The switch to wood, any thoughts?

[Medic85]

Hey guys I'm running low on arrows and I'm thinking of making the switch to woods.  Is there much of a performance difference in comparison to carbon?.  Also is there much maintenance with them?  Any input is appreciated.

[ChuckC]

I personally think that wood is not as "good" as carbon in terms of performance. .  however. .  that said I also think wood is fine, good, very good even.  I use both and I use wood for hunting and play.  I like wood, something nostalgic about shooting wood arrows.  I have been using Surewood shafts of late and plan to continue with them.  Excellent shafts.

As far as maintenance. .  I put a coat of car wax on the shaft before hunting to keep the little bit of scratching noise (on the rest) down at the draw and maybe to help it slide through the deer.

Try them, you might like them !
ChuckC

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Night and day difference in performance consistancy from one perspective, and the woodies do require some maintenance & TLC....

But...That is half the draw to going with wood is all the fun you have building them.  Wood arrows do not recover from paradox as quickly as carbon does, and you definitely need to keep an eye on them for straightness.... But shooting wood arrows adds an element of traditional spirit and a feel all its own..... In many ways a wood arrow can be tuned to a bow easier than carbon shafts after you get the hang of it. You can get good hunting weight shafts out of Douglas Fir, and they are pretty tough arrows. I'd recommend Sherwood shafts 100%..... Cedar shafts are ok too, but they sure don't hold up as well as doug fir, and they don't stay as straight either.

I love woodies.... but i hunt with carbon because i want good consistency i don't have to fuss with while hunting.  Kirk

[Bjorn]

The only reason to shoot wood is "love". If you are weighing pros and cons you will likely be happier shooting something else. There is no rational reason to shoot wood.            

[overbo]

IMO,w/ woods it's all about the quality. Example, I've recently purchased some old ACME shafts that are far better quality than any shafts I've recently purchased including the above mentioned. Which by the way are very good quality for today's standards. There is a gentleman in the sponsor classifieds that builds very good footed shafts and would recommend highly.

[centaur]

I shoot wood exclusively and the critters don't seem to mind; I love everything about wood shafts, and I don't see any real downside to shooting them. They fly straight, look good, and do the job they were designed to do. Nothing wrong with shooting carbon or aluminum, but wood has an appeal to me that the other arrows lack. Just my humble and completely unbiased opinion.

[MnFn]

I have shot wood, carbon and aluminum.  At traditional bow hunting distances I see little difference.

Wood is maybe less durable, but especially with some wood I don't have to go to great lengths to add weight to get the arrow right for my bow.  I have finished weight arrows from 530 up to well over 600 grains.

I love woodies !

[trubltrubl]

i shot wood for most of my traditional archery life and switched to carbon about 5 years ago...equally tuned I find carbon penetrate more because they don't bend as much on impact . so you loose less energy laterally as the arrow goes through the animal. I saw a video on this a long time ago  and was sold. But I still hunt with wood arrows with selfbows and on some nostalgic hunts

Like others said...... nothing wrong with wood arrows they work great but IMHO carbons are better performers...

laminated birch is also a nice heavy wood shaft. I took a Mulle deer buck with a cedar shaft and a woody weight up front 2 years ago and the penetration was excellent. If you have wood arrows that nedd a little extra weight I like those woody weights.

[WESTBROOK]

Bjorn, you are correct.

You gotta want to shoot them and accept their imperfections...then your good to go.    :D

[Keb]

Heck, my bow shots wood better than carbon.

[yearcher]

There is absolutely nothing even remotely traditional about shooting carbon arrows, and that especially includes the ones that say "traditional" on them. It simply boggles my mind why anybody would quit shooting a compound bow to shoot a recurve or longbow and then shoot anything but a wood arrow out of it. Good gosh hundreds of thousands of critters have and still are harvested cleanly with a wood arrow. That said yup carbon and aluminum are better shafts than wood without question.  But why would anyone label themselves "traditional" and then shoot a carbon arrow?  No question they're better but ask yourself this, "why am I shooting a longbow or recurve in the first place?"  It'd kinda be like putting a scope on a fine flintlock rifle. Just my opinion but I've been at this for over 50 years.

[The-Talon]

Yearcher as much as I agree with you not all of us here on Trad gang.. (well me anyway) Can't afford to keep purchasing wood arrows or if you're not buying them find the time to make them all the time.. I like to practice alot that includes Stumps, clumps of grass, etc, etc. Carbon just simply lasts longer and is much more durable.. I don't think it is the traditional way... but either way you're still shooting an arrow from a traditional bow and it's taken just as much practice to get there even if it's not wood. In the end it's all about fun!

[The-Talon]

Can't*

[abbatoys]

I love the look, smell, and feel of woodies. I have tried aluminum and carbon with success, but always find my way back to woodies....

[The Ursus]

Another vote for doug fir shafts from Surewood.  Out of the two dozen shafts I purchased, years ago, only a few of them required slight straightening. Just seal them up with a good spar urethane and you're good to go.

[Cold Weather]

they only used wooden arrows in the earlier days because it was all they had.

towards carbon-wood is inferior in every way!

but go ahead, shoot wood if you want.  its obviously worked but you will find out as I have why other arrow material has been explored and why carbon has become so popular.

[AkDan]

honestly when we look at performance as a hole.  A woody vs a carbon vs a alumn on whitetails is really an irrelative conversation to  begin with.   Now factor in a less 'efficient' bow design and I have to ask how much difference in a well tuned setup are you going to see.  

You can make adjustments on carbons you cant do on woods.  

aluminums ping (annoying but cureable)

Ash wood arrows are ALMOST as tough as rebar.   I think cane or bamboo is tougher what little I've tinkered with them but I don't care for the weight.   I'm not a heavy weight arrow guy, but I don't like featherlights either.

I think some of the reason guys think carbon out penetrates wood is not only the stiffness, but also the small diameter and generally slick finish.   I've taken a ash woodie and put it darn near clean through a Alaskan moose.   A buddy put a carbon through a newfie moose....both moose are dead.  Compare that to northen whitetail or black bear and I don't think you'll have any issues with penetration.  again from a well tuned bow shooting a normal head.

I don't think woods are a hinderance either.   A good woodie will group just as well or very close to woods or alums.   It is a choice to make and being its natural materials you're going to need to take precautions.  I check mine from time to time for straightness.   it becomes habit.....read below as to why.

I think the biggest attribute to bent wood arrows isn't finish and moisture.  Its mishandling removing from a target!!!   Case in point, I've had a ash wood arrow (supposedly notorious for warping), standing verticle in a tube for the last 15 years.  Shot a sheep with one from the group.  didn't like the red caps so I bought more and went back to my yellow.  Its still straight!  In theory I've done everything wrong with this arrow and its stills straight...hmmm  

Grab a woodie and squeeze once you'll see what I mean  If you're not pulling it straight out you're bending the shaft.  Woods will stay that way!  carbons will not.  

Now junk woods are a different story!   Poor grain runout you'll bust arrows like toothpicks.   They likely wont stay straight and it will be a headache.  Its why many have gotten away from wood all together.  Finding good wood has become harder but not impossible.   If you are stuck on say rogue river or raven quality cedar from recent years, good luck.  I'm sure it exists but its not the norm.   There is a host of other woods out there that make great shafts and is not only easier to find but cheaper!

once you go wood you'll likely not go back for anything other than laziness.

[Shakes.602]

Bjorn Said it all "Love". I have made wood arrows from POC to Wally World Ramin Dowels, and of course the Cheaper arent as straight, but with TLC and Patience they CAN be as Straight as the POC!! Being the Cost Consience Archer that I am, I will make a Decent Arrow out of just about any Dowel! Like I said, Bjorn said it All, "Love" and after making a few dozen of your very own, the Love for Wood will shut out the desire for anything else!

[slowbowjoe]

I tried carbons for a season, and went back to wood. Staying with it. I find them more forgiving, more quiet out of my bow, and just plain more pleasant to handle and work with.
Yes, they do require attention. At least, you need to learn how to straighten them; they'll need it once in a while. Yes, they're less durable than carbons if you're stumpin', though carbons get lost just as easily as wood.
For me, learning to make up arrows, taking the time to stain, seal, cut (with simple tools), taper, and fletch, then head out to the woods with them, deepens my connection with, and appreciation for, my archery as a whole. I didn't get that with carbons.
I guess I'd rather bust  woodies (sometimes) than shoot carbons.

Not a judgement, just my personal feelings on the question.

[ron w]

Wood is good......