Thinking about switching to wood next year...

[slayer1]

For the few years that I have been shooting traditional, I have always used carbon arrows. I had pretty good luck with them this past year. (Took 5 Deer). I have always been faciniated with shooting wood but could never find any wood that I could get to fly as good as my carbons. A few weeks ago I was in Don's shop over at eagles flight archery. He had just got in a shipment of POC shafts. He had them all sorted and matched. He sold me a dozen and told me what I needed to do to get them made up. I didnt crest them or do anything fancy. I stained them a color I liked, sealed them and fletched them up. I took one arrow and kept cutting it down until it flew to my liking. Then I finished up the rest of the dozen. All I can say is WOW! I have been shooting them for week or so and I can honestly say that they fly as good as any carbon I have had. They also seem to be way more forgiving and a lot more quiet. All are spined within 3 lbs and are within 3 grains of each other. They shoot so good I was thinking about hunting with some next year. This is where I would like a little direction. What should I expect in terms of penetration vs. the carbon. I would be shooting close to 10 gpp if I used a 125 grain boradhead. I know from what I have read and discussed with others, that POC is not that tuff and it is likely that a shot on a deer will result in a broken arrow, but I can live with that, I really enjoy making them. Any suggestions for a BH for wood arrows? Should I go with a lower profile head, like a woodsman or should I stick with 2 blade? I have been using the 160 grain screw in land sharks on my carbons and have had pretty good success. Any thoughts on this would help. I would like to start testing a few so as to get ready for next season.

[Tim Schoenborn]

Hey Scott........

I have to admit my first thought to your post is if you have woods that are shooting as good or better than any carbons you have shot you have not been using the right carbons. I have shot woodies in the past and even used them out of heavy bows. I also have paid a lot of money for wood arrows in the past from guys who are considered to be on top of the game. And I PAID for them. They are nice and have a different feel to them. I guess it is like golf. Do you want to drive the ball with a persimmon wood or use one of the new metal head drivers. The one thing that I did not like about wood arrows more than anything was trying to keep them in shape. And not from shooting but also having them laying around in climate changes and other issues. I know when I go to get a carbon it is not going to be affected by anything other than abuse or just breaking. Onto your question of heads I had used Magnus fixed blades and had no issues at all. Although I never had a pass through with a wood shaft as they always broke. Just a little of my experience is all. I am sure you will get plenty more. My dollars go to carbons for a lot of reasons and the durabilty and ease of changing heads and tuning.

Good luck with your venture with them

Tim ;-)

[Rico]

I have never had a wooden shaft break upon impact,they will break after the hit when animal runs through woods slapping arrow on brush and trees sideways but by then the arrow has gone as deep as it will go.
  I have never shot carbons but have no reason not to believe what I have read that,they fly better,penetrate deeper and are more durable than wood.
 I like wood they do everything I need. You may have to use more bow,get alittle closer,make a few more arrows but I like all of that too.

[Tim Schoenborn]

Let me reiterate my arrow breaking also.............

They basically all have broken right in half. The Broadhead side has completly passed the animal and actually traveled more than 10 to 20 yards in my case. My shots were at ground level. The shafts to the best of my knowledge have always broke based on the contraction of the animal from the impact and the jump and rapid departure. And All my experience with wood shafts in hunting situations has been with bows in excess of 70lbs. And only with POC shafts.

Tim ;-)

[Larry247]

I've shot through three deer with the same ceder shaft! I guess i just got lucky! I've used zwicky's and magnas two blades mostly on my ceders. I've also used snuffers on the ceders as well. I think its hard to find a good ceder shaft here where i live because i have to order every thing. The guy i use to buy my shafts from here quit makeing arrows and boy to i miss his work. I use carbons now but if i could get some quality shafts i'd go back in a heart beat...

[Larry247]

I ordered some shaft's already made up a few years ago from somewhere i can't remember, but they did very well. Not as tuff as the one's Brian made but they held up well. I know i took two doe's with the same shaft. The ones that have passed through a deer i paint a ring around. I have more than three still laying around here somewhere. I've broke a few ceders as well, i've even watch deer pull'em out! Didn't do'em any good though. Trees get a bunch of my shafts as the deer run through the woods i cringe when i hear a shaft break...

[Rob DiStefano]

I love woodies!  Nothing sez traditional bowhunting more than a nicely finished wood shaft adorned with feathers and tipped with a sharp broadhead.  

I stopped hunting with woodies - overall, they simply can't maintain the consistency and durability that carbons offer, and no matter how well ya seal them they ARE affected by temperature and humidity.  

These dayze, none of the wood offered can compare to the old Acme and McKinney shafts of the 50's and 60's, but even those can't hold a candle to decent carbon shafting.  Been there, done that will all forms of archery since '55, and IMHO woodies are just a bear for building in precisely matched sets and maintaining any semblance of consistency after shooting.
 
I still make and shoot woodies - always will - they're fine for roving the impossible shots, but for serious shooting I won't leave home without a good set of carbons.

If you must hunt with woodies, I'd recommend hex pine shafts - head and shoulders above non-laminated wood shafts.  YMMV.

[alligatordond]

Don't sweat a few broken arrows.I've shot over 30 deer with POC and Doug Fir. Yeah some broke as the arrow exited, usually when the deer ran through some brush. I had pass throughs on all but a couple shoulder and spine shots shots. I like a good ol' 2 blade Zwickey . Blood trails are good and penetration was fine.

Tried carbon,Grizzlystyks, which are a fine shaft but I went back to wood because I like it. You do have to pay attention to the shaft and I usually will eyeball my shafts and handstraighten as nec. in the field.

I figure my gpp is around 9 or 10 with the broadhead on the cedar and around 12 with Douglas Fir.The fir is a bit more work to get straight but not bad.

Bottom line. If you like the wood and shoot them well then don't worry and hunt with them.

[Rico]

The shafts to the best of my knowledge have always broke based on the contraction of the animal from the impact and the jump and rapid departure
  Yes Tim they will do that in either case the arrow has penetrated a far as it can and breakage after that is a non-issue.

[killinstuff]

Wood is just the way it should be man. This whole thing we do is just a test of ourselves and if we can overcome the difficulties of shooting bare bow arrows at our targets or the animal that just happens to to be that target sometimes and hitting the mark. How good can you be with as little technical help as possible is the pinnacle. Don't cheat yourself, try it. When you have made a good shoot on whatever it is, be it a piece of paper or the biggest deer you have ever seen your pride will swell with what you have just done and the next time around you'll ask yourself how can I top this. It's not you against the target. It you against you.

[Orion]

Been shooting woods for more than 40 years.  Never had one break before it did what it was supposed to do.  Carbons are tougher and require less maintenance, and because they're usually thinner, they penetrate a little better as well.  Of course, a compound will shoot an arrow faster than a stickbow, and so it goes.  It takes more skill, work and commitment to build a good matched set of woods.  That's why I do it.