Washington Hunter

Im looking into purchasing arrows when I get my new bow. Ive heard horror stories about Carbons, and then Iv had people tell me that theyre the greatest. i dont like the price tag though... Thats why Ive been looking at Aluminums.

Can you tell me the pros and Cons of both Carbon and Aluminum arrows?

PABowhntr

I think the " perfect" answer to this one would be for you to scroll down the forum a little bit as this subject has been beaten to death on here over recent weeks....

A word of advice though....anytime that anyone paints a " rosy picture" about any product then you need to be skeptical. No product is perfect and no product is absolute junk.....well most aren' t....

Rangeball

Except ACCs, of course...

BuckAlley

I' d do like Pa says. Then way the pros & cons for what you want to do with your setup. If your just strictly hunting, alums are fine. If you plan on shooting alot of 3d' s in the future, may want to consider carbons. Far as pricing carbons are very comparable now to alums. Especially if you can purchase them as bare shafts, and fletch up your own. I just bought a dozen Easton Buckeye' s for $44.94 bare shafts. Like I wrote in a previous topic I think too many first time carbon owners get the incorrect arrow spine. Then they don' t shoot worth beans for them, and label carb' s as junk. Plus some of the first carbons out weren' t all that great for first impressions. I think they are a little more work to get your initial setup correct. But once you get everything set, and match the correct arrows they are great. I found vane clearances with some of the smaller shafts was the biggest problem in tuning, but thats lead to drop aways rests now. For strength, and durability I don' t think you can beat a good carbon arrow. I' ve done things with carbons no alum could handle.

Rangeball

Have you seen this thread yet?

http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/tm.as...mode=1&smode=1

Good info on the problems with cheap carbons and touchy aluminums...

Arthur P

And I' ve done things with an aluminum arrow where the same hit with a carbon caused the carbon to disolve in a cloud of black dust. True story! A guy shooting a Beman hit the same overhanging limb I stuck a 2216 into, not an inch from my arrow, and his arrow exploded. It was kinda cool... Black dust that glittered in the sunlight. My 2216 was in perfect shape and I shot that same arrow the rest of the tournament.

The real killer though was, for the entire shoot up to that point, the fella had been going on and on and on about how much flatter carbons shoot and how much tougher they are than aluminum.

Truth be known, it could have just as easily been his arrow that survived when mine could' ve been cratered, but the Fates were on my side that day. The explosion was very effective in shutting down his flapping piehole, and I enjoyed the moment immensely.

Carbons are more resistant to many minor clinks and clanks that can mess up an aluminum arrow, but when it comes to massive collisions, neither kind is better than the other. I' ve destroyed quite a few of both. Had some hits where the arrows weren' t phased when they should have been toast and had some totally wrecked on hits that I expected them come through without a scratch.

Durability would be a SLIGHT edge to carbon. Compare durability between carbon and a similar weight aluminum, and carbon' s edge gets a good bit wider.

PABowhntr

Nope they bend......

I gotta tell you Arthur, considering the 3D experiences that you relate on a regular basis, I honestly don' t know why you put yourself through such punishment.

Arthur P

Frank, ya know the worst thing about it?? I actually PAY to put myself through it!![][:' (][X(]

Really though, I do enjoy being the odd man out and showing the smart alecks that their way ain' t the only way to be successful. Like the guy that invited me to step up closer on a 40 yard shot - " That' s kinda far for a longbow and wood arrows...snif." After I stepped up to the stake and busted his ACC' s nock in the 10-ring (another time the Fates were kinder to me than I deserved), I patted him on the back and said " It ain' t THAT far."

By the way, I go 3D-ing a lot because I have the chance to ' hunt' 30-40 animals for 10-15 bucks and no worries about field dressing, taxidermists or packing out the meat.