I shoot aluminum because that is what I have always shot. I have shot carbons, only because a friend gave me a dozen ICS hunters I shot one deer with them out of a recurve good penatration for only 45lbs. The deer went 40 yards and went down. The arrow broke in half when the deer fell on it but a aluminum arrow would of bent or broke in half to. It is all personal preference. If we all shot the same thing the archery companys would go out of business