I had made a lot of arrows using bamboo shafts.  They served me well and seem tougher and last longer than cedar shafts.  Our club has an annual traditional shoot which requires the longbow shooters also use wooden arrows.  I know bamboo is well known as grass not tree.  But should I consider the bamboo shafts to be wooden and approach the shooting commitee to approve it?

Absolutely!
Are they carbon? No.
Are they aluminum? No.
I'd say you should get an extra few points for using bamboo over "regular" wood.

Guy

I think they should qualify!

I'd say if they don't qualify it's time for a new Commitee.

Travis

somewhat subjective and perhaps opinionated stuff.

imo ... bamboo/cane grass shafting is the "carbon" equivalent of natural shaft materials.  arguably the toughest natural arrow shafting that's superior to any genus wood shafting.  however, unlike wood that can be cut/turned straight, grass stalks almost always require careful heat treating straightening time, as well as rounding off the shoot nodes.  unless you buy them pre-straightened and ready to nock, point, fletch.

in the short run, all these organic arrow shafts will never be as consistent as carbon or aluminium shafting.  there'll always be an added amount of "luck factor" in their performance.

so, what the hey - i say allow any natural shafting material in trad "period" events.    

I was at a archery shoot and I was going to do the iron man shoot and they said you had to use a wood arrow and I happened to be shooting my bamboos and so I used a friends wood arrow.........so... long story short the wood arrow flu like crap and when I got back to tell the guys running it my score they said I could have used my bamboo arrows    

I've used bamboo and/or cane arrows at a number of shoots when shooting primitive/wood bows/gear, and never had anyone question it - FWIW.

To me thats just as natural as wood. I've never had any trouble at any of our shoots. I'am pretty new to bamboo, but I love them. I've found I can shoot the same shafts off of a very wide range of bow weights. Don't understand why they are able to do that, but it sure comes in handy. If anybody knows why I sure would like to hear about it.

Thanks guys for the valuable suggestions.  I will ask the committee to reconsider any natually grown shafts in this shoot.

 

QuoteChimaster - I've found I can shoot the same shafts off of a very wide range of bow weights.

I have no answer for this.  But I have also noticed the same as you said.  These bamboo shafts shot well on all my bows.  Whether longbow, recurve, horsebow, left-handed or right-handed.  I do not have to pair the arrows with bows.

Well said Rob.

You can shoot them from different range bows because of the natural taper of the boo and because it is a fiberous material and has a different molecular structure than wood and reacts differently. Bamboo is hollow except where the node's are.

I consider bamboo natural material equivalent to wood(because wood is also a natural material), however there are TOO many people who want to say one thing is this or that...Case in point I shoot with a thumb ring and boo arrows I have actually had people say that I could not shoot in the Traditional Division let alone the Primitive Division because the thumb ring is a "release aid" and bamboo is not wood anyone who would educate themselves would know two things one the thumb ring is not a release aid and two bamboo is a natural material similar to wood.

Good point Capt. A thumb ring IMO is no different than a glove or a tab and have been around longer than both.