I'd pick up one of each and see which fly's the best

I shoot all 3, wood, carbon and aluminums. Each shaft has a place for me. Woods are needed for some of the 3-D shoots I attend. Carbons are almost break proof. With a footing on them they really do bounce off of rocks. But I find myself going to aluminums more and more. After 30 years I know what size, length, weight, etc. I need for my bows. My 2020`s will work out of all my bows. I also like the idea of knowing that the shaft will be the same this year as it was 5 years ago and 5 years from know no matter where on earth I buy them.
Remember, arrows are expendable ammo and we will break them, bend them, or splinter them, that is part of our hobby/sport.

I think Aluminums are the last word.  Easy to spine and tune to the bow, and such a selection to pick from.  I definitely like the graphics on alum better then carbons and the weight factor fits the bill unlike carbons, having to build another arrow on the end of of them to get that heavy arrow everyone wants! The 9 grains per pound works good for me, and aluminums make it easy!  

This is turning into a great thread. What do you prefer to cut alum with? Small pipe cutter??

High speed cutoff saw.

I DO!!!!! I DO!!!!!

I have about 2 dozen "Autumn Orange" 2016's that belong to my good friend Lew,who "made the journey" 2 years ago. I stipped the old plastic vanes and Joe Skipp crown dipped,crested,and re-fletched them for me.These are my hunting arrows.

For 3-D and "stumping" I like to use wood. I miss ALOT!!!!! and wood arrows are "biodegradable" LOL. I like the idea knowing that any of my "lost" arrows will turn to dirt over time.

I will NOT shoot a carbon arrow!!!!! Maybe it's just me,and just MAYBE I'm being "pigheaded" LOL. But I once saw an online picture of a man's hand that had a splintered carbon arrow through it. The arrow looked like a piece of flailed bamboo piercing his hand in about 5-6 places and his hand was swollen up the size of a football.

Also,all I could think about was.....What if that happened to one of my sons,with a carbon arrow that I bought for them and encouraged them to shoot.    

Saw that one two. Ouch .Got me thinking.

I still shoot aluminum and don't really want to change though I've tried a few carbons without success. They just seem to agree with my shooting style a little better and I like the weight and the fact I can cut them to my draw length and there isn't any noticable variation in weight and spine from year to year or batch to batch.                            Grant

I also tried carbons without success ! My 8.6 Bear metric magnums are swaged front and back, nothing to come loose, bare shaft perfectly without having to weigh the front end because they are over spined, which means more components...ad infinitum !

I have tried wood,carbon,and aluminum, and always seem to go back to aluminum. I guess it's just how easy it seems to tune them. It just seems like a pain to tune carbons. I have spent alot of time playing around with them and on occasion still haven't been able to get them to fly. Plus I always have to weight up the carbons to get them to the weight I want. I never have that problem with aluminum. For me it's aluminum, with wood as a close second.


Bill

Nope... Wanna buy some 2219's or 2018's?

Serge,
Please explain. I guess swaged front and back means that you would glue-on nock and tip. If so when you order swaged aluminims , do you order them cut to length ,then just experiment with different point weight? Sorry never used swaged. Havent shot aluminum since switching tocarbon out of my compound 9 yrs ago.

I'm shooting aluminum right now - mostly because I'm currently too lazy to build woodies.   That'll change at some point. :-D

Pat, you a have a pm./ I agree with all of the above, and with a long draw length the aluminums are easier than wood.

i shoot what ever flys good off my bows. i have 20-16 legacys and 35-55 trad carbons and 45-50 spined woods and they all shoot great off my bows.  

2117 's out of all mt Recurves and Woodies out of my Long bOws. Both are easy to tune...........

when I am not shootin cedar, its aluminums 2020 and 2216, never shot a carbon, just never saw the need, and I like the wide range of spine available in aluminum, the consistancy,tuneing is easy and ya can get a huntin weight arrow without stacking a bunch of weight in it. Carbons just always seemed too complicated to me after watchin buddies mess with them. I like simple stuff and a aluminum arrows is about as simple and dependable as it gets, even more than wood in my opinion.

I,ve shot a lot of alum. over the years an they tune easy but they don,t have any personality like wood does. Never shot carbon seems like to many parts an pieces for me. I like the Kiss method of archery. Later Bob

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.. I've been shooting aluminum for 30 years and haven't found a reason to change.. It wasn't too long ago these threads would turn into Carbon is tougher,, Now everyone is footing them so they don't break. got about 5 dozen of the AO's from 1918 to 2020's I should be fixed for a year or two.

Hi Chuck; I guess it's a little easier for me because i have my own arrow swager. but what i would recommend to make it easier to find the correct spine is to use an aluminum spine chart and find the 2 closest arrow spines for your Bow weight/draw length and order one of each from some one that sells swaged arrows , order them with uninocks , so that you can cut the back of the arrow until it spines right for the field point /broadhead weights that you want to use. then order your arrow shafts to the spine and length that shoots best for you swaged at both ends. if you have any other questions feel free to pm me.