why wood?

[D.T.]

I agree with most there is just something about wood arrows. By far I've taken more game with carbon and aluminum. My journey into traditional archery began however with woodies so I'm going back to wood exclusively this next season. Well made wood arrows put where they belong are very effective!

[snag]

....?

[snag]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
if you hafta ask "why?", you'll never understand the need to fling wood.    

That's it Rob. I'd just add that you should live with some GOOD quality wood arrows and see how it goes. Sometimes experiencing something goes a lot longer in helping me understand it by explaining it with just words.      
I started out with aluminum, tried carbon, then I got into making my own woodies. I understood why wood.

[LimbLover]

They aren't easier to break. Aluminum breaks and bends far easier from my experience. I put two off a concrete floor from 15 yards up and didn't even put a bend in them tonight.

Having to straighten them constantly is also a myth. If you buy decent shafts, heat straighten them, and check them as you apply finish, they'll stay straight. In fact, most are bent from being pulled out of targets carelessly.

I should point out that I shoot a 23/64 shaft, that may have something to do with it. I've also found that woods are way more forgiving. Matching them is key. I weigh matched sets again after purchase and batch them accordingly. I only take like batches to the range. I don't mix them.

[pergradus]

So you guys who make your own arrows, do you also make your own tips?

[killinstuff]

Why yes, we all do make our own tips. Right after we are done growing the trees to make the arrows, we mine the materails for the tips.   :rolleyes:

[GO Rogers]

What a great thread! Keep it coming.

[Swamp Yankee]

I shoot wood because I can.  
Shoot 6 woodies, then 6 of anything else.  If all is correctly tuned, I seriously doubt you will see any practical real difference in "downrange where it hits the target" accuracy at 20 yards or less.
Esthetics does it for me.  Additionally, wood seems to be a lot quieter than aluminum to me for the same weight arrow.

[sweeney3]

'Cause I like em.  

[sorefingers]

Just getting started but I think it has to do with association    So if you keep hangen arround you will also end up with some woodies in your quiver.

[LimbLover]

Agreed...I thought all of you woods guys were elitist fools. lol A total naysayer. I bought a set to have a frame of reference and have been making my own ever since. Can't stand the feel of anything else.

Moral of the story - don't knockem till you try 'em.

[trad_bowhunter1965]

There are so many things can do with wood arrows, I have just started to make my own wood arrow from scratch started with 3/8 piece of Spruce and plane it down to 11/32. I love this Stuff

[ripforce56]

I started with carbons, they shot great, but something about wood arrows just intrigued me, so I bought 6 chondoo pine shafts made them up and tried them out of my longbows! I was hooked,  they shoot greatand are very forgiving,plus I love building them, as to toughness I have POC and Douglas fir both! I shoot inside once a week and outside when whether permits at 3D targets I havn't broke one yet and I have bounced them off a few trees etc!As to straightening, once they are built and finished that has not been an issue either!

[cedar]

All three types will get the job done.  Aluminum and carbon are just arrows though, not much to talk about, just a piece of equipment we use to be archers. IMO, wood is not only an arrow but part of the maker.  It is a labor or love, a hobby, it helps me get through the winters here in PA, it shows personality and is always a topic of conversation among archers.  It becomes part of me, not just some piece of equipment I use.  It just seems like the right thing to do with a wooden bow.  I would also like to make my own bows someday.

[Mike Vines]

Originally posted by Grey Taylor:
I can make a wood arrow beautiful, something I'm proud to shoot and show off.
A carbon or aluminum arrow will never be more than a carbon or aluminum arrow.

Guy

exactly

[KEG]

I build and shoot all three but, like wood the best. Plus, they look good in the "trophy" pictures.

[TWarrows]

shooting a nice set of woodies is just beautiful. And in the end IMO you feel like you did something that not everyone can do..But thats just IMHO.

[lpcjon2]

it's natural preriod. And nothing beats long strong wood.  

[Bowmag]

If you shoot a lighter poundage bow the carbons can be tuned to shoot well. But I just can't make myself like 4" of shaft hanging out front. And I end up with what I think is way too many grains per pound of bow weight. Long before I thought about FOC or XFOC I killed lots of critters with plain ol' POC. And they were not even tapered. I'm going back to woods and plain two blade broadheads that don't weight a bunch with a 100 gr. insert.

[Rooselk]

There are, of course, several good metal alloys that can be used to make arrows which fly beautifly and are quite durable. Many archers say these shafts of metal are superior to those made of wood, and - to be very frank - I think perhaps they are right, but so far I have stayed with wooden shafts. Somehow, I feel that arrows of wood are more in keeping with the real spirit of old-time archery and require more of the archer himself than a more modern arrow; maybe that is a silly reason for shooting wooden arrows, but most of us archers are silly, one way or another. Call it sentiment if you like.

Howard Hill penned the above nearly 60 years ago. It is as true today as it was when it was written.