shot some gold tip trad arrows today and when stump shooting I notice the nock end of the arrow would split about a half inch down the arrow...shot carbon express and they did not Crack they seemed super tough...which carbon do you guy's think is super tough and will take a beating....

In my experience goldtips are plenty tough for stumping.  I foot the front end and nock end.  This makes them very tough!!  There is a good how-to called "making bomb proof stumping arrows" or something like that in the how-to forum.  Lately I have been buying the carbon collars from 3 rivers and they work just as well.

I have seen two Carbon express arrows snap in half the past couple of weeks after hitting the side of a 3 D target. Kind of surprised that they did that.

SO here is my take on the issue. I have shot both and they are a little different. The GT are not as tough but easier to tune. The CX arrows are thougher, take more abuse but dont tune as easy, respond to point weight as easy, but seem to be more durable. So as stated above I foot both ends for stumping GT and use them for all my shooting, plus I can get the blems cheaper.

I love Axis and Beman MFX (now sold as Bone Collector). Put a one inch footing on them and they seem to last forever. Nocks will pop out on hard contact some times but I always have a few extra nocks with me just in case. Never had one split on the nock end unless it was hit by another arrow.

The toughest arrows I have shot to date are Beman MFX, Easton Axis trads and Beman Centershots.  The Centershots especially with their standard type insert have accepted some impressive abuse, including hitting pressure treated lumber, penetrating aluminum and hitting cinder blocks dead head on.  YES, I occasionally have a flier when tuning LOL LOL  :D

nineworlds9, I had the opposite experience with Beman Centershots, I bought 6 and 3 broke right off the bat (1 broke just trying to put the insert in, it snapped 3" up the shaft). I was blown away at how fragile they were, maybe i just got a bad batch. On the other hand the other 3 arrows are just fine and I still shoot them after about a year.  

I have been shooting Easton stalker extremes and they seem to be pretty tough.

I have shot Gold Tip arrows for many years with no surprises ever. These days I pretty much buy the Blems from Big Jim with no complaints ever. The Gold Tip arrows are tough, consistent, and the best arrow shaft for my money.

If I may ask, what did you hit that would blow the nock out and crack the shaft? I have accidently hit targets such as rocks and trees. I have actually had a nock fly out after a hit on a very hard object but never cracked the shaft.

The only answer I can offer is the Gold tip shaft has never given me any reason to look for another shaft in the carbon arrow department. Good luck!!!

I don't shoot carbon arrows without footing front and rear.It's a huge strengthening factor for frontal hits on hard objects.

I have driven the Beman Centershots into cinder block walls (not deliberately) out of a 50# longbow and I am still shooting them. I did notice that some other brand carbon arrows do split at the nock end after hitting a hard surface.

Ron

Amazing how carbon is touted as the toughest shaft... after you reinforce the hell out it right out of the box. The fact is that arrows were never made to shoot into rocks and stumps and if you enjoy that kind of practice you will have to be content to lose an arrow here and there.

Took a pot shot at a squirrel sitting in front of a cypress privacy fence once.   Of course, I missed the squirrel and hit the fence.  The arrow blew a hole in the fence and stick in the dirt on the other side.  The nock blew out and the nock end on the shaft was split.  The shaft was a gold tip.  I'd expect that if I hit a rock or a big tree, but an old cypress fence is not particularly tough...

I think the thicker walled carbon that has a more standard insert like Easton Aftermath or Beman Centershot are tough.  Axis are tough as well but some guy don't like the hit inserts.  If you foot them they are like X2 tougher.

I'm wondering if i just had a few bad Beman Centershots? sounds like they are pretty well known for being tough arrows.

I like the Byron Ferguson Heavy Hunters.  They're already aluminum clad.  They weigh a good bit to boot.  It's a less expensive version of FMJs.

Been using arrow dynamic trads for over a decade for a reason.

I still use wood on occasion.

I love my Easton Axis arrows.  I shoot the heck out of 'em, and they take quite a beating.

I shoot the Realtree camo ones just because they seem to be even more durable (may be in my head).

In my opinion, Carbon express heritage shafts are the toughest.

QuoteOriginally posted by halfseminole:
I like the Byron Ferguson Heavy Hunters.  They're already aluminum clad.  They weigh a good bit to boot.  It's a less expensive version of FMJs.

They are aluminum clad?  Never heard that before.  I just thought they were thicker walled carbon.

I love Carbon Express Maxima Reds.  They're easy to tune and fly like darts out of my bows.

Bill