Well I guess the popularity of carbon arrows has an advantage to many of us; it makes the aluminum arrows much cheaper.
Folks nowadays seem to want to write-off the aluminum arrow as antiquated and no longer viable as arrow material. I'm here to defend the venerable "beer can" as a better all around arrow than its adolescent cousin....at least at this point.
Aluminum arrows are made in so many sizes, it is much easier to match a shaft to your bow without having to weigh-down the tubing end to make it bend.
With the carbon, there are about four sizes....find the closest and it's still too stiff...then you add weight to the end to make it bend. Then it is too light, so you add line to the inside to make it heavier. Then, you may need to add weight to the end once more to make it bend more.
It is said carbons are "much more durable." I have not found this to be the case; either that, or I'm the only person who has broken two dozen of them in about two years. My aluminums will take direct hits on stumps and rarely bend unless you side-swipe a tree or stump....then they bend. You can straighten an aluminum arrow to within .300 of an inch of straight. In two years, I have bent four alumninum arrows but have broken none during stump shooting. I have destroyed seven or eight Carbonwood arrows and at least that many Goldtips.
I have two bows that I shoot on a fairly regular basis. Bother are within two pounds of one another; one a longbow and one a recurve, both shoot the same size aluminum arrow without any adjustments to weight or spine, and they shoot them perfectly. I can shoot either field points, blunts, Ribteks or Bear Razorheads and they still fly perfectly. My arrows weigh right around 486 grains without adding any other weight system.
I do expect carbon arrows to become better over the next few years, as manufacturers gear some of them toward the traditional shooters. They will become more spine tolerant, and will have more mass without having to load with junk. As of right now, they are not varied enough in those categories to suit me. And, I can buy four dozen aluminum shafts for the price of one dozen made-up carbon arrows; but then, I do have to thank the carbon arrows for that 8^).
All in all, don't let the detractors tell you that aluminum arrows are junk; or that they will bend everytime you hit something other than a soft bale of hay. Of course, there will be folks who come on here and say they haven't broken an arrow since they switched to carbon, and I'll say good for them....although I may not believe them. But, if they are quite happy then that is all that is necessary. You have to use what suits you.
I've been using these archaic aluminum arrows for over forty years, along with my cedars...a few fiberglass and a few carbons. I haven't found any arrow shaft so superior to aluminum that I thought I should change. At least not at this point.
I still pick up a carbon or two every now and then. I have cedar, fir and even fiberglass and I shoot them all occasionally. But for arrow to arrow consistency...and accuracy, I'll pick up the Easton Aluminum 2016's. Try them all and be fair about your evaluation. They all work great...including aluminum.
Topic: No epitaph.....not yet *^) (Read 2416 times)
