Tougher - Sitka Spuce or Douglas Fir?

[SpikeMaster]

For those of you that have used them what arrow wood can take the most abuse, Sitka Spruce or Douglas Fir? I'm going to hunt with wood this year and I'm trying to make my mind up. Thanks.

[moebow]

I find that sitka and d fir are about equal in strength/resiliancy.  D fir is heavier than sitka.  Sitka is comparable to POC in weight.  If you like a heavy hunting arrow choose the fir.  You can't go wrong with good shafts of either wood.

[Don Stokes]

The USDA Wood Handbook suggests that D. fir would be tougher, and considerably heavier.

[broketooth]

i hav shot d.f. shafts. i think they are great. and they do impact the target very hard, you can hear the difference betweenp.o.c. and d.f. ive never shot s.s. but i imagine that any one of these carniferous species make a great arrow

[jonsimoneau]

Both are tough, but sitka spruce is now my favorite wood shafting.  You can get excellent quality shafts from this stuff, that is in my opinion better than what is available in P.O.C.  It is similar to P.O.C. in that it is easy to straighten, and it is close in weight.  However, sitka spruce is MUCH tougher than cedar.

[Kevin Bahr]

Jon, you can now buy Sitka Spruce arrows from Rick Stillman.  He has a new business venture called "The Feathered Shaft", I think.  He even showed me some shafts that he had added internal point weight to.  I'll be trying some of those soon!
I talked to a guy named Gerald Welch (Welchman Longbows) on Prince of Wales Island, AK once.  He was in the timber business there and that is what they logged: Sitka Spruce.  He said it was so tough, that is the material that was used for airplane props, wing struts, etc. before modern material was available.

[jonsimoneau]

Hey Kevin, that's great!  I'd like to try some of the weighted ones too.  I'm really liking sitka spruce.

[SpikeMaster]

Thanks for the reply's. I was leaning toward Douglas Fir because I like a heavier arrow. I could get the Sitka Spruce and put a heavy point on them which should get me about the right weight. I'm a little apprehensive about Sitka Spruce because I did buy a dozen last year and the first one I fletched and shot broke. I'm thinking that they might have been a bit under spined for the bow I was shooting and that could have caused it. Also it might have been the 1 out of a 100 that broke.

[flint kemper]

Kevin, actually Rick(Fletcher) is just doing Douglas Fir now and will be possibly adding Sitka in the future. Flint

[Russ Clagett]

You might try the doug fir available from Braveheart Archery, he uses the surewoods. I have used a couple dozen of them now and have not had to straighten even one.

Tim at Braveheart can get heavier shafts, too, if you want extra weight. I got some heavier 60-65's and put a 160 STOS on it, ended up with a 715 grain arrow. My normal doug firs weight right at 550 all put together, so you got lots of options.

Give Tim a call or email, the surewood doug firs can't be beat for wood arrows. They're tough, easy to work with, have lots of grain so nocks are easy to align too.

[Tree Killer]

I've been using doug fir for over 15 years. They're tough, relatively heavy, and look awesome when stained as the grain seems to explode to the surface.

Good luck!    

[jonsimoneau]

Spike Master, I bought some really heavy spined sitka spruce and put heavy points on them to get them to fly out of my 53lb. Habu recurve.  Worked like a charm.

[carlr2s]

L prefer sitka spruce because my Douglas fir are too heavey for my setup. I'mm shooting 45# and the douglas fir arrows ended up 560gn. They fly beautifully but drop more than I'm used too. The wood grain is beautiful, with just a poly finish.

[Kevin Bahr]

Thanks Flint!  I stand corrected, most of the time, LOL!

[stump man]

http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/softwood.html

states MOR (Modulas of Rupture) to be 10,200 lbf/in squared for dry sitka spruce(standard 2" sample).

In comparison to Doug fir at 12,600 lbf/in squared.

10,200/12,600 = .81  or Sitka has a 19% greater chance of rupture than does Doug fir if subjected to equal impact.

my interpretation,
stump

[Paul WA]

When I shoot woodies I like the sitka spruce with a Hildebrand 12" taper...PR

[MSwickard]

Haven't used sitka but I know back in the day Jay Massey touted it as good shaft material.  I personally have used doug fir for a long time.  I like it because it is heavy and seems to hold up well.  I still have a couple dozen shaft that I purchased back in the late 80's.  These shafts are 29.5" long and weigh around 425 grains.  Over the years they have patinaed a nice orangish color.

Mike

[portugeejn]

I have used all three.  I am currently a Doug Fir fan.

Four years ago, when I became heavily involved in archery, the first arrows I used were Port Orford Cedar-because that is what traditional archers are "supposed" to use.  I had a number of them break, some while I was trying to straighten them.  

Then I tried Sitka Spruce after visiting a air museum and reading how tough it is and how it was used extensively in old airplanes.  Some became available and I made a dozen.  I broke one arrow  the first time I used the dozen, but I still have and use the rest of the dozen ('ceptin those I lost:-).  Very straight, and weight about the same as POC.

I have built and used 3 dozen Doug fir shafts (and I'll add my vote for Surewood Shafts).  I have only broken one (after a direct hit with another arrow).  They are tough and heavy.  Arrows I make with them average around 530 grains (28.5" to the back of the point, 125 grain head).  I am a Doug Fir man now.

RonP

[frank bullitt]

Yeah I remember Jay talking and writing about spruce so I tried them. It is good wood for shafts . Although I have been a big fan of ramin wood for a number years for heavy and durable, plus smaller diamater shafts. Never used doug fir but sounds like they have a great following, also.

   Sound like you should try and give both a shot! Remember Howard Hughe's Spruce Goose, and also Jay did decide on river cane for his prefered shaft. I'm liking cane more, too. Take the journey, good shootin, Steve

[martin guy]

Braveheart also sells the internal footing jig for adding point weight to the Surewood shafts.
Give Tim a call, he will set you up!