Woodies vs Modern Arrows -- Your pick & why

[SuperK]

I have shot wood, fiberglass, aluminum and carbon.  Fiberglass was heavy but not very durable.  Aluminum is very consistent, easy to tune and easy to work with at home.  Lighter weight aluminum arrows bend way too easy.  Carbon is tuff, straight and a pain in the butt to tune (for me anyway).   You also have to have a special saw to cut them or make many trips to the archery shop.  They are normally lighter than I like.  Wood is not as straight, not as consistent and takes a lot of time to craft a good arrow.  But nothing shoots like wood.  Nothing else feels like wood.  No other arrow material gives me the satisfaction of crafting arrows like wood.  If you get your shafting from good arrowsmiths (like Surewood and Wapiti), wood arrows are more consistent than you think.  I can "adjust" the weight of my finished arrow by asking for shafts "light for spine" or "heavy for spine".  Wood arrows made from Douglas fir are nearly as durable as carbon.  Maybe more so!  Wood is easier to tune.  At least I think so.  What better way to spend the winter than making wood arrows?

[njloco]

I shoot all types mentioned above except the bamboo, I mostly shoot carbons because I can fit more arrows into the same small spot    

[Fletcher]

I shoot wood arrows because they are what I want to shoot.  Wood arrows speak archery to me; they have a life and character that carbon and aluminum will never have.  I make pretty good arrows and sort my shafts carefully and don't feel that I give up any accuracy.  They are at least as good as I am.

In the section next to my friends place, a kid shot a buck high in the rump with a mechanical head on a carbon.  It has been suffering horribly for over a month.  When looking at it with a spotting scope we could see what is left of the carbon arrow.  The deer has been gnawing on it.   It looked like it had an infection in its mouth and was oozing from the wound.  Some muzzle loader busted into the field where it was laying with his vehicle, trespassing, while waiting on the game warden.   It looked very similar to a deer that had a mechanical head on a carbon foul up that was taken by a gun hunter a month or so after the hit. The deer was a mess, it had carbon stuck in his mouth, the wound was very infected and inflamed.   Not fit for consumption, I would not even want an eagle or coyote to have to fight those carbon fibers like the deer suffered with.   One could certainly say that it was the shooter and mechanical broadhead to blame, but the carbon arrow was the long term torture.

[Fletcher]

Originally posted by Bisch:
 I hate woods because I cannot figure out how to tune them!

Bisch

Bisch, I should be in San Antonio next Thanksgiving.  I'll come up and show you how to tune them.  It is amazingly easy.

[FlintNSteel]

I have shot wood, fiberglas, aluminum, and carbon like others here.  

For my longbows, I pretty much stick to wood.  As others have said, longbows and wood arrows just naturally go together.

My recurves have generally been set up for aluminum or carbon, though I've set up wood arrows for those at times too.  Currently I have my recurves set up and shooting carbon.  I like the small diameters and I still can get very good arrow weight.  They make a super hunting shaft.

Overall, though, there is no arrow as beautiful to me as a finely crafted wood shaft.  I've shot wood for nearly 50 years and built them for myself for over 40.  I especially love them for stump shooting, though I've used a lot of aluminums for that as well.  Nothing like the smell of a broken cedar shaft on a stump shoot!  And they make a great hunting shaft as well.

[Sawpilot 75]

I started with cedar in the 80's and shot them till '91. Then killed a few animals with Aluminum but went right back to cedar. I have been migrating over to Doug Fir. It's been a slow transition but think when it's all said and done I will stay with them. To each his own but I would bet there is nothing quieter out of a bow than wood. The modern day stuff is not for me.

[oldrubline]

I have been shooting wood arrows for about 35 years and don't care to try anything else. They have always done what I needed them to do.  They speak Traditional to me and grace those beautiful wooden bows.  I love making them.  I don't doubt that carbons are great arrows...but why replace what works and shoots better than I ever probably will?!   Surewood shafts have been as straight and tough...no need for anything else unless I make 'em myself again in the future.

Dan

[Larry m]

Spine, weigh and bunch your wood shafts for consistency. I use the metal round shaft of a screwdriver for straightening. Sight down the wood shaft and rub the high side. With a little practice and patience they will come out very straight. Get yourself a good taper grinder for consistent nock and point placement.
Lots of guy's out there make some very consistent and good looking woodies so talk around a bit for answers.
I have shot all three in the past and still shoot some carbons, but most often shoot woodies. Love the smell of broken cedar with a rush of memories!

[Mark Colangelo]

I was looking into the douglas fir shafts myself. I saw that they suggested having them taper it for you because douglas fir doesnt like to be tapered with blade tools like trutaper. Does anyone find any truth to this?

[dnovo]

I shoot wood. I do have aluminums but rarely ever get them out. Wood is a joy to shoot, a pleasure to make. I know some guys don't have the time or rather don't want to commit to the time to make a good set of wood arrows, but for me that's one of the great pleasures of traditional archery. I enjoy the process. I don't feel I'm giving up anything in accuracy either as my woods shoot right there with the carbons my friends shoot.

[Shooter#21]

What Shadowhnter said X2...

Originally posted by Fletcher:
 

Originally posted by Bisch:
 I hate woods because I cannot figure out how to tune them!

Bisch

Bisch, I should be in San Antonio next Thanksgiving.  I'll come up and show you how to tune them.  It is amazingly easy. [/b]

Let me know when you are down here. I am from SA and have family there. It might just turn into a meet.

Just be warned, you would not be the first to try to edumacate my little pea brain about wood arrows. No one has been successful to date!

Bisch

[MnFn]

I have both and shoot both carbon and wood. I prefer wood mainly I guess because the weight is good as they come- I don't have to add anything to it once I get the right head on it.

I like the way Snag's arrows look and feel as well. Nope, I haven't built any myself.

I do limit my distance to under twenty yards, and at that range if I miss my target,so far it hasnt been the arrows fault.

I have broken some wood arrows, but I have broken carbons as well.

For the most part, I just like wood arrows I guess.

[SuperK]

Hey Bisch...go to "Arrows by Kelly"(www.arrowskp.com) and look at his tuning tips.  Easy and it works!

[meathead]

I am a wood arrow shooter. Wouldn't shoot anything else. They are simple and beautiful. Yes you break one every now and then.  I also enjoy building them so a broken one just gives me something to do that I enjoy anyway.

[crazynate]

I love taking the time to build a beautiful set of woodies.i think carbon and aluminum are more practical and easier to work with.  But after I dip crest fletch and build a dozen woodies I'm way more satisfied.

[scrub-buster]

I use bamboo and hill cane for my arrows.  I shoot selfbows 95% of the time.  It just isn't right to shoot a carbon arrow out of a primitive bow.  Plus I like taking something from nature and turning it into a functional weapon.  The bamboo and cane shafts are very tough.  I shoot mine into steel drums, trees, and whatever else I feel like.  I've only had one break on me so far.  That one hit rocks in a creek bed.

[JakeD]

I am using Sitka spruce arrows that Tater got me turned onto.  I have some carbons that I originally planned on using, but as soon as I started using the woodies I knew that was what I wanted to keep using.  They shoot beautifully from my bow and look great. Plus, I really enjoy making them as well.  They really aren't that much more work to make.

[toddster]

For me I shoot mainly wood arrows.  There are several reason, I can build them myself, I can customize them easy, They seem to shoot quietest.  To me wood arrows have more density (mass) then other material (except fiberglass).  I find Cedar is my go too wood, but love the hardwood shafts for that added mass weight.  I have shot aluminum and carbon and know what arrows, my bow's take just in case I ever need them.