Way back when I started on this journey back in the early 1960’s I shot wood. Then when I started to make my own arrows and went way up in bow weight shot aluminums because of their consistency, 2216 & 2219’s. After a few years went back to woods for the next 4+ decades.
Now in my sixth decade seeing a severe drop in bow weight due to some health issues and age I tried aluminums again. Had acquired a good supply of 1820’s, including original green Gamegetters, over the years so they were the first ones I used again. They shot great out of my low 40# bows, even some upper 30’s. They are about the toughest shafts ever made. The 20 wall shafts used to be available in every dia from 16-20 size. Easton gradually eliminated then because of this toughness repeat sales were far and tween. They found that thinner wall stuff like 12 and 13 sizes were the rage for speed and broke/bent so repeat sales were numerous.
About 18 months ago after having to drop bow weight farther, now 25-33#, and the lack of quality low spined woods I started shooting 1713, 1716, 1813, 1816 sizes along with some 1718’s. These 1718’s, only have about 20 shafts, are the old silver 24srt aluminum, but man do they ever shoot out of 30-32# bows with up to 200 grains up front. Mind you my draw length has also decreased due to the same above circumstances now maybe 27” on a good day.
I still couldn’t get away from woodies and recently made up 3 dz from low spined, old POC I acquired. They shoot great and grouped well so I thought. Even split several from Robin Hood type shots. When shooting aluminums recently have Robin hooded 3 and several near more that busted out the nock end-just didn’t stick.
Yesterday was the first day in 7-10 days where the weather cooperated with 50 degree weather with some wind, but I was able to shoot. I shot my 31# longbow and those newly made woodies that I have been using since making them. They didn’t group as well as I was used to but put that off to having not shot any bow for awhile. So after about 30-32 shots I decided to grab 4 1816’s. Wow, using the same 31# longbow I had been shooting with the woods my resulting groups were so much tighter. As I continued shooting the 1816’s they were clanking on top of each other so I had to move my aiming spots around. You see there are no targets on my straw bales but after one arrows is in it I tend to shoot at that, thus over time I break nocks quite frequently, even Robin Hood’s in the past.
So what all this is about and what I have noticed in the past 18 months is that although I love my woodies these aluminums just shoot better and group more consistently, time after time. Reluctantly I am putting my woodies in my rack and shooting/going hunting with aluminums.
Because of my short draw, low bow weights and 28” bop arrow length I am able to shoot 1716, 1813, and 1816 with 125-200 grain points out of my 30-34# bows equally.
Topic: Going back to aluminums and staying there (Read 13037 times)
