Carbon shaft recommendation?

[C. Johnson]

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if you guys can point me in the right direction.  I've always shot wood arrows of my own construction but I want to try out some carbons.  There are dozens of choices on the market, so many in fact that it becomes confusing and overwhelming.

What do you guys recommend as far as brand and model?  Point weight? Nocks, etc?

I will fletch and assemble them myself, just need to know where to start.  I can afford to pay for quality, but I don't have unlimited funds. I can afford up to about $150 for a dozen good shafts.  Hopefully I don't have to pay that much, but I firmly believe in the concept of buy the best quality and only cry once.

I shoot a 50 pound recurve and I have a 29 1/2" draw.  I'm mainly a recreational shooter and I don't plan on hunting with them.  I do like to shoot my local 3D course 3-4 times per month, so I can be tough on arrows.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You!

[acedoc]

Best shaft in my book is the axis , some love the fmj.
I also love Beman ICS bowhunters as they are a budget shaft which can be rendered bullet proof with judicious footing.
I am not good enough to outshoot either arrow or my bows but when I do my bit I can hold all arrows in a 3-4 inch circle at 18- 20 yds

[ozy clint]

x2 axis

[Car54]

Axis are excellent,  just remember they are a lot smaller in diameter.   

[Orion]

I shoot Easton Axis as well and highly recommend them.  For your bow weight/draw length, .400s are probably the best bet, definitely so if your bow is 50@28, which would make it closer to 54#@29 1/2. About 150-200 grains up front including point and insert should get you in the ballpark.

[stevem]

I have both Gold Tip and Carbon Express Heritage- and like both.  I like that they have near normal diameter (about 5/16") as I don't care for the real skinny shafts that some do.  For Carbon Express I can shoot both 150's an 250's out of a 50 pound bow, but suggest 250's for your draw and weight.  I would start with 145 grain tips.   

[Roy from Pa]

I like gold tips better than carbon express.

I've shot both arrows.

So now what's ya gonna do, Charlie?

Shoot bamboo arrows...

LOL

[acedoc]

I recently got my fletching gear ready and also got a test kit of field points from 3 rivers. I was amazed that there is a wide range of points which shoot to the same poi at close range.
My shafts group the same whether I use a 125 or a 175 grain point. The 100 grain makes it show false weak and 200 and above make it drop very fast.
If you are in the habit of tinkering get a stiffer spine.  If not the the 400 May be great for you at your dl.

[mshane]

Based on a recommendation from John Wert at Lancaster Archery I am giving the Easton Aftermath a try.  They are half the price of the Axis and are just a shade larger diameter.  They seem to be flying well out of my ILF riser with Morrison Max 4s that are 47# @ 28".  400 spine full length with a brass insert and 100 gr field point showing just a tad weak when bare shafted at a 488gr arrow weight.  Should be perfect when I put on wraps and feathers.

[acedoc]

Even Gary at D&M had a good word to say about the aftermath arrows.

[Car54]

Are they a good hunting arrow? For my info, thanks. 

[mshane]

I  just started with them but when I talked to John I told him I wanted an arrow for hunting and that's what he recommended.

[Car54]

Thank you

[hunting badger]

I like you, am new to carbons because I shot wood all my life. I was in the same dilemma, I went with Gold Tips because of their weight system where you can screw different weights to the tip through the nock end. This system works very well and helps in the tuning process. I found them harder to tune than woodies but thats probably just me.

[Blessed One]

I have really liked the black eagle vintage arrows. They have the weight system as well. I was really able the get them tuned well with a high FOC and they fly like darts. The wrench for Gold tips and Black eagle are not the same. You can use gold tip weights in the black eagle shafts, but you cannot get them out without removing the insert, so I got the black eagle weights. I have really been impressed with them.

[mjh]

I've been shooting gold tip traditionals 55-75 and 35- 55 depending upon the bow I'm shooting  for a long time. They work for me.  I recently got a half dozen carbon express 250 to give a try....so may options.....GT traditional blems are a very good value when they are available...my GT with 250grns up front are about 610 grns total....I noticed the CE with the same up front are 660grns....well see how they fly tomorrow when I go the range...also recently bought some GT 340's  have to fletch them up though....the arrow chart didn't have the tip weight I'm using but I was on the edge between the 340's and the 400's.  I went a little stiffer and heavier......we'll see what happens....I kinda feel you find a set up that works for you and you keep using it until the arrow maker changes what they are doing then you start over...

[acedoc]

If looking for a value shaft take a long look at the ICS bowhunters.  They can take a beating  for the money. I foot mine (340 spine) with 2 inches of 2117 and run a 100 grain brass insert.
Again based on inputs from the forum - a skinny arrow is best for hunting.
OP- a lot of guys like the ce maxima red also

[HartHeart]

Hard to go wrong with anything Goldtip in my experience, they are tough, durable shafts. In particular, the Traditional Classic's are very tough...I use to shoot them exclusively with the 80 grain accutough SS insert and externally footed with 3" of aluminum shaft. Tough as nails, barring rocks or other hard objects at close range they were near indestructible. The Trad Classics are also .204 id which I find to be the arrow size that works best for me...skinny but not too skinny.  Tip: for more FOC just take a 2" or whatever length you want 8-32 screw, cut the head off and screw it into the back of the insert before you install the insert...

[HartHeart]

When I said I used to shoot the GT Trad Classic's, it's not because I broke them all and got something else! They were too tough for that, and if I was going for big big game they would probably be my first pick. The reason I stopped shooting then is because of there weight. I believe the .400 spine is right around 11gpi...conventional wisdom says "great, a tough heavy shaft for a traditional bow, perfect!" However, I found that by the time that I got them to the EFOC that I wanted I was shooting a 700+ grain arrow at! It's kinda ironic that all these arrow manufacturers are making their 'traditional arrow' as heavy as possible while I'm going the other way; trying to find a good, light, tough shaft. That is a story for another day, but you may want to consider that aspect...

[C. Johnson]

Thanks you guys!

I'm looking hard at the Easton FMJ shafts and also the Gold Tip Traditional shafts.