Carbon shafts wear out?

Brandywine · April 21, 2012, 07:58:00 AM

Hello:
After viewing a carbon arrow commercial inferring that their brand of carbon shaft is superior to others' carbon shafts because theirs do not have spine deterioration and reading in one major archery catalog that some ultra-expensive target carbon shafts "are good for a couple of seasons" (of heavy target use), it occurred to me that the spine in even the finest carbon shafts might deteriorate over extensive use.

I called a respected carbon shaft maker and heard marketing gibberish from a purported technical rep. A call to an active Olympic gold medalist archer using such shafts resulted in comments about the exterior surface wearing from target friction over enormous shots to the degree that weight changes. He had no awareness of spine deterioration.

Can anyone else please add authoritative information about carbon shaft spine or other forms of "wear", please? Thanks.

Kentucky Jeff · April 21, 2012, 08:06:00 AM

I test the theory every day. I shoot between 40 and 100 shots every day...been using the same arrows for a year now. So I have probably 8-9k shots on them. I can't tell the diff. Don't have a spine tester. To do it right you'd have t test them before you started using them anyways.

For most people, this is like worrying about wearing out a rifle barrel. I wore out 4 barrels when I shot highpower competitively. But most people never shoot 4-5K rifle rounds in their lives.

Arrows are cheap and expendable.

Rob W. · April 21, 2012, 08:12:00 AM

In my late teens early 20's I would shoot over 300 shots a day out of a 73lb. wheelie. I was too cheap to buy expensive shafts or more than 6 at a time. Many years those 6 would last all year before they got lost at 3D or broken in a deer. Other than the refletching I never had a problem.

I don't watch many commercials.

Rob

tradbower · April 21, 2012, 08:21:00 AM

As far as spine I dont know if there is a difference,when the covering is removed .Iam not going to mention the make of arrow or the target, but after a month of shooting I noticed the covering wearing off the tip of the arrows.On some arrows it was completey gone on the first few inches ,only the black carbon was showing. Does this change spine?

But for sure the outer covering did wear down,and I feel it was due to the target.

cyred4d · April 21, 2012, 09:59:00 AM

I have also had the front wood grain finish wear off of carbon shafts. As far as I can tell it does not affect the spine.

LBshooter2 · April 21, 2012, 10:40:00 AM

"How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop, (crunch)... the world may never know"
The same could be said for arrows.

Don_G · April 25, 2012, 10:07:00 PM

The only time I've seen spine changes in carbons is when they take a really hard hit. They can look whole, and pass the flex test, but the spine is ruined.

For me any hit that causes the arrow to flex enough to throw the nock makes that arrow suspect in future.

Bjorn · April 26, 2012, 12:46:00 PM

Everything wears out over time-everything! Yes, that will too.

Shakes.602 · April 26, 2012, 12:51:00 PM

Wood is where its at!

Sorry, just had to get the "Plug" in there.

Don Armstrong · April 26, 2012, 01:45:00 PM

If you can shoot four arrow 2" groups, at 50 yards, l would worry. If not, l don't think you can tell, if you have lost a couple pounds. , of spine. Easton has some very good carbon tourny arrows X10's, that the top wheel pros shoot, but they are 389.00 a dozen. I would think a dozen of the X10's would take away any conserns you have about spine issues. Don

Gen273 · April 26, 2012, 01:55:00 PM

I have never had one wear out, but I guess they could. However I really don't know.

Brandywine · April 26, 2012, 03:13:00 PM

Hello, Don:
While my archery is for hunting, what started my question was the reference in a major archery distributor's catalog that indicated that a particular $300+/dzn. carbon arrow "won't take a set (permanent) bend. Consistently holding their initial tolerance for several seasons". This last sentence seemed to be a qualifier. On the one hand the arrows won't take a set and on the other hand they hold tolerance for several seasons. This tells me that tolerances change with use. Put another way--use changes tolerances, with no reference to damage from use. Speaking with self-described engineers at the company produced no useful explanation. That's why I asked here.

Brandywine · April 27, 2012, 08:25:00 AM

Scratching my head now. Right after posting, a senior engineer from a top carbon arrow company called. He was quick to say that there were some things he would not discuss, but did share that top quality, Olympic grade carbon shafts will not deteriorate IF they are not abused by impacting each other OR when withdrawn from the target. He said that some target carbon shafts "are notorious for taking a permanent bend if pulled improperly". He was not referring to decent hunting carbon shafts. So much for at least "large diameter"carbon being immune to taking a set.

Brandywine · April 27, 2012, 08:25:00 AM

Scratching my head now. Right after posting, a senior engineer from a top carbon arrow company called. He was quick to say that there were some things he would not discuss, but did share that top quality, Olympic grade carbon shafts will not deteriorate IF they are not abused by impacting each other OR when withdrawn from the target. He said that some target carbon shafts "are notorious for taking a permanent bend if pulled improperly". He was not referring to decent hunting carbon shafts. So much for at least one "large diameter"carbon being immune to taking a set.

Gen273 · April 27, 2012, 08:41:00 AM

Very interesting

Bonebuster · April 27, 2012, 11:12:00 AM

If we are lucky, we will all be able "wear out" carbon arrows.

I have some Carbonwood shafts that are eleven years old. I shoot a heavy bow and have used and abused these shafts to the extreme. The only real wear noticeable, is where I have removed and replaced fletching.

Certainly not something I worry about.