OK, Last week I came up with the stupid idea of trying to see if carbon arrows would hold up to being split at the tip so you would be able to half on a trade point. I got lots of suggestions but I wanted something very simple or it wasn't worth my time cause there are sooo many great arrow-broadhead combinations out there already.
End result (to some initial skepticism...mine included) was it did work with just a 3" piece of 1/4" hardwood dowel rod as my insert for strength along with a wrap around the shaft. It successfully passed 5 shots into a full 1" piece of board at 10 yards :cool:
How Stupid Idea #2 Evolved:
1) For me making my own gear is very satisfying. I really enjoy playing with Hot Steel at my forge...but making trade points by pounding and shaping the steel takes me as long as it does to forge out a knife. Just too much work to be practical :(
2) In last weeks post the idea of lots of weight up front was really discussed. That's great to have a really heavy arrow if you are a strong young buck...but unfortunately I'm an old looking down the other side of the hill gray buck :rolleyes:
I shoot 50# tops now and the arrow-broadhead combination that works best for me is a carbon shaft 28 1/2 " with 200-225 gr up front!
Finally Stupid Idea #2
Since that split carbon shaft worked so well. I wanted to see if a carbon shaft with wood insert tapered to accept a broadhead directly would also prove to be as strong??
I glued the inserts in with a gel supper glue that I use to glue up my knife handles. As I stated last week this glue seems to bond better than any epoxy I have used. The 3" wood dowel insert weighs 20-25 gr almost the same as aluminum insert. Then I shot the these arrows into that same 1" pine board with Nothing on the front of the arrow
They just bounced off the board without any mushrooming of the tip what-so-ever!
I then tapered them on my Woodchuck and glued on a couple of old Grizzlys.
Back to the board for another 5 shots. Again perfect arrows!
I really miss not gluing my broadheads directly on my old wood arrows...But I also really like the strength and straightness of my carbon arrows. This set up is so simple to make and now my broadheads can be set at my preferred sight reference without coming unscrewed...Doc