woddies, worth the trouble?

[bowmaster12]

since im getting a new bow im thinking of making the switch to wooden arrows but from the littel i know about them it seems they are alot of work.  Always needing straigtening and what not. Do you guys feel that its worth all the work need to shoot these arrows?

[Focusource]

I've gone through a couple dozen cedar shafts.  They weren't any trouble at all and rarely needed any hand straightening.  Two of them are on my wall as having taken down deer.  Give the wood a try.  I think you will enjoy the experience.

[Frenchymanny]

For me, tapered ash is the best.Toughest arras I ever shot

F-Manny

[newell38]

ive shot wood exclusively for years and i can honestly say that i have never straightened an arrow.  i actually think building wood arrows is a quite enjoyable process and its NOT hard.

[JRY309]

They can be very satisfying in making them.I loved making mine back when I shot strictly wood for 3D's and hunting.Sure you have to check for straightness and can be easy to straighten after you get your techinque down.They can be alot of work if you want to get into crown dipping and cresting,but satisfying in making your own signature arrows.I haven't made any wood arrows in a few years but have a few dozen shafts I plan on making next summer.You can get out of it what you want,the satisfaction of making your arrows from raw wooden shafts.Can be alot of fun and alot of work.But I'll admit these days it can be cheaper and easier just doing some carbons or aluminum arrows.

[snag]

They are a lot of fun to build, tune, and shoot! No work to me....if it's fun it can't be work. Just feels right to shoot a wood arrow out of a wood bow.

[straitera]

Never a problem here except some thin ash once. Make your own & you'll be especially glad you did.

[rappstar]

I'm still trying to find my own setup.  If you read thru the forum here, you'll get a lot of opinions about the best arrow and such.  Most folks say one is better than the other b/c they've killed game with their setup and they have confidence in it.

You'll have to experiment and see what works for you.  I've shot them all and they all fly and will kill game.  I switched from aluminum to carbon then to hickory shafts.  My reason is that I shoot a 70# + pound bow and with hickory, I can get my arrow weight up to 750+ gr without front-loading and arrow.  Not that front loading is bad, I just haven't made it work for me.

They all break (bend for alum) at some point or another...If you have to straighten a wood arrow, it isn't that big of a deal.  Its not like you have to straighten wood after every shot.  Just check them once in a while.

[Bender]

Newell38 pointed out "i can honestly say that i have never straightened an arrow" It has also been pointed by others, woodies are clearly superior because they can't tell the difference between shooting straight or shooting bent woodies.

[ISP 5353]

My carbon arrows are just really old wood!  Seriously, I always had trouble keeping wood arrows straight.

Years ago I made my own custom wood arrows. I got a lot of enjoyment out of it.  I used them to hunt and at the time rarely took a shot past 18 yards.  When I began shooting better I found that I could group better with aluminum at longer distances. I've since gone to carbons.  

They're not worth the trouble to me any more. I guess it's like most everything else.  It's all about goals, limitations and personal satisfaction.

Bender,

It's pretty easy to tell if an arrow is staight or not--that is, if you can shoot a lick.   :^)

[newell38]

i do straighten my raw shafts if needed before i start making my arrows but as far as using a dial indicator or roller straightener after an arrow has been finished, i havent had to do it yet and i do A LOT of shooting!  if you use your spine finder correctly to make arrows, a little bend in the shaft WILL NOT matter. i dont know if they are superior or not because everyone has their own opinions and experiences but there is just something right about a longbow and wood arrow.  i also like how a heavy wood shaft from a high performance longbow or recurve destroys just about anything in its path!!!!

[Blackhawk]

I prefer shooting to having to putter with wood arrows...so no, not worth the effort for me.  However, I know a lot of guys like snag and newell38 who love their woodies.

[newell38]

yes and i have absolutely nothing against carbon or aluminum...just love the wood!  its up to the topic starter (TS) if its worth it to him or not!  itll be fun either way!

[George D. Stout]

I shoot aluminum and wood and see no negative side to wood arrows.

[Old York]

YES! I shoot them, I lose them, I break them,
then I make some more. Hell, I even have names
for some of the flighters I make. You get the hang of crafting woodies and there's a lot
of cool things you can do that can't be done with aluminium or carbon.

[Mr.Magoo]

The only thing I'm using wood shafts for is to build a fire.

[George D. Stout]

It's okay Magoo,  I use carbons for tomato stakes.

[Tsalagi]

Been shooting wood shafts for years. I'm now making the leap into shafts made from shoots with self-nocks and my own handmade points. And will be doing cane soon, too.

I never had a problem making wood shafts or keeping them straight. I enjoy making them.

[LBOW]

There is something very satisfying in the building of wood arrows. As my friends will tell you I very seldom do more than one of the same. And I do not have to worry about the arrow being mine they always know. They are all the same spine and weight but that is all. MIKE