Can't get away from wood!

[NotThe10thMan]

I've seen and heard many arguments to justify shooting wood shafts.  I've been told by very experienced hunters and bowyers that wood is more durable, wood shoots better, traditional bows perform best with wood shafts, etc.  To be totally frank, I disagree with all of it.

Accuracy is consistency- and all else being equal, wood can basically never match carbon or aluminum for consistency in spine, weight, or durability.

Sorting through and weighing the last 3 dozen POC shafts I ordered, I found weights varying from 297-401 grains.  I bunched them up in groups of 6 or so with the nearest weight. Ensured straightness, Stained them, sealed them, etc.  and went out to bare shaft them.  I found some of them underspined shooting a 125 grain tip, some of them over spined with a 160 grain tip, etc.  I finally decided to split the difference all the way through and put 145 grain tips.

I break arrows all the time.  Sometimes pulling stubborn ones out of 3-D targets, sometimes because I like to take risky shots and lose.  It's a constant process of flex testing, inspection, straightening, etc.

I grumble, gripe, curse, complain, tell newer shooters than me not to bother with wood...

And then I order more.  The fact is that I just plain, flat out love wood.  Making my arrows is a labor of love, I like the way they feel, and the sound when I shoot them.  I reckon they're accurate enough- I got 2nd place in a local 3-D shoot using them recently.

I was just pondering that I can't justify shooting wood shaft arrows for any reason except for one- Because I darn well enjoy them!

Actually I do have one admittedly very silly reason that I like shooting wood- When I miss shots on stumps, small game, etc. and wind up losing my arrows, I feel alot better about leaving POC and turkey feathers laying around somewhere in the woods than I would leaving aluminum or carbon shafts. (Nevermind the plastic nock and the steel point...)  Silly, I realize, but it makes me happy.  

I do intend to keep piddling around and experimenting with carbon before next moose and black bear season to see what I can learn, but right now...I reckon I'm happy with wood.

Your thoughts?

[limbshaker]

I hate wood arrows. They are all I use     We must be on the same page

[centaur]

Something about wood that just makes you want to keep shooting them.  If we all had to shoot the absolute most accurate, go fast, high tech stuff we wouldn't be shooting stick bows, would we? I don't foresee shooting anything but wood.

[meathead]

Its the only thing in my quivers.

[lpcjon2]

Same here, after I make a dozen by the end of the week 3 or 4 have slices and gouges from other arrpws. It gives me a reason to make more.

[b44mag]

im starting out with the love of wood first set were carbon and they shoot good but since then i got another set of carbons. so thats 2 sets carbon. then i got some wood fluflus and just love to watch the flight,sound of a wood fluflu .      :D   then i got a few sets of aluminum flew good but . the love of wood fluflus got me thinking . and now i have 6 sets of wood and my carbons n aluminum are getting dusty.old bear poc are my favorite so far. it was fun to strip n redo them.
my buddys wheelie buddys rip on me all the time (to get rid of the woodies) cause i cant hit a chew can with them. my answer is i dont chew and neither do the deer. i think they think the deer have a side pocket with a chew can ring to aim at. so if i can hit the paper plate im good to go. one day when i get it all figured out. if ever. i just might be able to atleast nick the chew can.    
   
from a newbie here its wood for me but will keep the others just cause i guess i can

[Ground Hunter]

Got Wood!!!   I do - all I shoot.

[Sixby]

Sounds to me like you really got a batch of bad arrows. I have never ever had anyone send me a mess like that.
You might try some of the Surewood shafts. I have always got my shafts from Wapiti, formerly RR Arrows in Grants Pass or. However last time I tried to contact them no answer. They had awsome fire killed , old growth Port Orford Cedar.
 
Anyway , like the rest of you I love woods. Love aluminums too but not too hot on carbons.

God bless you all and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Steve

[ron w]

I shoot Carbon, Aluminum, and wood. The only ones that are cool are the wood. They look like no others arrow, they smell good when they break and the just have..........maybe it's class! I like wood!  

[Shedrock]

I just love wood arrows. No inserts, outserts, screw in this and that. Wood arrows just Shedrockin' rule!

[Brently]

There is just something about wood no matter what type of wood it is.  I make ny own shafts and am always trying different types of wood. Carbon and metal shafts just don't seem to fit the style of archery I enjoy.  


carbon and

[sweeney3]

I find wood a lot easier to work with and tune than carbon.  I shoot carbons from my recurve, but my wood bows (not centershot, or even close to it) all get wood.  It's much easier to work with.  It also sounds better, feels better, and looks better.  I like wood/cane.

[huey]

P.O.C. is my least favorite wood. Yellow pine I like the best. Killied 2 with the same maple arrow this year. Shot live trees and dug them out with no damage. I use maple or bearch for clowning around. Those things will hold up just as good as any other material. Like u posted gotta keep them straight.

[Rob DiStefano]

imo, it's real hard to find good poc in this millennium.  far better off with doug fir or sitka spruce, to name a few good arrow woods offered these dayze.  then there's the "natural carbon", bamboo/cane.    

it's true that you'd hafta sort through quite a few shafts to match up a dozen for precise weight (digitally measured) and spine (on a good shaft spine machine).

woodies don't have the mass weight, ease of foc tweakability, small diameter, consistency, and rugged durability of synthetic arrow shafting.  

but, heck, wood is organic, nostalgic and just SO right for a trad hunting bow.  :D

[S.C. Hunter]

I shoot carbon and wood and it is no contest for me I prefer wood. I like the way it comes off the string quiet as a whisper, the way it sounds when it hits the target and I am actually very accurate with wood. I still like carbon and practice with carbon mostly because it is so durable, which means buying arrows less often.

If I had to decide on one I could go with wood and not look back.

[Thumper Dunker]

I shoot carbons so I do not hurt my woods. Save the woods for special stuff.

[bawana bowman]

I prefer wood and cane. Hunt with both, also own a bunch of aluminum and shoot them, but only to tune them to whichever bow I'm hunting with at the time. I like to hunt with aluminum during monsoon season, to protect the wood and cane from moisture intrusion.
Have never owned or shot carbon, just never had the desire to try them. However I actually bought a dozen cheap carbons at Wally World this evening. Why? you might ask. I was asked to bring a couple 3d targets and some bows to a Thanksgiving get together tomorrow. There will only be 3 out of about 30 people there that have ever shot a bow. I shudder to think what could happen to my woodies with all those greenhorns trying to hit a 3d Turkey. And at $3.00 a piece the carbons are a lot cheaper to lose than my precious wood.

[David Yukon]

I shot everything, but wood is by far my favorite.
I shot POC, and now Surewood, and I think surewood will be everthing I will shoot. Now I need to outfit my self to build arrows from scratch...

[Terry Lightle]

Nothing but wood here.POC since 1972,been thinking about some other woods but have not been able to bring myself to do it yet.

[Steve95]

Started with glass then switched to aluminum and progressed to wood when I could afford it. Been shooting wood for at least 25 years. All things are by choice, I can shoot anything I want, wood is my choice. Lately it is finding 40+ year old shafts and using them again.