbons at the time) I carried on hunting with good success on deer and small game, but always knew something was missing.  

  Fast forward 10-15 years, every shoot I attend is any arrow material, and the funny part is all I make/shoot now are woods.  Many small game and fowl have fallen to my wood arrows, I gave up big game hunting for 5 years for personal reasons, and I'm still on that elusive hunt for my first big game with woods.  (I have done the barnyard hunts, but I cannot consider that hunting, more so would consider them shopping).

I have decided this year is my year to check that one of the list.  My new Rancho Safari ghillie came today and now it's time to "season" it.  Stay tuned...I think this is going to be a fun ride.

[PaddyMac]

Originally posted by RC:
They all shoot the same to me but wood is far more quieter to me.RC

This makes a lot of sense to me and is the main reason I want to try wood. I left my consistency freak back with my wheel bow days.

As I tend to think noise is a tuning issue, I wonder if different types of bows like wood better or carbon better.

[overbo]

If one puts a large enough fletching on any arro it'll shoot accurately.
If you really want to see if your wood arros are as accurate as your carbon?Then strip the fletchings off both and see how accurate you are w/ bareshafts.

[Terry Lightle]

Do they make arrows out of something other than wood?

[DesertDude]

I just love everything about wood arrows, maybe I put more effort when I shoot them because they are part of me. I get great pleasure making and shooting them.  I'm going out to shoot some now.....

[ron w]

Originally posted by okla bearclaw:
Do they make arrows out of something other than wood?

       There ya have it!!

[TSP]

I really like wood arrows, and aluminums are ok too.  Though I do use them on occassion I'm certainly not a fan of carbons, mostly because of their 'poor fit'.  I simply don't consider them traditional in the way that the word means anything to me.  

That said, it is my firm conviction that carbons outperform wood, all else being equal, when the objective is consistent accuracy at longer ranges.  That's what they were manufactured to do, and they're very good at it.  There, I said it.  And I believe it.  Despite zero fondness for plastic shafts I'll be honest about what they can do when the task is to repeatedly hit small marks at long ranges. They are better than wood arrows for that.  But there's an irony in every point of comparison, and in this one it's that if an archer who likes the idea of traditional, chooses to never shoot a wood arrow and considers them inferior, then they will never know the difference between 'real' traditional and what today's consumer markets have caused it to become.  Without feeling any connection with anyone who embraces that difference with a cold heart, I still can't help but feel sorry for them.