the advantages of wood.........

greg fields · December 30, 2010, 07:37:00 AM

Thank God I never got into wood arrows. Even though I loved the look of them and understand everyones high opinion of them, I never tried them. I knew a few guys who used them and seen them break on the first shot or when someone nicked one in the target, bend/warp in their quiver, etc. It just seemed like too much trouble for a limited time arrow...

NTD · December 30, 2010, 08:17:00 AM

"to those who keep espousing 'wood is trad!' - yer nocks are self cut? yer bowstring is linen? yer bow is all wood and no glass, carbon or foam and is laminated with hide or fish glue? etc etc etc. hah"

No fight intended

Except for the string and the glues YES

Rob DiStefano · December 30, 2010, 08:26:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by NTD:
"to those who keep espousing 'wood is trad!' - yer nocks are self cut? yer bowstring is linen? yer bow is all wood and no glass, carbon or foam and is laminated with hide or fish glue? etc etc etc. hah"

No fight intended

Except for the string and the glues YES

yer feathers aren't stuck on with thread and hide or fish glue? HERESY!!!! :D

NTD · December 30, 2010, 08:38:00 AM

And you are right, I'm being idealist about a trad approach;) To be honest I'd like a set of carbons for the field range that I shoot at, I end up leaving there with half my arrows. Too much work in them to destroy a bunch for a few hours of shooting

Bonebuster · December 30, 2010, 09:30:00 AM

My twelve yr old son says "wood arrows are the best".

"You can make a bad shot, and the arrow will still hit what you want" "The bow FEELS better to shoot" "It makes your bow QUIETER" "You get to KNOW certain arrows" "They are all good, but some are better than others" "They will make you a better shot"

Valid points. All of them are opinions he developed on his own BEFORE he ever began to make his own.

I am in the process of showing him how to build top shelf wood arrows from start to finish. He is turning into an arrow building monster. He loves it, and loving it is perhaps one of the biggest advantages of wood.

Bonebuster · December 30, 2010, 09:32:00 AM

Forgot to add, I shoot mostly carbon.

camoman · December 30, 2010, 01:38:00 PM

Never tried wood arrows, will have to give it a shot.

Flying Dutchman · December 30, 2010, 01:40:00 PM

I shoot wood as well as carbon

bro-n-arrow · December 30, 2010, 03:17:00 PM

Wood arrows were made for those who to play and make a work of art.

woodchucker · December 30, 2010, 03:31:00 PM

They're BIODEGRADABLE!!!!!!!!!!

500 years from now an "archeryoligist" will find a plastic nock and say...

"Many years ago,a "prehistoric" man shot this arrow. I wonder what he was shooting at???"

Honestly though, I use all my old woodies for 3-D,stumping,and Bunny Hunts. I never feel bad leaving "lost" arrows in the woods!!!!!

NTD · December 30, 2010, 06:50:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:

QuoteOriginally posted by NTD:
"to those who keep espousing 'wood is trad!' - yer nocks are self cut? yer bowstring is linen? yer bow is all wood and no glass, carbon or foam and is laminated with hide or fish glue? etc etc etc. hah"

No fight intended

Except for the string and the glues YES
yer feathers aren't stuck on with thread and hide or fish glue? HERESY!!!! :D [/b]

Actually my feathers are tied on with silk thread :-)

I cheat by using dacron strings and urac glue for laminates :-) I try to stay as trad as I can. But a big reason for that is I have more time than money. I also get a lot of my material by way of trade. I think it's easier to trade a set of snake skins for wood/cane shafts than it is for a set of carbons. I spend very very little money on this hobby, spend more in shipping than I do on any goods

But you understood the intent of my original post and that's all I was hoping for. :cool:

frank bullitt · December 30, 2010, 09:52:00 PM

So Rob, when you started out, your form was solidified and you shot carbons, in the Dark Ages?

Advantage, I'm not sure there is such a thing!

I didn't get into Archery for an Advantage!

Excuse me, not trying to be rude!

It is about a simple, natural, self-sufficent use of nature to enjoy all things God gave us domain over.

No doubt, the wood available, is not like what we had, years ago! Then, neither is the gas I burn in my vehichle.

Wood arrows is somehting we need to experience!

The ole saying, "what goes around comes around" In this case, I hope is true!

December 30, 2010, 10:23:00 PM

You all remember Acme cedars, you buy a thousand shafts and one or two of them made tomato stakes.

PAPA BEAR · December 30, 2010, 11:10:00 PM

dang you guys..yer makin me get the itch to try woodies again.

Flying Dutchman · December 31, 2010, 02:55:00 AM

Woodies fly great on a Caribow, Papa Bear.....

SEMO_HUNTER · December 31, 2010, 05:30:00 AM

I found the woodies to be very quiet and the main thing that I like about them and the main reason why I started using them was for the ability to adjust my spine.
I couldn't afford to buy new aluminums or carbons just because the spine wasn't right when I first got into trad archery. So wood was the obvious choice until I settled on a spine, length, and weight.

If you enjoy making them you will stick with it, if you tire of sanding, sealing, painting, straightening.........then you will switch to carbon.
You just have to enjoy the experience of using wood, but like all materials it has it's pros and cons.

I might also add that it gave me a profound respect for arrow spine that I never had before. I learned more about arrow spine and how it relates to perfect arrow flight......through first hand experience with wood shafts, mainly cedar.

I think it should be required curriculum that anybody who uses trad gear should take a "Home schooled" course in woodies and build their own spine testing jig. :D

vtmtnman · December 31, 2010, 05:42:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:
imho, i would not recommend messing with woods as a main arrowshaft material if you haven't solidified a decent shooting form, with decent consistent accuracy. woodies are simply not as durably consistent as carbs or alums. something to consider.

if you are still in the trad archery learning curve, you want to make sure that you missed because of *you* and not the arrow.

now, if you know yer way around trad, and yer a good shooter, hunting with woodies is a natural connection to the true aesthetics of trad archery/bowhunting. i love my woodies.

X2

Rob DiStefano · December 31, 2010, 05:57:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by frank bullitt:
So Rob, when you started out, your form was solidified and you shot carbons, in the Dark Ages?

Advantage, I'm not sure there is such a thing!

I didn't get into Archery for an Advantage!

Excuse me, not trying to be rude!

It is about a simple, natural, self-sufficent use of nature to enjoy all things God gave us domain over.

No doubt, the wood available, is not like what we had, years ago! Then, neither is the gas I burn in my vehichle.

Wood arrows is somehting we need to experience!

The ole saying, "what goes around comes around" In this case, I hope is true!

steve steve steve steve, here we go again with you. :rolleyes: :cool:

if yer a newbie, just getting into trad archery and trad bowhunting, and yer form and accuracy is in the developmental stages, you WILL have a tougher row to hoe if you start out with woodies.

don't believe me? don't care, not my problem, ignore me. just telling it like it is and as i've seen and lived it for the last 55 years of pulling string, punching paper, foam and fur, and shooting every manner of bow and arrow readily available.

yer a seasoned trad archer? you NEED to mess with woodies and if you haven't, shame on you!

ymmv, have at it.

traditional beagle · December 31, 2010, 10:46:00 AM

Love wood. But frankly there is no advantage. I got tired of getting 3or 4 good arrows out of a dozen and then the stupid things break every time you hit a hard object at a whipping angle. Carbon with the way they last me with all my missing is probably less than half the cost in the long run.

magnus · December 31, 2010, 10:49:00 AM

Beagle as far as only getting 3 or 4 good shafts then you should try surewoods. I know you'll be impressed! Out of a dozen you might only have to straighten one. They're the straightest wood shafts I've seen. Make beautiful shafts as well.

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus