What do you use?

[PASQUINELL]

I'm sure if I scroll down I may find this topic but thought I would ask anyway. I was suprised to hear that my friends brother hunts with aluminum arrows and Stump or target shoots with wood arrows. He shoots a bunch of deer. When asked why he said that he has done it for over 25 years that way. I have never considered it for no other reason  but I just haven't considered it or thought about it.. He hunts with Robertsons and Bear bows.

Is this common amongst us traditional guys?  I have heard and read all about the "you ain't trad if you don't use wood arrows"  discussions and I want to avoid that in this thread .

I'm just wondering how many mix and match aluminum,  carbon, wood in their hunts or enjoyment shooting.

Again, this isn't a trad definition discussion.

[Terry Green]

"I have heard and read all about the "you ain't trad if you don't use wood arrows"  discussions and I want to avoid that in this thread ".

No worries..... 

[Maclean]

I agree with Terry. Don't worry about the "you ain't trad if you don't  ..." nonsense.

There's as many ways to do this as there are people who do it. That being said, lots of folks use different shaft materials for a multitude of reasons. And there's no good way to define all those reasons, it's really a personal choice. 

[PASQUINELL]

I had gone to his house and we were flinging arrows in the back yard. I asked his brother about the arrows and he told me that he hunts with aluminum but love practicing with wood.

I just was wondering how common that was.

Fall is coming!!

[Maclean]

I shoot wood shafts for everything. When hunting big game, specifically elk, I use hardwood footed shafts for extra durability. But, that's for me, at this point in time. I might switch to carbon shafts in the future, for their superior durability and versatility in achieving high FOC without ending up with an arrow that is excessively heavy. But now we're getting into the weeds.

[JohnnyBa]

New archer here and, like most(I assume) I started out with carbon. Read about shooting wood and aluminum arrows so I just tried them both. I love the wooden and aluminum arrows but just can’t shake, like mentioned above, the high FOC u can get using carbons without chunking logs. I would do any shooting with any of them, love them all but long bows deserve to shoot woodies!

[MnFn]

I started out with wood arrows in the 60’s. Used aluminum in the 70s. Didn’t try carbons til in the 90’s.
Right now I have arrows from all three materials that I can and do shoot. I still have a soft spot for woodies, particularly Douglas Fir, but I recently got a set of POC in three different spines and they really shoot nice.

I also have some aluminum in 2016 that fly great. As do some Easton Carbon traditionals. Carbons are great as you can easily change inserts and tip weights. I used to shoot  Carbon Express Traditionals and still have a few 150s snd 250s but they quit making them I guess.

Right now it’s either 2016 aluminum or woodies in 55/60 or 60/65 with about 160 grain heads for around 50# bows. Although FMJ’s intrigued me too.

[MnFn]

I do agree with Johnny about shooting longbows with woodies. I think it might have been Ron LaClair who said “ longbows and wood arrows go together like ham and eggs”.  I know Allen Boice felt that way too.

[Orion]

Hmmmm.  I've been at this about 70 years now, since before our form of archery was called traditional. Started with wood, of course. There wasn't anything else.  Shot fiberglass for a while when it became available.  Then toyed with aluminum, and more recently have incorporated carbon.  Now I mostly shoot wood and carbon, often carrying both in my quiver at the same time for targets and hunting. Arrow material doesn't define traditional.   

[kopfjaeger]

I shoot and bow hunt with wood and aluminum arrows. I've actually had both in my quiver at the same time while bowhunting.  Here are pictures of a small buck I've killed, and I have both wood and aluminum arrows in the quiver. I've included a picture of my wood (German Spruce) and aluminum arrows grouping together. X2 with Orion "Arrow material doesn't define traditional."

[dnovo]

So I started shooting at a very young age with a hickory bow my brother made. It was crude but it lit the fire that's still burning 60+ years later. Back then I shot wood. Then as a teen and young 20 year old went to aluminum with some fiberglass in there somewhere. Then I went to a longbow in 1980 and started making my own woodies, but I did have aluminum mixed in there. Since then it's been mostly wood but an occasional aluminum. I still have several sets of aluminum that I play with now and then, but all my hunting and 3D shooting is woods and has been for 20+ years.  I've never had a carbon arrow.

[Wudstix]

I hunt predominantly with tapered and footed wood arrows.  I do on occasion hunt hogs with aluminum, cause it I break one it doesn't hurt as much.  I also play with carbon when practicing or shooting in a string.  Recently, I made up a dozen Carbon Express Heritage 350's that I intend to shoot at pigs with one of my recurves.  So in answer to your question, Yes!!!!
 

[PASQUINELL]

Ahhhhh, okay so it it somewhat common. I'm going to have to call him back and tell him he isn't as much a weirdo as I thought! 

Thank you all for the input.

[M60gunner]

Let’s see, what day is it? I have multiple dozens of wood, aluminum, and carbon arrows. There for awhile I had one dozen of each tuned to each bow. I have no issue using any of them for hunting.

[SS Snuffer]

Woodys in my Killum recurve, carbons in my Kanati and aluminium in my Black Hunter. That's how I keep everything straight!!

[TKO]

I used aluminum exclusively from 1986 to 1996 when I shot compounds. Then I switched to recurves stayed with aluminum until 2021 when I started shooting a longbow. I got my first woodies (Doug Fir) last year. I actually love shooting the wood arrows but, they are extremely heavy and slow. I just got a carbon test kit a couple weeks ago and I have to say, I am really, really liking the carbon arrows. I’m kinda wishing I had tried carbon sooner.

[Bobby Sikes]

I hear and see a lot of TALK.

Where are all the kills???

Where's the beef???

[Maclean]

Sometimes you just have to trust the people you trust.

[Kirkll]

I used aluminum exclusively from 1986 to 1996 when I shot compounds. Then I switched to recurves stayed with aluminum until 2021 when I started shooting a longbow. I got my first woodies (Doug Fir) last year. I actually love shooting the wood arrows but, they are extremely heavy and slow. I just got a carbon test kit a couple weeks ago and I have to say, I am really, really liking the carbon arrows. I’m kinda wishing I had tried carbon sooner.

If you have built your own woodies, you understand the the grain rotation effecting the arrow spine a lot...

Well i gotta give you a heads up here on carbon shafts.... rotating them and testing them at 90 degree intervals will really surprise you.... all carbon arrows are not created equally, and some of the economy shafts you buy can have a HUGE difference in spine strength just rotating the shaft. But even the high end carbon shafts have a strong and a weak side to them....

If you are having issues tuning carbon shafts, i would match your spine on the arrows as closely as possible first thing.... It's an eye opener for sure....   

Aluminum shafts have the closest weight and spine tolerances of all shafts when new.... but.... they do bend when abused or even shot a bunch over time. I love them and hate them myself...longevity isn't there.

Woodies are..... Well... they are Woodies...Never seen an archer yet who doesn't love the looks of a freshly crested bunch of woodies... But...The natural material moves with moisture content levels changing, and require a bit more TLC .... They all do the job, and it's a personal choice....

 .02 worth...   Kirk

[MnFn]

Douglas Fir, 160 grain STOS two blade