Why do you shoot wooden arrows

[recurvericky]

Why do you shoot wood shafts and why do you choose a certain type of wood?

[Matty]

I just started.... My first batch isn't even a month old. Been shooting carbon for about 10 years now pretty sure I'm not going back. For me it was the allure of the wood arrow. Definately adds to the "more trad" feel for me. I used to use the "excuse" that carbon was more "tune able"  and nothing could be further from the truth. Granted yes. Carbon is strong and straight. But I got my wood shafts tuned within 4# of spine and 2 grains of weight. And another plus because of wood density variation. I could make a 600 gr arrow for elk hunting no problem...no weight tubes. Or if I want a 500 gr arrow for target shooting. I just match em up!
I went with Doug fir from surewood. I didn't even have to spend much time straightening them.

[McDave]

I shoot everything: wood, carbon and aluminum. I prefer to shoot wood in my longbow because all the tournaments I enter require longbow shooters to shoot wood.  I've shot wood for so long out of longbows that it wouldn't feel natural for me to shoot anything else.

When I hunt, I want to give myself the best odds I can, given the overall limitations of trad bowhunting, so I shoot carbons from my recurve. For me, the goal is to take the animal I'm hunting cleanly with a trad bow.  For others, the goal may be the same, but to do it with a self bow and homemade wooden arrows.  I can understand that, we're both self-imposing limitations; their's are just a little more challenging than mine.

[snag]

I find they are just more alive then metal or carbon. Hard to explain. You just have to experience it. They seem to me to be more forgiving too. Wood arrows shot out of a wood bow is a beautiful match. Then you have the looks of wood. We choose wood in our bows for how beautiful wood is. Same for arrows. As far type of wood, that has been discussed quite often on this site. I love douglas fir for it's durability and mass weight. Surewood Shafts are the best.

[ghall80]

Dave said it all right there I just started shooting them and they do feel more alive.

[centaur]

I've been shooting cedar for years, and have shot other wood types occasionally, but cedar does the trick for me. They are quiet, and good ones keep straight without a hassle. They work very well for hunting, and they smell great. I don't have to mess with them much; I see so much about tuning carbons, and I pretty much get the right spine, weight, and seal my woodies, fletch them, stick a point on them, and go out and have a ball, whether it is shooting in the back yard, stumping, or hunting. I like simple, and for me, that is what wood arrows are.

[M60gunner]

Woods are enjoyable to make for me. Being retired time is not an issue. They are just not a durable option foe me here in desert.

[bowberry]

I have not been back into trad very long, But I just love wooden arrows. I've been shooting po cedar but I might look for  something with more weight. doug fir perhaps.

Wood feels more natural. Makes me feel closer to my heros.

I also use my own trade points and self nocks, but thats just me. We all have different things that "do it" for us.

[Brianlocal3]

I typically shoot Sitka spruce, they are the most durable wood I've found, more so than Doug fir and western larch, for me. Also it keeps the weight down as I do not like heavy arrows.

I shoot wood mainly because I love tournament archery and I prefer LB wood arrow class. Honesty I prefer shooting my 2016s but I mainly shoot woods

[Gordon Jabben]

Good question and I don't know if I have an answer.  I have always shot wood arrows and really don't have a reason to change.  They are more accurate than I am. For fun, I have made arrows from boards and dowel rods and they shot fine.  They seem a little more traditional if that's your thing.  Quiet in a back quiver.  Durability can be a problem but if you don't break a lot, they are cheaper especially if you make your own.  If I was starting in archery today, I'm not sure what I would shoot.

[MnFn]

I shoot Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce.  I like wood because it's easy to get the weight up where I want it without adding inserts.  I think they are quieter than anything else.  Great penetration with moderate heads. I like 160 grain heads.

Plus they have the cool factor!

I do have a few carbons around but have pretty much quit using them.

[degabe]

I shoot ash arrows out of my hickory long bow because they group better than my aluminum does.

[fujimo]

they are quieter , have a nicer feel- warmer than ali. i prefer sitka. with a lighter weight arrow, i can add more weight into the head to get up to hunting weight, and get good FOC by doing that. and sitka is super tough.
strongest wood for its weight!
i agree with Dave on the feel .
easier to tune than carbon maybe!- well for me they are- just go up or down a spine group, and adjust by trimming- not have to deal with a multitude of point weights, then try and add weight tubes etc.
nothing wrong with carbon- just prefer the wood!

[arrowbuster]

They just seem right.

[The Whittler]

You can paint alum. and carbon but nothing looks nicer/better than a painted up wood arrow. And they shoot as good as alum. or carbon.

[Recurve7]

Advantages:  since they are a solid shaft they absorb more energy from your bow, therefore they are quieter. Penetration is better for the same reason. Probaly easier on your bow
too. Their beauty is limited only by the builder.
Disadvantage: although they are more durable than most think. They are a little more fragile than aluminum when stump shooting. Port orford cedar is what I've used for years!

[durp]

i dont like advertisements or camo on my arrows...wood is purdy all by it's self !!!

[MikeNova]

I shoot wood and carbon so I'm not biased. I think I shoot one as good as the other I think wood may be quieter they just don't hold up like carbons when I miss my target and hit my brick wall .

[distantbear]

Why would you shoot anything else, from your wood bow ?

[Sam McMichael]

I guess I feel the way many of the others have already stated. But I admit that I like the nostalgia of it as well. I have shot aluminum some, but it just doesn't float my boat.