Wood shaft options?

[Bob B.]

I am shooting wood arrows real well out of my 66 inch Mohawk longbow.  So I am looking for opinions on tougness of shaft matrerial as I will begin making my own arrrows soon.  I shoot in an area that has a lot of clay and gravel in the ground.  Cedar seem to bust too darn easily around my home.  So are other woods noticably tougher and if so any suggestions?

Bob.

[Mike Vines]

Use the search option on here.  It is an amazing feature.  Douglas fir is tougher than cedar, and more woods are tougher than douglas fir.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Ash, Fir, Hex and Hickory are some of the toughest.

[magnus]

Any of the hard woods are going to be stronger. Ash maple might consider laminated birch. They are going to be heavier generally too. Hard to beat a surewood! Also it can be harder to get and keep the hardwoods straight.

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus

[lpcjon2]

All mentioned above and Bamboo as well-Magnolia

[snag]

Take a look at what Surewood Shafts (the best douglas fir shafts you'll ever buy!) has to offer. They are durable, straight, a pleasure to work with, and a great bunch of guys.

[Mike Most]

You could also take your broken cedars and foot them with osage or purple heart, here in Texas there is so much rock, the cedars break but I have seen osage footed shafts hit rock and survive.

 

[Canadabowyer]

My surewood fir shafts are almost as tough for stumping as my ash shafts and they stay straight. The ash are harder to keep straight but make a very tough and heavy arrow. I like both but use the fir for hunting and the ash mostly for flu-flus. Bob

[Jim Wright]

I shoot wood primarily, mostly douglas fir and some sitka spruce, I have shot a fair bit of cedar and one dozen cocobolo "footed" cedars. The conclusion that I have come to is that wood arrows and especially cedar, even footed ones break!(the break point is transferred to right behind the footing splice) I hear other people brag on the durability of the hardwoods but I have not shot any.

[snag]

You got to quit hitting those rocks Jim!    

[bigbadjon]

No arrow will stand up to hitting something hard or glancing of an object, not any wood, aluminum, or carbon. For wood arrows nothing is quite as good as cedar for accurate weight and straightness. Sitka spruce is a good substitute and is easy to straighten and holds it almost like cedar. Douglas Fir is good as long as it is straight from the get go, I have not had much luck straightening them if they develop a kink. Unless you are shooting higher than a 60# bow other materials start out with too much weight and I don't recommend them.

[Rob DiStefano]

the weakest point on any arrow is just behind the point.  worse yet with woodies.  

the strongest unfooted woodies yet for me are "flyrod laminated" hex pines.  really strong.  

next up are surewoods with an internal footing of bamboo skewer (minimal weight) or a steel nail (adds about 60 grains).

mostly, i use footed surewoods that i get from tim @ braveheart.  fir makes for a heckuva tough arrow that takes a good beating.  most of mine have lots of scars from being hit by other arrows or careening off rocks 'n' trees.

[Joseph]

I really liked Maple shafts which I haven't been able to find in a long time.  I have some Yellow Birch that I need to make up.  They are almost as nice as the Maple shafts were.  There is a possibility that Lodgepole Pine shafts will be available again sometime this summer.  I will keep you updated as to that development.  Joseph

[LimbLover]

I like Ramin. Haven't gotten them into the field yet though.

[Jim Wright]

Point well taken David, I've already tried to only hit the softer ones but it hasn't helped any.

[Paul WA]

I have hit a ton of stuff with my carbons that would shatter a wood shaft   PR