Looking for feedback from anyone who has used ash arrows for hunting. Thanks in advance!
I used them for moose. Also good for stumping. Heavier than I want or need for deer size critters. Hardwoods such as ash, hickory, maple, birch, etc. are a little more time consuming to keep straight than POC, Doug fir or Sitka spruce, but make good heavy hunting and stumping arrows.
Orion's experience is the same as mine.
Heavy, tough shafts, but you you need to spend some time keeping them straight.
My first trad deer was killed with an ash shaft.
My first kill was with an ash arrow also. I like a heavier arrow but was constantly straightening them. Poplar makes a great arrow, tough as nails. They weigh in about like POC and stay straight.
I like them a lot but they are heavy so may not be for everyone because with lighter bows and ranges over 20 yards trajectory is anything but flat. But for super tough, quiet, hard hitting, short range, wood hunting arrows I love em! I've killed 3 deer with them. You really have to try to break one stump shooting. They're real tough! I do the initial straightening by rolling them on top of my wood stove til hot, then hand straighten and repeat as necessary.
I never tried tempering ash. That might be the trick. I do temper my primitive arrow shafts, cane and hardwood shoot arrows so why not doweled shafts.
The ash can be a bear to keep straight but they are very tough.I used to put them in the oven @ 200 for 20 min. before straightening and that helped a lot.
Denny
I've shot ash for years. I use a heat gun to straighten stubborn shafts.
Darren
I went through a love affair with ash shafting, loved the weight and durability, hated trying to keep them straight.
I finally sold the 2 dozen ash arrows I had for a buck each and moved on to chundo and poplar.
I had ash for years with no problems the shafts came from Allegheny mt. arrow woods which has been sold.
I agree with everything said here.
I started out in trad with ash arrows.
They are tough...I mean I had arrows with big chips out of em by the tip, kept shooting them and they didn't break.
Hard to keep straight, heavy, kinda hard to taper.
At this point, I'd only use them if I were shooting very heavy draw weight and needed to get my GPP up.
The only reason I dont shoot ash for everything and at everything is I cant get FOC with them. I have found FOC really helps my arrow flight. If when I get parallel ash shafts to fly like I want that will be the end of footing other materials. My thoughts why wouldnt I want to shoot what I know will penetrate a moose at everything. I myself dont shoot over 25 yds at game so falling out of the sky isnt a factor. As a matter of fact I would think shooting from a tree stand a heavey shaft would be certain death from above. Straightening has never really bothered me but I really like the idea of tempering the shafts.
Not trying to highjack post but it makes me rethink what am I not doing right with parallel shafts to get good arrow flight from my selfbows.
I still have about a third of the two dozen ash arrows I bought from Allegheny Mtn arrows ( I believe that was their name) back in the early 90s or thereabouts. I use them all the time for stumping and for shooting at pheasants and skwerls. Keeping them straight is an issue, but really, they fly ok even when warped into a 90 degree angle :rolleyes: .
As Orion said, they are a bit heavy for my taste for deer hunting, but they REALLY quiet down a bow.
ChuckC
Jack,
Have you tried an internal footing to get your foc up? I put a 3" piece of welding rod in mine that adds about 70gr.to the front and keeps them from breaking behind the tip on a hard impact like rocks.
Denny
Good thought Longstiks. I have tried internal footings but on weaker materials like poplar. They broke behind the footing, but ash is so much stronger it may just work better. Thanks for the idea.
To answer your oringinal question Homey88 I have taken both mule deer and antelope with ash shafts.
Thanks for the feedback guys! I appreciate it!
I have a few left and still like them. I think if the shaft is good quality to begin with, it should stay strait. I have 3 out of 5 that stay straight and 2 that need a little help. The fly just like a 2219 for me so I practice with 2219s and hunt with the Ash arrows. As I remember they weigh over 10gpi.
Ash is ok, but nock tapered maple is so much better. Maple stays straight much better than ash if sealed right. Time I produce me some more maples again...
I like the weight from my bows. :campfire: :coffee: Making up some tapered Maple right now. Ash works real well on hogs.