I have noticed that today most trad guys are shooting carbon , has everyone stopped shooting port orford cedar? I am just curious ?
I tried cedar and wasn't impressed. I do very much like Douglas fir.
I tried carbon for six weeks a couple of years ago; just not for me I'm sticking with wood.
I ridiculed my hunting buddy for a long time about shooting carbons out of his longbow. I loved my woodies until he talked me into shooting one of his carbons. OMG I was blown away with how well they shoot. My first observation was how fast they recovered out of my bow. So I borrowed a 1/2 dozen carbon arrows from him to try out for a week. I was totally amazed at how much I liked them. No more broken shafts, warped shafts, etc. The wood like finish on them was good too. Total convert here and happy.
i love wood arrows and river cane arrows the most. i gave all my carbons away
I have both, but prefer Surewoods or Sitka Spruce. I do shoot some carbons once in awhile, but would rather use wood. Quiet and I like the weight.
I have always shot wood and I don't see any reason to change.
Tried carbons for a year or so and went bak to wood; got set up for making my own for less than the cost of a cut-off saw.
I prefer Sitka Spruce or Doug Fir, but would easily shoot cedars before carbon or aluminum.
Just my preferance, but holding steady for a good few years now, not seeing changing on the horizon.
Going to give aluminum a try for a while.Do like my cedars though.
I shoot cedar, but I also like Douglas Fir. Haven't tried Spruce; however, a lot of guys here say really good things about it.
I used to shoot aluminum when shooting a R/D bow. When I got a Hill bow, it just seemed natural to shoot wood. I have never looked back.
I have carbons made for my duo-flex longbows (and they fly great) and POC woodies for he ASL bows (which is mostly what I am shooting and hunting with these days). I have gone to wood with older bow design as they fly well and just feel good to shoot.
I shot cedar for along time. Carbons just hold up better for me, but I love a great set of wood arrows.
I shoot cedar love it!
...and on and on it goes...shoot what you like
I switched from cedar to carbon about 3 years ago and haven't looked back. I felt like the field points on my cedars were constantly breaking off on stumps and stuff, giving me shorter and shorter arrows. With carbon the arrows are way tougher and you never have to worry about straightening them.
I shoot carbon/aluminum (Easton Axis Full Metal Jacket) 99% of the time. I do also have some bamboo arrows for the primitive bows!
Bisch
I shoot nothing but wood,we do sell carbon but probably 90% of the shafts or arrows we sell are wood.But The Nocking Point is known for wood also.Just something about wood and stickbows for me.
Terry
I'm an equal opportunity archer.
I have a set of carbons somewhere around, but woods are just plain and simply for me.
Like okla said above..
"Just something about wood and stickbows for me."
I have quite a few P.O. cedars still (200?) but am shifting over to Douglas fir by attrition. Been hunting fir the last four years.
Never owned a carbon arrow and never tried aluminum in my hunting recurves. This since 1982 or so. I'm a wood person.
Ran out of carbons about a year ago. Been shooting Douglas fir and they are the cats meow.
Many guys don't want to fuss with their gear. Set it up once and leave it. The don't want to, or cant, spend time on arrows, straightening or refinishing them. Just put them in a quiver and set them in the corner and don't mess with them til the next time they want to shoot. Others, like me, don't mind or like to spend time with our equipment. take the arrows out of the quiver and look them over, check for cuts or damaged nocks, Finish scraped off or damaged, feathers that need to be replaced, or a shaft that wandered while in the box and needs a little straightening etc. This is why carbons have taken over. Ask any body and you'll hear : they're more durable" or "they last longer" or some such response. THEN they will go into performance properties. I like wood shafts. They fly well and are fun to build arrows with. I enjoy it. That's why I have them. This is a great country because we can have so many choices in our stuff. Toe each his own.
Well stated NY Yankee.
I have built and shot all three wood aluminum and carbon. I like them all. Been think about swapping back to woodies since i ha been shooting car in so much. Who knows.
Of course I started with wood in the late 60's and early 70's. Tinkered with them again about 10 years ago. I was just never satisfied with consistency of weight and straightness. Plus, I couldn't tune as easily by adding or reducing weight.
I've shot carbons through my recurves for five years but this year I'm using very high tech, Deep Six aluminum over carbon. Ironically, my options for adding weight with inserts and broad heads have been reduced by the new, thread system in the Deep Six but I'm making it work.
Just an observation...seems to me there is a whole lot more "tinkering" I see going on with carbons. Adding weighed inserts, pt. weights, new shafts that hit the market...
I just grab some properly spined shafts of the wood of my choice. Then cut to length and make them into arrows. Of course you can bare shaft or paper tune them. Pretty easy. But once again we are fortunate to have these choices.
I agree it's great to have choices.
It's probably been a year since I've straightened an arrow with other than a rub over my upturned palm and then a twirl point-down to make sure it was straight. Three seconds. I shoot wood, all I shoot is wood, every day (have an indoor 20 yard range at home) and they do not require much attention once finished. After the season I check the ones I dragged along in my side quiver. I break a few on stumps but that's OK and an excuse to make some more - which I enjoy doing in the cold, dark winter.
It does take some effort when making them. I check each shaft three times before the arrows are done and the ones that are still a problem get culled. It's a myth that they need pampering - IF you start with good quality shafts.
I have been a pretty devoted douglas fir shooter for some time but had a few P.O.cedar shafts that I put together for this season. My first time out in early October shooting my brand spanking new N.M. Classic, I sent that shaft like a lazer into a beautiful mature doe. Ah, sweet cedar!