Greetings fellow Tradgangers,

I'm sitting here, looking at arrow shafts on a webshop. Right now, I've got my eyes on 'Gold Tip' arrow shafts. Does anyone have any experience with this brand? And by the way, I intend to use these for hunting.

Thanks  

Gold Tips are a good arrow, the wood grain on the traditionals looks great.  You can also use brass inserts with them, for that added FOC.

I've personally found Gold Tips to be fragile when compared to many others on the market. Your mileage may vary but just my personal experience.

Most of the shafts I prefer have all been discontinued...seems it wasn't in the manufacturer's best interest to produce a shaft that was so durable they could only sell you one set    :D

Out of the current crop of shafts, I like the small diameter axis-type shafts, both for their penetration characteristics and durability. If I were to pick a conventional diameter shaft, it would be the carbon express rebel hunter; excellent price for how durable they are.

I've had maybe 10 or 12 different sets of carbon arrows and GT have been the absolute worst for durability. I wouldn't accept a dozen if someone tried to give them to me.  

If you only ever hit foam or hay bales, the Gold Tips should be fine.  Just don't let a shot get away from you. Never hit ground, trees, rock, target frame, etc. and you'll be happy.  Ha! You'll be shooting way better than me!

Ramin is getting very scarce, so I'm looking at Fir and Spruce now.  The Fir really shoots nicely.  

I am really surprised to see the negatives on the gold tips durability.  I shot Bemans and had several deer break them.  I switched to the Gold tips and I have not broken one yet.  I don't think a arrow of any kind should be expected to hold up to rocks and I never try to shoot trees when stump shooting.  I know it is called stump shooting but man you can brake the heck out of arrows and loose inserts and such in those stumps.  From what I gather those Carbon express arrows must be bad to the bone.

For stump shooting, big game hunting and all round performance I've went back to the cedars.  I shot aluminum for years and then went to laminated birch which are great but the cedars are easily the best thing going.  I shoot 70 to 80# bows and have been shooting the same cedar with a judo on it for more than a year and that inculdes the frozen stumps of winter.

Not sure if Carbon Express is available in Europe...

Well, gonna look into it!

I shoot GT's and Carbon Express Heritages. Both are easy to tune with brass inserts and very tough. Not any problems with either brand but the Heritages look better and are heavier per inch than the GT's.

So GT's aren't that bad after all?

I've been shooting GT Ultralights out of my compound for 2 years and I love them.  I recently wanted to put my wood arrows down and give carbons a try with my recurve, so I bought some GT Trad 3555's.  I love these arrows.  I have had absolutely ZERO problems with durability so far.  I went stumping the other day and shot the base of a tree that had broken in half and fallen.  The spot I shot was about an inch thick and still somewhat intact, not completely rotten.  The arrow blew through the stump, ripped a feather off the shaft, and buried in the ground 10 yards past the stump.  That arrow got a new feather and is still in my quiver going strong, along with the other 11 that came in the dozen.

Carbons=Carbon Express Heritage 250 w/ 100gr brass inserts. Durable, wood grain, not the most expensive and not the cheapest.
Woodies=Surewood Shafts (douglas fir) Most are straight and easy to straighten if you find a few that need it, durable, heavier than POC and Spruce, they are GOOD WOOD!  The guys who put these on the market go the extra mile to make them consistant and of high quality...plus they are just plain nice guys!

I have 4 doz. GT 5575's and have had nothing but good luck with them.  All of my bows are center cut or near center cut and draw weights vary from 52-62#. With the exception of a couple I have lost while stumping, they are doing fine and I will continue to use them.  

Cool!  

I have taken every carbon out and feild tested them for a local shop. I shot them into a cinder block. The goldtips were the strongest by far. I have yet to shoot the new axis nano. I will say the only stronger arrow was the fullmetal jacket. I shot it into a side of a car and through small trees and I never even had a slight bend or break. If you want strong try them. other than that the goldtips are good. If you that have tested them are buying the blems then I would say your getting what you pay for. Buy the XT .003 and I would bet you would be hard pressed to break one.

i shoot axis nano's, they are super tough.you can shoot a new telephone pole over and over at 10yds and not break one or glance it off. also will shot beman mfx.I had a lot of problems with inconsistent size and spine in gt and quit stocking them in my shop. it got so bad that the inserts wouldnt fit. I really like carbon express maxima hunters but havent shot them out of a stick bow.

I'm with Pooahl, couldn't give GT's to me.  I must just be ridiculously unlucky...I've shattered two different dozens of gold tips. I don't mean a few of them, I mean EVERY one broke. All were the 75/95 spine shot from 60-70# Morrisons. While they seemed as tough as most from direct frontal impacts, any hit off angle where it contacts the outside of the shaft and they broke like twigs. We have lots of rocks and hidden pieces of shale here on my place where I normally stump shoot and it's very tough on arrows. I'd also never intentionally shoot a stump around here...most are like shooting a rock. Glad to hear others have had better luck than me with GT's. To each his own...

5/16" Hickory for me.  I haven't broken one yet.

Dennis

JC we must have gotten the same batch of exploding GT's all of them shattered most of them in foam,some on glancing blows[I can't blame the arrow or brand for those shots}I wouldn't give you a dime for for the GT,s I'm shooting the axis FMJ's the differance is night and day.My vote is for the FMJ or the axis nano both IMHO or better than the GT and should be available in Denmark.

Goldtips are all right IMO but, CX Heritages are much more durable in my experience.

ben