RE: best arrow shaft for small game
You don' t say, but I assume you' re talking about arrows for a compound. That, IMO, is mistake #1. Forget the compound and do your small game hunting with a longbow or recurve.
Compounds are great for the target range and butt perching in a deer stand, but they' re NOT the optimal tool for chasing bunnies. Even the lightest compounds are too heavy to be toting around all day. Too much ' stuff' hanging on them and just begging to get snagged in the thick stuff, and if you ain' t in the thick stuff, you ain' t into the game. You' ve got to be able to shoot quick and compounds are just too slow into action... especially when using sights and release! (A stickbow shooter will be picking up his rabbit before you can even get your release hooked up.) Compounds tend to bury even judo tipped arrows in the leaves and grass and cause lost arrows.
I do a LOT of small game hunting and stump shooting each year. It' s my favorite thing to do in the woods. I' ll average losing about 3 arrows each year from my stickbows. On those few occasions when I' ve taken a compound, I' ve averaged losing 3 arrows per outing. If you' re shooting a compound, then I can certainly see why you' re worried about losing arrows.
As for arrows, I like wood and aluminum. Maybe heavily weighted carbon' s. Since I use judos, blunts and broadheads, I need a hefty arrow to supply a solid thump when it hits. For wood, cedar is okay, but ash is heavier and more durable. Cost, by the time you' ve done all the straightening, tapering, finishing and fletching is probably MORE than the price of a dozen Gamegetter I' s. 5" feathers in a bright, oddball color (like hot pink) will help you keep from losing arrows.