I have seen them bent or warped just from shooting. Especially if you shoot them into a 3-D target or simular material alot without using lube. The heat will actually warp the end of them. Another thing that will mess them up is pulling them from a target incorrectly or if you stick them in something hard by accident. If you wiggle the arrow from side to side or around in a circle trying to get it out you will damage the fibers inside the arrow. Then it will warp at the tip and begin to loose spine.

Carbons also break down over time and lose there straightness and spine, heat as was described above is very bad for them, as is direct sunlight.

I won't dissagree that carbons will take more abuse than an aluminum, especially a thin walled one. However they are not as tough as many are lead to believe and they do not last forever. I just feel for the money the tolerances and quality control are still better on aluminum arrows. Carbons get better every year though. And the expensive ones are pretty darn good as long as you don't buy into the hype about them never going bad.

I will never forget a few years ago when I was shooting indoor spots and some guy brought in one of those ball bearing arrow spinnners. Some guy put his 80 dollar carbons on there and half them had wobble to them. I threw my cheap Easton 1816 Jazz youth arrows on there and they spun perfect. This guy was not impressed in the least.

Paul