What a loaded question THAT is! [:-]
Well, here's my two cents about it...
Aluminum. Best out of the box straightness, assuming you're looking at arrows in the same price range. Absolutely consistent in spine and weight. Each 2018, for instance,will be exactly like any other 2018 of the same model. They've got good weight to them right off the shelf. They are easy to work with. Hot melt works like a champ for inserts and Fletchtite is great for fletchings and nocks. If you want to change inserts, just heat the old one and pull it out, stick in the new one. In a pinch, you can use a tube cutter to cut them to length. Not recommended, but it works if you're real careful. If you bend aluminum arrows, they can often be straightened back to factory tolerances, or at least good enough to keep using them for stump shooting or small game.
My second favorite selection for arrows.
Carbon. Not nearly as straight, nor as consistent in spine and weightas aluminums in the same price range. Most folks have to add weight to them so they won't make the bow loud and feel like you swatted a boulder with a baseball bat every time you shoot. Adding weight to carbons is the biggest pain I've ever had to deal with and it adds quite a bitto the cost of each arrow.
I haven't found any glue that will keep the insert in the arrow during use but will also let you replace it when you need to. I've lost many inserts in targets trying different glues. The only stuff I've found that will keep them in place is 24 hour epoxy, and then you can't remove epoxied inserts without ruining the arrow.
They're tougher than aluminum in that they'll take a hit that'll often bend an aluminum. Although, I've had some aluminum arrows survive a hit unscathed that would turn a carbon arrow into dust. With traditional equipment, I think the toughness factor is a wash.
Get a bad release with an aluminum arrow and it can ring like a bell. You hear a loud, metallic hum coming from the arrow as it goes downrange. Carbons are quiet, no matter how bad your release is. You can quiet aluminums by stuffing them full of the foam florists use to make up flower arrangements though.
The last arrow I'd choose to shoot.
A type of arrow you don't mention is carbon/fiberglass composite. My favorite in that type is Carbon Express Terminator Selects. About the same price as XX75 aluminums. Good straightness, good consistency in spine and weight. They have enough weight that you don't have to fiddle with adding weight to them like you do with carbon arrows. They are tougher than either carbon or aluminum, but have the same small diameter of ICS carbon arrows. Very good arrows, almost equal to aluminums for accuracy.
My third choice.
Or there are the aluminum/carbon composite arrows like ACC's. If you're concerned about getting the best bang for the buck though, they're a little pricey. You have to be a really goodshot to take advantage of the quality. I'm not good enough to warrent spending the money for them. [&o]
Not at all my cup of tea for a traditional arrow, but for tournament shooting with a compound? Top of my list.
Aluminum, carbons and composites are all best cut to length with high speed arrow saws.
Wood arrows. Ahhhh... WOOD! They're my favorite arrows. Verydifficult or very expensive, or both,to get a dozen matched in spine and weight. They're not all that durable, compared to carbon, aluminum or composites. Although, some of the hardwoods like ash and hickory are pretty tough. Problem is you pay for the extra toughness with a lot of extra arrow weight. (Sometimes you might want a very heavy arrow for larger and tougher game animals though.)They'll warpwith changes in humidity, so you're always straightening them.
You've got to have tapering tools to put the nock and point tapers on them, but you can cut them to length with a fine-toothed saw or even score around them with a pocketknife and snap off the excess. You have to orient the wood grain the same on all your arrows when you fletch 'em up and put nocks on them.
But there is no arrow ever made that's as pleasant to shoot as a wood arrow. Very quiet in flight. When you have them made up correctly, they are as accurate as any of the other arrow types. They just reek of history and tradition. You can't really imagine yourself as Robin Hood striding though Sherwood with a quiver full of carbon or aluminum arrows rattling around. [:'(]
And the aroma of a freshlybroken Port Orford cedar arrow is heaven on earth.
It smells so good that you're hardly even upset to be an arrow shorter.
Preferring wood is irrational, I know. It's one of those things that can't be explained.
Carbon vs. Alunimun vs. Wood
Thanks for all of your feedback. what would you rate all of the arrows on a scale of one to ten on durability? Can you put braodheads on wood shafts? if so how? Also do you make your own wooden arrows? Do you have any advice? Sorry for all of the questions!
