Toughest wood I've used is hickory, but I have some shafts that would never stay straight.  My second choice for tough is chundoo.

The excise tax is .46 per shaft and if you EVER hunt public land then you should not complain about that tax.  The one valid complaint is the proportion of the tax.  It was supposed to be 11% of the original wholesale cost but foreign manufacturers of carbon shafts messed it up.  I am not sure how, but the resolution was a flat tax instead of a percentage.  Cedar took the worst beating.
The money goes to fund hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation.  I don't enjoy paying taxes but I like seeing my tax dollars used where I can enjoy them.

I used to shoot cedar and chundo shafts. I have been shooting Surewood Douglas fir for a couple of years now and have really been impressed with how tough they are.  Hands down the straightest wooden shafts I have ever messed with as well.

What the heck - let em break     Just a good reason to make more  

spruce is NOT tougher than fir.  It isn't even close.  Spruce is touted as the "toughest shaft material by weight" which may be true, but because it's so light it isn't toughest in absolute terms.

Ash and hickory are about the toughest, but fir isn't very far behind and at lot easier to keep straight.

ASH.......Laminated birch is pretty tough also!

Not wood but my vote goes for Bamboo, after that compressed Ramin from the Cedarsmith, I have 7 from a dozen I bought 17 years ago.

I've been shooting hexshafts,are these referred to as laminated birch? They have been the toughest for me .

Hickory might well be one of the toughest commonly used shafts out there.  But Ash surely ranks way up there and makes a real pretty arrow.  If I ever go back to woodies, it'd be Ash hands down!

Hickory & Ash are the toughest... Axe, shovel handles and ballbats...that Tuff-Nuff?

Maxx,  Hexshafts are laminated lodgepole pine (chundoo)If you look at the end of the shaft, the laminations look like a pie that has been sliced into pieces. Laminated birch is basicaly birch plywood.

Eric

Although I haven't shot awhole lot of different woods, I have shot POC and douglas fir, my experience is SUREWOODS, SUREWOODS, and more SUREWOODS!!!I love them shafts, take em out stumping and test em out, you will be suprised. Indestructible no but one tough shaft, definintely!!! If they costed more than aluminum I'd still shoot em, I've stumped with both and aluminum although a great product in it's own right and close tolerances ain't in the same league when it comes to stumping bends and warps too easily for me!Just ordered two dozen surewoods for my son last night, always suprised at how quickly they arrive and how straight they are.Love to stain and build them although mine are pretty plain, my sons are drawn to them anyway. I have bought some high priced wooden shafts but for what you get for your money SUREWOODS are the best deal around!!!

I have cedar, DF, and now I will try Larch(Tamarack) I really like the wood, hope it makes great arrows!! And the guy is suppose to send me a few ironwood shaft as well....

My vote is for poplar

I have had good luck with Chundoo and Douglas Fir.  Where I live there aren't many stumps, mostly yucca, cactus and rocks.

Most hardwood shafts I've tried are very tough but when you average 6 or less per dz that are high quality,it gets expensive.

For the money and quality,
I would choose lam. birch but if you want a very tough arro w/out massive physical weight.I would go w/ a softwood shaft w/ a hardwood 4 splice footing.I really like a osage footed arro.

Poplar for strength and work ability.

any link for how to on footing arrows ?

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000130;p=2#000028

QuoteOriginally posted by Rick Wiltshire:
What the heck - let em break        Just a good reason to make more      

Good call mate! I agree    

I got some maple shafts that are almost indestructable