Durability of wood shafts

[Wudstix]

Thanks fellas, you have confirmed what I suspected.  I'll hunt the Hickory and Red Balau with heavier 190 grain VPA and Grizzly Instinct on hogs.  My physically lighter tapered Cedar will fly Snuffer 160 grain heads for Whitetail and Axis. 
 

[Terry Green]

Compressed Maples.... dare ya to prove me wrong.... with documentation. 

 

[Wudstix]

Were can I get compressed Maple in 90# spine?

[mahantango]

Yeah John, they even survived Getzy shooting them through the steel back of the ball shed huh? More than once.

[Wudstix]

Really looking forward to doing a hog test on these Hickory.
 

[JonCagle]

Has anyone ever tried sourwood? The shoots grow straight with an almost spiral grain. Very tough with good weight also.

[Terry Green]

Were can I get compressed Maple in 90# spine?

In my garage.

[NY Yankee]

Hickory is very tough arrow wood but it's really heavy too. I have shot the heck out of Douglas Fir arrows and lost more than I ever broke. I shot one square into a brick wall once. The broadhead ferrule split but the shaft was reusable. The impact was so hard the feathers all turned backwards on the shaft, like if you took your hand and stroked them backwards. The shaft stayed straight. The only thing about Doug Fir is if you make your own arrows, you need a power sander and a jig to make nice clean point tapers. Other than that, I don't know how anyone can go wrong with them.

[slowbowjoe]

Among the "common" arrow woods, I'd say Doug Fir. Haven't tried bamboo, but it sounds promising for toughness and reasonable weight... also sounds more expensive for labor and/or cost.
I'm sure the hardwoods would be very tough, but I'm already over 10gpp with fir, and I'm not comfortable with trajectory around 11 and more.

I lost/broke/ popped nocks on enough carbons to encourage me to go with woods and make up my own.

[Wudstix]

Were can I get compressed Maple in 90# spine?

In my garage.

That sounds encouraging!

[KentuckyWolf]

Terry,

Where are you getting compressed maple from? Homemade?

[A Lex]

Red Balau for me, all the way. Tough as nails, heavy, straight and very durable.

Actually had 8 shots with the same Red Balau arrow this evening,  got 4 rabbits and missed 4. The arrow is still perfect. Feathers are buggered though, but a re-fletch will fix that.

Although, another place a mate and I chase rabbits is a big limestone outcrop. Miss the rabbit there, and its a 90% + chance you'll bust an arrow. And it's not just my wood arrows that break there, he's busted plenty of his carbons there too. Vicious place on arrows. Fun place but, sure makes you consentrate.

Best
Lex

[Wudstix]

Lex,
Got some Red Balau just haven't made them up yet.  They'll actually come in @25-30 grains heavier than Hickory.  Traded for Hickory arrows and giving them a go.
 

[NY Yankee]

It's funny how the carbon arrow guys will tell you carbons are the best value because they are the most durable shaft. If you pay attention to all of the threads, there are many asking how to "foot" carbons so they dont split, which aluminum to use, what collars are needed, weight tubes to get the weight up etc. I have none of those problems with a wood shaft.

[Sam McMichael]

As Dan Quillian once told me, "Don't fall in love with your arrows, 'cause you ain't gonna have them that long". That is very true, for if you shoot as much as you should, you are going to break or lose a considerable number of them. So wood or carbon, you will be replacing them fairly often.

[Wudstix]

I've heard that, "If you ain't breaking arrows you ain't shooting".
 

I have probably broke a dozen and a half in the last 17 years of the brand I've been shooting.. Half broke stump shooting and animals broke the other half.

Luckily I stocked up on them before the quality tanked. I won't need anymore arrows the rest of my life .... least carbons anyway.

Great thread.... nice to see some wood talk.

Maybe Tedd Fry can chime in...

[A Lex]

Actually nothing wrong with Douglas Fir either, it makes a great arrow shaft. I just cannot seem to find them any more in the high spines I need, hense going to the Red Balau. In my experience though, the Red Balau is definately more durable.

Best
Lex

[Tim Finley]

I have some Sweetlands compressed arrows ( there not cedar) that are made in Alaska pretty tough but too heavy spine and too short for me .

[jsweka]

I've heard that, "If you ain't breaking arrows you ain't shooting".
 

And remember, arrows are supplies, not equipment   

[Terry Green]

Terry,

Where are you getting compressed maple from? Homemade?

 So sorry for the delay ... Been covered up...

 I have no idea where to get them now.... I had these for probably 15 years.... There were given to me  Buy a member named Archery 7.

 He was driving them Through a tapper tunnel or something.  ...  Toughest arrows I've ever touched.... I doubt anyone's doing that anymore.... I may get to my outbuilding tomorrow and if so I'll take a picture of one.