How long will carbons last?

[string bean]

Say you miss your target, your arrow snakes up in the ground and a year later you find it.  Is it still shootable or is it trash?

[BOWMARKS]

Good question?

[Iron]

I'LL Be watchin this one...

[Soilarch]

I'd look hard at both ends of the shaft and then bend it. If it looks good and if it doesn't make any sounds go for it...at your own risk.  


I think what you're really asking is if the "glue", or whatever they use, to hold the graphite layers together will deteriorate and weaken.

All I know on that question is that the "glue" lasts much longer than it takes for me to lose/break a shaft.

...rather useless ain't I? lol

[tradsniper]

flex the shaft from all directions, if it is damaged it will crack. closely inspect the insert and nock ends for cracks. if none of these occur shoot it

[tradsniper]

Soilarch beat me to it

[bolong]

I've found them at the range with a metal detector that had been there at least a year. They appeared to be okay.

[lilbobby]

My brother shot a deer in 08 at a place on our lease called the "Buck Poop", we found his GT about 9 months later. He re-fletched and was shooting it this year.

[JRY309]

I lost a GT 55/75 Trad for about a year and got it back,the feathers were trashed.So I just refletched it and it shot fine,I did check it for any cracks.

[jhg]

Depends on how much sun it has gottem IMO. 1 year of direct sunlight on one side and I'd not want to use it. The shielded side will be stronger, unless the matrix has UV protection or is otherwise unaffected by UV. They may very well be impervious but I'd call and find out.

Joshua

[string bean]

Hmm, I may just use it to stake down my pop up

[Bowferd]

I'm always losing arrows and finding them 3 months to a year later.    
I know there are a few more out there somewhere.
So far so good. If I find one of those 2 or 3 year old ones i'll probably revert to tomatoe stakes.  

[Ragnarok Forge]

Carbon matrix materials have an indefinite life span.  In other words they will last until you break them on a rock or other hard object.  The resins once cured do not decay.  The carbon fibers are inert and do not decay either.

If you buried one and it was found a hundred years later the steel and aluminum would be mainly rust and oxides while the shaft would be totally intact.

I have worked with a variety of matrix materials and carbon fiber was the toughest of the bunch once cured.

[Stone Knife]

the price of one arrow is not worth a lifetime of misery if it were to come apart when shot. if there is any question what so ever I just toss them out.

[LCH]

I have shot goldtips that I found after a year or more no problem they shot fine. Would you shoot an aluminum after that time?LCH

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I have shot some carbon arrows for over ten years, but like the gentleman stated up top "their not worth a lifetime of misery", if they are broke or cracked throw them away.

[Running Buck]

I have found that the UV in sunlight is about the only thing that beats them up in time. I would inspect every inch of that shaft before shooting it. As stated, the price of a shaft is not worth the surgery and rehab it will take to repair your hand if it blows up on release. JMO

[Chris Shelton]

still shootable, mabye not directly from the ground, because the feathers will be trashed but the carbon should be absolutely fine.  At least it has been fine in all of the cases that it has happened to me.  I just fletch them up again, and am good to go.  The problem is that in the past I have gotten a different kind by the time I find the lost ones.  But now I have been with the same shafts for almost a year now, so I should be golden!

[aussieman8]

this happened to me a few weeks ago. i lost the arrow in june and i finally found it.
my cresting and fletching came off but the shaft was fine