Anybody use barrel shafts?How are they different/Do they add more weight than tapered shafts?Whats a good wood for these shafts for a hunting arrow?

They go against the current fad of weight forward shafts.  If you take a 23/64" shaft and plane the front 8" down to 11/32" at the tip and the rear 10" down to 5/16" at the nock, that is a barreled shaft.  They were popular with flight shooters using a very light point.

It actually hurts penetration as the shaft is needing to open a larger hole as it enters an animal.

What it does is help the shaft recover very quickly from paradox and fly smoothly.

Tim, You need to start building arrows already      

Its too much fun.    

Let me know if you need to use the crester or feather burner

Check with Don Stokes he made barrel tapered Magnolia(super cedar) shafts.

1/64" difference from the front to the middle hurts penetration? I don't think so. That broadhead will do the same job as if it were 23/64" upfront. I think people don't do it because of the weight forward like Stumpkiller said. But it really wouldn't take much weight off and since you are taking weight off the back it should be a really nicely balanced arrow. The arrow I saw that was a duplicate of an arrow that Ishi made was barrel tapered.
I've been wanting to try this. Thanks for the reminder! I was going to end taper a dozen. They will be tip tapered now too!

STUMPKILLER purrty much said it all.

I just completed footing 6 Sitka spruce shafts with purpleheart.

I tapered the nock end from 11/32 to 5/16 inches for 10 inches.

I am tapering the forward end for 6 inches from 11/32 to 5/16 inches.

I am gonna crest and fletch them and hopefully shoot them on Monday.

Maybe it will improve arrow flight???

Charles.

barrel tapers helped flight shooters loose weight but keep a higher spine.they work for other shooting too.i have some of Don Stokes barreled shafts and they shoot great.they are tough as nails to boot.hope this helps,steve

I bought (and shot) barrel tapered footed shafts last season. Killed 2 deer with them. One was a double lung that stuck in the far shoulder and the other was a spine shot that the broad head fully penetrated the spine.

I have no complaints of penetration. I can see the rational behind it being a pentration hinderance, but I am not concerned about it for deer/bear/elk sized animals.

PS, they do fly great!!

I have some super ceders that I absolutely love. Seems they shoot well out of a variety of bows and are tough as nails.  I also think they look pretty neat - even though that isn't supposed to matter much.