I do love wood arrows and they do have a multitude  of noble qualities. However, being superior to carbon arrows is not one of them.  

Carbons are as traditional as anything in our bowhunting community. Just loook at the bowss we are shooting. Shawn

"wood arras look great, seem and feel the business....but there is NOTHING worse than going to draw your bow and looking down the shaft.....and finding that the head is pointing 2 meters to the left of the target! "

"wood arrows make good kindling"

2 for the best statements iv read on here in a long time!  
         

The misuse of the word traditional, as it applies to archery nowadays, is just plain goofy.

Only Ishi could tell you what he would use, and it has no bearing on what is happening now anyway.   Carbon is just a hollow tube...like aluminum...everything eventually comes from the Earth.

tradtusker...you apparently have not used decent wooden arrows or you would not be so amused by those "inaccurate" statements.   My wooden arrows will center the target everytime at sixty meters if I can hold them steady enough.

Smart-alec remarks don't make you look smart, they make other people wonder why you bother responding.  

I have used all three arrows, and   When push comes to shove, and I want reliability and confidence, I con't mind packing my P.O. cedars at all.  They will do what they were intended to do, in an outstanding manner.   All three arrow shafts can be made into great arrows; it's the arrowsmith that creates the final outcome.  

On a final note, Howard Hill could shoot over 400 on a field round with his longbow and cedar arrows.  There are few here who could approach that with recurves and carbon or aluminum arrows.
It's not the arrow material folks.  Never will be.

Carbon Credits...'Twas a joke....You know...Al Gore?....Peace Prize?  Ahhh....never mind!  

George agreed, but I could take you to the Muzzy shoot and you could bring a dozen wood arrows and me a dozen carbons and I very much doubt you woul dget thru the two days of shooting. I can assure you I would. I have seen guys break over two dozen arrows in a day at this shoot and aluminum, well they hold up even worse. I just like the durabilty of the carbons, I have woodies that shoot as well and that do in fact look better but just cannot take the abuse like a carbon. Shawn

I shoot wood. If I could get carbon arrows to fly as well, I'd probably shoot them. I've tried them, but cedars shoot better for me. Aluminums fly fine, but they bend and dent and are noisy.

As far as carbon being tougher, I'm not so sure about that. I have broken just about as many carbons as wood, even though I shoot a lot more wood. If you Robin Hood a carbon, it is done. I have been able to save some woodies that I did that to. I have been using the same cedar arrow for stump shooting/shooting at squirrels, etc. for over six months. It is scarred up and ugly from hitting rocks, limbs, stumps and so forth, but still functional. When it wears out, I'll make another one for about $3. When I break a carbon arrow, it costs about $6-12 to replace it. If I lose a wooden arrow, it still costs about $3 to replace (maybe $3.50). If I lose a carbon arrow it is $8-15 to replace.

I make my own arrows. I don't need much for fancy equipment to make woodies. No $250 saw, a hand saw will do. A taper tool is under $30.

The bottom line is, even if the carbons are tougher, I can make lots of cedar arrows for what carbons cost. My arrows fly better (for me). My arrows smell like cedar. Carbons smell like...nothing much I guess.

I don't really care about traditional vs non-traditional. My bows are relatively modern. I just don't want to spend the money it would take to find a carbon arrow that would fly like a cedar when I can make cedar arrows that fly like cedar.

If they work for you, shoot 'em.

Woodies are absolutely gorgeous and have a certain mystique about them and will certainly do the job intended. However i am with Shawn on this one. Carbon is just the best right now.I believe Ishi and any other indian or person who is hunting to sustain there life would use the most advanced methods possible and would care less if there meal was killed in a traditional fashion. I mean really, arent we talking about people who would drive herds of animals of cliffs to eat because they had to? I wouldnt be surprised to see many of them shooting a Mattews. And theres nothing wrong with that.

Max,

I agree with you and Shawn. Subsistance hunters would use whatever worked best. I shoot traditional equipment for the joy of it rather than for food. I think that is the case with most of us.

My wood arrows are fun to make, they fly well for me and weigh 10-11 grains per pound from my bows, so they do the job on game. I don't see a need to change at this point.

George you are correct, but i saw those statements in good humour and not as disperpectfull to anyone, i meant no disrespect by my post sorry if it was taken that way.

it was meant as a bit of humour, which is important in everything i think.

i shoot wood, allu and carbon arrows just the same  

Coupe
Absolutely correct. Whatever works best and kills efficiently is great. Traditional is a personal choice. I have recently switched because it is the most enjoyment i have ever had with archery equippt. I am hoping in time it will make me a better hunter. I now have a 18- 20 yard window. With my Hoyt i had a 56 yard window. (one shot double lung buck) It is also wonderful to get excited "just seeing" does and "smaller bucks" again. Traditional has made hunting enjoyable again because all deer are once again Trophies.

Tusker,
If it makes you feel any better i am not offended. I thought it was rather funny also. Laughter makes people feel better. Some need to try it more often.

Guys it is nice we all can agrre and see the humor and we understand that it is about what works best for us as individuals not what works for someone else. I can make crbons fly for anyone, it just takes some point weight experimentation and being close on spine to start. Shawn

Shawn
By the way i dont think i thanked you for your arrow advice. Thanks for your time and knowledge. Would love to make the bunny hunt if i can. Chuck.

The problem can be with our exuberance for the shafts that we think are "best."  Fact is, what's best for one is not best for the other, so sometimes humor is taken in a negative way.  

No problem Tusker...we all are pretty goofy at times...me as much or more than others.

Shawn....We will shoot together sometime...I would like that.  I will bring the cedars though, so you might want to pack some extra carbons if I run out 8^).

Ishi and any other hunting to sustain life wouldn't use a bow at all...they'd use a gun.  History's already answered that.  There's a difference between sustaining life and enjoying it recreationally.

One thing to keep in mind though...Carbons are purchased by crossbow and compound users too.  Wood is not. We have to keep on supporting those providing Traditional Archery goods or we'll lose them.  Where have all the Forgewoods gone?

At the least, always buy your carbons and alums from Traditional Archery dealers.

'Course that's just my opinion, and I did use the word "traditional" which means I offended someone.  I apologize!  I did not mean to imply you are not traditional (oops there it is again) if you buy your carbons from Wal-Mart.

(To be clear...That last paragraph was a joke.)  :D

I shoot whatever works best from each bow. The only thing that matters tome with arrows is that the deliver the point where it belongs.

I'd put my doug fir arrows durability wise up against anyone's carbons that has ever gone stump shooting with me. This is also why I don't shoot cedar shafts(they snap too easily for me). I have taken several guys along with me stump shooting in the old growth around here with all the giant mossy rocks mixed in and they come out down a few arrows as well as do I but I am out $1.25 an arrow(less if I can find the tip) and they are out at least 6 or 7 bucks an arrow with their carbon shafts.

Carbons are fine for those who use them but I will stick with wood and yes, mine are straight, even my bamboo ones are straight. I heat straighten if need be. It could also be that I'm single and I make my arrows in my bathroom so I don't mind the day or two it takes me to go from 3/8" squares to a dozen new arrows.

I can break most wood arrows by looking at them crosseyed.  No question in my mind.  I used to make six to eight dozen woodies a year.  Still working on my first dozen carbons after 11 months.

Does this mean wood doesn't work?  Absolutely not.  There are a whole lot better archers than I that can prove that they do work.

I just use what works best for me, which for the past several years has been carbon. If and when someone comes up with a 33"+ wood shaft that spines over 80# and weighs 320 grains (so I can have a finished arrow around 500 grains), I may give them a try.