Anyone not experienced wood arrows?

[snag]

I receive calls from guys every week who have not experienced wood arrows before. There is a generation of archers who came into archery when aluminum and carbon arrows were the norm. They just haven't had the exposure to shooting well built wood arrows. Oh maybe they have tried a buddies wood arrows. But those were built for their buddies bow and probably don't fly well out of their bow.
The common comments I hear back from guys who try wood are that they are surprised at how much more quiet their bow is. Also they are happy with the accuracy.
I'd just encourage those who haven't shot wood to get with an arrow builder who is knowledgeable and can help you get a good set. You may discover another part of trad archery that was missing...or maybe not. Might be worth the discovery.

[Biathlonman]

I just tried my first set last summer. You described me to a "t", I grew up shooting aluminum and got started in traditional with carbon. I must warn folks though, I find building wood arrows just about as much fun as shooting them!  It took me a while and several sets to figure out what my bows like but it's amazing how well tuned wood arrows shoot!

[snag]

There you go Brad. That's great you discovered the love of making and shooting woodies.        There will always be guys that don't want to make their own (Mudd, you out there?..haha)  If so, just ask a friend who makes them or someone like myself, or many others around here who build great arrows,  to help build you a set that will fly great out of your bow. It may open your eyes to a whole new part of trad archery that you just weren't aware of.  I was there at one point and sure am grateful to my friends who led me to wood arrows.

[FerretWYO]

I used to shoot them all the time but have not for years. Maybey I will get a set and try it again.

[Major Boothroyd]

I have not tried wood yet.  I am looking forward to building a set before long.  Maybe this Spring, when I catch up with work a bit and get my taxes done.  There are quite a few guys that I shoot with who shoot and build their own wood arrows, so I have some help close by.

[kybownut]

I've bought a  couple , well 2 1/2 dozen arrows from snag the only problem i find with them is I want another dozen before the old ones are gone!    (like the ones he made for the lady in bc).your right snag, not nothing like a well tuned wood arrow in flight.

[joe skipp]

Snag...started with POC back in '69, Forgewoods, Barrel tapered Ash...etc...I really like shooting aluminum but find myself now regressing back to wood. Surewood Steve sells some fine Doug Fir and I'm planning on making up a doz woodies for my longbow.

Think I'm going with another dz from Steve and 5/16 compressed Ramin from Twig Archery. These arrows will reflect my early years. Fully dipped white with 2 white and 1 blue feather. My project for over the summer....  

[Roverrich]

Snag, your arrows and Suzanne St Charles's fine POC arrows made me a convert!

As an aside, one thing I noticed is that since wt seems more evenly distributed on a wooden shaft vs a very high EFOC carbon arrow, they tend to have a more flat flight to them vs a similar high EFOC arrow. I think this may relate to the center of gravity and the drag caused by feathers in high EFOC fighting to keep the arrow flying level. I'm no engineer or expert by any means, just my observation!

[Ray Lyon]

Snag has built me some beautiful crowned/crested/stained and tapered shafts. I've finished them off with my own fletching. Good wood arrows are everything Snag has portrayed in his first post. I've regressed a little and I've been using some vintage Bear wood arrows from the 1950's and also some Microflite Arrows from the 1960's. I'm doing so because I'm going through a 1950's vintage Bear bow craze right now. However when I pull out my Super Shrew, I reach for the tapered Douglas Fir shafts that Snag has prepped for me.  

Here's an example of Snag's work (I fletched, he did the rest). It's like shooting functional art:
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Wood is good for the soul.    

[snag]

Now we're talking! I see a reawakening of the joy of shooting, and perhaps even making, wood arrows is going on for some.

Joe, '69? I was in high school...sorry to say I wasn't thinking about shooting arrows then....     I love the way a wood shaft takes a taper and how it flies. Do you have any of those old Forgewoods you want to get rid of?...haha

[slivrslingr]

I started with aluminum, went to wood, then drank the carbon Koolaid.  Been wanting to shoot woodies again, just need to get off my back side and do it.  No time like the present, eh?!

[meathead]

I just started the process of footing 2 dozen yesterday evening. They are surewood and will have wenge footing.  I have been shooting wood arrows for at least 15 years and don't think I would go back to shooting anything else.

[Ray Lyon]

David,
I gave this set of 1 dozen Bear Forgewood arrows from the late 1950's vintage complete with a dozen Bear Razorheads from that era to my buddy Ron LaClair at our Shrewhaven deer camp last fall.  They were just a tad to short for me and they flew like laser beams from his 1956 Bear dual shelf Kodiak. 28 inch back of point arrows with the 125 grain Bear Razorhead weighed in at 575 grains finished arrow weight. Note the headshrinker aluminum adapter to get the point to fit and 9/32 nocks.

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[rwbowman]

Although the one batch of cedars I have made up presented an overwhelming challenge of tuning and shooting, I do notice how quite they seem to make my bow. Also, there's nothing like standing at the range shooting wood, while everyone else seems to stare on in awe that they actually do what arrows are supposed to do: FLY!

[Jasper2]

Other than a few shots from friends bows now and then, I can honestly say that I've never shot wood arrows.  

I really like the looks of them and think they would do just fine for me. I certainly can't shoot well enough to notice an accuracy difference in any arrow...if it is spined correctly :-)

I don't shoot woodies myself simply because of the cost and convenience differences between them and the carbons that I've gotten used to. Mainly changing point weights and shooting bows with varying draw weights, which I do a lot of.    

I did notice that the bows I shot had a different sound when shooting wood but the arrows were also very heavy compared to what I'm used to. I don't know if I would say it was any quieter....just a different tone.  

I guess my point is that there are many ways to quiet a bow regardless of arrow material.  If I had to shoot a particular type of arrow to get a bow hunting quiet.....I'd be finding a different bow instead.  To me, a well designed bow, with the right string and properly tuned arrow of sufficient weight, should be able to shoot any arrow material quietly and I won't own one that doesn't!

Snag, as others have said, your arrows are works of art and I really enjoy looking at them and reading the reviews of others.  One thing is for sure, if I ever did switch to wood arrows....you would be my first contact.

[Stumpkiller]

I tried aluminum for a couple years.  Accurate but no more durable than cedar when stunping and roving (and cost a lot more).  I never figured out how to order carbon; though I did use a loaner set at a DART range years back.  They may have some merit.

But I'm pretty much a wood arrow user since I was a kid shooting balloons in the back yard in the 60's with "barrel arrows" that cost 59¢ and had no spine indicated.  The Douglas fir shafts I get now do all that I ask.  I enjoy making up arrows this time of year.

[Josh Perdue]

I've always been too scared to try them. I'm under the assumption that they are a lot more high maintenance. They bend and break much easier than carbon. I've got a buddy that shoots them and they seem to be more quiet. I need to give them an honest try one day but it's just hard for me to stray from the gold tips.
I don't know if I could shoot the arrows you make Snag. I'd probably cry the first one I broke.
Your arrows are a work of ART!!

[Caleb Monroe]

Quit talking about me snag. When I started shooting a longbow my brother had started 2 years before and had a wood arrow blow up. So I thought wood arrows were unreliable. So I used carbon (Also I thought I was kind of a last of a breed longbow shooter). But after seeing people at 3-d shoots and on trad gang having great results I thought I would try them. The thing I noticed first was the weight. I never have been able to make a carbon arrow fly right and get the 10 gpp. Snag sent me some test arrows and the spine i think they are liking most both weigh 653 grains on the nose (I shoot 61 lbs). They fly great and just look better sitting on my longbow.

Thanks again to snag and those like him for having the patience to help us younger and inexperienced trad guys figure the wood arrows out.

[Biathlonman]

That's why I don't just buy them from Snag!  Those are as much art as arrow!  An arrow flinger like me has no business shooting anything that pretty!

[M60gunner]

OK Snag, what do you use as a final finish? From the pics I see a high gloss, my fav. I have been using Gasket Laq. But have run into some issues lately. I have used wipe on poly but poly yellows after awhile. I tried Tru-oil but was not happy either. I am trying to find a finish that is glossy and keeps target burn to a min.