The traditon in Traditional Archery

[Keb]

So I got a new longbow and have been doing some shooting, running low on woodies, I order some test carbon arrows to see if I might like them.

The carbons fly good, not any better than the wood.

Is there something wrong with me, but I felt if I was going to shoot a carbon arrow it may as well be from a compound bow.

I think the woodies make he traditional journey complete. I know my bow is made of high tech materials and so is my string and rubber, but it just dont feel right shooting carbon.

[ron w]

Wood arrows have a certain thing about them that I can not explain.........but I like that certain thing. I shoot alum, Carbon also but you can't beat a wood arrow.......just can't!

[Matty]

Lots of people feel the same exact way! Not that one is right or wrong.  It just comes down to personal preference. I have been shooting carbon since I started. And I love them. So easy to tune.  But this is the year I make the transition to wood! You're right it does seem to complete the journey in a way.
   

To each his own! I love the carbon arrows and how they shoot. I don't mess with wood arrows.

Bisch

[Larrydawg]

I shoot both modern recurves and self long bows, I have mixed emotions about both. if Im just practicing to build up muscles I shoot aluminum arrows out of my recurves but woodies only from my Osage Self bow. shooting aluminum or carbon out of my self bow would be like putting a scope on my 1884 trapdoor Springfield 45-70 rifle! to me It just don't Belong!! On the other hand I would put a Big Block Chevy motor in a Model T!!
 Maybe I need Therapy!!
LarryDawg

[Bowwild]

A great thing about archery is the individual flavor you can bring to it. I'd recommend establishing your own criteria or definition of archery for your tastes and then stick to it.

You needn't conform to someone else's definition or a perception of "traditional" unless you want too.

[BAK]

I guess it's whatever fills the space between your ears.  Some feel only wood will give them the right feel.  As long as it's a long pull on a single string I'm happy.

[njloco]

I like wood arrows, but shoot carbons, no time too mess around with wood right now, maybe after I retire.

[Mr. fingers]

I agree,
It's all where you draw your line in the sand.  One piece bows,take downs with bolts,metal risers, wood arrows,aluminum arrows carbons, wool plaids, or modern camo. Bows with epoxy laminations, stone broadheads or steel, sinew attached fletching and broadheads or glue the list goes on and on. About what's  traditional is . To each his own.
I did read a great quote in bow hunter mag. A few years ago about carbon over wood. "What's more natural than carbon "
Don't sweat it give the carbons a good try woods aren't going anywhere  

[M60gunner]

I can relate to what everyone has posted. I used to ponder this "traditional" arrow thing. I do not any more. I rather be shooting my bows, at my age I do not need to impress anyone.

[Burnsie]

Killed many deer with wood arrows,   since changing to carbon,  only one.  Think I need to bring a little mojo back into my traditional hunting, and break the woodies back out,  might just be the ticket.

[centaur]

Shoot what you want. The trad police won't arrest you.

[Rob W.]

When I started this journey any trad bow would do. Then I felt drawn to longbows and wood arrows. After that I switched back a forth from recurves to carbon, a little aluminum, wood back to carbon etc...  Now a selfbow and maybe some cane arrows are on the menu.

I hope I never feel my journey is complete.

[Sam McMichael]

As so many have said, shoot what you prefer and what performs best for you. I have returned to wood exclusively, but have shot a lot of aluminum also.

[heartlandbowyer]

I think being able to straighten a wood arrow plays into guys using carbon and aluminum. Also it's a little easier to tune a carbon or aluminum, for me anyways.

Sure can make those woodies beautiful and fly true if ya know what you're doing though.

I think we owe it to our quarry to shoot what we can make fly best and have the most confidence in.

Cory

[LB_hntr]

That is the beauty about this sport. You can get as advanced or as simple as you want but can never cheat the process.
 Even though I shoot carbons exclusively today I'm very glad there arr still a lot of people that only want to shoot wood.

[CRS]

Don't sweat it, shoot what you like, like what you shoot.  To me it is the flight of the arrow, over the material of the arrow.

With that being said, there is an innate satisfaction of crafting my own set of woodies.  Sorting, straightening, staining, sealing, cresting, fletching etc.  

But with two boys and myself to keep in arrows, the carbons make my life easier  My time is at a premium any more.  Get a recipe, easy to duplicate.  Easy to fix tune issues as they grow and draw length/poundage changes.

If one is practical, I feel carbons are the best quality and repeatability for the money, especially if you factor in woodie culls and time spent creating them. I may be a touch picky about my wood arrows though.

I tend to shoot woodies out of my classic longbows and selfbows.  Carbons out of my modern design  bows.  

This may seem strange, but I factor in the bowyer's philosophy also.  I have a friend who has built me some longbows and he is against carbons, so out of respect, nothing but woodies out his bows.  

I have not shot aluminum arrows for close to 20 years and avoided the carbons until I could get the weight up to 10gr/#.

[Easykeeper]

I usually shoot carbon, but like others have said there is something about a nice wooden arrow.  For one thing they don't compare to aluminum or carbon for consistency, but that has the effect of making each one an individual, no matter how closely they are matched.  Not so good for precise tuning, but the upside to this is each arrow ends up with a personality of it's own.  Seems like there is always one or two out of a dozen that are the ones I trust more than the others, with carbon they are all the same.

Wood arrows are beautiful, warm to the touch, quiet off the bow, and if you make them yourself have a special meaning.  I'm not giving up carbons, but will never loose my appreciation for wooden arrows, and it has   nothing  to do with being   traditional.

[mike g]

I think I still have some of all three, But I mostly use Aluminum Arrows....
    I like them because if I buy some now and years later they are the same....I use the legacy arrows so they look like wood.
    Now when I used all three, I kept them close in weight, so I had no problem switching between the three....

[Sean B]

All of the above!!!  Now for me, I think that I'm a bit of a head case. I feel that each bow has its own personality, and I set it up accordingly.  My vintage Bears, I set up with woods and greeny heads, my Howard Hill type long bows will also shoot woodies, but be used with a back quiver.  I shoot Carbon from my Widows, and aluminum from my Bighorn, and Red Wing Hunter.

Also as stated in a post on this thread, its a progression.  I've also acquired a Selfbow and a set of arrows tipped with napped heads.  

Variety is the spice of life!!