Chip in carbon shafts...safe to shoot?

[kevgsp]

I have a 2 or 3 carbon shafts that are chipped from the tip of a field point striking them in a target.  The chip is about 1/16-1/32 deep.  Are these OK to shoot.

[E. Texas HillBilly]

Hello Kevgsp,
                I have had the same thing happen to me many times and as long as there are not hunks taken out, i.e. it is just the finish and not the actual carbon shafting, I keep shooting them and have never had a failure. I hope this helps you out.
                         -Hillbilly

[vermonster13]

Ever seen what a carbon shaft does to a hand when it comes apart? Not pretty. They label right on them to inspect before shooting for such things. The ER visit costs a lot more than a new shaft.

[Soilarch]

Vermonster's right, however, I've got a some that have two that are chipped way up at the front.

What I do is the old bend-and-listen test.  If there's any creaking/cracking/gritty sounds throw it out...it's definitely bad.

I'd feel a lot safer if the chips were at the ends than in the middle portion.  In my mind it would make a huge difference...but my mind is really messed up sometimes.  Hence, the bending test.

[huckbuck]

I had an arrow break upon release a couple weeks ago. It broke about six inches from the nock end and left a nice abrasion on my bow arm. If there was any prior damage it was covered up by the wrap.  I've since started checking my carbon shafts a little closer.

[GrnMtnTradNut]

I would throw it away, it's only an arrow they make thousands everyday

[donw]

get rid of it...

[Coonbait]

I wouldn't shoot it. Not worth hurting yourself or someone near you.
GLENN

[wapiti]

NO!

[BowHuntingFool]

I wouldn't shoot it, toss it in the garbage!

[kevgsp]

Well, guess I'll trash 'em.  

Though I could get a year out of a doz, but not so.  I shoot a lot in my basement at like 10 yards, hard on arrows I guess.  Maybe I'll start flingin 1 at a time.  I'm Cheap!

Thanks

[vermonster13]

Get a 5 spot target and shoot groups of one.

[Curtis Haden]

Little story, not directly related to small chips in carbon shafts, but still close enough to warrant consideration...

I was shooting CX Heritage 150's in the back yard one day.  Had been shooting a while and decided to mix it up a bit.  I sat a block style target on a plastic picnic table and started shooting at it from about 50 yards away.  After one or two shots the inevitable happened and I missed.  The arrow was low, and hit the lip of the picnic table, penetrating up to the fletching.

I looked it over and carefully pulled the arrow out.  There was no cracking noise when I pulled it out, nor could I hear or see anything when I flexed it.  Figured I got lucky.  I did.

I got lucky in that when the shaft exploded on the next shot, the back half hit my bow arm bicep sideways instead of blowing clear through it.  It hurt bad enough that I thought I HAD shot through my arm, and wasn't convinced till I rolled my shirt sleeve up and looked.

As most of you know, CX Heritage shafts have an outer layer they call "Buff Tuff".  That outer layer prevented me from seeing that the inner shaft was damaged.  This is not a slam on CX.  I still shoot CX arrows, but I will not shoot any shaft, of any material, that I have ANY doubt about whatsoever!

Better safe than sorry!  Arrows can be expensive, but like someone said earlier, the ER bill is more expensive!!!

[Gray Buffalo]

A 10.00 dollar arrow or 3 months letting your arm heal. No brainer

[Mo. Huntin]

When we shot compound archery tournaments they had a survival shoot and you only had 1 arrow to get through the entire shoot with and they set the targets up with pieces of steel blocking every thing but the vital area.  and all kinds of obstacles in the way.  I saw guys shooting broken arrows and only drawing to 3/4 draw because that was all the arrow they had.  I can't believe no one got hurt.

[Mo. Huntin]

I would not even dream of shooting an arrow with an imperfection on the nock end.

[BEN]

if you tap the arrow against your knee/leg, you should be able to hear a rattle if there is anything wrong with it.
But, depending on how deep this chip is---if there is ANY chance it is more than just the outer coating--I wouldn't shoot it.
JMO
Ben

[D.A. Davis]

This is what happened to a friend of mine when a carbon arrow broke while shooting.  The arrow had no physical signs of damage except for a few nicks from shooting tight groups.  Check your arrows frequently.

 

[Ybuck]

IMO, nope. Don't risk injury please.

[jrchambers]

ewww, i had some gold tips, im bad about checking nocks and shafts, well one had a crack in the nock end all the way through and about a half inch, well this one made it into my quiver somehow, just a grab and go i guess,  i know you all are thinking this will be bad, well i shot that arow for three days probably 20 times each day and not a thing but when i found that it was the cracked one i broke it in half so i wouldn make the same mistake again,