How many of you guys use aluminum arrows ? It seems like very few guys are using them. When I started this two years ago my local shop owner steered me toward using aluminum. At this point in my traditional evolution I would like to switch to wood but a couple of tradgang buddies have advised me against it for several reasons. I am however considering carbon, but wanted to hear more feedback. Am I wrong for looking away from alluminum ? They seem to be durable, and I am "just a tad" rough on them in practicing...  
Any thoughts are appreciated.....
Thanks....Trab

I use wood and carbons, but am thinking of trying aluminum.  I like the idea of the shaft weight you can obtain with just a bare aluminum shaft.  Carbons often require inserts etc...

I really enjoy wood the best, but with 4 small kids running around the house I am not making the time to work on them.  

Shoot what works for you.  I do find carbons exceptionally forgiving across a wide weight range.  This is attractive to me.

When I started shooting traditional about 20 years ago I shot and hunted with wood arrows only.I used to shoot alot of 3D and that was a rule.But I shoot and three these days depending on which bow I'm shooting but more carbons the the other two.Good matched set of wood arrows these days can cost more then aluminum and some carbons.Carbons are tougher then both of the other two,they are either straight or broken.And you get get carbons in blems at reasonable prices if you like.Aluminum are very consistent in weight and spine but they can still get dented or bent even the heavy walled ones like 2020 and 2219.A well tuned carbon arrow is tough to beat in all around shooting,hunting and stumping.

I just can't have enough 2016's! I like carbon and wood too but... Easton 2016's blow up my skirt!   :D   Keep the trad bug alive by trying different stuff.

Hey Mark... Hope to see you up at my place Saturday. Check out "Trad Events and Gatherings".

... mike ...     ...

Nothing wrong with looking at other options. I shoot alum. I love wood but I am to picky and some of the carbons out there while being durable are not as straight or and the spine and weight tolerances are not as good as alum. See I told you I was picky. I love my alum, easy to tune and the price is right

I used them for years and still do when the occasion warrants.. As a note: if you shoot aluminum it pays to own an aluminum arrow straighter, I sold my Easton years ago when I went to using mostly carbon... wish I still had it.. But there is a pretty good substitute available from AAE.. Guess now that I've returned to the longbow I'll need another one cause I can see me shooting aluminum again; it's hard to beat the forgiveness of an aluminum shaft with 20% FOC....

I was mostly shooting woods but just recently(2) years ago switched to aluminum and have no problem and careful of what I shoot with them so I don't bend them...As far as targets they are not a problem and if I bend one on game well to me it's worth it...I haven't shot carbons yet but will someday climb aboard I guess...Keefer's <><

I started with wood and then went to carbon. Now I only use Aluminum with my longbows.  I will shoot them at just about anything.  I have never broken one while shooting can you say that about wood or carbon?  They can be easily straightened unless there is a kink.  But you should just shoot what you want to shoot and enjoy.

Still use them, prefer wood but I still use aluminum.

I shoot both aluminum and carbon, but mostly the aluminum.  2018s in my Dorado and 2117s in the Savannah and GM2.

 Woodies and Gold Tips for me.

I used aluminum for years but you cant beat carbons.

Good to hear from some of you guys using the metal. They do seem durable and I have hand bent a few back into straightness. For cosmetics only, do any of you use the spine wraps to trick yourself into thinking your using wood ?  (only messin here but like SOME women, they do look cooler with some "make-up" on).....

and Mike, thanks for the heads up on your place....sounds great...Looks like I'll be makin my 2nd appearance !!

Trab

I use mostly aluminums.  2117s in my hunting recurve.  I have a few other longbows and recurves that I use 1816, 1916 and 2016s.  I have many wood shafts that I will make some finished arrows with in the near future.  And I have a bunch of Grizzly Stix Sitkas that I haven't tried yet.

Hey Trab,  I've shot all three. There's nothing wrong with shooting aluminum's. When I used to shoot aluminum, I used to shoot the Easton Classics when they first came out, but after awhile i went back to the Gamgetter II's.  They were much cheaper for a dozen shafts.

I shoot wood out of my vintage Bear's and my Thunderstick MAG.

I've been hard on all my shafts, they all break, they all can get lost at some point or another. and all three have their pros and cons.  You should try to see what shoots best for you.
Good Luck

All the 3 shaft materials can be very good.
--Aluminum has the most consistent weight and spine,I like XX78 for the best performances and durability over the weaker XX75,they are easy to tune and there are a lot of sizes to choose what you want from a arrow:light-medium-eavy.
The issue can be they bent,and are a little bit noiser when they hit something!
Wood can be almost as good but you need a spine tester,test every single arrow and buy really the best woods available.Quiet,classic,alive.
Carbon has not the same spine tollerance as Alu. and for me you need to spine test them as well,but always straight(or broken)tough and pretty quiet.
depends what you want and how much time you want to spend on them.
High quality pays off,on all of them.

I started shooting some 2016's out of my HOOTS and when you get that perfect arrow flight it really turns you on to the arrow material, at least for me it does. Basically I want to shoot aluminum in some of my different bows in stead of the wood or carbon I might be using with them now. To me thats the joy of Traditional shooting, just playing with many different set ups all the time. A month down the road I will be on another kick, probably small carbon shafts like Axis, hadn't shot many of them yet that I was satisfied with YET! Aluminum arrows are great but it depends what you are gonna do with them. Like said before they will dent, bend and break easier than carbon though. I feel I have gotten better with my shooting so I won't trash aluminums as fast so there will be more purchased in the future. Good luck.

I've always shot aluminum arrows. Three reasons why I shoot aluminum and not carbon or wood.

The first. Since I shoot low poundage bows and with my 30" draw length, I prefer to shoot 32" BOP arrows. I can get the correct spined full length aluminum shafts in 32 1/2" lengths. The properly spined carbon arrow (600 or 500) for me only come in 30"-31" full length shafts. It's kind of hard to make a 32" arrow out of a 30"-31" shaft.            I basically have to short draw a carbon arrow to be able to shoot it.         :mad:        That's totally unacceptable to me.                

The second. I hate pencil thin carbon arrows.                It feels like I'm shooting a skinny soda straw.         :eek:      

The third. I basically like to shoot a heavy arrow because I shoot low poundage bows and want to get the maximum performance out of them and the correct spined carbon arrow is too light in overall weight in a finished arrow for me. Since I shoot low poundage bows, I'm interested in a GPP (grains per pound) arrow instead of an FOC (front of center) arrow.

As for wood. They're not straight enough to suit me and not even carbon can match the straightness of my Eclipse X7 2212s which are .001 in straightness. Wood is not uniform enough in weight within a dozen wood shafts to suit me either.

For arguments sake, if I could find a long enough carbon shaft in .001 straightness, it would cost more than my Eclipse X7 aluminums to the tune of an arm, a leg, three fingers and two toes.

I still shoot aluminum and a little wood. Ive never had any issues with either. I like just putting feathers on one end and a point on the other and having a great shooting heavy shaft. I have no problem hand straightening aluminum or wood. I loose way more than I ever terminally damage. I have 9 different sizes and spines to fit any bow I pick up between 40# and70#. I pick up new dozens cheap and keep till I need them.(just picked up a dozen AO 1918s the other day)SO you guys shooting carbon keep it up and just stay away from aluminum. (more for me)

I shoot wood and aluminum, but prefer my good ole 2018's......