No epitaph.....not yet *^)

[The Whittler]

Flinttim,sounds like Easton is pushing us towards the carbons which are $100++ a doz. Now why would they do that.

I agree George D. I like the alum myself. Been shooting them for almost 30yrs, they are easy to know which ones will fly good with your setup.

I have been shooting carbons for a little over a year. And even though they shoot good you have to play with them alot like with weight/length.

Alan

[Orion]

George:  I expect I've been in this game about as long as you have, and I can't find fault with your treatise on aluminum.  That being said, I, like Walt, still prefer wood.  In fact, most of what you said about aluminum would also apply to wood, wide range of spines and weights, even more than eluminum, pretty tough, etc.  Unfortunately, they are no longer the lower(est) priced option.  Wood in my bow quiver also gives me piece of mind when I have to spend an unexpected night on the mountain.  My fire tinder is always right with me.  It's hard to light aluminum or carbon. (LOL)

[George D. Stout]

Orion....I like wood as well and have several dozen in the cellar, made up and ready to go.  I just get a little tired of folks who want to bury aluminum in the garbage dump in favor of the composite arrow.  I really suspect that in twenty years all of them will be around, plus some new materials.  The fiberglass was going to replace wood...the aluminum would replace wood and fiberglass; carbon will be the end-all. Pretty silly when you look back at what has already transpired. And, don't forget the stainless steel arrows that showed up in the 70's and was going to be "the" arrow.  Oh yes...fluted shafts too.  Who knows what lies ahead?

[TSP]

Aluminum shafting was part of the baby-boomer archery heyday coming out period...how's that for a home-made mood label!  New kid on the block, 'better than wood', arrows of tomorrow here today, etc etc.  Pearson, Dougherty, Bear, Kittridge, on and on with black and white TV and hula hoops and milkmen actually delivering real milk and real creme in real glass bottles right to your doorstep.  For all that and more I have a fondness for them.  And as you say, George, beyond that they are an excellently conistent no-frills no-gadget arrow.  Then carbons were born  and they were all that and a bag of chips...along with the prerequisite brass and tube weighting kits, nocks that wouldn't stay put, inconsistent spines, indestructability and bullet speeds, lol...all fine if you like that sort of thing.  Can't say that I do, though, even if I use them occasionally.  Guess they remind me too much of compound bow technology ... bigger /better /faster /easier /boring.  Wood is still admired and trusted by some, despite all  its 'imperfections', still the real deal for dyed-in-the-wool traditionalists.  Wood layed the groundwork for the others...seasoned and experienced, the wise though grizzled old man among the whippersnappers.  There's a place for all of them as long as we accept each on their own merits and don't get carried away with the 'mine's great and yours is stupid' thingy.

Good post, George.  Doesn't hurt to revisit the forest behind the trees every once in awhile.

[jacobsladder]

I agree with everything but the durability issue..... i bet if you took a poll on which arrow was the most durable...carbon would win 10 to 1.....im talking stock arrows...not fluted and built up......As soon as the carbon manufacturers come up with an arrow like the ce150 @ 10 grains per inch...and can market it in  1/2 dozen spines...i think the aluminums are going to end up like the fibergass arrows....just my opinion... i do think aluminum makes a great arrow and have used lots of them in the past... but right now enjoy carbon and woodies.

[Widowbender]

I like 'em all (wood, aluminum, carbon)

David

[Covey]

I've tryed them all alum,carbs&wood and I'll have to say I prefer aluminum.Carbon just dont seem right,woods are to ify and aluminum fly good and are so much easier to tune and to beat all that there cheap!!  just my 2 cents!  Covey

[Tree man]

George, As usual you made a logical and reasonable point. Aluminium arrows are wondrously precise and effective. Unfortunately they are also cold, noisy and soulless. I love wood and am willing to sort , match, cull and fiddle to enjoy the joy of shooting well matched woodies.

[JOKER]

George is right to think that MOST carbon arrows will not do a better job for him than his 2016 aluminium arrows. That is of course because carbon arrows were not intended to replace a 2016. If you remember, carbon arrows became popular because they could do what no aluminium arrow could. They could give the compound archer a 28"+ arrow that would be the corect spine and weigh 5-7gr per pound of bow weight. However, I do think that there are some carbon arrows now that can be used in place of a 2016 an do a better job such as the CX heritage 150.

[Jeremy]

The latest batch of aluminum arrows the big sporting good store out here got in from Easton were all numbered like carbons...  :(

[Ray Hammond]

the change to aluminum sizing is because its suddenly understood that you tune the bow and the arrow together, instead of offering literally a hundred different arrows to match every conceivable bow/draw weight/draw length combination out there. Remember too, when all that started, tip weight was 100 grains or 125 grains...literally, that was all that was out there unless you made your own.

I've owned over a hundred bows...ranging in weight from 80 at 28 down to 58 at 28..and all were tuned to shoot my arrow of choice.

Its easy, if you try.

Aluminum is great...I just busted them up too much on hogs...they're a 'one shot' proposition on a pig unless you get lucky cause he is going to roll over on that shaft, guaranteed, if you don't get a full pass through...they love doing that, it's like revenge for them! George, you are my favorite writer, friend.

[AllenR]

George, I agree with you 100%.  

Anybody that overlooks aluminum arrows isn't paying attention to the tolerances.  To get a carbon arrow with the same spine, straightness and weight tolerances, you have to pay about twice as much.

I mean actual measured tolerances, not advertised tolerances.  When actually measuring & weighing arrows, I learned how untruthful the adds for carbon arrows are.  With carbons, the real tolerances are at least double those advertised.  With aluminum, they are usually right on.

[SpikeMaster]

Aluminum arrows are much easier to trim to length than carbons. I cheap hardware store pipe cutter and you're good to go. No high speed power bench saw and face mask needed.

[jacobsladder]

Allen....i agree with you on the spine tolerance...but once you pull the aluminum out of the target butt a few times they arent as straight anymore.(due to bending while removing)..a slight spine difference in trad bows isnt going to matter much anyway... that is why we shoot woodies with a 5# difference in spine...4550 55//60 etc...plus a short draw, a change in braceheight...all changes spine also..... It seems to me if the carbon companys can make a wider range of spines...then the aluminums are going to disappear.....

[Longbowz]

Like most I shoot wood and carbon but I have a soft spot in my heart for aluminum.  I like it because it's still manufactured to tighter tolerances then the average carbon shaft, is more forgiving and is far easier to maintain.  It's a good thing that carbon is more durable because once put together there isn't any way to fix it later on. I also like the vast selection of sizes with aluminum.  Unfortunately this is beginning to go away.  My favorite’s Easton XX78 Super Slam’s have changed over to the spine deflection method of measurement.  What I don't like about this is it appears you can’t get the same spine in different diameters anymore.  The XX78's at least in my experience rarely bend or break unless they contact something really solid.

[George D. Stout]

jacobsladder,  I don't know what aluminums you shot into a target butt that bent after a few times.  I shot thousands of shots into butts during field and target rounds and never bent an aluminum.  What you say is not true...unless you have steel rebar in your target butts.  The problem is someone is going to believe that stuff.

[WildmanSC]

Originally posted by George D. Stout:
jacobsladder,  I don't know what aluminums you shot into a target butt that bent after a few times.  I shot thousands of shots into butts during field and target rounds and never bent an aluminum.  What you say is not true...unless you have steel rebar in your target butts.  The problem is someone is going to believe that stuff.

George,

I doubt the "bending" is due to impact of the arrow with the target/butt.  Rather, I suspect it is due to torquing of the shaft by the person pulling the aluminum arrow from the target/butt.

Bill

[pseman]

I shot aluminum for years out of a compound bow and I went through many, many arrows due to bending or breaking. I bought my first dozen carbons(GT 75/95's)in the late '90s and after 8 seasons, still have 11 of them(none broke, one was lost in an unrecovered deer). So for durability, no one can convince me that aluminum is MORE durable(just my experience).

I switched to trad gear last year and started out with aluminum(easton legacy). Like many "newbies" I missed alot when I started shooting instinctive and soon bent or broke several of those aluminum arrows. I went back to carbon and have never looked back. I shoot Heritage 150s, Axis, and Bemans and have not had any trouble getting them to shoot as long as the bow is cut relatively close to center. I have only broken 2 carbons, both shot into football-sized rocks.

Aluminum arrows are fine in my books, but carbons fly great and will outlast aluminum 10-1. Also, carbons are about 50% more expensive, but much cheaper in the long run.IMO

P.S. I do have one gripe on carbons which is the need for a high speed saw to cut them. Other than that, they are the best arrow on the market to me.

[George D. Stout]

pseman....be careful and ventilate the area good when cutting them.  That dust can do really bad things to your lungs.

[mjc]

I am going to agree with George. I shoot wood or aluminum. I do alot of stump shooting and all the carbons I have had after several hard hits it will drive the insert up in the shaft and split it. I have had all the good brands gold tip, beman etc. and am back to shooting my wood and aluminum.
Matt