I broke 10 arrows today!

[EASTERNARCHER]

Story goes like this.....
I've built a few longbows as gifts and yes sold the odd one.
These are all wood composite bows, and in the process of building, I need to shoot the bow some to break it in and make sure the tiller doesn't shift on me....
I've been using a doz. weighted Beman Hunters that I've had for quite awhile, maybe 6-7 years for sure.       I use a bag target with shrink wrap inside btw.
Well after that and before shooting another arrow I figured I better examine these carbons more closely.  
To my surprise-shock-relief etc...out of 12 arrows, I broke the first 9 just by flexing them for cracks..not all broke the same way either.. Some broke at the point, others at a point just forward of the fletchings...Had one explode in 3 sections in my hands.      
Did I flex them too hard? I don't think so. Didn't seem to take that much force to break 'em. Anyhow, I hunted down the remaining shafts that I had from this batch and purposely broke those ones as well if there was any signs of scuffs or scratches from use...

I'm wondering if this was caused by age and just being overstressed with so much shooting? Is that possible?  I'm sure that they got banged around with other arrows at the target, so maybe a few hidden war-wounds there.
Gotta say I loved those Beman shafts, but I ain't taking any chances with exploding arrows. I need both hands-arms to work.
Thoughts?  And the hunt begins for another doz. shafts!
P.S. Always flex-check those carbon shafts!

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

Wow that's crazy.  Glad you figured it out and weren't hurt.

[Hud]

Your are very fortunate, graphite shafts can cause serious injury.            :eek:

[JamesV]

Man, that is dissapointing, I thought I had finally found someone that shot worse than me. Breaking 10 arrows on a 25 animal 3d course would be some kind of record.

[Michael Pfander]

James:  You should come down our way and shoot the Rumble in the Rocks.  There have been a few folks who could not complete the course because of broken arrows.
MAP

[CKeth]

You're probably lucky you don't have arrow shards through your left hand.

[Pete McMiller]

Wow, you're lucky you found them when you did.  They are impressive when they go.  I shot those same shafts in either 70/90 or 80/100 for years out of a wheel bow and very rarely broke an arrow.  In fact, other than animals the only way I broke them was to hit something a glancing blow.  Even straight into a steel support didn't break one.  When I got back into trad I used those shafts for the first years and shot thousands of shots.

I can't imagine what could have happened to all those arrows.  I'll check my remaining arrows today and see if any show signs of age cracking or anything else.

[jmrsyrs]

Interesting and a good reminder to flex your carbons regularly.

[Chad Orde]

I used to shoot the full metal jackets maybe I'll switch back. That's one thing that always freaked me out about wood too.

[EASTERNARCHER]

I'm thinking I'm gonna shoot bamboo shafting now..
got a doz. here thatnever got fletched up....
I still have some MFX shafts and arrows that I really like too.

Not saying these werenot good arrows at all....I really liked them, but I guess their time had come to be replaced.

Wood arrows just bother me some.  I get this mental image of one breaking and going thru my hand! Just makes me very nervous.
A personal thing I guess.

[dnovo]

Wood is easier to tell if it has a crack or splinter. I will say that after shooting wood for 35 years straight now that I have never seen one break coming out of the bow among myself and all my friends. I understand that concern but never have worried about it myself.

I have only seen once in over 55 years of shooting wood arrows, one break coming out of the bow. A 5 year old tapered cedar that had taken a hit in a bag target. My wife shot it without checking for damage. It really sounds to me like you may have a target problem. Wood arrows should work great out of the bows you build, just get a target that sticks them straight. That reminds me, I was going to try to get some excelsior bales this year.

[Bjorn]

I was a little confused, perhaps others could be too...............easternarcher is shooting and breaking carbon arrows-not wood.

[EASTERNARCHER]

yup...Beman carbon ICS Hunters.
Keep in mind they are used ALOT and are at least 6-7 years old now maybe older.
Pavan, do you mean that the shrink-wrap bag targets maybe be part of the problem?  I used these from 3D targets to compressed fibreboard range targets to my bags in the backyard.
Yes, mane they don't always stick straight but I didn't think that would cause trouble.
hmmmm.

[Cherokee Scout]

Are you shooting into a bag target? If sop, you may be striking one shaft, hanging in a bag target, with another. Carbons are very strong except for side impacts. Bag targets often let a shaft hand down partially blocking the target, easily hit by another arrow.

[Bud B.]

Originally posted by EASTERNARCHER:
yup...Beman carbon ICS Hunters.
Keep in mind they are used ALOT and are at least 6-7 years old now maybe older.
Pavan, do you mean that the shrink-wrap bag targets maybe be part of the problem?  I used these from 3D targets to compressed fibreboard range targets to my bags in the backyard.
Yes, mane they don't always stick straight but I didn't think that would cause trouble.
hmmmm.

If one arrows goes in slightly off and the second and successive arrows strike the arrow shaft it can and will eventually weaken the shafts themselves. Over time the constant slapping and striking will compromise each other until breakage occurs, unless you cath them first.

It happens when several side by side by side shooters are shooting at one bale at the same time too. Differing angles can be hazardous.

[EASTERNARCHER]

Originally posted by Cherokee Scout:
Are you shooting into a bag target? If sop, you may be striking one shaft, hanging in a bag target, with another. Carbons are very strong except for side impacts. Bag targets often let a shaft hand down partially blocking the target, easily hit by another arrow.

well yes, sometimes they do hang abit...but some of these arrows were breaking all over the place. actually two broke just in front of the fletching.