arrow snapped while shooting

[BleekLight]

I was just out side shooting my barta longbow 55# @ 28" I draw 27 1/4 my arrows are beman Ics bow hunters  
500's I have I think 145 grain tips on them. Well I drew back and loosed my arrow but immediately my arrow took flight to the left, toward a tree before it veered again and went straight down in the ground where I found it snapped and the cock feather was completely missing. I just started shooting with the cock (odd) feather in and it seems to improve my groupings but I was wandering if the arrow could some how have snap due to this.

[R.W.]

Is the nock still in one piece, or is it broken?

Sounds like the nock may have broken, causing the erratic flight.

If the nock is complete, is there a chance that you may have hit this arrow with another, during a shooting session? Most carbon arrows are pretty tough, and just releasing an arrow from your bow shouldn't have caused it to break.

You should always check your arrows for cracks, splits, etc, every time you shoot them.

Glad you weren't hurt, anyways!

Shoot Safe!

[BleekLight]

No the nock is still in one piece I'm pretty sure the reason for the erratic flight was from the arrow snapping but your right it is possible that the arrow had a chip or crack in it from another arrow hitting it. I try to check my arrows after every time some thing like that happens but some times things can go unnoticed.

[Cherokee Scout]

If you shoot at a bag target which allows your shafts to sometimes hang down in the target, it could be that you have at sometime nicked a shaft that was hanging down with the next shot. Carbons are tough, but they will not handle any side impacts. A small nick from side hit may not be seen, but it might break on next shot. Flex them if you had a side hit!

[Rufus]

I shoot wood arrows and have had that happen (scars on my bow hand to remind me to check shafts now and then) but I didn't know carbon (if that's what those bemans are) would break like that. I thought they shattered if wounded. I can learn something from this maybe.

[Leon.R]

I hope this will help a little, I flyfish a lot and once hit the rod with a very big heavy fly.
The rod was fine but after a few months snapped while casting at the same place.

Carbon can take a knock but if it was hard enough it will tear or start tearing on the inside even if you cant see it on the outside.
Then one day it just had enough and snaps.

I dont know exactly how arrows are made but I would asume its the same and with the constant flexing it eventually gives way where you hit it with another arrow way back?

Hope I did not go off topic but thats my thoughts on that.
My AD's look like they could be made the same way as flyrods.