I'm sure this has been a topic of several discussions over the years on here so I will keep it short. I have always shot wood and I have been playing with some carbons of late. I can't seem to take the step to carbon as I have more faith in wood. I would like to hear who uses what and why. Thanks!
For me its either Surewood Fir or Arrow Dynamics Hammerhead Trad. I've been extremely pleased with both. I find the Hammerheads to be very easy to tune and are heavy enough to be suitable for hunting. The Surewood arrows are amazingly straight and very durable.
I tried carbons a coupla' years ago and just could not get a satisfactory tune. Not saying they are bad at all it was probably more me and less them. I spent about 6 weeks to give carbon a fair trial and went back to wood.
I think you can develop a relationship with wood that other materials just can't seem to satisfy. :archer2:
I shoot both carbon and aluminum...only reason that I do not shoot wood is that I have enough to deal with now...one day I will shoot wood I am sure like I did back when I was about 10 years old
I shoot mostly carbon but just built a couple of sets of Surewood shafts that are growing on me fast. Might even take the plunge all the way and hunt with the fir this fall.
I made up some AD Trad Lites because I had sold AD's when my shop was opened. I prefer aluminum off the longbow and wood off the Fedora and Groves.
I have Surewoods, SuperCeeders and some Ash still around.
I have shot carbon and aluminum. I got great flight with minimal problems. I like wood more and it is all I currently shoot, mostly Douglas Fir from Surewood Shafts and occasionally when good shafts are available, Cedar. The soft woods (especially Surewoods) come straight, are easy to keep that way and fly beautifully.
I like the quietness of a well-tuned wood arrow. I played with carbons and got them flying great, but there's just something too "impersonal" about anything other than wood. I'm currently shooting old Cedars, Doug firs and some heavy tapered Ash.
Sold most of my carbons to buy wood shafts.
AD trad lites for carbon and sitka spruce for woodies. I also find my self shooting woodies more because they seem a wee bit more forgiving and also love the time building them.
To me carbons can be finicky with getting the right tune and having to maintain it. However, with wood I can get a perfect flight even with a bit of out of tune.
I also like the Surewood shafts as they come straight and with few grain faults. They also seem to tolerate abuse a little better than cedars.
After shooting carbons for the last 3 years or so I'm sold on them for ease of tuning, toughness and straightness. Wood is nice but after banging carbons off of trees and 3-D wood supports, whanging them off of trees and generally abusing the heck out of them I've only broken one arrow which hit the steel support of the target.
Tuning is a snap once you get the hang of it and never had to fiddle with them once tuned. I never had perfect flight with wood and they were fragile. They are nostalgic, quiet and pretty though.
Wood rules. It is my choice for arrows because it is wood.
It has a life of it's own, incredibly easy to tune and shoot great. Quiet to shoot. Yes they break easier than carbons (sometimes) but then a good set of woods is as accurate as any other shaft choice. If you don't bang them of the trres, rocks, etc they last a long time.
I like the nostalgia of wood and just seem to understand it better. I have tried to get carbons tuned it but was never really satisfied with them. My Hills just seem to prefer wood (and maybe I am just prejudiced in favor of wood). Besides I have never seen carbons as attractive as many of the woodies I have seen.
What's wrong with these ?
(http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h477/njloco/IMG_1693.jpg) (http://s1111.photobucket.com/user/njloco/media/IMG_1693.jpg.html)
I believed carbon to be a superior shaft materiel compared to wood. Wood has a romance to it and is dead quiet. I don't mess with aluminum anymore.
QuoteOriginally posted by njloco:
What's wrong with these ?
(http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h477/njloco/IMG_1693.jpg) (http://s1111.photobucket.com/user/njloco/media/IMG_1693.jpg.html)
Very nice! :clapper:
If maximizing penetration is a concern for you then carbon is the way to go. I shoot plenty of weight so arrow shaft choice is mostly based on whimsy.
Carbon doesn't "noodle" as badly when it hits your target transferring momentum energy more efficiently. It typically needs to be weighted on the front end to achieve tune which give improved FOC. Is tough as nails so it's less likely to break on hard impacts on game. It's either straight or it's broken. Smaller diameter has penetration advantages as well.
Carbons stay straight and rarely break. I have been shooting the same dozen for years. Wood arrows smell better.
I shoot carbon arrows but I will always have an affection for a good wood arrow. I like making woodies, the whole process of staining, cap dipping (spray), cresting, and then several coats of finish until you get that nice glassy look is very satisfying.
Carbon shafts are so consistent, durable, and easy to tune that they have become my main arrow.
And I like the idea of screwing different points on carbons in seconds over heating wood with a torch. I just like carbons. They don't have to be ugly either.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/Archery/IMG_2118_zps689d9461.jpg)
I am making the switch to wood after only shoot carbon and some alloy from time to time.
Carbon makes a superior arrow but there is something about wood that just feels right and that's what I like most about them.
When I started serious bowhunting in 1965 the owner of the pro shop told me it didn't matter what bow I shot as the arrow always did the killing. With that He sold me a used recurve so I had $20 more to put into my arrows. Microflights were the strongest, toughest arrows on the market and were always straight so I chose them over wood. I switched over to aluminum in about 1972 and shot 2219's but aluminum bends. From 1980-1992 I shot longbows exclusively and made up wood arrows to match. The first thing I noticed was
the lack penetration I was getting shooting the same bow weights as with the 2219's. I still shoot wood with my longbows, more for nostalgia then anything. Shooting my recurves I use carbons, they are tough,staight and penetrate as good as anything I've found. Tuning for me has never been a problem no matter what arrow shaft I use.
I try to maximize whatever I'm hunting with to it's full efficiency. Tuning at the low end of brace heights with biggest broadheads, fastest limbs and strings with skinniest, heaviest carbon arrows using smallest amount of feathers to do the job.
I shoot wood because I want to and like the "nostalgic" character. I am content to accept and live with their limitations. Carbon and alum make good arrows, but I have no desire to shoot either.
QuoteOriginally posted by Fletcher:
I shoot wood because I want to and like the "nostalgic" character. I am content to accept and live with their limitations. Carbon and alum make good arrows, but I have no desire to shoot either.
Where is that "like" button? :bigsmyl:
Rick, you coming to Cloverdale? If so lets talk about wood...
J-Mac
QuoteOriginally posted by Fletcher:
I shoot wood because I want to and like the "nostalgic" character. I am content to accept and live with their limitations. Carbon and alum make good arrows, but I have no desire to shoot either.
Where is that "like" button? :bigsmyl:
Rick, you coming to Cloverdale? If so lets talk about wood...
J-Mac
HI John, Good to hear from you! Probably won't make C'dale this year and I'm not happy about that. Have a family thing I need to attend plus some local stuff. The UBI Summer Shoot is this weekend and I'm gonna miss that, too. Compton is still a maybe; thinking I'll be doing good to make the PBS Odd year in WI. I did get to shoot a couple commons and four bigheads last Friday, thinking that may be the highlight of my summer.
I'm always ready to talk wood tho. I'll PM my number.
I shoot wood out of my selfbow, carbons out of my recurve. I can make my carbons look just as nice as my woods. The only difference is when they break. One has a nice aroma and the other one doesn't.
I only shoot carbon. No fuss about straightening arrows or gluing points. I just feel like with carbon I can concentrate more easily on my shooting and form.
I have to admit that I shoot carbons due to the lack of maintenance needed for them. But I love wood things (bows, boats and fly rods) and always feel a bit of guilt for shooting carbons. I am going to cure my guilt sometime soon and order me some fine wood arrows soon...
QuoteOriginally posted by Bjorn:
I tried carbons a coupla' years ago and just could not get a satisfactory tune. Not saying they are bad at all it was probably more me and less them. I spent about 6 weeks to give carbon a fair trial and went back to wood.
I think you can develop a relationship with wood that other materials just can't seem to satisfy. :archer2:
Exactly my sentiment.Plus I'll add that wood is quiet to shoot and don't always spook Deer when bounced off a tree, as wood to wood sound is natural.Just love the way wood shoots.
QuoteOriginally posted by Charlie Lamb:
If maximizing penetration is a concern for you then carbon is the way to go. I shoot plenty of weight so arrow shaft choice is mostly based on whimsy.
Carbon doesn't "noodle" as badly when it hits your target transferring momentum energy more efficiently. It typically needs to be weighted on the front end to achieve tune which give improved FOC. Is tough as nails so it's less likely to break on hard impacts on game. It's either straight or it's broken. Smaller diameter has penetration advantages as well.
I've found the same. I've shot and hunted with both, obviously not as much as Charlie, and recently went back to Carbons on some bows especially when shooting league.
My Hill-styles love wood arrows and it just seems wrong to shoot anything but wood or cane out of a self bow. My R/D bows will shoot both but pair up with a weighted carbon well.
I guess it's all in my mood and the bow I'm shooting. I've taken strong stances in my writing and blogging before about shooting wood or not shooting wood and as I continue to do this I'm finding I don't care as much. Good flight is good flight. If you find a good setup you are happy with STICK WITH IT.
I shoot both. Carbons are a superior arrow material than anything out there right now. For me they tune easily and stay that way. Most of my hunting/shooting the past two years has been with vintage Bear archery tackle. To that end I've been shooting new/old stock bear cedar arrows. It's funny how most of these are painted cedar shafts. I guess maybe they painted them so they would look like the "new" aluminum arrows that were coming out at that time? Yes, it just depends on what mood I'm in.
I had always shot my own custom POC's (plus, maple, larch, birch, Doug Fir & hickory) but have mostly gone to carbons now :( I think about this a lot and it is always tinged with guilt, as I love wood!
Carbons are superior in so many ways but they will never smell as good as broken cedar :)
I still make my own Doug Firs and feel it is important to know & exercise this craft.
Kris
It seems this has sparked several opinions.. which is great so please keep it coming! I have 2 custom Assenheimer's and they both seem to like wood better. i cant seem to get carbons to tune as of yet which is not to say I'm done but I guess I feel I switched to Trad for a reason and wood seems to fit the criteria better.. :thumbsup:
There's no question that carbon is a superior material - durability, straightness, penetration, and all the options as far as tinkering with FOC.
However.....To me, shooting a carbon arrow out of a Hill style longbow is kind of like fishing with a night crawler on the end of split cane bamboo fly rod....It might be very effective, but something just doesn't seem right about it.
Well spoken John!
Yeah, spot on John! aka jsweka
Kris
I shoot both. I love to watch a well tuned wood arrow fly.
I like carbons because I can use a lighted nock, they are easier toget a consistent set of arrows.
I am going to mess with getting a lighted nock into a wood shaft this summer though....
I've only been truly trad for about a year. I've mainly focused on carbon but have just start dabbling in wood. I was all set to take the wood plunge this fall then pulled an unexpected elk tag. Now I just have to decide if my low 50 lbs. bow has enough juice to run wood or stick with the high foc carbon that treated me well last year.
I think there are lots of guys who have taken elk with wood arrows and a low 50# bow.
Bjorn??
Do a little digging on the history of Easton. There is a reason people flocked to the aluminum arrow way back when the had cedar arrows 10x the quality of what is available today.
Wood arrows soothe the heart, carbon or aluminum arrows satisfy the brain.
I been shooting wood, I get a better tune and flight with them from my 40 lb talltines at my 27 inch draw. I have 2 gt trad 600 that fly pretty darn good, but everytime I set down to order more I can't due it.
But if I ever hunt elk I think I will try them given my set up. Heck just won the rienhart 100 in Missouri with wood.
Maybe it is just me, but I have found the DF to be every bit as durable as carbon .Especially when you consider what is a bruse on a carbon shaft is a ding in a DF shaft
AD trads or any of the other AD shafts for me just about exclusively. Tough, easy to tune, heavy for hunting, and fly great off just about any bow.