Wood vs Carbon

[187BOWHUNTER]

doesnt wood warp and need to be straightened out often? just what I was told

[Craig]

doesnt wood warp and need to be straightened out often? just what I was told


I have wood arrows that I have made over 20 years ago and they are just as straight as when I had made them.  If they are sealed right they should stay straight. I used Port Orford Cedar most of the time

[Flying Dutchman]

Originally posted by Craig:
"I can tune carbon equally well as wood. Bareshafting is bareshafting, no matter what material you use"

Sounds like we both can!!!          

Some guys can't.

I shot wood for years. When you shoot a lot and trying to make almost impossible shots wood gets expensive. Carbons will last alot longer. you will lose them before breaking them, but I do agree if you can get a dozen of wood shafts the exact same in spine and weight as the carbons, they will fly the same. I just don't think anyone could really prove it.  

Is it more fun to make wood arrows? Sure it is.

                     

You are right. That's also the reason I let rookies shoot with carbon.

I never buy shafts by the dozen. I like to buy them with 24 at least, my last batch was 40. They are handspined and differ only +/- 1 lbs and are very close in weight.
But you only know what an arrow weighs, when you are ready with them. So I prepare my shafts in such a way that they are all done, but the fletching. Then I weigh them. Then I pick 6 shafts out, which are very close in weight. I chack them for straightness and if necessary I straighten them. Then I fletch them. I store the rest till I need them. When I have only 12 left, I order a new batch and so on.

And it is definely more fun to build woodies!  http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=106905  

Besides of that: woodies have a soul, carbon is dead material....

[Scott Teaschner]

Boy that would be another great topic who thinks wood has more soul than carbon. Very easily proven   :D      .

[G. Fred Asbell]

Is it not the same discussion that we have when we talk about compounds being superior to traditional bows, and rifles being superior to compound bows? It's certainly similar. We shoot traditional equipment because we LIKE it, and because we choose to take a different/more difficult route....gfa

[Scott Teaschner]

I agree with you Fred I do it because I like it. But I have never thought of it being more difficult. In fact I feel I have the advantage over compounds with in realistic bowhunting situations.
ST

[Tim Finley]

The difference is slight . Wood absorbs the energy of the bow and carbon more transfers it. Think how much softer and more of material in a wood than carbon and how the shot of a wood arrow is quiter and softer. I shoot both ,I like a good and well decorated wood arrow the most.

[deaddoc4444]

I made up some woods  for my son  when he got a new bow about 8 months ago   Had some shafts around that  I figured would match well to his Aluminum's  .  They shoot   EXACTLY   dead on  into the same group as his aluminum's and NOW some carbons he is testing.   IF the spine is correct and they are made right, and the over all physical weight is about the same  they will shoot exactly the same .

[Jeff Strubberg]

I've shot pretty much everything, from cutting my own arrow stock from ash and douglas fir and dowelling it myself to middle-of-the-road carbons (I just won't pay $300 a dozen for high end ones).  

Carbon absolutely recovers faster than wood.  Carbon also noodles less when it hits the target.  There are videos around that show both of those phenomena if you want to look.

As for variations in spine, carbons tend to differ in spine around the shaft, just the same as wood.  If you want a truly matched set of arrows, you spend the five minutes to rotate them in a spine tester and mark them when you get the spine you want.

Having said all that, both kill critters just fine.  If you want to spend the extra time to get a quality set of woodies exactly matched, you can come very, very close to the performance of a carbon arrow.

Me, I'd rather shoot these days, I shoot carbon.